Anyone in Perth with an AP cobra i could sit in please?

[MikeFromPerth]

Hi everyone

i'm in the middle of trying to pick a kit to buy and i'd really like to see how the seating position is in an AP cobra for arm/leg room etc.

Is there anybody with one in Perth that wouldn't mind letting me have a squiz please?

thanks in advance!
Mike

[leroy17]

Unless you are taller than lebron James or bigger than 'the rock', then I see you having little issues. Actually, I am sure that pace would accomodate these human mountains anyway.

As pace is on your consideration list, a visit to the factory will be the cheapest part of your research, and provide answers to questions that you did not know you were about to ask.

Consider it a belated Christmas present to yourself.

[MikeFromPerth]

I suspect you're right Leroy and I would love to, but my family situation makes it very difficult for me to travel at the moment.

[deano59]

Originally Posted by MikeFromPerth

I suspect you're right Leroy and I would love to, but my family situation makes it very difficult for me to travel at the moment.

hi Mike
im not sure how big you are but there are a few guys well over 6 ft building paces and most have commentated how much room there is in the cockpit area plus there is the modification to slide the seat back even more without stretching the whole car.

i flew down to tassie to look at a gforce car that was for sale and i felt like noddy my eys were in line with the top of the windscreen and the steering wheel was right up to my chest now these may have been able to be fixed and might have just been how that car had been built.
but to be honest lack of room in a pace is one thing ive not heard any complaints over ,
cheers dean

[xb-60]

Mike,

This picture of Don in an AP 427 has been posted on one of the earlier build threads.
Don is 195cm tall if I recall correctly (yes?)

....and note the room behind the seat.



All good for us taller guys

Cheers,
Glen

[MikeFromPerth]

Interesting! What about foot room? Is the foot box wide enough for a dead man's pedal to the left of the clutch?

[Paintwerks]

Originally Posted by MikeFromPerth

Interesting! What about foot room? Is the foot box wide enough for a dead man's pedal to the left of the clutch?

Mike, with the standard chassis, that's as far back as the seat will go as it hits the wheel arch. You can order an 'SL' Super Long chassis from Pace that allows the seat to go further back into the wheel arch.

The footbox dimensions will not permit the fitment of a full-width footrest. The manual says a half-width footrest can be fitted but I don't see as very practical and I am not fitting one in my Pace. I'd rather get my left leg in behind the clutch pedal on a long drive. I have built my pedalbox to be as short as possible, giving me the maximum permissible leg room. My legs are still bent though but I am comfortable.

The one thing that is awesome about the Pace that nobody has mentioned is the linear orientation of the pedals in relation to your legs and feet. In most other Cobras I have sat in, it feels like your feet are offset massively to the right and IMHO it didn't feel very comfortable to me at all (almost like my legs were outside the car!). YMMV.

I was considering another well known and highly regarded brand of factory-built Cobra but didn't buy one because it suffered from this phenomema. While offset a little, the Pace doesn't have this issue nearly as prominently. I suspect the original AC Cobra had this feature as well however Pace have cleverly designed their car to minimise it.

[albanycobra]

The one thing that is awesome about the Pace that nobody has mentioned is the linear orientation of the pedals in relation to your legs and feet. In most other Cobras I have sat in, it feels like your feet are offset massively to the right and IMHO it didn't feel very comfortable to me at all (almost like my legs were outside the car!). YMMV.

very good point about offset....I hate that as well. My 40 is shocking for steering wheel and pedal offset.

[deano59]

after cutting my clutch pedal part off the pedal box i can line up the pedals where i want them and still have room for a proper foot rest i keep telling you manual blokes ya doing it all wrong lol

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by deano59

after cutting my clutch pedal part off the pedal box i can line up the pedals where i want them and still have room for a proper foot rest i keep telling you manual blokes ya doing it all wrong lol

Wait.....Cobra.....automatic....does not compute

[Donunder]

Mike it's been a while since that photo of me in a Pace shell was taken.

Firstly, yes I'm 195 cm tall, I'm about 110 kg and I have v e r y long arms.

Since that photo was taken, one of the Qld Pace owners took me for a drive in his newly completed car, or rather I took him for a drive in his newly completed car. What I thought was going to be a quick squirt around the block turned into a drive from Brisbane up around the dams in the Brisbane valley and back over Mt Glorious, a trip of just on 180 klms that included some highway, some back roads and the challenging (it's a favourite with motor-cyclists) climb up and over Mt Glorious itself. I drove all the way.

