Thread: Downshifting
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Old 11-18-2007, 06:32 PM
Steve Cassani Steve Cassani is offline
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Aussie Mike has the most elegant solution I've seen. I struggled with SPO 1862 and finally settled on a position of heel and toe that, while awkward, enabled me to coordinate my movements with the mechanics of the car during severe braking. After replacing the Superformance with a Nissan 350Z I appreciated the contribution correct pedal position makes to what is now a straightforward, largely natural movement.

The difficulty does not come solely from your ability to coordinate the necessary movements. Pedal arragement is crucial and the design Superformance uses to replicate the arrangement of the original cars could be improved. Mike's solution demonstrates that the needed changes in the relative positions of the brake and accelerator pedals would occur in two dimensions. I doubt what would work best for you could be incorporated in a factory solution. More likely the needed arrangement would have to come from trial and error, taking advantage of the flexibility demonstrated by Mike's design, or something like it.

I have had success with adding plates to the left side of the accelerator pedal. Others have bent the bar that supports the pedal, moving it closer to the brake pedal. Neither of these techniques helps with the difference in height that results when the brake pedal is depressed and you want to briefly depress the accelerator.
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A beautiful car, precisely assembled. Unfortunately I don't fit. Sold it after four hundred miles. Well, at least now I know a Cobra is not a car I can own.
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