tin-man needs some advice.......

[Jamo]

I got some advice for ya, tin Man...get some damn situational awareness before you even sit in the thing.

I'm of course basing this on you posting to a three year old thread concerning fires in California and responding like it's a current conversation.

In other words, whether its posting here or driving a Cobra...pay attention.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Jamo

I got some advice for ya, tin Man...get some damn situational awareness before you even sit in the thing.

I'm of course basing this on you posting to a three year old thread concerning fires in California and responding like it's a current conversation.

In other words, whether its posting here or driving a Cobra...pay attention.

I was surfing thru the threads and came across the comments regarding fires in California and seeing there are fires there now, concluded the post was current and did not pick up on a post date. Mea Culpa pal, Mea Culpa. But then again how can a three year old post be on a current thread? Yep, I certainly missed that one.

Now as to situational awareness, I am endevoring to get as much information as I can before my Cobra is finished and since I live and work in China my only access to advice is thru this forum and yes sir, am I am payin' plenty of attention to the feedback I get.

Gotta find that original thread that pissed you off man and caused you to bash my post. tin-man:

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by tin-man

I was surfing thru the threads and came across the comments regarding fires in California and seeing there are fires there now, concluded the post was current and did not pick up on a post date. Mea Culpa pal, Mea Culpa. But then again how can a three year old post be on a current thread? Yep, I certainly missed that one.

Now as to situational awareness, I am endevoring to get as much information as I can before my Cobra is finished and since I live and work in China my only access to advice is thru this forum and yes sir, I am payin' plenty of attention to the feedback I get.

Gotta find that original thread that pissed you off man and caused you to bash my post. tin-man:

Hi Jamo, I found the thread bigger'n life under "Active Threads":

Prayers & thoughts for California ( 1 2)

Accordin' to the news here on China TV there was a fire in the San Fransisco area being some type of gas explosion that wiped out several homes and killed at least one person, so naturally I thought the post was current and about that. What I failed to do was see the original post date and yep I feel like a turd now since you were right. Like I said Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa.

So Jamo, can you tell me out of all the posts on this forum how you came to isolate mine in this particular instance. I am just curios? tin-man

[Jamo]

Eh...cuz it popped up as the most current post on the whole damn site...under Active Threads...you "activated" it.

You had to have dug many pages back in history to even find that thread. You found the thread, not the other way around.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Eh...cuz it popped up as the most current post on the whole damn site...under Active Threads...you "activated" it.

You had to have dug many pages back in history to even find that thread. You found the thread, not the other way around.

its rainin' like a ***** here and its Sunday afternoon and I am doing what I like to do being surfing Club Cobra, how I got to that page I will never know, but it sure was coincidental. Anyway thanks for pointing that out to me, I will pay more attention in the future.

All Hail Jamo, All Hail Jamo. tin-man

[coosawjack]

Originally Posted by Tom Wells

tin-man,

I saw this and am forced to chime in:



I'm not sure what this means. I have a C-6 in my car (built by Carl Rossler, Girard, OH) and can tell you from experience that others warned about this before I got my car.

Here's what my experience says about that: It is speculation based on ignorance, not experience!

I've run my car in autocross, at Roebling Road, Sebring and Daytona to name a few places. I put it in drive and two-foot (one on the brake, one on the gas) and it is heavenly! Others have driven this car on the track and remarked how easy it is to drive, and can go quickly and smoothly.

Those who say "don't do anything sudden" have the correct idea. Concentrate on being smooth and fast will eventually happen.

The most important thing I've learned about the automatic is that it is vital to have the correct torque converter and a really effective trans cooler. I learned this after boiling the fluid out and melting the cooler's fan the first time I ran 30 minute sessions at Sebring. I found a torque converter guy in Deland FL (FTI) who recommended a 9-1/2" converter and a 1600 rpm stall speed, who also assures there is maximum oil flow through the converter. Apparently if oil flow isn't sufficient, not enough cooling can occur in the cooler itself. All I can tell you is that before the converter, trans temps went over 320F in the trans pan, and afterward never exceeded 240F.

So enjoy your auto - it wouldn't surprise me to see more dedicated race cars switching to automatics - oh, wait, some already have!

Tom,

I must respond to this as I take issue with your "speculation" comment.....

I have a 2004 Mercury Marauder that I Supercharged and I have had many "nearly catastrophic" downshifts especially in wet conditions......not wild about automatics anyway except in drag racing!!!

Removing the "Kick Down" linkage will certainly eliminate downshifts but in computer cars the function is up to the PCM......meaning it happens under a variety of different conditions...thus the "surprise" comment!!

Road race conditions do not come close to street driving conditions since you are constantly concentrating on being smooth and most of you are going the same direction!!??

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by tin-man

on driving a SPF 600HP MK111 Cobra with a Roush 511 IRFE engine and automatic transmission. What I am looking for are the basic newbie type driving tips, the do's, dont's and don't even think of, type of driving hints I would need to know to prevent me from getting into trouble with all that power. All advice will be much appreciated and valued.

Thanks in advance guys, my Cobra is due to be ready in November. tin-man

The simplest advice to be given is that when you are driving the car, think of it as walking on a smooth sheet of ice with a pair of leather soled penny loafers on.......Every step you take in the car should be cautious, smooth, simple in nature so that you do not fall (in your case crash) and kill yourself or someone else around you. 600HP in your first Cobra, even with an automatic transmission seems a bit overboard, but hey, it's your dream/money/life so I won't go into that aspect further........Also, regardless of whatever other driving experience you have (cars, venues, etc), a Cobra is unlike any other vehicle you have driven (unless you have driven formula fords in the rain without rain slicks on )......Treat the car with respect, or again, it will kill you.



