need comments on cobras

[rspears9]

i know these cars draw a lot of attention,but can any body give any idea how these car sound and handle on the street,do they roar too loud.and are they a hand full to handle on curvy roads,i know some say you have to be carefull driving them.but do you have to drive them with caution on the road and in curves.

[LMH]

In real general terms because there is much difference between each car; they are NOT for inexperienced drivers.
"Too loud" is an opinion. It's legal, so what's "too loud"?
Larry

[rsimoes]

They are way too loud, hot and stinky (no emissions). You must know that before you get into a project. They can handle well for a 60's car, but they won't touch a new Corvette. And yes, they are a handful, you really have to drive them. . .

If that doesn't 't bother you, they are fun to drive and get lots of attention and are raw fun.

Also, don't forget that they are very hard to sell, and they don't hold their value at all. The best bet from that perspective is to buy used, it may give you more problems, but it will also make you lose less money if you sell.

Be careful in your decision. Make sure that this is the type of car you really, really want.

[J. T. Toad]

WHAT? HUH?

type a little louder.

[Dwight]

Some are quieter than others. Depends on the sidepipes and motor. If you drive like a normal person, they handle good and are not loud until you push the noise pedal. Of course the amount of horsepower is a major factor. Each brand and each car is different in sound and the way they handle. I think in general the FFRs are quiet and handle well because they use the Mustang 5.0 EFI motor and suspension. A lot depends on who builds the car and what parts they use. 302 or max'ed out 460. I have a friend with a 427 c.o. that is very quiet. I have a 302/354 that's loud. A lot of Cobras ride rough because the springs are to strong for street use. You can build a Cobra with a smooth / soft ride or one for the race track. Your choice.

You can build a Cobra to be a cat or a lion.

Start out with the cat and spend enough money on it to make a lion!

There has to be a few Cobras in your neighborhood. Find them and get them to give you a ride. You will have to decide for yourself.
Dwight

Where is Kimper,Ky? The Ky Cobra Club has a lot of members in Louisville.
Contact Juan http://www.kentuckycobraclub.com/

[ROUSHAC]

I think the best description of why or why not to get a Cobra replica is the following from I believe Hal Copple here on Club Cobra (not sure, but I think it was him):


If you want to just gas and go, and never have to worry about replacing an alternator, or snugging down the header bolts, or getting a wet leg driving in a rainstorm, or learning how to set your carb float level, or driving in traffic on a warm winter day with "winter gas" in the tank, get a 'Vette.

With a Replica, you have to remind yourself that you are driving a hand made race car on the street. There is no compromise for anything other than pure speed. These cars are brutal and unforgiving, with all the refinement of a medieval battle ax. Like being in a relationship with an exotic dancer, you can never take anything for granted. These cars don't have millions of miles of testing refinement before you get yours. For any trip longer than an hour, you need earplugs, and goggles, and carry Advil and eye drops. You will need to learn to "read" the clouds for rain in your path, and have experience in unwrapping your frozen fingers from the MotoLita. You will experience lady passengers "wetting" the passenger seat when you merge into traffic from an on ramp, and then nearly burn their calf getting out of the car.

You will have all the invisibility of a burning Hindenberg, and flee from underground parking lots when uncounted car alarms are screaming your departure. When you shop, you will remind yourself that these cars get more attention than a dead body in a parking lot.

With a power to weight ratio better than almost every supercar, you will find your 1/4 mile times traction rather than power limited. On the other hand, when you stage, out of the corner of your helmet's visor you will see almost the entire audience lining up at the fence, most with cameras up. If you track on a road course with a Porsche club, owners of expensive German machines will come to the fence to watch you power out in smoking oversteer. You won't even try to start your engine in the garage, but push it out onto the driveway, else your loyal watch dog will croak from the exhaust fumes. If you idle next to other "sports" cars at a traffic light, by the green, their girlfriend will be coughing green phlegm into her hanky, yelling at her date to just go! When you refuel, you might as well prop the "bonnet" open, because you are going to have to show your motor to just about every other guy there. When you order your wings at Hooters, your waitress will whisper in your ear "take me for a ride." When you stop at the red light, the girl in the convertible next to you will invite you to "take my top off too."

When you slowly pass a troop of Harley riders, they will look over and give you thumbs up. When you want to ease out into traffic, other cars will immediately pause to let you go ahead of them.

When your engine has it's hot, crackling, intimidating exhaust's sidepipe aimed right at the flank of the GTO, or the Z28, your exhaust pulsations slowly unscrewing his lugnuts, the other car will remain motionless, as if the slightest quiver of his car will cause your car to stomp it dead. When you leave it open in a parking lot, and come back to find your sunglasses and cell phone still sitting on the tunnel, it is because your car has sullenly warned those who came over to admire it "touch me and i will rise up here and kill you dead."

When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you."

When other drivers just hop in and snap up their belts while backing out of their parking space, you will still have two more minutes before you even get all the Simpson's properly on and snugged down.

Pulling up in a Replica is like landing an F4U at an ultralite convention.

In summary, very very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Replica demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses.

But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."

[rspears9]

man i love the way you put that.great

[ROUSHAC]

Wish it was me who wrote that, but like I said it was someone else who wrote it (Hal Copple, I believe).

I liked it so much that I saved it, printed it out, and put it in a frame in the garage.

[289fia_cobra]

i have to say that is the most elloquent message I've read that reflects the true nature of this beast.

You know how some woman might say "you're undressing me in your mind" as you stare at them.... in a Cobra, she's undressing herself in her mind and sitting in the car next to you. At least that's the feeling I get when a woman stares at the car while I"m driving. Or maybe it's just me again!

