500-650 hp please apply

[Street Stalker]

looking at putting a 460 with 550-650 hp. due to the weight of the cobra is there any big deals about putting power to the ground? also thinking about installing gussets on some parts of the frame. FFR is the kit im using.

[MidOHasp]

I have a 508 horsepower smallblock with even dumber torque. With street S-Rated tires (295mm) it's hard as hell to put it to the ground. If you roll on the throttle, you can get good hook-up in second, but if you snap your foot, you can get sideways in 3rd easily.

Just depends on if you know how to drive.

Welcome to the club, enjoy your time, and keep your eyes open. You will learn a lot. But probably not from me...

[DC COBRA]

I have 615 on torque, 612 on horsepower in an aluminum smallblock, and to be honest words like hooking-up, traction and a few other choice words are not part of my vocabulary at this time.


DON

[Mark Husar]

I am running 500hp on a 351 stroker. I cannot get hook-up on the euro 315x15 for crap. I am sideways all the time at just about any speed. It's a little unnerving but you get used to it and compensate for it. Finesse on the throttle helps a lot. On a second note... decelerating while going around a corner is a real thrill. Took me a week to pick the leather out of my as$hole!!

[LETSRCE]

513 RWHP & 513 RWTQ, forget 1st and 2nd gear. If i'm careful I can go to WOT at the top of 2nd then roll back in to it in 3rd and just aim and shoot!!
This isn't my fast car, but it's the scariest

[decooney]

Reportedly, some of the fastest FFRs around Sears Point/Infineon Raceway are lightweight spec racers that have just 220HP 5.0s in them. To me, sometimes more is just more, but everyone tries it at least once. Good Luck!

[jjtarnow]

I'm new to the Cobra scene and it's funny to read about similiar situations with a lack of traction. I'm running a 460 (513ci) with twin 600 Edlebrock carbs and a lot of cam. I just got the car last week and the power is incredible. There is no question that it's tough to get the wheels to hook up and when I go from 3rd to 4th (Tremec 5sp) I could swear that turning the steering wheel would do nothing! It feels like I could almost use a wheelie bar. I am 100% convinced that the small block guys have it right with respect to weight savings and just as much (if not more) power on hand BUT there is something about a BB..we all have to get it out of our systems! Good luck!

Josh

[Excaliber]

The right tires make a HUGE difference. So far the best traction I've found is the BIG Goodyear white letter bias ply's.

An interesting setup by the original builder of my car, and I'm finding it works REALLY well.

High rear gear, 3.31 and HIGH first gear in the top loader. 1st is good for 60 mph. Now 2,3 and 4 are close ratio. Engine rpm only drops about a 1000 per gear.

Result: 1st gear is very useful and you get to 60 in a heart beat. I can LAUNCH without sending them up in smoke, if I'm careful.

Some big block guys actually use 2nd or EVEN 3rd to launch because 1st gear is simply a "joke". AND a 2nd or 3rd gear launch CAN result in the quickest 1/4 mile time! I like the sticky tires and high FIRST gear in the trans. I suppose I could use a slightly lower rear gear, but it's the TRANS gearing that make it all so sweet.

[Junket]

Slick is correct tires make the difference I tried a set of cooper cobra's what a joke I ended up with a set of Goodrich G Force KD"s they have a wear rating of 200 I belive a lot run the guys run Michelin Pilot's they are 280-260 (don't know which one) but but with 11" of tire on the ground the KD's does hook and go.
Ken

[Excaliber]

If you've got 400 horse or more the typical and often used BF Goodrich TA's will get you in trouble. No way they have anywhere near enough bite.

[MAXVELO]

anything after 400 is useless. It just causes you to buy rear tires more often, thats really the ONLY defference!

