Ways To Make A Cobra Safer

[KobraKarl]

Making a cobra safe is like making a Colt .45 safe. TRAINING . You won't see a man trained or experienced with firearms spinning a pistol on his finger just for show!


A Cobra even driven even @ "cruising speed"is a twitch away from BIG trouble.

A 90" wheel base and 500 bhp is a great track combination when you have 50' throgh the corner and maybe some gravel after that,no oncoming traffic ,no telephone poles etc. I have had my share of high bhp hot rods and this car demands far more focus than any of them!

I know i'm "preaching to the quoir" we all ,at least most of us bought these cars for these thoroughbred qualities ,and i expect that most of us ,when we think conditions are right, cannot resist "letting out a little shaft" and we know when we do, that there is nothing safe about it.

I think it would be great for CC to do some group school or supervised open track or maybe at least at the local club level. it would make us all safer and would be a heck of a lot of fun.

Karl

[ls1ac]

This accident should be all the more sobering to all of us, as the driver Steve had a lot of seat time both on and off the track.
A closing speed accident of 90 mph(45 mph both cars) with a side hit is going to destroy even a car with a cage with side bars. Add to that a weight difference of 2:1 and the result is worse than hitting a large tree.
What we can do is put in a good belt system with a good seat and a full braced roll bar for all the same reasons that they are required and used at the track.

[Dirty Harry]

I'm not so sure that much can be done to improve the "safeness" of the car itself. You all have agreed that the weak link is the "nut behind the wheel." That's an accurate observation.

Having been a state trooper for 24 years, I have spent much more than my share of time of 100+ mph driving. So much so, in fact, that I now am less likely to do so than years ago. I've just seen so much devastation and death, more than enough to last me a lifetime.

As a driver of a home-built Cobra it has occured to me that the car is inherently not crashworthy. As an observer of traffic and crashes for millions of miles, I also realize that the motoring public contains elderly drivers, intoxicated drivers, sleepy drivers, junky cars, exuberant young cowboys, and drivers who are eating, reading, cell-phone yakking, or whatever.

As a result, your only alternative is to be at the top of your game, alertness-wise, anytime you are driving your Cobra. The strangers you are sharing the road with are capable of anything at anytime. The only controllable part of the equation is keeping yourself sharp and your car roadworthy. Let's be careful out there, and we'll see you all in June.

[Whaler]

Dirty Harry
Thats an excellent post. You draw on experience and observation. Could not be better said.
Drive defensively and responsibly in kind.

Tim

[REAL 1]

The only way to make a Cobra safe is to utilize common sense when driving.

A Cobra is by its nature a dangerous car by virtue of its prodigious performance capability.

Drive safely and its the safest you can make it.

[Neal Jackson]

Not trying to sound morbid or anything but the most recent news article about the crash states the investigating police said the Cobra was travelling "about 70 mph" in a 45 mph zone. I have to believe the authorities have a pretty good feel for the speed factors involved for both cars.

So, 70 mph in a 45 zone is the same as doing 116 mph in a freeway 75 mph zone. ( 77.777 percent of twice the posted speed limit).

Makes me wonder about lots of things - i.e., reaction time, controlability, stopability, visibility, to name a few.

[Cobrabill]

Just because a road is zoned for 45mph,does not mean the road can not safely support higher speeds.
There are many factors that determine the posted limit.

So the cops say he was doing"about 70"?About means he could have been doing 60 or 55.

"About 70" also means they really don't know.And if the facts are absent,they will put out to the media what-ever fits their agenda.

[casaleenie]

Cobrabill,

Neal makes sense....

Could also mean 75 or 80mph?????

[Great Asp]

I want to remind anyone that has already formed an opinion.

My son and I last year in April were cruising at 60 mph on a two lane road when a deer charged the car. With no time to react, I pushed the car into a ditch, clipping the deer, but it did not come through the windshield.

However, when the back tires came around in the ditch, the car almost rolled. If there had been one rock for the rims to catch on, we would have rolled. The car was totaled when I came back on to the road, and crossed into the other lane. But no one was coming on the curve.

We could have been killed by the deer coming through the windshield, or rolling the car, or on coming traffic. But who would have know why, or what happened? What would everyone say? I was going too fast? I wonder.....

Eric Brown

[GeorgiaSnake]

Eric - Great reply - one that should end all of the hypothetical (sp) guesses going on here. A tragedy has occurred and no one knows what happened - let the man and his passenger rest in peace and remember how quickly things can go wrong.

[Cobrabill]

Casaleenie-yes,that number could also go the other way.

