Full Cup Motor Cobra Charlotte area.

RPM · #1 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 09:16 AM

Hi! We are new to Club Cobra and do not have experience with the car but have recently been talking to a guy building a kit that wants us to put a dry sump full house Winston Cup Motor in his car. Have any of you out there done this and what were the handling characteristics? What did you have to modify to get the car to run a road course.
We are a Historic Winston Cup Restoration shop located in Denver, North Carolina.
How many of you are in the Charlotte area?

snakeeyes · #2 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 10:03 AM

I think that is basically what Ernie Elliott has done for several Cobras manufactured by Unique. Not necessarily to "Cup" specs, but probably close enough. I seem to recall reading he was getting 750+ hp out of them. You might try to do a search here on CC using "Ernie Elliott" and see what turns up--

poorboy · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 11:11 AM

Ernie built one Unique for Bill Goldberg with dry sump, external oil pump, bored & stroked to 454(I think). Put out 898 HP on the dyno.

Poorboy

RACER X #99 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:20 PM

Paging Scott Coyle.

Scott has a Cup Motor in his High Tech and he can tell you a lot about racing with that much power.

cranky

mrmustang · #5 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:36 PM

RPM,

No offense to you or your company, but if your going to put an engine with that much power and torque in to a 2168lb Cobra, you beeter either hope the owner is an excellent driver of this type of vehicle, or add a line item for the body bag.............Far too many people ending up in the morgue last year from not having the experience to drive such a vehicle (without as much power).....Sorry to be a party pooper on this one, but a severe dose of reality is in order for your potential customer. At the very least for you, I highly suggest your corporate attorney draw up a disclaimer for you and your company...........

Bill S.

750hp · #6 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:37 PM

Do you have access to many cup motors at your shop? How about other used race parts?

As far as your question, the handling characteristics will be largely determined by the chassis manufacturer, suspension set-up used, and weight of the driver's right foot. Scott Coyle has been methodically going over his car to replace or improve parts to further imporve his lap times, and now has one the most impressive road / race Cobras out there. He's been paying close attention to transmission, brakes and suspension to get to that point.

750hp · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:41 PM

Bill - how many people died in Cobras last year? If you need a legal disclaimer to sell a guy a big HP motor, then the world's gone crazy....

I'm hoping that your last post wasn't serious, but I don't see any

or

anywhere.

clayfoushee · #8 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:47 PM

The story of the Ernie Elliott Cobra is on the Unique website:

www.uniquemotorcars.com

CowtownCobra · #9 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrmustang

RPM,

No offense to you or your company, but if your going to put an engine with that much power and torque in to a 2168lb Cobra, you beeter either hope the owner is an excellent driver of this type of vehicle, or add a line item for the body bag.............Far too many people ending up in the morgue last year from not having the experience to drive such a vehicle (without as much power).....Sorry to be a party pooper on this one, but a severe dose of reality is in order for your potential customer. At the very least for you, I highly suggest your corporate attorney draw up a disclaimer for you and your company...........

Bill S.

Bill,

I wouldn't worry too much. It will just be another e-bay curiosity in about a year and a half. I'd go so far as to estimate 400 miles on it when it goes for sale. And the owner will know its' undrivable, but that won't be in the ad...

mrmustang · #10 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 03:01 PM

personally, I know of three very public deaths (do a search here on Club Cobra). How many more where they did not make it to this web site. Then again, how many accidents due to people who had no clue how to handle a short wheelbase, high horsepower vehicle such as the Cobra just in the last year....Did everyone forget what happened at the fling last year (with someone who supposedly had years of high HP Cobra experience)Thank god it happened at the airport, and not in the center of town........ No, I'm not joking about this, just injecting a dose of reality to anyone who wants to have 600+hp in a 2168lb automobile like a Cobra.......If I can get at least one person to sit back and think about this, and it saves their life, then my job is done. I'll take the heat for what I post...............Let the drivers beware that they can get in way over their heads, and it could kill someone................

Bill S.

