Long distances in your Cobra's

[Ozzir]

Hi guys. I am in the process of buying a Cobra and was wondering about long trips? Do any of you take your cars on road trips? Ie 500 mile plus days? Just wondering what it will be like to do an 8 hour day in the car or am I better off to just trailer it to where Im going and drive it around and trailer it home? Just curious?

Thanks guys.

[Steve Cassani]

I enjoyed trips of 300-400 miles in my SPF. On thinking back I had a recurring need to push myself back in the driver's seat. The seating was oddly imbalanced, as though I were always driving downhill. Discussions with other owners have led me to think this resulted from my being too short at six feet to benefit from a dropped footbox. Others have suggested the seats are too flat to properly locate your hips in relation to the pedals.

Several hours of pummeling by the wind is tiring. I'm not sure a full day at the wheel would leave me eager to do it the next day.

[Silverback51]

Two summers ago my wife and I took a month long vacation in the Cobra. Went from the Seattle area to Lake Tahoe where we spent a week with her relatives that all flew in. Then it was off to Carmel where we spent 4 days playing tourist. From there we worked our way north up hwy 1 and 101.

Not sure if we ever did a 500 mile day, but we did do some long days in the car, and by that I mean 8+ hours from start to finish. But we also stopped where we wanted and did some sight seeing also.

Not this year, but the following year we are going to plan another extended tour.

[Fullchat289]

Yep..

Back from "The Dragon" report..

- Allen.

[bobcowan]

We take a lot of long'ish trips in our car. Last summer we went to Deadwood, SD, for the big car show. We generally take the back roads when we can, so it's an all day drive. Last spring I spent a week in Yellowstone. This June I'll be taking a week long trip with the Mile Hi Cobra Club. Last week end I took two day trips, about 4 hours each.

The Cobra is better on gas than my diesel pick up, so it's a little bit cheaper to drive.

Drive vs. Trailer depends on some various factors. Mostly weather and terrain. I had a great time driving back and forth to Yellowstone. And I'm really looking forward to Cruise Colorado this year. But on the way back from Deadwood, I was thinking I should have trailered. Once you get out of the Black Hills, it's a long boring trip back to CS.

We went to the London Cobra Show a few years ago. We trailered, and we're glad we did. It was 107* coming across KS. Not a big deal in the truck, but would have been a bit uncomfortable in the Cobra. Especially when those big spring thunderstorms rolled through.

[Beastly]

From Oklahoma City to San Antonio Texas memorial Day Weekend, 450 miles give or take all in one shot. Won't do that again in the Texas Heat!!!

[209]

When I was sorting out my SPF there were several fly up and drive home trips of about 340 miles. My installer is in Reno so in between snows and other stormy weather, my 6 hour trips were enjoyable to say the least. No problems except starving, I tend to not eat on my Reno to home trips. Some would say it's silly to keep taking the cobra to my installer 6 hours away but hey, the drive is wonderful.

[fordracing65]

Originally Posted by Steve Cassani

I enjoyed trips of 300-400 miles in my SPF. On thinking back I had a recurring need to push myself back in the driver's seat. The seating was oddly imbalanced, as though I were always driving downhill. Discussions with other owners have led me to think this resulted from my being too short at six feet to benefit from a dropped footbox. Others have suggested the seats are too flat to properly locate your hips in relation to the pedals.

Several hours of pummeling by the wind is tiring. I'm not sure a full day at the wheel would leave me eager to do it the next day.

Call Olthoff racing, he has seat risers that tilt the frt up a little, makes a big difference, also readjust your seat on the seat rails so it sits more straight and not to the right.

[Benzito]

My longest road trip (and the first trip when I bought the car) was from Eastern Nebraska to Portland. I think this was about 1,500 miles, spread over about 20 or so hours of road time. No issues, other than freezing cold temperatures and wind going through Wyoming. Mechanically speaking, no issues, but you definitely ought to carry a tool kit and cell phone just in case.

[Dwight]

I have driven mine from Florence, Al to Columbus, Ohio for the London Cobra Show the last eight years. 535 miles one way.

I'm getting ready to do it again this June.

Dwight

[Rick Parker]

IMO a Cobra for the most part is not a car for long distance driving. The wind and exhaust noise wear you out after a few hours especially at 70+ MPH. I did 700 miles in a 24 hr period ONCE. I left at 4 am and returned home at about Midnight. I was beat, it had been very hot 100+ during the day. The car was completely covered with small bugs, it was an absolute mess.

Dwight you get the Gold Star from me, you're a real trooper.