[terry lee]

TRACTION with over 500hp and torque to match?
I've got about 575hp and 540 ft lbs of torque with my track setup and even with slicks I can easlily break the tires loose.
It takes some time and skill to master, but it can be done!
TL

[BB427]

To master 600 hp in a Cobra is to NOT use it. If you can't use it why build it? Most people on this forum that think they have 600 hp don't. Builders will tell you what you want to hear. A 400 hp Cobra will often make the "600 hp" Cobra look sick.

Brent

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I heard this quote at NPR when a couple of guys were talking after a session on the track; "it is more fun to drive a "slow" car "fast",than drive a fast car slow"......Kinda sums up my feelings on big hp..... Build what you can use and then learn to use it properly......Some of the fastest Cobras I've seen on road courses had the least amount of hp...........

David

[Back in Black]

Strange Engineering 9 inch posi rear and Pirelli P-Zero tires (over 11 wide inch rears)

I seemed to have extremely good traction last summer. We'll see once I get my motor back together, if the increased HP makes a difference!

[Street Stalker]

most people answering have said that anything over 400 hp is to much, but your not looking at what was originaly put into the car a 427 bb. what kind of hp and tq do you think the car was intended for?? the whole idea for the cobra was a small car and hugh hp. anythoughts??

[MidOHasp]

Well, the original 427 had 475 horsepower. the 289 had less. the 260 had even less. The 260 is what was originally intended, then the 289 was better, and the 427 is what we came to know and love as the Cobra.

So I'd say it was intended to make about 475 HP. Figure maybe our cars are heavier so 500.

But, Street Stalker, the original cars were also originally intended to be raced by professionals. I've seen too many guys who "THINK" they understand what 500 horsepower is get in my car and f--- up pretty bad.

So, for someone who has limited RACE wheel time and hasn't really harnessed the power, short wheelbase, 50/50 weight, and light weight of a car like this, I think anything over 400HP is ridiculous.

If you know what in the h*ll you are doing, that is a much different story. But I've had many hours on race tracks trained by pros and so far I've got 1100 miles on my Cobra and still have a LOT...I mean a TON to learn about driving it in anything except a straight line. I don't even know if I have straight lines down yet.

FWIW...
JP

[jjtarnow]

I just bought an E-M with a rather large motor and there is little dout that the hp seriously exceeds what is "needed" to be a fun track car. But let's be honest...it's not all about that. It's fun to talk up the motor to your Cobra (and non-Cobra pals), big HP sounds fantastic, and it's just fun to keep tinkering! Regardless of whether you have a 260 or a 460...2000-2500 lbs is fairly easy to get in trouble with.

Josh

[RICK LAKE]

Street stalker Hp and Tork limits on a drivable cobra, 450hpand 500 tor. This is at the crankshaft. A small block will handle a little better racing on a small track. The hot setup is a stroked windsor at 400 cid. Iron block Alum upper end. Now I have an Shelby motor, all Alum but crank,rods,cam and oilpan. Wieght is 520. The same as a windsor. Your motor is another 100 lbs on the nose of your car. You need to get the car wieghted and move wieght around to try and balance it out. My motor is 360 hp and 448tork, runs 12.5 in the 1/4 has 9.2 compression, will run on regular gas if needed. Build a motor that is easy to live with. 600hp is a pain in the neck at times, nice to leave that 300ft burnout but the guy with a 100 less hp is driving by you. These cars only wieght 2800lbs. My new motor is going to be a 489 with 10.0 small cam should make another 125hp and 170 tor. this is all the car will handle with street tires. Bigger is NOT always better. Good luck with your car. Rick Lake

[coyled]

Traction is always an issue in a cobra. For any street driven cobra, the bfg radial drag ta's seem to work pretty well. Gearing and driving style can help also. On the race track, you can hook up big power with slicks. I have been running a 660hp 358ci motor and have not had any traction problems. On the track, set up and driver will be faster than hp every time. But, if you like that stuck to the back of the seat feeling like me, get the hp. I do also agree with the comment about most cobra guys don't have the hp they claim. The only way to know for sure is an engine dyno befoe you install the motor. Scott