Help me choose options

[Mark Brye]

If you had a chance to order your car all over again, what options could you do without? Which options do you wish you would have purchased? Everyone says get as much motor as you can. I know this will be a 351 based stroker with AFR heads. Should I get a heater, a top, glove box? I am really having a hard time with the M3 suspension or going standard suspension? I will never autocross the car but realize I really only have one time to get a lot of these options at purchasing time so I should get what I want. But I don't want to waste money either. Please let me know what you wished you had purchased.

Thanks

[trs900]

Save the money on M3 suspension as you won't need it, get the glove box -heater would probably be nice where you live, limited slip is really not needed but if you feel you need it get it.. 17" are standard now I think. top would be a pain to put up and down but if you think you need it get it.

[saps]

Just me....but I would have got a limited slip with different gears...maybe 3.64:1 or so. I got the heater...and would do it again. I didn't get the top...don't miss it. I didn't get the M3 suspension...and I don't miss it.

Of course, like I've always said it's how YOU feel about and drive your car.

[thunder1]

I also would get limited slip with different gears 3.47 would be nice ,with the 302 which i have. this would give you 10% more power to the ground. heater yes and i live in florida
I love my top and is nice on cold days , 17" rims a must ,coated headers a must, heat sheild on pipes saves the wifes legs.

[BUCKEYE COBRA]

Yes, 3.47 gear (+or-) seem just right. A heater would be nice, but I haven't experienced how effective they are. One think I like on Cobra's is the lack of all kinds of accessories. I have 15" rims which work fine for me. No heat shields, my bare pipes don't seem to be a big issue. More of an appearance preference perhaps...
A glove box would be nice.

[Cashburn]

Mark,
Glad to see you here.

From my perspective here is my list (based on popularity and how much people benefit from the option and what "my car" would have).

Must haves:
- Ceramic Coat Headers
- 17" Wheels
- 3M Protective Film on the Rear Fenders
- Ray Dyot Mirror (windshied mount)

Should haves:
- Tonneau Cover or Top
- Oil Cooler and Remote Oil Filter Mount
- Chrome Overider Bumpers
- Moto-Lita Wheel

Don't needs:
- Sport Suspension
- Glove Box
- Passenger Anything

Based on your location I would get the top for sure, if you have the top then the heater is not so bad. Best thing would be to have a local upholstery shop do the seat heaters ... would be a simple retrofit for them.

[Flittleton]

Mark,

Honestly, since you live in WA, I would recommend the heater and top. As Jay stated, the heated seats would be a good option. The glove box is not needed. You don't need the M3 suspension or limited slip differential but I would recommend the 3.4 gears. Also, the oil cooler is not needed unless you are planning to race the car. Highly recommend the 17 inch wheels because they fill out the rear wheel wells and they look awesome. Again I will agree with Jay and highly suggest the Ray Dot Mirrors and 3M Rear fender paint protection. I would also highly recommend the ceramic coated headers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call my brother Bill or myself.

[davidlee]

Mark,
I got the heater and the tonneau cover but would not do it again. The tonneau has never been used. I love the 17" full polished wheels and ceramic coated headers. Also like my dual roll bars.
David

[uncltodd]

Mark, Davidlee and I are on kinda the same page, but different climate and time zones.

The heater installed in #139 is a cruel joke, sorry, hi-low-off and only blows on the passenger's knees. Wasted without a top. The factory heater install may have changed since #139.

Rear end? Before I took delivery I found out my eyesight is failing quickly, I spec'd 3.73's instead of 3.43's, no track competition ever again for UT but I'm an old 1/4-miler, I can still have some fun, right?

No 3.73's were handy in Durban or Miami, but the 3.43's are just fine after going to a larger carburettor to give my first gear back to me without "porpoising." (The engine build was for 1/4 mile)

My top was spec'd delivered installed, but never happened, I got the "kit" months later but it was 'way too much for me. BDR refunded my $1K. Graciously.

I also LOVE my 17" Boyd Smoothies and those sticky Nittos.

No burnouts, just squat and grab asphalt. Grey smoke is for my young Deadhorse Mustang buddies.

I'm no purist, anybody tells me that Gunrack is dirty I pop the boot, throw them a cloth diaper and Quik-Mist and say, "go for it."

Dual roll bars? It was my choice. I love the symmetry and it makes my passenger a bit less nervous.

I actually temporarily mounted a gunrack across the roll bars as a joke, I think I posted a pic.

Tonneau? No way. I have never driven alone for more than a few minutes.

Total strangers as passengers are often more fun than puppies!

Heat shields? I love mine, polished stainless.

Ceramic coated? Your call. I love the amber sidepipes with the polished shields, it's an old graphics designer thing.

Standard suspension, mid-90's 325i is good with me, more than stiff on a 2500-lb car.

Lowered my tire pressure to 22 lbX4 and I can keep all four on the pavement on our crappola OK highways. Ride is much more agreeable, also, esp. after 20-30 minutes on the highway.

It's a Cobra. I don't care about "tire mileage."

I cram gloves, windbreaker, octane booster behind pass. seat. Bottled water between seat and console. Who needs a glove box?

My worthless opinions only.

