[Cobra-Kid]

Hi, a member suggested I post as a new member, listing the car essentials.

I was never a Cobra fanatic, I did not know enough about them and I was a teen in the late 70's so mid engined Italian cars were my "ultimate" in styling.

Fast forward decades of motocycles and racing, but also appreciating cars, I bought what I always said I would go to if I got tired of bikes, or got too old for bikes: A Lotus Super 7.

Immediately upon ownership I found that our twisty back roads in New England where I hot rod motorcycles around new are full of "humps"....hills and dales, where you really can't see over the next hump in a car as low as the Lotus. This never occurred to me as regular passenger cars are no problem, being much higher and motorcycles have a very high vantage points. In the Lotus, no chance knowing if there is a kid in the road.....or a car backing out of the driveway.

What to get that's a little higher? I went through a giant list of what might light me up after having fast sports bikes, and ended up thinking a 427SC.

I wanted the lightness of a small block but the feel of what the cars came with, the 427FE. So an aluminum block 427 CX or SPF or ERA would fit the bill.
I found a SPF, SPO 0113, and bought it. Essentials are:

427 Pond aluminum block built by Keith Craft, stroked to 482, rollers, 10:1, dyno'd 601/610.
Tremec
3.73:1
Smiths
Moto wheel
Willwood
knock offs
Red with dual white stripes.

It indeed is fun, good power, will leave 2 long black marks on the highway in any gear. Fun handling.

I read a lot about how 427s can be "widow makers", how the tail will "come around and bite you in an instant", all that, but if find this to be a very easy to handle car.

In fact, most Cobra guys I met at shows tried to talk me into 351-based motors, saying that the 427 block motors that are built are just too much power. Maybe coming from race bikes with better power to weight ratios and running on 2 little contact patches teaches constant vigilance with throttle, tire loading, focus, etc. helps. I also had a 650hp Porsche 930, after having one of those sideways on the street with throttle lots of other things seem tame. In any case, I am amazed at the tractability and controllability of the car in all attitudes. Definitely a car which you can have fun playing with the throttle in turns.

I've had the Cobra for a year now. I was looking for a car that has the edge of a high performance motorcycle, this is probably as close as I'll find, though it is still a bit mild in comparison.

I'm glad to find a forum that seems pretty active.