Passenger Side Roll Hoop

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Art is asymmetrical. The Cobra should be asymmetrical, because it's art.

But we all don't like Andy Warhol , nor Dali.

Originally Posted by ACademic

Translation: The wife told me this is how it had to be or no more sex.

I'm still deciding whether you fall in the moron or imbecile category... but it's clearly one of them.

[RodKnock]

He must have gotten tired of kicking Ellie.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I would never stoop to name calling. Said Oliver Goldsmith....



I simply provide commentary on the human condition, of which the Cobra community is but a small subset.

I have come to the conclusion that you are like low hanging fruit and not worth the trouble. The better stuff is way above you.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

I have come to the conclusion that you are like low hanging fruit and not worth the trouble.

No, no, no, John, that's not right. The low hanging fruit is what you go after first. It's the fruit in the upper branches that is not worth the additional effort. Fruit in the higher branches doesn't taste any sweeter than the fruit in the lower branches so long as it's all ripe. But I understand what you're saying (and this thread has lost its ripeness), so we'll just leave it at that. And I won't call you any more names.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by digginfool

And I'm still undecided....
...After I saw the flip in the "Don't Do This" thread, I was convinced I wanted a second roll hoop just in case because you never know and anybody in the passenger seat during that flip was dead. There was zero protection.

Yep, saw the "Don't do this" too. I can't work out why that car flipped. A friend flipped his car when he came around a corner, onto an 'unannounced' resealed section of road, the type where they spray on tar and then spread gravel. In a couple of seconds he went from wheels on the road to wheels in the air. No roll hoop/loop/bar, lucky to be alive, car needing 'some bodywork'.
So, I know it happens, but at the same time how common is it? A Cobra, with its c-of-g maybe 18" off the ground, must be just about impossible to flip unless you hit something. How many have personal experience of a rollover?

If you go ahead with fitting a second one, what about painting/powdercoating it black? Less obvious that a pair of chromies...
Cheers,
Glen

[Wbulk]

You would be surprised how easy it is to flip a car without hitting something. Over the years I have investigated a lot of roll over accidents. Typically for some reason the car went sideways at speed causing the tire to roll away from the rim. The tire then immediatley loses it's air and rolls away further from the rim edge. The rim then catches the asphalt, digs in a flips the car. You can just about always see the exact point on the road where the rim caught and flipped the car. Cars with lower profile tires tend to roll less as they tend to slide rather than the tire roll off the rim.
Even the best of drivers can get into a situation where he is trying to avoid an object or car, or deer, and finds himself sideways. Speed, weight, tire sidewall width, all play into if a tire breaks it's seal and loses it's air, and the rim digs in and flips the car.

[xb-60]

Yep, understand that Wbulk. We are talking Cobras here though, cars with low weight, very low centre of gravity, well enough balanced fore and aft (front-mid engined), typically with wide, low profile (60% or less) tyres. How hard is it to roll the tyre off a rim on a Cobra? The pressure exerted (low weight and large contact area) by the tyres makes then more likely to slide than roll the tyre off, yes?
Any personal experiences out there of rolling a Cobra?
Cheers,
Glen

[trularin]

I have two roll bars on mine. They are bolted to the frame and constructed with the intent that they will save my life.

Given that, I did the geometry such that should the car end up-side-down, the roll bar should keep me from being decappitated.

I recommend that if you plan to rely on the roll bar as a safety device, you take your height ( I am 6 foot 4 inches ) in the car into account when mounting the bars.

[Wbulk]

I've seen two videos of FFR cars on road courses flip. One was caught on a dash cam from the car behind. On a previous thread a year or so ago this whole topic was discussed in great detail and another issue that was brought up was the Lemans filler caps. Many of the replica brands do not use a regular gas cap inside of the Lemans flip top. Some have them as standard equipment. With a single roll bar as the car rolls the Lemans release lever can get pushed and the fuel goes everywhere. I'm a firm believer in guys doing what like with these cars but for me and my passenger I like double roll bars or a full width bar.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Wbulk

I've seen two videos of FFR cars on road courses flip. One was caught on a dash cam from the car behind. On a previous thread a year or so ago this whole topic was discussed in great detail and another issue that was brought up was the Lemans filler caps. Many of the replica brands do not use a regular gas cap inside of the Lemans flip top. Some have them as standard equipment. With a single roll bar as the car rolls the Lemans release lever can get pushed and the fuel goes everywhere. I'm a firm believer in guys doing what like with these cars but for me and my passenger I like double roll bars or a full width bar.

