Top end speed

[What'saCobra?]

That's why they score high.

[cob289]

I hit 165 last year at Nürburgring Classic on the Döttinger Höhe, my Co driver was impressed. Will go much better with a taler air filter. Yeah thats all with an old leave spring 289FIA from Kirkham, but 427 stroker performed by Red Line Motors Germany and AVON V-rated tires, every others will be dangerous !!!

[Madmiles442]

152 on Highway 71, west of Austin.
'07 M6 with paper plates in my rear view with a frustrated driver and a BMW wife just a-screamin at him!

[Tommy]

140 on the speedo, 5600 on the tach, in fifth gear on the front straight at Roebling Road. It was still accelerating, though more slowly, when I had to brake for Turn 1. It felt like it would have gone on to 150 if the straight had been a half mile longer. It's powered by a 410 Windsor. It's built as low as I can get it and it has a small spoiler. Handling felt fine at 140.

[Zoom This]

Had Zoomie and my 418W up to 132 down the front straight at the Fernley Nevada raceway last year at the WSCB. What a rush!

[jdog]

Originally Posted by jtart2

It would be great to mention the motor you're using as well. Thanks.

66' 427FE side oiler! Actually is bored & stroked to 468ci. Aluminum everything (except the block), Demon 850 carb.

jdog

[Hal Copple]

i am no drivetrain or gearing expert, but from what i understand if a driver wants to hit such and such mph at top end, then gear the car to put that speed at the engine's peak horsepower rpm.

ie, if you want 160 mph then gear the car to put that speed at your hp peak. My car with its present gearing has a theoretical top speed of about 195 mph at 6500 rpm engine redline, but my car would not pull that rpm in fifth, and it is about a thousand rpm beyond my peak hp point too.

Many cars will top out in a lower gear than than an overdrive top gear. I just read that the upcoming big engine Corvette (Blue Max or something like that), is geared to be the first Corvette to reach maximum speed in the top gear.

The amound of power to push thru the wind resistance increases exponentially as speed starts to increase. I head that back in the earlier NASCAR days, every mph over somthing like 180 or something like that took another 50 horsepower.

A GT2 Porsche can reach 199 with 520 hp, it takes twice that to go 210 mph.

When my son Chris and I did our standing mile with the East Coast Timing Association, a few years ago at the abandoned Maxton NC airstrip, it was a frightful experience. The path down the airstrip is about 15 feet wide at best, chunks of concrete missing and patched, scrub pine trees about 5 feet from each side of my car.

I told Chris when he ran, to absolutely not go from full power to hard brake without feeding in some gentle deceleration transition. So what did i do, with the end of the runway trees fast coming up.

Stand on the brakes as hard as i could!!

Bob Olthoff told me that many rookie drivers complain about front end lift in the Replica's. His opinion was that they were just inexperienced.

On the straight on the South Course at VIR, i hit something like 145 mph or so, it seems really fast to me, but my car seems rock steady. I am probably too much of a novice to even know of my front was off the ground.

I will say that braking for the right hander at the end from that speed comes up faster than one thinks, with so little experience braking from those kinds of speeds.

all the best,

[COBRA427]

After reading all the above posts, I personally find it very very hard to believe that Dick Smith could attain an incredible speed of 198 mph as reported back then.

How could that possibly be? Did he have a spoiler /wing and 800+ hp?
What do you guys think??

[jdog]

Like I said, I had lots of motor left when I ran out of heart at 140.

Maybe Dick just had a bigger heart!

jdog

[BossCER]

Originally Posted by COBRA427

After reading all the above posts, I personally find it very very hard to believe that Dick Smith could attain an incredible speed of 198 mph as reported back then.

How could that possibly be? Did he have a spoiler /wing and 800+ hp?
What do you guys think??

I think it's very well documented that Mr. Smith did indeed reached 198 as reported.
I suspect he had a little more than your standard "crate motor" under the hood.

