Hi.

[Gaz64]

Some photos please, please.

[t walgamuth]

Today I fabricated the throttle cable spring bracket and got a dozen throttle springs to choose from and installed two springs. I also built the basic bracket for bracing the fuel line and installed it onto the intake. The attachment to the line hopefully will happen tomorrow. The power steering hoses are leaking though.

I started it up, we set the timing and it seemed to be running fine. I took it out and ran up the road a couple of miles. The car feels perfect. Very solidly planted. The steering is perfect with no play and the alignment seems very good too. I ran it through the gears gingerly and ran it up to about 80 indicated. It was turning about 2200 rpm. I took it back to the shop. Water temp was fine, a bit low possibley.

I also checked the header outlet temps at each cylinder and they all are in the low 600 range at idle with the motor warm after the test drive.

I was sitting too high so I'll want to lower the seat or reduce the pad and will try to get the gas pedal closer to me.

Woooo Hoooooo!

Maybe I can race it this weekend.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Some photos please, please.

Please see above at the beginning of the thread. There are quite a few.

Enjoy!

[t walgamuth]

Today, ordered an air cleaner which will fit in the opening in the hood, a new pressure side power steering hose and adjusted the throttle return springs and the accelerator cable in an effort to get the pedals closer to the driver's torso.

[t walgamuth]

Today we took off the throttle lever and I took it to a metal shop to have a 2" extension welded on.

I have hopes to race on Saturday.

[Ron61]

It sounds as if you are just about there. Good luck and I hope that you get to race it Saturday. Let us know how everything works out and don't be to disappointed if you ruin into a small problem or two when racing.

Ron

[1795]

Heck, if you do not run into a small problem or two when racing you must be doing something wrong . Everybody has a small problem or two to deal with when racing. I bring every tool that I own to the track and spare parts as well. Good luck and have fun.

Jim

[t walgamuth]

Thanks guys!

I'll be autocrossing if we finish the cobra, so the racetrack is a high school parking lot with orange cones.

It will be wildly inappropriate for the capabilities of the Cobra but I will be able to explore the limits of handling without risking my ride will end up against a power pole.

[t walgamuth]

Today got the throttle pedal back and drilled it for lightness. Got that reinstalled. The power steering fittings came and were installed....no leaks. And we reinstalled the hood. Tomorrow I hope to get the passenger seat installed.

Racing Saturday!

Wooo Hoooooo!

[t walgamuth]

Hello, anybody have a carbon fiber hood scoop for sale? Wishing to cover a hole in my hood that is 25" x 14".

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Hello, anybody have a carbon fiber hood scoop for sale? Wishing to cover a hole in my hood that is 25" x 14".

Shell Valley has them. $95.00

SKU: C7070HSSCF

Description:
Cobra Replica Carbon Fiber Hood Scoop (31.5"X18.5"X3.5")



Cobra Replica Body & Parts

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Shell Valley has them. $95.00

SKU: C7070HSSCF

Description:
Cobra Replica Carbon Fiber Hood Scoop (31.5"X18.5"X3.5")



Cobra Replica Body & Parts

Thanks Brian! Looks like an excellent source!

[t walgamuth]

So today the new power steering pump is installed, the pedal placement is perfect, the brakes are bled and not soft anymore, the passenger seat is installed. It starts as it should, and all systems appear to be working correctly. I have it loaded into the trailer with the plan of heading up to Portage high school for a local autocross.

Woooo hoo!

When I took it to the gas station to fill the tank with alcohol free premium four people came up and wanted to talk to me about it just by seeing the rear of the car from the trailer being open.

I am going to have to get an open trailer to haul it.

[1795]

An open trailer is what I use. Get ready for a lot of attention. There is not a race weekend where I have less than 20 people, including fellow racers stop by to look at the car. About every other race weekend I will have a family with little kids stop by and I pop one of the youngsters into the drivers seat and let them take pictures of their children. It makes both the kids and the parents day.

Have fun, can't wait to hear how it goes.

