Am I too old or is it that i have too much mechanical sympathy?

[tortuga]

I am always asked to "lay down some rubber man!" to which i always smile and pull away gently...All that poer, that little clutch, all those rear suspension bits, and the off chance that if i do i will end up sideways against a car, tree, or god forbid a person...

Ive had plenty of solid rear axle automatic cars with enough steam to simply nail it from a standstill and laydown twin (skinny-dating myself) black streaks worthy of a steep fine or jail time...The Cobra just doesn't seem like one of those cars?

How much hooning do the rest of you do?

Steve H
SP 1764

[desgros@vtlink.]

Originally Posted by tortuga

I am always asked to "lay down some rubber man!" to which i always smile and pull away gently...All that poer, that little clutch, all those rear suspension bits, and the off chance that if i do i will end up sideways against a car, tree, or god forbid a person...

Ive had plenty of solid rear axle automatic cars with enough steam to simply nail it from a standstill and laydown twin (skinny-dating myself) black streaks worthy of a steep fine or jail time...The Cobra just doesn't seem like one of those cars?

How much hooning do the rest of you do?

Steve H
SP 1764

That's to say nothing of the cost of tires, universal joints, clutches or anything that can break. As for me things come too hard to destroy them. I waited too long to get my Slabside to abuse it.

John

ERA #3010 Slabside 289 SB BRG

[vntgspd]

Yep, same here. I wouldn't say I'm old but I'm definitely turning into my dad!

Plus, I'm a tire geek and most of my cars have very grippy rubber so burning rubber in any meaningful fashion requires a full commitment that might break stuff.

[DanEC]

Guilty - I run my cars through the gears a little now and then - but clutch drops and gear banging - all I can think of is all the damage, cost, down time and work that might create for me.

[twobjshelbys]

The car gets squirrelly too fast to take a chance of doing a burnout. I tried one in a very controlled condition on an industrial drive and it was easy to do "cookies" but a straight line never happened for more than a few feet.

In any case, it was too unpredictable to even think about doing it with anyone or anything nearby.

[incoming]

Many years ago, I had a Mustang coupe with a 390 4sp. I had to go into the clutch so often that I only took the tools I needed for the job.

Thirty-five years later, I really don't want to revisit that part of my life.

I had an appointment with my doctor/friend/neighbor last week who has a Lambo and a highly modified Lotus and we spoke at length about every vehicle that pulls up beside us is a racecar.

[Grubby]

I was sitting at a traffic light in downtown Indianapolis when patrol car pulled beside me and rolled down his window. He asked me to run him.

No doubt my Cobra would have embarrassed the Crown Vic, but I just smiled and said no thanks.

John

[TLHanna]

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one. I have a 76' Pontiac Trans Am with a built motor, sheet metal tunnel ram, nitrous, gear drive and the whole nine yards. To power brake a good smoky burnout was nothing in the past.

I guess I got it out of my system because I have no desire or anything to prove by beating on the Cobra that I worked so hard and long to acquire.

[xb-60]

From a personal point of view, if you built it yourself and you know every last nut and bolt on the car, it probably gives you a certain perspective/respect/connection that someone who just paid a single bill and then drove the car straight away might not have gained

Anyway, if you feel the need to drag race your Cobra, the sensible thing (at a number of levels) to do is to go to a track.

A further perspective ...there was one person in our local club who did a burnout - with accompanying noise - late at night after a club meeting; that resulted in complaints from local residents, and we lost the use of those clubrooms.


Cheers, and stay safe
Glen

[Snake2998]

I'm 70 and still enjoy a good chirp when I pull away, especially when I'm at the front at a red light. My wife just rolls her eyes when I notch the shifter into 1st from drive as she knows what's next
Despite that, I keep away from long burnouts and laying down black strips on the tar. Don't want to risk losing control in traffic!