Bill S.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

The simplest advice to be given is that when you are driving the car, think of it as walking on a smooth sheet of ice with a pair of leather soled penny loafers on.......Every step you take in the car should be cautious, smooth, simple in nature so that you do not fall (in your case crash) and kill yourself or someone else around you. 600HP in your first Cobra, even with an automatic transmission seems a bit overboard, but hey, it's your dream/money/life so I won't go into that aspect further........Also, regardless of whatever other driving experience you have (cars, venues, etc), a Cobra is unlike any other vehicle you have driven (unless you have driven formula fords in the rain without rain slicks on )......Treat the car with respect, or again, it will kill you.



Bill S.

Hi Bill, thanks for the advice, the reason for the 600HP is because I wanted the biggest, meanest, nastiest sounding big block motor on the block. Heard that one before? I've waited ten years for this baby and now that I am close to retirement its a retirement gift for myself. All the advice I am hearing is eccoing your comments treat this car with the utmost care and respect, so given Bondurant is in Phoenix I plan to take one of his driving courses on how to handle high performance cars. I believe this to be perhaps the best thing I can do immediately after receiving my car. Cheers, tin-man

[ItBites]

tinner,

Sticky tires will degrade over time, same as any other tire. The tread 'grip' will degrade as they get older (harder), but starting from a position of higher grip will still leave you better a year or two down the road.

Flat spots are not really an issue I have noticed. I think that is more an issue with the billboards and Avons, which are bias-ply tires as compared to modern radials. modern radials will not flat spot near as much. Get a nice set of 17" rims, put good raidals on, have fun.

[YerDugliness]

Some tire compounds are sensitive to heat cycles more so than miles. A friend raced a Boss 302 Mustang and kept precise records of the number of times his Hoosiers were heated up. Most racers kept a few extra sets so they could swap out between tours of the road course. Something to think about when you look for sticky tires!

Cheers from Doug!!

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by ItBites

tinner,

Sticky tires will degrade over time, same as any other tire. The tread 'grip' will degrade as they get older (harder), but starting from a position of higher grip will still leave you better a year or two down the road.

Flat spots are not really an issue I have noticed. I think that is more an issue with the billboards and Avons, which are bias-ply tires as compared to modern radials. modern radials will not flat spot near as much. Get a nice set of 17" rims, put good raidals on, have fun.

Avon's are radials and do not flat spot.

[ItBites]

I stand corrected on the Avons. Thank you silverback.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by tin-man

...I wanted the biggest, meanest, nastiest sounding big block motor on the block. Heard that one before?

Yes. And often times the person is not happy with that choice after experiencing it for a while. Sometimes less is more.

[Bernica]

What has been said above: Take a Performance Driving Course!
Also, I would add the following:

1) Get some driving shoes. Don't wear your big wide typical running shoes. And NEVER try to drive it wearing flip-flops!

2) Resist every temptation that may be presented to you by a passenger trying to egg you on to show what the car can do. Stay within your limits, particularly with someone else in the car.

3) Stay off of wet pavement! Unless, of course, it's on purpose and you're in a 10-acre parking lot or something similar.

4) Get to know your brakes!! Particularly how they work when cold.

5) If you're not a religious person, you will be very soon if you ignore all of the advice provided in the thread above.

Pay attention at all times and learn to respect the beast. You'll have alot of fun!

[jhv48]

And every time you are getting ready to plant your butt in the driver's seat, review this picture. http://www.ffcars.com/forums/showthr...light=accident

[undy]

Originally Posted by patrickt

And often times the person is not happy with that choice after experiencing it for a while.

Never have, never will.. There's no such thing as TOO much horsepower.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by undy

Never have, never will.. There's no such thing as TOO much horsepower.

I understand; I just raise an eyebrow though when I see 600HP and an automatic transmission in a Cobra. I just wonder if the thrill will last....

[csx4910]

If I can chip in here, I have owned both in the last year. A SPF with a 620 HP Ford racing 514 with a automatic and a Csx with a Roush 511 with 600 hp. I prefer the 5 speed but the auto was just as much fun to drive and could spin the tires in the first 3 gears without a problem. The auto was much easier to drive, particularly at lower speeds. My wife could drive the SPF with 600+ hp easliy without being afriad of it but refused to try the csx after one drive. I had no problems at all with the downshifting of the auto. My wife kinda wanted to keep the SPF so she could drive it some but I couldn't afford to keep both toys.
CSX4910

[snakebitekit]

Originally Posted by tin-man

ItBites: thanks for this advice, can you tell me what the storage life on those sticky tires are like. I know you said they don't last too long, which presupposes you are constantlyy driving on them whereas my issue is I will get to drive my Cobra for two weeks at a time in Summer and Winter, the rest of the time its in storage in my garage. Being the case, am I likely to develop flat spots on the sticky tires? tin-man

Why such few driving times? The weather is perfect from late September through mid November and again from mid March through late may early June. Longer on both ends for a lot of us.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by jhv48

And every time you are getting ready to plant your butt in the driver's seat, review this picture. http://www.ffcars.com/forums/showthr...light=accident

jhv48, first thanks for the attachement and the advice, the pictures are visually horrific and convey all what has been said above. I do have one question, what could have happened to cause the throttle to stick? I understand this is entirely speculative but does anyone have a reasonable explanation, and more importantly how it could have been prevented?? tin-man