Highway Driving

[petek]

I've got 800 miles on my Cobra now. With the weather finally settling down to a "Spring" mode, I'll be putting a lot more miles on in the next few months as I’m commuting in my Cobra as long as the weather is nice.

One thing that I've noticed is that I'm finding my Cobra somewhat uncomfortable to drive at speed on the highway; say at 65-70 mph. Perhaps it’s the buffeting from the wind but I’m really beginning to think that it’s unequal pressure in my inner ears from the buffeting. I’m about this close to driving with earplugs to see if it makes a difference.

Anybody else experience anything similar?

[Tinker51]

Check and make sure it is legal to use ear plugs. It is not in most states. I have both side wind wings and upper visors on my car and at highway speeds I am not getting beat up by wind. The wind is there for sure but even the hood in my jacket does not flip around like in most old convertables I have driven.

[casaleenie]

Get a good set of earphones and listen to some good music....
Better than earplugs...

[KobraKarl]

Pete,

Something i've done skiing and boating is put a small ball of cotten in my ears, It dosn't interfere with hearing that much, but does keep your inner ear warm in high wind. of course an appropriate amount of abuse will inevitably curse this remedy

[JWheaton]

Petek,

Keep your head looking straight ahead and stop looking at all the women looking at you as you drive by.

Do this for 5 days in a row and call me in the morning. You should be all better by then.

Jamie

[petek]

Jamie, but when they yell out at me and pull their tops up... well, I just gotsta look!

Karl, I'll give that a try tomorrow. Great idea.

casaleenie; nope, not legal here.

Tinker, yup, I've got the wings and visors too. I think it has something to do with where I end up sitting in my car, I'm fairly tall at 6'4". Interestingly, my wife noted that when she drove the car (seat all the way forward and with a throw pillow between her back and the seat) that she wasn't getting any wind.

I'm pretty sure it's not the wind itself but the changes in pressure as the air rushes through. Heck, it might even be a decrease in pressure in the cockpit as the wind rushes over the windshield. I just might hook up a couple of pressure sensors and see what's going on (ok, yes, I am a nerd).

And of course... it could just be that I've just got to get used to driving a convertable.

[aumoore]

This should help and prevent all the exposed flesh problems you have been having



Get a scarf and a set of these and you can play Snoopy vs Red Barron



Besides Enzo probably needs to unload some of them.

[Edley Rondinone]

Are the Snoopy Caps leather? And does Enzo REALLY sell them?

[aumoore]

they are on his website

http://www.cobraaccessories.com/cata...lt.php?cPath=1

[petek]

I tried the cotton in my ears, didn't help. I'm beginning to think it's just me (first time with a convertable and everything).

I did have a chance to play around in the slip stream of a semi this morning. My Cobra doesn't like slip streams :-)

[rdorman]

Can you give a little more information about the discomfort you are feeling? Is is like a pressure difference, like when you dive under the water. Or is more like a dull pain that increases with time. Perhaps the cold air on the ear canal?

Divers deal with a variety of ear pain. Aside from the manditory equalizing of pressure, cold is dealt with a hood and there are special ear plugs for divers that some clame help.

For me it seems to be the wind 'slamming' against the ear. Covering the ear some how helps a lot. Perhaps some bunny ear earmuffs?

Rick

[Tom Wells]

Hey petek,

Funny you should bring that up

I just finished making a "windstop" using a piece of 1/4" plexiglass. It attaches to my twin roll bars using Velcro straps.

If you have a full width roll bar or twin roll bars it is an easy thing to make. If you have a single roll bar, well...

It is supposed to help reduce the buffeting (no parrothead jokes please ). Mercedes, BMW, Miata and Porsche roadsters have them available.

If it ever stops raining/snowing/sleeting here I'll road test it and put some pix in my gallery.

If it doesn't work I'll just say that too

Tom

[snake oil]

Petek,
I may have a solution for you.
Find someone with a crotch rocket (preferrably a Hyabusa)
find open road, get on, put it in gear, twist the right grip easy at first then harder as you go through the gears.
Get to about 150+mph.

Give bike back to owner, get in cobra,
what you feel then will be pure heaven!!!!!

[JWheaton]

Petek,

Do you flash your boobs back at them.

Should this malady continue than my next suggestion is to call Horseless Carriage Transport and give them my address (with car of course).

Please be kind enough to pay for this service in advance. This will save you money on air pressure sensors not to mention your valuable time.

Would you like my avatar?

By the way -- I experienced your situation in a long-term rental car that I had. It goes away eventually . Adjust windwings and visors to see if that helps.

Jamie

[petek]

Rick, no pain, more of an awareness of pressure. Still felt it with the cotton in my ears so now I'm wondering if it's anything real or just an awareness of being exposed to the elements.

Tom, I've thought about doing the same thing. My Cobra's got a full width roll bar and I've got a sheet of lexan in the garage. The lexan is pretty thin (3/16"), I wonder if it'd hold up to the wind.

Oil, good point!

Jamie, oh, I think I'll get over the issue. Fifth gear is great fun, 65 at just a tick over idle. I'm really wanting to see what 4000 rpm in 5th feels like!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Nobody else has noted similar discomfort so I'm going to just continue to put on the miles and see if the discomfort has more to do with driving an unfamiliar covertable.

[rdorman]

Try equalizing when you feel the pressure. The way that works best for me is pinching off the nose and lightly exhailing agianst the nose to equalize the pressure in the ear. Try it sitting right there, you will feel and hear it. Swallowing while pushing the jaw forward is another way. Do you get the same sensation when you fly?

Of course a lot of wax build up can agrivate things

Rick

[Tom Wells]

Hi petek,

3/16" Lexan should work fine.

As to the direction of the pressure, if you observe carefully, the wind that buffets you in your Cobra's cockpit comes from behind your head!

The airflow pattern at highway speed is over the top of the windshield all right, but then it curls back around and hits the back of your head. So the purpose of the windstop is to block airflow coming from the rear!

As to the buffeting, it is certainly real for me - that's exactly why I made the windstop. Dunno if it works yet - waiting on weather to clear enough to allow a test

Tom

[Denny S.]

Excuse me for commenting. We save our money, we dream,we go through numerous problems getting them registered, insurance is expensive, and still we buy them. 2000 Lb. motorized bullets with 500 Hp. engines. And then we want them to ride and drive and be as comfortable and quiet as the Barges we drove before.. Just kind of strikes me as very funny... THe noise,the wind, the ride, the outrageous acceleration, the whole personna of the beast. Thats what we remember from our youth. Thats what made these cars what they were and are, not the friggen creature comforts..
Enough said........

[rdorman]

Most of us are not in our youth
Rick

[RallySnake]

Pete,

You know when you're taking a test, they say your first thought is usually the best one. I'm here to tell you that your first idea, earplugs, is the best answer. The standard foam earplugs filter out much of the high pitched noise from the wind and actually improve hearing in the vocal ranges.

I've driven the Beast for 16 years in every condition imaginable (except upside down) and nothing works better. I do have a sheet of lexan cut to fit my old rollbar. It does cut down the wind hitting you in the back, but it increases the "pressure differential" feeling that affects my ears. I don't like it. I also don't like having a hood up over my head for the same reason. It will actually make you feel dizzy after awhile. For cruising at serious speed, you need a hardtop.

Invest in a good thick ski cap (triple layer) and ski gloves (with curved fingers) and a bunch of cheap earplugs. It doesn't get any better than that.

My $.02.

Paul