Request for DRIVING TIPS

[SandyC]

I'm taking delivery in a couple of weeks of an SPF that has performance WAY beyond anything I've ever driven before. Any driving tips anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. You know, things like:

what to watch out for
whatever you do don't do this
try this
watch out because this is what happened to me
general recommendations
...etc.

My goal is to have fun but not get killed or injured (or scratch my car) and you guys have a ton of experience that I could benefit from. Thanks guys.

[LREYBURN]

I see that you reside in Arizona. You might want to check out a high performance driving school and take a few lessons from the pros before you experiment on the public roads in your new Cobra.

Check the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, www.bondurant.com which is located in Chandler.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by SandyC

...whatever you do don't do this

Don't "rev and pop" your clutch at highway speeds just to see if you really can spin your wheels at 60MPH and scare the crap out of your buddy that's in the lane next to you. You can.

[Ron61]

This car will drive like none that you have ever driven before. I always take mine out for a week or so alone until I get used to all of the quirks and how much I can push it. I never give rides until I feel comfortable with the car. As mentioned above, if you can go to a high performance driving school, and especially one that will let you drive your car, I believe that should be a mandatory thing for new people. It is very easy to over drive your skill level when first starting out, so don't worry about showing someone that it will do 180 MPH until you can handle it. I live in a great area for this as we have a lot of lightly traveled mountain roads and you can work your way up until you really know the car. Also I am just an hours drive from a road track. Once you get used to the car, you will have the time of your life. Enjoy it.

Ron

[wtm442]

Do NOT, repeat ... do NOT floor it in any gear except 4th gear on the first couple of rides. After a couple of rides, only go to about 1/2 throttle in second gear for a short burst in a desolate area (something like a big empty parking lot).

Make sure you are comfortable with the massive amount of power in a lightweight car before you floor it in first gear. Why? Cobra have a tendency to swap ends and go directly off the road and into the weeds with inexperienced drivers behind the wheel.

Take it slow and easy on the loud pedal.

Also, be defensive. Watch out for the idiots on the road that want to look at your car for 15 seconds while they are next to you at 60 MPH and talking on a cell phone.

Welcome to the madness. Its addictive. Time for me to go for a ride.

[Bob In Ct]

Remember, cars with big HP and short wheelbases love to swap ends! They call it power oversteer. These cars are also not know for their ability to handle wet roads.

Have fun and be careful.

Bob

[vanoochka]

I'm not good enough to offer tips on driving, but one easy way to keep nicks off your paint is to always show your passenger(s) how to CAREFULLY remove their seat belts and shoulder harnesses.

[patrickt]

Watch the sidepipes. This is a warning that I repeatedly tell others, but that I do not heed myself. My left ankle looks like something bad happened to me, over and over again. It's ok when it happens to you, but you don't want it happening to your passengers.

[Got the Bug]

Agree with the other guys. Don't jump on it for a while and forget about impressing anyone with how fast the car can perform. Spend the time to get to know your car and respect the power to weight ratio.

Enjoy and have fun!

[strictlypersonl]

Be careful not only when applying the loud pedal but also when backing off. Everything should be done slowly until you get used to it. Try to go into corners smoothly so you don't have to slow down in them, and squeeeeeze the throttle slowly when accelerating out.

[CBattaglia]

Expect the unexpected. As others said it will kick out on you mid way through a gear with out warning.

Respect it or you will.....

[shark]

Follow eveybodies advise listed above -- all your actions should be progressive (as in nothing abrupt). Also be careful not to completely lift off the gas while in a turn; the sudden weight transfer will either push the vehicle or lift the rear end sideways. Skidpad fiqure eights are invaluable in learning how your car (and you) react. If you have the availability of an open empty parking lot - get into a arced turn and suddenly let off the gas..... you'll understand. Good luck and be careful -- Mike

[mj_duell]

Smooth transitions in the throttle. Do not get right on the gas while exiting a corner. Go to auto-crosses and drivers schools and learn the car. Cobras are not forgiving when they are upset, especially at speed or in the corners. I learned this lessen at WGI, thank god I didn't hit anything.

--Mike

[kurtmart]

Understeer turns into oversteer really quick learn what that means (and not the hard way). Slowly work your way up to speed and don't panic. Carefully experiment with the handling and excelleration. And always remember that after 100mph stuff starts happening real fast.

Enyoy

K

[SPF2245]

It sounds simple, but it has no ABS, traction control, stability control...so, easy on the gas, easy coming on and off the clutch (even downshifting...nothing like locking the rear tires when you come back down the gears too quickly by popin' the clutch to get you puckered up). Drive like your on ice for a while, then drive like your in the wet, then drive like you stole it after some time on a track w/ some professional help. Have fun!

[PatBuckley]

Find an empty parking lot and go do some donuts and stuff.

Not only will you become an instant crowd favorite, but you will quickly learn what your car does when you don't follow the advise given in the preceding posts.

Remember that after driving it for about 20 hours or so you will truly believe that you are really good at it and that is when the car will hand you your butt.

Enjoy!!

[Doug I]

Originally Posted by PatBuckley

...... that is when the car will hand you your butt in pieces.

Enjoy!!

Enroll in a HP driving school. Even just a 1 day class will be worth it.

[DonC]

No substitute for seat time. The more time you spend behind the wheel the better. Follow the advice given from the other folks who've posted here and take it easy until you're comfortable with the car.
Track days and autocross are some of the best learning tools available to us. Make use of them whenever you can. Don't worry about being the fastest, concentrate on being the smoothest.
Above all, HAVE FUN. That's what these cars are all about. As you gain proficiency you'll gain the respect these cars deserve when you're driving. As you gain both your fun level will increase.
DonC

[greg schroeder]

Here are a few opinions for consideration.

If you're getting the 15 inch wheels with more than a 400 HP engine I'd seriously get a set of Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in the 275/60 15. The tires don't throw stones under normal driving conditions, they stick like glue and handle much better than the BFG radial TAs. Stay way back from cars in front of you and particularly when cars in front change lanes over the dividing lines which contain a great majority of road debris. Wet weather driving is like sand blasting your paint, so if you can avoid it that's good too. You'll keep the paint chip count down.

Your new TKO 600 trans will seem stiff at first. Break it in for 500 miles by not doing any higher RPM and make slow easy shifts. The trans will last much longer and work better after break in to shift like butter. Warm your engine carefully and drive it easy for break in too. Your car will be faster and smoother if you do these things. Resist high performance driving for 500 miles.

By the time you break in the car in Arizona's hot summer you'll be ready for the cooler winter. Your carb jetting will be up one size for winter starting after when days dip in the 80Fs. The car will be quite a bit faster in winter. Keep the wheel straight ahead before you mash the gas and you'll probably be ok. If it get's loose the Superformance corrects itself pretty good. Save room for stopping too. You'll be going really fast in just a few seconds.

You'll be fine.

[xlr8or]

Originally Posted by PatBuckley

Find an empty parking lot and go do some donuts and stuff.

Not only will you become an instant crowd favorite, but you will quickly learn what your car does when you don't follow the advise given in the preceding posts.

Remember that after driving it for about 20 hours or so you will truly believe that you are really good at it and that is when the car will hand you your butt.
Enjoy!!

Best advise so far.