[thorconstr]

I had mine up to 150 and the front end was starting to get light, would have tried for a bit more, but I forgot my Depends

[Jim Kellogg]

Long straightaway a couple of years ago saw 155 (by the tach - the speedo bouncing - higher - and I was paying attention to the road!!) in SPF887. The front end does feel light at that speed - no doubt there is much less front tire contact then at 65.
351/385hp 3.27 gear and .68 5sp TKO at 4500rpm
Doesn't take long to get to 120. The next 30mph takes longer. I doubt it would go much faster (lack of hp). Don't plan on going up there again. 0-120 or so is much more fun :-)
Jim

[BLUE427]

I Have Done 141 On The Gps, More Motor Left, And The Car Felt A Little Light Up Front. Made The Mistake Of Letting Off The Gas To Fast And It Got A Little Squirley After That. I Recommend To Ease Off Slow, Was Fun And, Thats Fast Enough For Now.long Straigt Roads, But The Elk Crossing Signs Got Me A Little Nervous. Need Speed Rated Tires Also. The Engine Is A Roush 427 R With Tri Power. Spf

Blue427

[ELJ1st500]

Hey Everyone,

Just thought I would chime in here. Dick Smith's 198 mph at Daytona is pretty amazing. The closest I have heard anyone else coming to that number is Bill Murray (awesome Cobra restorer and driver) from Colorado in CSX 3032. I remember reading about him vintage racing down at Daytona a few years ago and being officially clocked at 190 mph. Attaining these speeds in a 427 Cobra must be one hell of a ride!!!!

Best regards,
Eric

[JBCOBRA]

I recently posted a picture of Jim Kellogg with a hurd of real Shelby 'Stangs chasing him. I plead the 5th on speed for myself, but Jim has me beat. LOL

[ByronRACE]

Is there a top speed record for a Cobra/Cobra kit car? If so, what might that be?

[RICK LAKE]

BryonRace. Top speed is in a cobra, who has the biggest B@!!S. I couple of guys have run in the low 170's. All say the same thing when done, front end want to take off like an airplane, no ground effects to glue car down. Loss of steering control. Change of underwear, and not doing anything this stupid again. One of the fastest cobras is on the cover of KitCar mag. Ask Steve how fast his car is? This is without any power adders. I have done 120mph with the paxton hood and the car is lifting. 125 mph with a stock cobra hood and small hood scoop. Fast enough for me. Rick L.

[BigGuy]

I think Jamo talked to Dick Smith, a few years ago and he said......

1967 SCCA/ARRC when he won A/P. He was running 3.31 gears he thinks on a 27" tire (and yes, the engine was screaming--this was for all the marbles for the season--confirming ecp's comments). Interestingly, they were Firestones he bought from Mr. Jones because Goodyear wouldn't sell him the latest stuff they had. They were treaded tires--no slicks were available to the SCCA guys in those classes back then. As he pulled into the winner's circle, the announcement came out that he was officially clocked at 198.47. The announcer, thinks he was named Roy, made the comment about how fast that "barn door" was moving. He was given an official certificate signed by Bill France which is framed and hanging on the wall at his ranch. Invited me to get a pic of it in the future for posting here.

He explained that the Daytona setup in those days, as has been previously mentioned here, used the long back straight--no chicane as in later years. He said everyone was hitting very high speeds that day, and that he recalls the chicane being put in years later because of the high speeds being hit.He said the car was like a brick from 170mph on--didn't want to handle at all.

A few years ago, he recalls being at a SAAC function (might've been the Vegas SAI opening), and somebody from Ford was talking just before his time to talk. Couldn't recall who he was, but the guy looked over at Dick and told him he was sorry but that he was going to have to burst his bubble about the 198 clocking. Went on to say that Ford's own clocks had him at 201mph. Dick said the official 198 speed and France's signature are "fast" enough for him.

[patrickt]

Fun reading on potential top speed in a Cobra: http://www.mayfco.com/cobra.htm

[ByronRACE]

I'm with ya on the "balls" comment. It would take a big pair, coupled with suicidal tendencies or a serious dose of poor judgment.

Starting at freeway speeds, mine hits the limit of my comfort zone in a few seconds at half throttle all the while battling wheel spin well into the triple-digits. Power isn't the issue, mortality is.

I have never seen an AC Cobra or Kit at Bonneville, for example. Nor have I heard of any official records over 200mph. Clearly, it's possible to put enough power in the car; so why don't I see anyone that's done it? Someone out there must have been crazy enough to make it happen.

I'd love to haul mine out to Bonneville if life had a "do over" button, but without it I'd fear effects like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk5DTlgAtt4

Byron