[GlynMeek]

Dear god...I have just got in from a slighty 'over alcoholed' business dinner, read this thread and got teary-eyed. This is the VERY BEST description I have EVER read about ' what it is all about'!!!!!

Screw it, it is 12:10 on a Monday night...I am going for a drive in the Cobra!!!!!!!!

LOL

PS...Dave, thanks!!!

[fsstnotch]

I love that message! It doesn't matter how many times I read it... I'm still smiling the whole time!

[HI Cobra]

It sure sounds like Hal Copple - and sure does sum it up!

[jperickson2001]

Choose 17 inch or 18 inch tires if you want fantastic handling. 15 inch tires look great but can't touch the handling of a bigger tire-John

[RICK LAKE]

rspears9 Cobras are about feeling young again. There is no easy answer for your question. For some of us it is the closest thing to a race car, others stress control after work, women magnet, a dream that took in my case 25 years to build. Worth the wait. As far a what you want the car to do, you can custom build it. You want to stomp on vettes and vipers, 550hp,6 spd trans, 13" brakes, 17" or 18" wheels and tires, and good suspension springs and shocks. In this class you can run with any car up to 140mph, after that, you are a barn door in the air. I have a 452 shelby motor with 501-533" lifter hydro cam,9.2 compression, runs on reg gas, with either the 5 spd or 6 spd in the car. 3.31 rear gearing. My car runs 12.5 in the 1/4 mile. Fast enough for me, 1/4 mile is hard on the drive train, not my favorite kind of racing. The ERA side pipes are quiet. I pass the noise code at New Hampshire for the Northeastern challenge in 2000 during road course. I have a set of race pipes also, they are noisier. You can add power steering, auto trans, AC, radio, hard top or soft top, and have a very streetable car. 15" tires ride better that 17" tires. 15" look more correct on the car. I have a set of both sizes,15" for street and 17" Mich pilots for racing in street class. Unless you are into vipers,vettes or high HP bikes and under stand how HI performance car handle, you want to be VERY CAREFUL, this car is like a loaded gun, give respect and you will get along fine, get stupid and get killed There is no cure for snakebit but you can enjoy the sickness. Fine someone and go for a NORMAL drive is the only way to answer your questions. You may want to wear ear plugs on a high output motor cobra. Rick Lake

[Badsnake427]

"There is nothing nice about a Cobra. It's stripped down to the essentials - a big engine, a small car, and four wide tires to keep the whole business on the pavement. It's loud, smells like gasoline, and shakes, shudders, and bucks. It makes your arms tired and your feet hot. You nearly crash about once every 10 minutes! It's so damn wonderful that you can't believe it!"



Automobile Magazine 2004, Top 100 Coolest Cars

I think that pretty well sums it up!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by rspears9

i know these cars draw a lot of attention,but can any body give any idea how these car sound and handle on the street,do they roar too loud.and are they a hand full to handle on curvy roads,i know some say you have to be carefull driving them.but do you have to drive them with caution on the road and in curves.

Owning a Cobra is "a calling." If you're asking these questions, you probably don't have it.

[Danr55]

While looking through my Funk and Wagnall's the other day, I came across the expression "American Muscle Car". The definition simply stated "See Shelby Cobra". No car in history has such mystique and charisma as the Cobra. Perhaps it's because of the legend of thier creation and the love of the man who birthed them. Not a car to be taken lightlty. It's demanding and cordial at the same time. It's outrageous and subtle and deadly if taken for granted.

[Naumoff]

I think if you want a Cobra it should not be for any other reason but for yourself.
The Cobra is a car that pulls feelings from deep inside of you.
The look, sound, smell and pure acceleration cannot be described fully by words, it is an emotional experience.
It clears the mind of all other thoughts as you focus on the road, where to shift, your oil pressure and water temp. What new road you haven't driven down and wondering if it is curvy.
Then when it is time to go home and you pull in the garage and walk to the door and look back at your Cobra, you are glad you couldn't put the cover on her for the hot sidepipes because it means you have to come back and do it later for another look before you go in the house for the last time that day.

If you are getting it because someone else has one and you think it is cool or for attention I don't recommend getting one.

[Jerry Clayton]

I've driven several various types of replicas while we have had them at the shop for tuning and other work---some have decent brakes, others have Pinto/Mustangll 9inch discs---some are louder than others---some pill right or left---but one thing they all have in common is the attention they get--
We have two different routes we take out of town for a tuning run--One goes by (sometimes thru) the Chevrolet dealer( Hi Bob), the other down some side streets by a senior citizens area and then by a elementary school. Everybody that can hobble along or stand up waves at us---My son Corey goes along to moniter/record data on the computer and one day at the school, the PE class was out on the athletic field(probably 3 or 4 grade girls) and there was one little girl that was over by herself looking at us, Corey gave her a little wave and EVERYBODY on the field waved back---priceless moment that ranks right up there with everybody in the stands cheering for us as we came down the return road after setting a track record in top fuel

But, if you get one, keep up with the maintenance stuff like on brakes, steering , drive line, fuel and exhaust or it will kill you

Jerry

[Wayne Maybury]

Originally Posted by rspears9

are they a hand full to handle on curvy roads,i know some say you have to be carefull driving them.but do you have to drive them with caution on the road and in curves.

Cobras have a very short wheel base that definitely takes some getting used to, especially since most of these cars tend to have more than the average amount of power. Jump on the gas when the car isn't perfectly straight or the pavement is damp or slick, and it will spin around before you know what's happening.

Wayne