UT

[Gatorac]

I really like my soft top. It keeps the sun off on the really hot days and the rain out on the wet ones. I wish I would have gotten a heater. I'll probably add one.

17" wheels
Coated headers
3.46 diff with a T-5. It works for me. Any more gear and 1st would not be usable.

[mtpockets]

I just saw two BD cars at the Austin rally. They are awesome. 351 stroked 430 Hp. The 17's with real knockoffs, 3m on the rear fenders. Here in TX on the coldest day, my head is the only thing that really gets cold. The top is a personal touch, I just don't see driving one with a top. My wife would feel better with the extra rollbar, the white car that Frank and Bill brought along, with a red rookie stripe added. Damn, I want to sell #126 and get the white one. Reg, make me deal, PLEASE.

[jeffko]

I bought my car with:

*heater - great for the passenger on cool mornings and evenings.
*smith type gauges - the old style looks great. thanks Autometer!
*3.46 open diff - i did not specify the 3.46, but it works pretty good with 450 torque at the rear wheels.


What I would buy the second time.

*17" rims - I like the 15" with white letter tires, but the BFG's suck for real traction and they are pretty much the best you can do in 15". There are many great tires available in 17".
*M3 suspension with LS diff - if rwhp is over 450 I would say yes. Any more power than that will really strain the standard half shafts if driven hard. M3 is also a must for road racing.
*headers - get the heat out with ceramic coating and be thankful for the flanged headers. The slip connection was truly a royal pain in the a$$.

just my two cents.

[madmaxx]

MT,
On a different subject, what was causing your stalling problem?

Curious

[Mark Brye]

Thanks all of you for your responses! I was lucky enough to be sent on travel to the Ohio area early in the week. Bill from GCPC had sent me an email a couple days earlier so I gave him a ring. He came down to the airport, picked me up and took me to his shop! What a great guy! So I was able to see my first Backdraft. I was very happy with the room in the car. It had a good 2 inches more legroom and the foot box seemed much wider than the SPF's that I had been looking at. I think the build quality is right there with SPF also. I sure liked his silver car. I really liked the fuel injection on his car. Just pushing a button and having the car start and idle like that almost made me wet my pants
He was very helpful at showing me all the details of the car and explained all the options that he liked.

So this is what I think I want at this point:

Heater
Autometer gauges
3:46 gears
17" wheels
Coated headers/pipes
Tonnue cover
Fire Ext.
3M Protection on fenders

I am still thinking about a top. I know a person wants later what they dont have now.
As soon as I get home from travel I am going to sit down with my buddies and decide if I will do the motor myself or have Bill do it. Well I had better get back to work.

Thanks Everyone! Oh, and Bill, thanks for the ride back to the Airport that late at night.

Mark

[Blittleton]

Mark, thank you for coming to the shop and you are most welcome. It was my pleasure in meeting you. It is good that us Aircraft Tech/Engineers get along!!! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call.

Bill

PS.. I would go will the top, and the fuel injection!!! Wetting your pants not necessary

[MikeyB]

Originally Posted by mtpockets

I just saw two BD cars at the Austin rally. They are awesome. 351 stroked 430 Hp. The 17's with real knockoffs, 3m on the rear fenders. Here in TX on the coldest day, my head is the only thing that really gets cold. The top is a personal touch, I just don't see driving one with a top. My wife would feel better with the extra rollbar, the white car that Frank and Bill brought along, with a red rookie stripe added. Damn, I want to sell #126 and get the white one. Reg, make me deal, PLEASE.

Was that your car sitting on the trailer behind a black Suburban Sunday morning in front of the Marriott?
Very nice. Why do you want to sell it?

MikeyB

[jeffko]

Sounds great Mark. It's an exciting time is'nt it! You have definetly been bitten.

[Sharroll Celby]

I think my glove box works well because it is a place to store registration and insurance cards, extra film canisters, Altoids!, a pen and small notepad, and lots of little stuff.

The original 289 cars, and the street 427 cars, all had glove boxes AND radios!

The top and tonneau are good to have "just in case", but I rarely use them.

You could always save the extra expense and not buy them right away; judge for yourself in the future if you want to add those options.

[BlackBDR]

Mark,

Isn't it fun! A bunch of people have suggested the top so I guess I'm the broken record here. We ordered a top after a trip to Tahoe from Southern CA. The next time we went to "Snakes at the Lake" it came in very handy. I can't imagine not having one in the Tacoma area. Our dealer, CA Cobra, installed it. We've also had them add a heater and heated seats. Our cruising grounds include lots of mountain roads and it can be warm at the house and freezing up there. I think your geography offers up the same.

We have the 3.10 rear end. On long trips we average 16 mpg, but because we have a Tremec 3550 5 speed with the wide ratios you have to be doing over 60 to use 5th gear. I've never really liked that huge gap between 4th and 5th, so I would probably get the model with the tighter 5th and stick with the 3.10's. Quaife makes a great limited slip for BMW diff's but unless you're going to the track you won't need it. The M3 kit however does have bigger brakes and axles as well.

It's a lot like owning a house though, there always seems to be something you want to add or change later. Which for me is part of enjoying the car.

I hope you enjoy your BDR as much as we have!

John and Leeann