PS: I had to speak with a friend of a 18 year old who just died in a high speed auto accident just off rt 287....He tried to take a 35mph offramp at 100mph+.....I'm sure that he thought he could handle it. From the outcome, I guess not...................

Quote:

Originally posted by 750hp

Bill - how many people died in Cobras last year? If you need a legal disclaimer to sell a guy a big HP motor, then the world's gone crazy....

I'm hoping that your last post wasn't serious, but I don't see any or anywhere.

RACER X #99 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 03:06 PM

Bill,
I thought you liked the ride I gave you last year. Of course I only have 600 hp.

BTW, I just missed you today at Bruces.

RD

mrmustang · #12 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 03:10 PM

Roger,

A qualified driver, in a controlled environment such as Watkins Glen, with the proper safety equipment, is one thing. Taking a 600+ hp Cobra out on the street, with an unqualified driver is another.......As for Bruce's, next time your up this way, give a call first and we'll meet for a decent cup of coffee and shoot the **** for a while.............

Bill S.

Quote:

Originally posted by RACER X #99

Bill,
I thought you liked the ride I gave you last year. Of course I only have 600 hp.

BTW, I just missed you today at Bruces.

RD

Hal Copple · #13 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 04:46 PM

Dennis Olthoff put a stroked NASCAR motor at about 765 hp at the engine in a Superformance about a year ago, complete with all the external oiling, and such. If you want to talk with him, he is just up from Mooresville towards Statesville, Dennis and his Dad Bob are the mid atlantic Superformance dealers, and have lots of experience in custom sorts of things.

call 1800-29SNAKE, or just look him up in the phone book, "Oltoff Racing", mt. Ulla up on highway 150. Just up the road about ten miles north.

I won't get into the debate about HP and risks.

RPRICE · #14 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 04:52 PM

Last time I looked not too many Cobras except the ffr spec racers had the proper safety equipment. That may be why we can't get into SCCA or NASA events with major changes. My Suburban would have over a 1000hp if the hp/wt was replicated. And it has a lot more metal surounding ME.
Richard
Memphis

mrmustang · #15 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 04:56 PM

I'm still waiting for someone to say something along the lines of "I know what I'm doing", or "I can handle it" (even though the highest HP car they have owned to date is a new Honda Minivan with the "Sport package")..........

Bill S.

RPM · #16 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 04:57 PM

Thanks for the input. We are not aware of any of the other Elliott deals. We have never dealt with Cobra's before. As for Bill S....You sound like an experienced guy but, we build cars to run races which you know have no liability to the builder. Anyone involved that races at any level is aware of the risk and the thought that they would need a disclaimer of any sort is ludicrous.
If you know of any one who offers such warranties, please let me know. I thought the Cobra owners were about powerful lightweight cars. What's up with the conservative guy? Would you really rather have a Buick? This is not your fathers Oldsmobile!!

I came in as a new member and seemed to upset Ralph Nader!!

As for the others, and the 750 guy, we are a full service Winston Cup shop that can be reached via our website or by tel at 704-489-4343.

And yes...The 43 means we used to work for Petty!!

Hal Copple · #17 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 06:40 PM

you know, i was just thinking, the Superformance coupe, an update of the Cobra Coupes raced so successfully, by Pete Brock, then and now, would be the perfect place to install a really stout motor, the car has done 206 mph with a Roush motor, about 500 hp or so, so with another couple hundred HP, it might go, what 235 mph or so, or as fast as the McLaren cars??

If you want to see what Pete's update of his original design looks like check out:

www. superformance.com

If you want to check it out in person, zip up highway 150 to the Olthoff's, they are down in little valley to the left, can't miss them.

Happy hunting!!!

Hal Copple · #18 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 06:43 PM

hey RPM, would by chance you be part of the Woods' Brother's operation, they recently moved down from VA to the Mooresville area?

Hal Copple · #19 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 06:57 PM

OK, RPM, if you want to go really, really fast, put one of your motors in one of these Superformance Coupes!!

need4speed · #20 (**permalink**) 01-19-2004, 07:06 PM

OK RPM, you have my and I'm sure a number of others interest but I did not see your web url. Can you give us the link to whet our appetites?