[DanEC]

The boy racers in their ricers and mother's cars are the biggest pain to me when I'm out in my Shelby GT350. Seems like every other stop light a car full of them pulls up, rolling down the windows, arms motioning, yelling at me to rev it up or do a burn out. Once I had a Subaru WRX or whatever pull up behind my shoulder just out side my peripheral vision at a light and just before it turned green I heard this screeching wail over my shoulder like a 1000 cats in a back alley fight. I glanced in my rear view mirror to see what was the source of this noise pollution but saw nothing and about then the light turned and he came screeching past my left side at what must have been a 7000 rpm clutch drop and tearing off. There's never a traffic cop around when you could use one.

[t walgamuth]

I'm old but never have enjoyed doing burnouts much. Doing autocross as I do gets all that out of my system. I like going around corners fast but not much on the street.

[Alfa02]

As with many other's, I have nothing left to prove. Yes, Cobras can smoke their tires, SO WHAT ! Most every Layperson knows that. Besides it's a waste of time (Auto-xing, or Road Racing) You learned quickly spinning your tires was the slow way around a track. But It could be I'm just old now too Cheers TommyRot.

[hauss]

I can not believe my eyes ,reading this. My car talks to me says let me run! sorry just can not go to racetrack everyday. I must be doing it all wrong . I love the loud noise, the pipes make and even a little burnout. I guess I just do not agree with most of you. I also do my own work on my car. I do not baby it I think most of you guys bought the wrong car.

[cycleguy55]

1st gear clutch drop and a burnout seems overly dramatic in a Cobra. I'm more inclined to wait until 2nd gear and give the throttle just enough of a squeeze to light 'em up a little for the onlookers. Just enough to show it can, not enough to get loose or attract too much attention from LEOs. Regardless, it will pull harder in 2nd gear than most cars in 1st. Easier on parts too.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

1st gear clutch drop and a burnout seems overly dramatic in a Cobra. I'm more inclined to wait until 2nd gear and give the throttle just enough of a squeeze to light 'em up a little for the onlookers. Just enough to show it can, not enough to get loose or attract too much attention from LEOs. Regardless, it will pull harder in 2nd gear than most cars in 1st. Easier on parts too.

Yes. I'll do this too...on occasion.

[DanEC]

Me too - ease through first up to speed, grab second and floor it At the same time. Really wakes up a sleepy passenger too. Less opportunity to end up in one of those video compilations on YouTube of drivers leaving cars and coffee events and flooring it in first in the middle of their turn out and getting all squirrels and out of shape just before hitting on-coming traffic, the far curb, a light pole or a sign. Apparently they bought the right car.

[RB60]

I usually hear the "do a burnout" from pedestrians at stop signs or red lights. I say, if you can't tell by the sound it runs, I'm not gonna show you. And I pull away very gently and shift into 2nd. at about 2000 RPM.
I usually "get on it" when no one's around and there's no traffic. I know it runs, that's good enough for me. The rest, who cares?

[olddog]

I have a 9" Ford rear axle, with an adjustable four link. I rebuilt the center section and have good clutches. If I want to, I can roll into the throttle and smoke the tires, for as long as I want, and the car goes straight. That is assuming you were going straight before braking the tires loose, and the road has the same surface for both tires. If it does start sideways you have to catch it without over-steering, before the tail is more than a couple inches out. In other words, almost instant reaction time with perfect steering. So few are capable of this, it is best to get out of the throttle instantly when you loose traction.

That all said, other than proving what the car car do, I have zero interest in melting tires. I haven't done it in years. I have ran on an autocross track a couple of times, and that is the most fun you can have with your clothes on (well honestly more fun than your clothes off too, cause I can autocross for hours with lots of people ). A hundred times more fun than burning tires up.

[Soundkillr]

My car sounds like bowling balls in a dryer. Loud as hell, and I can get a ticket when not in gear. When asked to light em up.....I just tell them it wont do it....that always gets a laugh...