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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 02-28-2023, 03:17 AM
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Default First post

Having a heck of a time getting my first post through. Here’s hoping third time’s a charm.

I joined last May to research prior to ordering a RT4 from VMS – highly recommended here. My chassis is done now (build 2588) and shipping from South Africa so I thought it was time to post.

The car is a retirement gift to myself. The configuration is a bit unusual with hood scoop and rollbar delete with undercar exhaust and bumpers. I was headed towards a Porsche 718 Spyder when it hit me that for about the same money I can get a Cobra convertible for my fair weather daily driver. I have always been a fan - had a framed picture of a 427SC on my office wall for almost 40 years. The engine will be a fuel injected 427 SB from Vintage set up for street tractability with a 500 HP target and a Tremec TKX.

I expect to do all of my own wrenching, as I have done on all the cars I have owned and I am sure this forum will be an important resource when I hit a snag.
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Old 02-28-2023, 05:23 AM
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Welcome. My car is currently being built at VMS also. Best of luck with it!
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Old 02-28-2023, 07:00 AM
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Welcome!
Im not the only one having issues posting as a newbie then!
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Old 02-28-2023, 07:44 AM
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Welcome to the "Madness" as others will tell you, when first driving "Dance slowly" A Cobra is like nothing else you have ever had. We want you around, for Lots of "Smiles Per Miles" since MPG mean nothing to us Cheers Tom.
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Old 02-28-2023, 10:45 AM
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Welcome. I have VMS building mine. It will be the most fun car you have ever owned. Looking forward to watching the build out.
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Old 02-28-2023, 12:23 PM
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Welcome. Mine is also at VMS
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Old 02-28-2023, 02:56 PM
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Welcome! Mine was from VMS
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Old 02-28-2023, 04:45 PM
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Rez, how well is a Hellcat going to fit?
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Old 09-20-2023, 04:22 AM
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Default Follow up on my RT4

Quote:
Originally Posted by rnkjr View Post
Having a heck of a time getting my first post through. Here’s hoping third time’s a charm.

I joined last May to research prior to ordering a RT4 from VMS – highly recommended here. My chassis is done now (build 2588) and shipping from South Africa so I thought it was time to post.

The car is a retirement gift to myself. The configuration is a bit unusual with hood scoop and rollbar delete with undercar exhaust and bumpers. I was headed towards a Porsche 718 Spyder when it hit me that for about the same money I can get a Cobra convertible for my fair weather daily driver. I have always been a fan - had a framed picture of a 427SC on my office wall for almost 40 years. The engine will be a fuel injected 427 SB from Vintage set up for street tractability with a 500 HP target and a Tremec TKX.

I expect to do all of my own wrenching, as I have done on all the cars I have owned and I am sure this forum will be an important resource when I hit a snag.
Update: car made it to my garage yesterday! Now to complete the Ohio inspection and registration process.
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Old 09-20-2023, 04:34 AM
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Lovely. Your feedback on the TKX?
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Old 09-20-2023, 03:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfa02 View Post
Welcome to the "Madness" as others will tell you, when first driving "Dance slowly" A Cobra is like nothing else you have ever had. We want you around, for Lots of "Smiles Per Miles" since MPG mean nothing to us Cheers, Tom.
Tom's words are not just a friendly caution from someone you don't know. They are words of wisdom from a seasoned owner that can save your life. These cars are powerful enough to scare most drivers when you first get in. In a short time, you will think you got acclimated faster than you expected — you did not!

Other than the unfortunate few and occasionally stupid first-time owners, most get killed after owning the car for a while because they begin to lose that fear and respect they had for it the first time.

Find the biggest empty parking lot you can, with as close to zero parked cars, phone poles, or light posts as possible. Use it to figure out where your car crosses over the line and becomes uncontrollable without hitting anything. You'll be glad you did, as will your friends and family.

Without meaning to be overdramatic, these cars can and have killed owners and continue to do so. As Smokey the Bear used to say, ... 'Only you can prevent Forest Fires.' The similar Cobra's words sound slightly different, 'Only you can save your a$$.'
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Old 09-20-2023, 03:22 PM
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The Cobra is a frame and body designed to move a high powered engine around a track driven by trained professionals. It is not user friendly otherwise.

If you haven't done it you should seek out a high performance driving course. In that class you will learn certain techniques about driving a race car. For example, heel-toe shifting, proper braking techniques, how to handle a skid (if you're lucky enough to have a skid pad).

Most of the Cobra wrecks occur because of oversteer. The original Cobras had no where near the horsepower that people put in them today. There really isn't a good reason to have a 600HP Cobra because that power cannot, under normal skill levels, be transferred to the road through the wheels/tires. Most wrecks occur because of that fact. Oversteer is the result.

