All these scary Cobra Stories....

[sspano01]

Hi

So I had a quick question....

This is the first week I have gotten my plates on my Cobra and have actually driven it out and about. I put 160 Miles on it this week and it has been totally fun!

My engine setup is a 521cu (eagle stroker kit, ford aluminum super cobra jet heads, flat tappet cam by cam research, edelbrock performer RPM intake). I also have the holley 950 fuel injection setup, msd 6A ignition, tremec t56-magnum, and a tru-trac differential with 3.5:1 ratio. Tires right now are cooper cobra 295/50/15 back and 235/60/15 front.

So...the question!

I see these threads about people breaking tires loose at 60 mph and going sideways/etc.

I had my cobra upto 85 mph (it got there very quickly!). I have been able to start in 1st gear and go upto 5th gear. Granted I was not going to WOT as I am trying to get the feel of the car.

I have been normally starting now in 3rd gear and shifting to 5th. With this combination, I have pushed the gas to probably about 3/4 of the way. It pulls very hard. My buddy timed the car from 30mph to 70 and it took about 2 seconds.

So what is the deal with all this tire smoking? I want to avoid breaking my tires loose at 60-70mph and sliding sideways into a tree.

I don't plan on making any 90-degree turns and hammering the gas either.

Just curious on this and looking for "safety" tips.

Although...once I get about 300 miles on the cobra. I DO plan on starting in 1st gear and slamming the gas. But it nice open area

thanks in advance

[rustyBob]

Strange things happen when the "GO" pedal is pushed to the floor and it dosent matter what gear you are in....most of what you hear arent stories, the are actual events that have happened to real people in a real world situation....will it ever happen to you ?? probably will...is it somethimg you can do on purpose...probably can...just be aware that these cars can KILL you before you know your dead...be safe and be aware...enjoy your Cobra to your abilities...if your not sure take a driveing course for performance cars...

[Barnsnake]

Your brain and your right foot are key to avoiding wheelspin, but some other factors come into play at times.
Some pavement may have less grip than the last road you were on when you had good bite. Some tires become very hard and slick at lower temperatures. Sometimes there is an imperceptible layer of dust or oil on the pavement.
A set of M/T drag radials eliminated the "surprise" events with my car, which has substantially less power than yours.

Until you get a lot of seat time in the car, make sure the road and the front wheels are both straight before applying significant amounts of throttle, and always be prepared for wheelspin when you do.

Have fun!

[mdross1]

It's all about practice,practice,practice.You want to drive the car to your limits then you have to keep at it.As your confidence builds you can test the limits of traction,your cars handling and above all the brakes.
One thing you should do especially with a coilover suspension is have it scaled.The car will become a lot more predictable in all driving situations.My 460 powered car regularly get pushed to the limit and beyond, the very reason why I have always wanted a car like this.Good Luck and have fun learning your cars ability and above all your own.

[Silverback51]

The one thing you don't mention is what tires you are running.

If they are BFG's or Goodyear GTII's, you might as well expect to have traction issues unless you are running a V6 for power.

One thing to be careful of us pulling out to pass someone. If you mash the throttle and whip the wheel, depending on your car and the conditions you may find the tires breaking loose even at speed.

[charles roybal]

Have tried pushing the GO pedal full in first-secnd-third-forth??? Bet you find wheel spin. I get wheel spin at 60mph in 4th pushing the Go pedal 3/4 's & that's with 315's and 3.27 gears.

[DonC]

There's no replacement for seat time. Get as much as you can under as many different conditions as you can.
Can't recommend track days highly enough. The nice thing about track days is that you can gradually bring speeds up to figure out what the car is going to do at different speeds.
Autocross the car to refine your go pedal modulation. Really helps in low speed high power applications and finding out what the car feels like when it breaks loose.
Both of the above allow you to make mistakes without damaging anyone else, the car or yourself.
Be aware of changes in the weather. The difference is like night and day between cold and hot pavement. Ditto cold and hot tires. There's a reason for "warm up" laps and it's not just for the engine.
Back to the original - seat time. What your backside tells you can be really informative if you learn to listen to it.
Above all enjoy the car. You want to develop a working relationship with it based on respect but not fear.
Can you break the tires loose at various speeds? Most folks can. The trick is to find out where and when this will happen and when you are near that limit proceed respectfully. You and the car can build a beautiful friendship if you're willing to take a little time to develop it.
Above all, have fun. Enjoy the ride as there's very little like it around today. Get some fun cruising time where you just drive for the enjoyment. You don't have to operate at the upper limit all the time. Take it easy and just cruise.
DonC

[D-CEL]

sspano01,

I will second the points made earlier.

#1 Scrap your Coopers today. Get a set of Drag radials, I like the M/T’s but they all work.. The bigger the better.