Georgia snake-no "hypotheticals" here.Just questioning unknowns and guesses put forth as facts.
Just because the words printed in a newspaper have been attributed to a law enforcement source does not mean it's accurate.

"No-one knows what happened".For the moment lets assume thats true.
So what you're saying is that if we don't know what happened,just make a erroneous assumption and say the driver was violating the law?

After-all,someone has to be to wrong.It just couldn't be an accident.

[Neal Jackson]

"Just because a road is zoned for 45mph,does not mean the road can not safely support higher speeds." - Bill, You are absolutely right - take a school zone for instance, on a 4 lane roadway. Probably a 15 mph speed limit but the road surface will certainly support faster travel.

Nothing hypothetical about simple mathmatics.

Words in a news article doesn't mean the information is inaccurate either. Not an unknown or guess on my part - I didn't make up the 70 mph number or the 45 mph speed zone. (Hey, maybe it was actually a 70 mph speed zone and the cops got that wrong).

I'd like to find out that the Cobra was doing 45 in a 45 zone and a tire blew because of debris on the road and caused it to veer off the road and then end up being hit by a speeding cutlass coming the other direction.

I can't imagine any state law enforcement department just kinda throwing their arms up in the air and saying "whatever" and closing a case involving a double fatality with serious injuries in the other car. I have to believe they will do everything possible to thoroughly investigate and determine the true cause.

Sure, I know it's really none of my business, or any of our business what actually happened, but as someone else posted, knowing the facts sure may save one of us from being involved in a similar situation.

And if a wild animal crossed the highway in front of the Cobra and caused it to swerve and ultimately lose control, well, I hope there are animal warning signs present because if there aren't, someone needs to notify the state or county that regulates that roadway.

I wonder if someone like Superformance has heard about this accident and if so, if they are "interested" in what actually happened in one of their cars? I bet they are or will be, as will probably every other Cobra manufacturer.

You can say this was "just an accident" if you want to, but I'd rather know for sure why two people are dead and 4 others are hospitalized.

[Jim Maxwell]

The Olthoffs, who sell Superformance cars locally, were at Steve's home the next day, according to a post by Hal Copple, to be with the family. They examined the crash site that day. The Olthoffs are wonderful, caring people and I feel sure they will check things out thoroughly, as they feel is appropriate. Bob Olthoff was a Cobra race driver in the 60's and is well known for his skills. He builds excellent cars.

[Ron61]

The tragedy that just happened was very bad but there is just no way that any vehicle can be made that someonoe can't get killed or hurt in them. As was posted earlier, one of the worst problems is driver inattention and I have suffered that also. Especially on long boring straight stretches. I guess it isn't a good comparison and maybe even an inappropriate one but cars are like guns. No gun ever got up and went and shot anyone. And not many cars have gone out and wrecked on their own. If anyone considers this post offensive then I apologize now, but I just can't see any way to make anything completely safe. It is only by the grace of God that I made it through my teens. I am not in any way implying that the driver of the Cobra was not attentive or did anything wrong as only God can know for certain just what caused this terrible tragedy. Just remember that we are driving on roads with other people. And yes, Jeb, my prayers and thoughts are with the other people too.

Take care all,

Ron

[JWheaton]

I think that there are a few things that can make these cars safer.

1) Understand what it is your driving (Cobra, Chevy Malibu, Ford Explorer -- whatever car)

2) Honestly evaluate your driving capabilities. (driving school is great place to do that)

3) Drive to 60% of what you believe to be your limits. Don't risk finding out that can't handle a situation when you are into it that situation.

4) Learn the roads you drive on and the laws that apply to them. That means knowing what the shoulders are like (soft, gravel, paved) what dangers are on the road (turns, animal, children). What other vehicles typically drive on the road? I will often aviod interstate 95 because of the trucks and take the Merit Parkway that only allows passenger cars.

5) Slow down in congested areas. Most people want to have their cars admired anyway. Give people a chance to see them!

6) Pay attention to what your doing. No cell phone, drinks, grabbing your passengers goodies

7) Drive fast at the track only.

[Jahred]

I have to agree with the prior poster, that if you want a SAFE Cobra, the Butler is as close as it gets. Those suckers have a sturdy looking frame.

My only other thought on the subject is that I am a bit mystified how few people put in that second rollbar. You let your son or daughter sit in that passenger seat????

I understand having it look like the "mystical" orginal.........but once you get used to it, they look better and more balanced with two chrome loops. There are plenty of new supercar roadsters out there and they all have nice looking dual rollbars......the BMW Z-8 and the Audi TT for starters.

