[What'saCobra?]

If you read my posts, mostly hot air! Or what I like to call 'adding Bulloonium.'

I would caution a presumption of 2000 pounds, but it might be possible with a careful selection of items. CSX3127 certainly didn't get there. But, it was close. Particularly, not with the Webers, since they were heavier.

The real reason they were light is that the blocks were real 289's and didn't have the beefsteak of a current 351 HiPo. The frames were 3" dia (making them a flexible flier), VERY light compared to a 4" 427 chassis. The cars were smaller.

But, they had iron heads. Today's cars could be done all alloy motors/transmissions, carbon driveshafts, lightweight CV joints, etc. and just might make 2000 £'s as a racer. I would love to try with a Kirkham. Ask Tom.

Recall also that the upper link in the front was a cross leaf, which is relatively light in total weight, since it requires no fore or aft top locating device. (Notice here the current Corvette single cross leaf rear independent syspension.) Small dia. anti-roll bars are all that is necessary for smaller and lighter cars. Note further that Ken Miles used mostly NO anti-roll bars (front or back), to keep the chassis under less twist due to different dia, fr to back. He liked the way the tires of the day would "bite", he said, under extreme roll conditions, with air under the inside front tire. Look at the pictures, which tell the whole story. ( The difference in the effective diameter of the left vs. the right rear wheels due to such extreme leaning explains one of the reasons why the diff had to have a cooler, since it flopped over so much under high power conditions in turn exits and generated heat.) Depended on the track, he said, also. And that dude could drive, baby.

Bob Negstad, FORD engineering manager extrordinaire, under whom the new coil spring suspension system was designed in 1964/5, confirmed this exact theory to me a few years ago, before his untimely death.

Nobody wants to hear this today, with all our certain knowledge about how many shocks and sway-bars are necessary. Tubular bars, solid bars, Heim jointed, keflex grommets, long links, etc.

Viz, a coil spring street car that has no sway (anti-roll) bars, handles great, with some roll, of course, but is much more comfortable on the street, if you don't tighten up too much on the shocks, because a bump on either side doesn't lift up the other side through bar lift transmission. Rear adhesion on the bumps under power is particularly better. Harder to lose sideways. (How are your reaction times...hands?...sphincter?) I can't tell if it is quicker, since that would require very serious street driving beyond the call of duty. Tires are important, of course. And, you have to learn how to drive...nothing replaces seat time...

"The results you achieve may be different than this. These results were achieved on a professional closed course by professional drivers (@85¢ an hour including driving the transporter, setting up the tents and finding a decent lunch) driving specially prepared vehicles."

They were also accomplished in the dim and distant past; though I have to say, as I ruminate, that some of the things I remember happening might not be so. I am not going to fret about it, since they are nice memories, even if they didn't happen.

Do you dig it?