#2 Try to avoid “stabbing” the throttle. I’m guessing your motor makes sufficient toque. Plenty to convince your butt cheeks bite a hole in the seat if you over commit with the loud pedal.
One more thing, if it does start to spin the tires, ease out of it, don’t try to drive it out or snap the throttle shut. Think gentle inputs.
Again, Drag radials will remove most of the scary tendencies.

Jason

[sspano01]

Hi Folks,
Thanks for the insights! I appreciate it.
I am close to Watkins Glen in NY and want to see if I can take it there to some larger open space to push it more and intentionally get some wheel spin. I want to see where it breaks loose/etc.

When I was running it the other day, I was very careful to only lean into the pedal and only when the road was flat and straight.

I did pass someone, but I first gently transitioned into the other lane, accelerated, eased off the pedal, and then when back into my original lane.

It's probably good I have been reading these "scary stories" for several months - I was intentionally trying to be careful.

Truth be told, starting in 3rd gear and reving up to about 3500 RPMs brings me near 60MPH. And its pretty frickin fast while it does it. So I don't see much need on the street to go faster than that. Its almost like the gas pedal is mechanically linked to the speedometer. Instead of the pedal controlling how open the throttle is...the pedal acts like it immediately controls where the needle on the spedo goes ! And I know the timing curve and fuel injection is not completely tuned yet either...

On the tires - I keep hearing good things about those Avons. I figured those coopers were probably just starter tires anyway. But they had the DOT# so I could get through state inspection for my VIN

Thanks again for the insights

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

The one thing you don't mention is what tires you are running.

If they are BFG's or Goodyear GTII's, you might as well expect to have traction issues unless you are running a V6 for power.

One thing to be careful of us pulling out to pass someone. If you mash the throttle and whip the wheel, depending on your car and the conditions you may find the tires breaking loose even at speed.

Silverback is on point, as is everyone else here. After trying to pass a truck at 70+ MPH with BFG's, I was on an ice rink! Then, these little cars take on a mind of their own! The kind of thing that makes you limp it home, hug the wife and kids and look for your Bible!!
I have since dumped the BFG's and gone with Billboards....
Believe the stories here!!!

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by sspano01

.....On the tires - I keep hearing good things about those Avons. I figured those coopers were probably just starter tires anyway. But they had the DOT# so I could get through state inspection for my VIN

Thanks again for the insights

The Avons are DOT approved tires.

When I bought the car is had Goodyear GTII's on it. Totally garbage tire in my opinion for a car like this if you are going to drive it anywhere near the limits.

Went with the Goodyear Billboards next and love them. Only upgraded to the Avons due to taking the car on vacation last year and did not want to take a chance with the lightweight race tires on vacation.

Never have understood why some people will skimp on tires. They are the only thing keeping you connected to the pavement.

[Wisconsin_Snake]

I have a set of side pipes that are restrictive and was told to update them with less restrictive version which would free up ~50 hp...

After reading this thread, maybe I will pass or at least use them until I feel like I need more HP and can handle the car.

[sspano01]

The Avons are DOT! Didn't realize that...i checked, must have misread.
I did a burn out today, on purpose though! Starting in 2nd gear, got in rolling a bit, and pushed the gas down fast. It lit' them up nice :-)

[sspano01]

My sidepipes are probably pretty restrictive. I actually ordered them with an extra muffler layer. The car sounds real nice! I just didn't want it toooo loud

[Tommy]

sspan01,
During my Air Force flying career, we learned that the pilots who had the most accidents were not the new guys nor the old heads. The highest accident rate was for pilots with about three years of experience. The best explanation for this phenomena is that new guys are cautious because they realize there is still a lot they don't know. The old guys are cautious because they've been scared often enough to know that pressing the limits for no good reason is stupid. The dangerous pilots were those who thought they had it all figured out, but hadn't seen enough to realize they still had a lot to learn. I think the same thing applies to many Cobra drivers. Your novice caution is a very good thing. But don't make the mistake of thinking that when you get comfortable in six months or so, you can handle anything. Try to keep that cautious mind set. .... If you really want to get good at handling your car, try SCCA autocross or some good driving schools. And save your aggressive driving for the track.

[mic n gill]

This is why I've stuck with a 302---Mic

[CobraEd]

Get drag radials for the rear.


.

[Voyager]

Make sure you are pointing straight when you “mash” the throttle.

[mreid]

That doesn't really matter as you can be sideways in a heartbeat!

Keep your fear. Fear good!

[D-CEL]

I know it sounds strange, but I say run drag radials all around, Front and Rear. They just plain work. I’ve been running them hard for several years now and have had no issues. DOT legal, sticky as hell, good lifespan. They are just a great Cobra tire.

Jason