Were these FFR's spec racers? My only comment here is that FFR cars are generally home built and the SPF's, CSX's, Kirkhams, and to some extent ERA's, are generally factory built. Maybe all manufacturers' cars have flipped at one point or another, but the original 1960's era Cobras were raced for many years, including Dick Smith going 198 mph in one. But, no, they're not as safe as your Camry.

I think having an interior gas cap under the Lemans cap is smart. That's why I added one.

[zzmac]

Anyone have that link to the "Don't Do This" video? Thx

[RodKnock]

Thread:

http://clubcobra.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=109482

Video:

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I think having an interior gas cap under the Lemans cap is smart. That's why I added one.

Jamo had a neat trick to safety wire the cap for competition. Made it so you could just barely slide the wire off the hinge for gassing up on the street. I've used it and it works.

[Wbulk]

RodKnock, yep that was one of them.

[Bill Bess]

Gee, I never thought of the added safety value of an interior gas cap under the Le Mans flip top cap....I now feel better. I too, do appreciate my passenger roll bar because I don't want anybody to die in the cobra.
It's all common sense regarding safety....any car can flip over, especially if your turning at 100 mph.
Yikers!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bill Bess

Gee, I never thought of the added safety value of an interior gas cap under the Le Mans flip top cap....I now feel better.

Here's a shot of the ERA cap. I can almost imagine how scary it might be to be roughed up a bit, hanging upside down, trying to unsnap your belts, and watching gas trickle out and run by your hot pipes.

[Wbulk]

Based on Patrick's picture I made my own about a year ago. Old picture.



The fill neck comes up through the truck. The aluminum trim ring goes over the top of the neck and the Lemans cap goes on top of that. Picture color is bad for some reason. Had a bad color day.

[Silverback51]

Here is the way I look at this.

Look at all the cars out there that don't have roll bars. There's a **** load of Corvettes, and then there are those with Cobra's that have choosen to go with the street version with under car exhaust and no roll bar at all.

Let me list a couple other things that can happen to these cars, and for the most part we just live with them.

Running over something and having it come through the floor boards. Hell, it's only fiberglass and it's not going to stop anything.

Getting t-boned in an intersection. Anything larger than a 10 speed bike is going to do serious damage to the car and the people inside it.

A minor rear end collision with the gas tank sitting just a couple feet behind us.

I could go on, but I think people get the idea. There are other possibilities, like getting t-boned or rear ended that are more likely to happen than being in a roll over accident.

To me that roll bar is part of the cosmetic part of the car. I'm not betting it's going to save my life.

All the years I rode motorcycles, I never felt that helmet was going to save my life. It was what was in the helmet that would do it. It's the same with this car.

Not bad for a "moron" is it???

[Jamo]

Paddy...you weren't very nice a couple of pages back, and more than a few others were a bit too eager to drop their pants and wag their weenies at each other.

Shhhh...........

As for the question presented...if you're thinking of having to equip a car for a particular school and you're not sure you want to keep it so equipped, change the damn school.

If the concern is for street safety, a side crash beam in the doors is a hell'uv a lot more important...my Butler had them. It had a full width bar as well. Wife had no problem with the Kirkham having a single hoop...she thinks the dual hoops are funnier than hell, sorta like Butch telling Sundance not to worry about not being able to swim since the fall will kill him anyway.

As for whether Cobras of a certain make are tracked or driven more often due to cost of the Cobra, whatta bunch of bull (). I've tracked mine as much as anyone...I go alone. I don't want anyone else in the damn car on the track.

You either like them or you don't. Don't sit there and make yourself out to be more moral because you're saving the world by having a second hoop. These damn things are like skateboarding naked through a cactus field no matter what you do.

...just sayin

[Blas]

"...skateboarding naked through a cactus field..."

An interesting visual....Film at 10pm