[Bill Bess]

Drove to Pleasanton, Ca. to the Good Guys car show last August and back. No problems, no tickets...just a lot of fun. The cobra ran straight and very comfortable, but loud...needed ear plugs for over 65 mph.
Thinking about doing it again this year.....what's 1500 miles except a ton of cash for gas.
Bill

[DonC]

Have done a couple of longish legs in the Cobra over the past 7 years. Probably the longest single shot was Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA in a day. A little less than 800 miles. Any number of 250 to 350 mile day long hops.
If I'm going to be on the freeway for any period of time I use ear plugs (custom fit from any of several internet providers for about $15) not so much for the noise but for the wind buffeting. Ditto with Panoptix sun glasses that use a soft form seal to keep the wind from drying out your eyes.
Have done several Cruise Colorado trips that are a spectacular 6 day 12 to 1400 mile runs through the Rockies. Also a number of Snakes to the Lake runs which for me is a 500 mile run down to Sacramento and then another 150 or so up to Lake Tahoe and return to Portland.
Weather is probably one of the most significant factors for a long range trip in the car. I usually carry the top and side curtains in the trunk and, if it looks really bad, put them on as needed. Can be a life saver trip wise of the weather is iffy.
While not a "car for all seasons" the Cobra can be driven on long legs. Just make sure you have a reasonably detailed plan on how to handle what you're likely to run into. Make sure you're comfortable in your seats, take the bit in your teeth and go for it.
DonC

[kevins2]

Just like the OP, I'm waiting for my Cobra and have a related question. When on a long trip, I've wondered about how to best be prepared for a mechanical breakdown. I'd carry all the obvious stuff - tire plug kit, 12v tire pump, can of fix-a-flat, tools for easy road-side fixes. But what do you do if something that can't be fixed road-side happens? Can't tow the car to the nearest Cobra dealer...

Regards,

Kevin

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Just like the OP, I'm waiting for my Cobra and have a related question. When on a long trip, I've wondered about how to best be prepared for a mechanical breakdown. I'd carry all the obvious stuff - tire plug kit, 12v tire pump, can of fix-a-flat, tools for easy road-side fixes. But what do you do if something that can't be fixed road-side happens? Can't tow the car to the nearest Cobra dealer...

Regards,

Kevin

That is a risk.

On our trip I broke the top bolt that holds the rear end pumpkin in place. Found a place in the phone book that worked on exotic cars and drove it there. Showed them what was wrong and an hour later we were on the road again.

I think what you will find is if you need a tow, the driver will be able to recommend a place for you to go.

Happened to me once on a Sunday. The driver called the owner of the place and he came down and opened up so we could get back on the road. Seems like a lot of people will bend over backwards to help you out when you are in a Cobra.

[fordracing65]

It easier to drive these cars long distances than a Harley and those guys drive them coast to coast all the time there called bikers.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Seems like a lot of people will bend over backwards to help you out when you are in a Cobra.

Ah, one of the positive aspects of all the attention these cars get. I'm not getting a Cobra because I like to be the center of attention, but guess it does come with this benefit.

Thanks John, good to know.

Regards,

Kevin

[G-Pete]

All comes down to the individual vehicle.

Wheels, Tires, Shocks and seats make all the difference. I know some cars --- smooth --- and in the total opposite mine will be hard stiff and not for looooooog hauls like my Suburban (last year Lakeland Fl to Dallas TX 18hrs )

Just the difference in the seats can be major, some of them confine you in one position only. On top you have the seat belts, if you wear them correctly you can't reach (if any) the radio.
Then there is the size of the driver...


...that goes on and on...

[Drake]

I like to drive a lot, about 10k miles a year. I set my car up as a street roadster with under car exhaust, softish suspension with sway bars and really good leather seats. I made sure the seats were as low as possible to cut down on wind buffeting. I left out adjustable seat tracks since I,m the only one to drive it. For creature comfort I wear my electric vest from my motorcycle. Plugs right into the 12volt system easily. Have had the car now for 9 years and 90k miles. I'm very addicted to driving it. The nice thing about Cobras is that you can always make them fit your needs.

[rms427]

I drove the car a lot for the first 4 years since I used it as my regular car. So, in 4 years drove about 48,000 miles. It included 1,400 miles on our honeymoon. My sister borrowed the car one night and put 700 miles on it from 6 pm to 7 am.

Once we had kids the use dropped. Long trips when we were in our 20s were no problem. Now that we are in our 60s it's not quite so easy. At 6' 6" I'm comfortable in the seats and the car is less stiff than my 07 Z06. The problem is the heat and buffeting by the wind. If it's relatively cool it's not a problem but if it's hot long trips are tough. The last fairly long trip (365 miles one way) was no problem when we went along the coast and it was cool out. The return trip was on I5 and it was in the mid to high 90s and my wife almost had heat stroke. She told me that's the last long trip in the cobra if it's hot out.