Jim

[t walgamuth]

So ran yesterday at Portage HIgh school parking lot. It was a slippery and sometimes wet asphalt surface which has been sealed numerous times. Wildly in appropriate for the Cobra. If I let off the gas quickly it was like I had just hit the rear brakes only and the back wanted to come around. The track dried as the day progressed. As I got more aggressive the handling got trickier and trickier. I spun 4 times in nearly the same place. I think I was getting the brake pedal just as I wanted to hit the throttle to plant the rear and accelerate to the next corner. Embarrasing. the car did look and sound great though!

I think I'm gonna put in a whole new pedal cluster. This is not a car you want to be hitting the wrong pedal on. The carb worked fine but needed to be very very warm before it really acted right. It needs to show about 200 degrees to work right.

It was a bit frustrating but nothing broke or fell off and I did not do any damage to the car or myself so it was a good day!

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

So ran yesterday at Portage HIgh school parking lot. It was a slippery and sometimes wet asphalt surface which has been sealed numerous times. Wildly in appropriate for the Cobra. If I let off the gas quickly it was like I had just hit the rear brakes only and the back wanted to come around. The track dried as the day progressed. As I got more aggressive the handling got trickier and trickier. I spun 4 times in nearly the same place. I think I was getting the brake pedal just as I wanted to hit the throttle to plant the rear and accelerate to the next corner. Embarrasing. the car did look and sound great though!

I think I'm gonna put in a whole new pedal cluster. This is not a car you want to be hitting the wrong pedal on. The carb worked fine but needed to be very very warm before it really acted right. It needs to show about 200 degrees to work right.

It was a bit frustrating but nothing broke or fell off and I did not do any damage to the car or myself so it was a good day!

That could mean you are lean, and leaving power on the table.

Get some better management on inlet air to the carbs, and then they might need to go a bit richer.

[1795]

When you, or others, race in an autocross do you bring the car up to temp before doing the race? In road racing we sit on the grid mildly revving our engines until they reach temp prior to going out on the track. I would imagine that you would want the engine temp up prior to getting on the throttle. Engines tend to wear prematurely when the oil is not warm and throttle response may improve as well in a warm engine.

Half the fun of racing is sorting things out between sessions and between races. It is tough racing a cobra on a wet track that has been sealed. When I was at Mid Ohio you could tell the difference on the wet track between the areas that were sealed and the sections that were not. A lot more grip where there is no sealer or paint on a wet track. At least in road racing we have a little more room to change the line, you do not get that much room in autocross.

Jim

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

That could mean you are lean, and leaving power on the table.

Get some better management on inlet air to the carbs, and then they might need to go a bit richer.

could you be more specific about what is meant by inlet air managment please?

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by 1795

When you, or others, race in an autocross do you bring the car up to temp before doing the race? In road racing we sit on the grid mildly revving our engines until they reach temp prior to going out on the track. I would imagine that you would want the engine temp up prior to getting on the throttle. Engines tend to wear prematurely when the oil is not warm and throttle response may improve as well in a warm engine.

Half the fun of racing is sorting things out between sessions and between races. It is tough racing a cobra on a wet track that has been sealed. When I was at Mid Ohio you could tell the difference on the wet track between the areas that were sealed and the sections that were not. A lot more grip where there is no sealer or paint on a wet track. At least in road racing we have a little more room to change the line, you do not get that much room in autocross.

Jim

I got it up to about 180 prior to running but it topped out at about 205. I wouldn't whale on it if too cold. Yeah, there is not a lot of choices on the line. This course was particularly narrow and tight too. Good for little cars with experienced drivers, bad for high powered cars with old drivers not very familiar with their cars.

[Gaz64]

If the engine temp needs to get to 200 before it feels "right", then the inlet air temp has also climbed in proportion if you are breathing underhood air.

One of my cars used to "heatsoak" and the inlet air temp would skyrocket to about 60c (140f). Sealing the carbs off to breath only outside air sorted that.

I also run a large rectangular type airfilter, since all 8 are not breathing at once, so the airfilter is way big enough.

Gary