I have a modified 944T that I ditched shortly after a 165 MPH run. I blew four tires, busted four rims, and the air bags blew out the windshield.............I was in a ditch and jumped a road at about 40-60 and did not even know why the airbags deployed until I went back the next day and realized I had not come to a stop in the same ditch I started out in.

Cobra's are death traps. Thats what makes them exciting. Get that second rollbar, make sure the belts are properly installed. Buckle up tight. And drve well within yourself if there is anything within you and the next 1000 ft. that could kill you or your passenger. Over 30 people die each year on snowmobiles in Minnesota alone. The snowmobile is about the only thing I know of (except cycles, and even I wont ride one of those) that has similar weight to HP ratios (3.5 or 4/1). I had a new sports car in mind. After driving a 500 LB sled with 125 HP, I new any new car had to be a COBRA or it would be irrelevent.

I relive my youth and the childhood I was damn lucky to survive vicariously every time I look my Cobra.

[Hal Copple]

My SPF is about as safe as any replica can be. Plus, i put on race Wilwoods, and it is now up at the Olthoff's getting a full width, higher rollbar. I drive it a lot, (over 48K so far), and so i check it out very carefully. About once a week. I do this instead of a game of golf on the weekends. I have dual Halon systems, etc. I have had it on about 5 race tracks, with very talented drivers instructing me. I try to be as safe "out there" as i can be. I always wear all five points of my Simpson system.

But i have a hunch my body probably won't tolerate the stresses the car may be subjected to, or someone may hit me from the rear, and put my skull into my rollbar, that sort of thing. There are some accidents that are simply not surviable in a car like mine. Nor in a Miata, or Boxster, Z3, or other small low car. No mater what safety things i build into my car, a catastrophic intrusion accident can still occur.

But i have accepted the risks, like i accept other risks, and go forth in the world.

It is all i can do. The rest is pretty much out of my hands.

I never thought of myself as a really old person anyway, so i am determined to put about as much life experience into every day as i possibly can. My car is part of that plan.

I miss you, Steve.

[LateApex]

BLACKJACK said what I wanted to say. The biggest safety variable difference in all our cars is the driver. Get trained in vehicle dynamics, weight transfer, hi-po driving, etc. This is the biggest payback item you control--and you will have fun doing it. I practice what I preach. I thought I was the "cat's meow" driver, and then I hit the track. You have NO idea what a good race car driver knows and deals with until you do it. I have raced motorcycles, I fly airplanes, but nothing I have ever done compares to driving at the ragged edge.

That brings me to point #2. That is Hal's post--wrong place, wrong time, can still happen, and you will never turn a Cobra replica into what I'd rather be in if that occurs [choose from S600 Mercedes, BMW 7 series, Ford Excursion, etc , etc.]. Life is full of risks, educate yourself on how to minimize them, and follow through, and balance that against living and having fun at the same time!!

[Cobrabill]

Neal-you are taking things out of context.First-i was not casting dispersions at you.And i never thought the info you provided was BY you.
The Media is full of $hit-period.
If it were about simple mathmatics-the word"about" would have been left out.
Who said law enforcement was"throwing their arms up in the air"?Not me.

What happened to innocent untill PROVEN guilty?

And it is our business.As it MIGHT be a point of learning for all of us.
A smart man learns from his mistakes-a wise mans learns from others mistakes.

BTW-the school zone comparison is sarcastic at best.Not everyone lives where you do.Drive in Arizona and my point will be obvious about every 10 miles.

[Neal Jackson]

Umm, Bill, I do drive in Arizona, everyday. I live in Pinetop and am an Arizona native. Also lived in Tucson (attended L. M. Prince grade school) a couple of times (go Cats), along with Yuma and Glendale.

And no, the school zone comparison was not sarcastic on my part - it was just the easiest one I could think of at the time - of course there are many others.

And I haven't convicted anyone - I merely would like to know what the true facts are that caused this accident. Many folks have posted comments to the effect that "no one will ever know why the accident occurred". Well, I don't believe that - I feel the authorities will be able to properly assess the cause. Hopefully we will learn of the final outcome.

And by the way, the math percentage numbers I posted were by me. I used the stated speed zone (45 mph) that no one seems to argue with and also the police comment about "70 mph" and wanted to see how the two compare, percentage wise. The illustration of highway (interstate) speed limit of 75 mph, using the same percentage shows how fast one has to go (116) to be at the same ratio. Hopefully, as others have posted, the proximate cause of the accident was something Mr. Niebauer had no control over.

I'll be patient and hope to learn of investigative results.