I have had my own car extensively modified to accommodate my long arms and legs. I can honestly say that simply by sliding the Pace seat back, I was able to drive the car safely and in complete comfort. In fact I seemed to sit much lower in the Pace -- wind always blows up my shirt sleeve in my car-- not so in the Pace. Even with the Pace floor-mounted pedals there was plenty of room for my size fourteen to slide down beside the clutch pedal when cruising along the highway. In other cars I've had to suffer sore shin muscles from having insufficient room to the throttle and having to keep my right foot arched back. Not a problem in the Pace. Distance to steering wheel and gear lever was perfect. There was plenty of knee room under the dash. I could view all instruments clearly.

When I arrived back home at the conclusion of this thoroughly enjoyable drive I truly didn't want to get out of the car. For years I had not been able to buy a Cobra because even though I'd been associated with the club through my son, I hadn't been able to fit into any of the local cars, and I'd tried plenty believe me. It was only when, after much research, we discovered that the Arntz came with 20 cm of pedal adjustment that I decided to import one, with fingers crossed. Even then I've had the floor dropped 20 cm and the pedals converted to pendant type to create more leg room.

It blew me away then to see the owner of this Pace, who is noticeably shorter than I am (let's face it, who isn't?) hop into his car, quickly readjust the seat and drive away. Easy!!! I've had my Arntz for five years now and I think it's an old champ, but if the Pace had been around ten years ago I would have been into a Cobra ten years ago, not five.

There are a thousand good reasons to own a Cobra, and there are probably a few as to why you shouldn't, but trust me, not being able to fit into a Pace is not one of them.

And by the way, I am not associated with the Pace organisation in any way. Like most guys who live in the area I drop by the factory occasionally to check out what loveliness may be happening there at the time and to scrounge a cup of coffee, but that's it.

[dave295]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Wait.....Cobra.....automatic....does not compute

Apart from the "fewer than 20" 289 equipped three speed automatics

Oh, and the four, 427 equipped three speed automatics

and, the twin supercharged 427 "super snake" equipped with a three speed automatic.

Which part of this "does not compute"?

It's a funny old thing History, it can't be changed

Dave

[tomcat racing]

Originally Posted by dave295

Apart from the "fewer than 20" 289 equipped three speed automatics

Oh, and the four, 427 equipped three speed automatics

and, the twin supercharged 427 "super snake" equipped with a three speed automatic.

Which part of this "does not compute"?

It's a funny old thing History, it can't be changed

Dave

C4, shows them the door, and OH have you seen the latest model commodore,
NUP, not since second gear.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Donunder

....There are a thousand good reasons to own a Cobra, and there are probably a few as to why you shouldn't, but trust me, not being able to fit into a Pace is not one of them......

I read your earlier AP drive report Don. Maybe one day we can catch-up and you can drive my AP FIA

Cheers,
Glen

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by dave295

Apart from the "fewer than 20" 289 equipped three speed automatics

Oh, and the four, 427 equipped three speed automatics

and, the twin supercharged 427 "super snake" equipped with a three speed automatic.

Which part of this "does not compute"?

It's a funny old thing History, it can't be changed

Dave

Ah mate, I know there was a small number of auto Cobras....something like 2% were thus "afflicted".
When I think "Cobra", "automatic transmission" is just not something that springs immediately to mind. Sorry. Does not compute

I'm happy to slag-off at Dean because of his auto trans. as well as his Chev. motive power...and he's happy to throw it back at me.
Hit me, Deano!

Cheers,
Glen

[deano59]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Ah mate, I know there was a small number of auto Cobras....something like 2% were thus "afflicted".
When I think "Cobra", "automatic transmission" is just not something that springs immediately to mind. Sorry. Does not compute

I'm happy to slag-off at Dean because of his auto trans. as well as his Chev. motive power...and he's happy to throw it back at me.
Hit me, Deano!

Cheers,
Glen

i feel sorry enough for you i mean any bloke that owns a alfa needs all the help he can get

[Donunder]

Originally Posted by xb-60

I read your earlier AP drive report Don. Maybe one day we can catch-up and you can drive my AP FIA

Always happy to oblige Glen.

A run up through the Adelaide Hills would be just the ticket!

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by deano59

i feel sorry enough for you i mean any bloke that owns a alfa needs all the help he can get

Mate....at least it's a manual gearbox Alfa!

[xb-60]

MikeFromPerth....apologies. Back to the subject of your original post.

Cheers, and Happy New Year (almost)
Glen