[CobraDan]

I guess I should give a little report on all the broken Cobras over the weekend and I’ll start with mine. I’ve always had an engine over heating problem as those BB Chevy’s are noted for running hot. Before Reptile Roundup I got myself a new Spal fan that pulls 2 ½ times the air that the old fan did and installed it just before our gathering. The night before I put the car on the trailer for the trip up north Jim Milliken called and said he was driving over to my house to see if his car was drivable as he was having problems starting his BB Ford 460 and had just replaced the starter motor etc. He also had a new hardtop for his West Coast that I had not seen and he wanted to show it off. When Jim stopped in I also wanted to show him how I no longer needed the Chevy engine as the new fan would propel the Cobra down the road. I turned the ignition switch to the on position and turned the toggle switch to the manual fan run position. You no longer had to look and see if the fan was running you could hear it running even over the noise of the engine when it was running, I turned off the toggle switch and we went back to BSing but I forgot the ignition switch. This wasn’t a problem until the next morning when I found out the Cobra wouldn’t start as the trickle charger didn’t stay a head of the draw on the battery. It was still early so I had time to put on the battery charger before my brother arrived and we would load the Cobra. I had gotten the trailer earlier in the week and parked my car in the garage and had the trailer parked outside behind it. I put small blocks behind the tires so the trailer would still be in my driveway and not in the street when needed. After hooking up the trailer and trying to back it up I remembered my blocks under the wheel, so I pulled forward and removed the blocks, when going backwards I then found the trailer brakes were now locked up. Now I had a Cobra that wouldn’t start and a trailer that wouldn’t drop the brakes. Well, after a little charging and a quick hit to the brake drum with a large hammer the Cobra started and trailer brakes were fine. My Cobra ran fine in the Poker Run and never really ran hot, my over heating problems were behind me. About 10 miles from our final destination and dinner I blew the left hand exhaust gasket on my headers other than that; the Cobra ran strong. Jim was still having problems with his starter and once when it was hot he had to have a jump start to get the engine to turn over. With our problems we decided to put the Cobras back on the trailers and head home early on Sunday and not participate in Sunday’s activities. Both Ed Kamptner and Reg Dodd had broken their Cobras at the track, Ed’s was a rocker arm or something and I think Reg had a trans problem as there was no shifter handle mounted when it was parked at Garlits. Reg loaned Ed another BDR Cobra so he could participate in the Poker Run and Ed broke that BDR. Someone blew a head gasket on the Poker Run. My buddy from St. Augustine Mike Iodice drove up in his EM and on the way home his differential grenaded a few miles from his exit on I-95 and he had to call a friend to come and get him with his trailer. I guess we will have to get Mr Fixit to join our club or someone who likes working on these Cobras. Well, we have a whole year to fix and repair all the damage to our Cobras, see you all in 2005 at the annual Reptile Roundup.
Dan