The following WILL cause your rear end to break loose.

Accelerating not in a straight line. With cold tires and a cold road, accelerating into a turn can be a deadly maneuver. The simple turn out of your subdivision on to the street can result in a major pucker event. Don't ask me how I know this. Driving class is useful to know what happens and how to recover the skid.

Upshifting suddenly, especially from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th and then stomping on the accelerator. The simple maneuver you get away with in your Mustang to pass a slow car will kill you in a Cobra. A long time ago I heard of a Cobra accident on I25 near Denver. Witnesses reported the driver changed lanes to pass and spun out... My mechanic friend had done some simple adjustment and asked me to take him to show the car to a friend of his. Early morning, cool temps. Spent 15-20 minutes car talking, got in the car to go back to the shop. Made the left turn onto the major highway - no left turn event. However, and this section of the road had a speed limit of 50, I was shifting from 2nd to 3rd and we both felt the rear tires "skip". Fortunately nothing happened. I let off the throttle which is often NOT the correct response since it can also result in trailing throttle oversteer. Pucker event!

Failing to rev-match on a down shift. Failure to use proper heel-toe rev-matching. The high compression on these engines practically guarantees a compression braking event which breaks the tires loose. The opposite of straight line acceleration. Note, the pedal arrangement and brake/accelerator vertical offsets make heel-toe difficult. The better method is "brake slow, accelerator go".

All of these have a learning curve and you can over time learn what your car and you are capable of but I'll guarantee you you will find a circumstance where what worked yesterday won't work today. I was on my way to work one morning. Chilly AM. Got to the turn onto the street that went to the parking lot and that simple left turn, with no overt actions, resulted in a 360 in the intersection. I'd done that same turn many many times. 7AM, chilly road, maybe a little melting frost, hockey puck tires. Bingo. Pucker event.

Note all of these pucker events. In every single one of them I wasn't doing anything I hadn't done before with the Cobra. And daily with the daily drivers. And the Mustangs, and even the Ford GT. But just these small changes in road condition with almost 600hp at the wheels and a 90" wheelbase and you've got a completely different animal.

Every time you get into your Cobra it whispers a little snakey "I'm going to kill you". Heed the warning.

FYI, for these and other reasons, my next Cobra would have been a much tamer small block 289 car. Love the Cobra, just think the 427 isn't necessarily the best tool for having fun.

DO NOT ASSUME YOUR PREVIOUS SPORTS CAR EXPERIENCE APPLY! THEY DON'T.

PS. We're assuming you're not a driver with Ken Miles experience... If you do know all about this, have fun. Car is a scream.
Tommy, eschaider, 1795 and 4 others like this.
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Last edited by twobjshelbys; 09-20-2023 at 04:48 PM..
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  #13 (permalink)  
Old 09-20-2023, 05:18 PM
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Exclamation Unfinished Cardiac Cobra

Hi
Posted to wrong section...

Last edited by Smokin_Joe; 09-20-2023 at 05:55 PM..
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  #14 (permalink)  
Old 09-21-2023, 03:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gaz64 View Post
Lovely. Your feedback on the TKX?
Too soon for feedback: I have to get the car inspected and registered before I can put any miles on it.
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Old 09-21-2023, 05:01 AM
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I"m happy for you with your new Cobra. It really is a fun car on the road, in the garage or at the gas station. But at the risk of piling on I"ll add one more safety story.

I flew with the Air Force for 20 years and they tracked and recorded every significant aircraft crash. Their data showed that the highest accident rate for pilots was when they had about 1500 hours of flying time. It was widely accepted that less experienced pilots were still wary enough about flying to keep a large safety margin. Much more experienced pilots had learned through surviving close calls that you never get so good you don't need a safety margin. It was the pilots who thought they had it all figured out but really didn't that caused the most accidents. So the moral of the story for lots of things in life including operating a lightweight, short wheelbase, overpowered race car is to remember that even when you think you have everything figured out, you should still leave a safety margin for the things you don't know that you don't know. . . . To paraphrase an old flying adage, the superior driver uses his superior judgement to avoid situations that require his superior skill.
eschaider, xb-60 and Alfa02 like this.
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Old 09-21-2023, 05:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rnkjr View Post
Too soon for feedback: I have to get the car inspected and registered before I can put any miles on it.
Thank you. I'll keep an eye on your thread.
Gary
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Old 09-22-2023, 02:27 AM
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Thumbs up Nice!...

Great looking car, rnk! Nice color, too!
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  #18 (permalink)  
Old 10-08-2023, 02:50 AM
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TKX update for Gary - I drove the car for the first time on a 220 mile round trip to an Ohio inspection station. The transmission was flawless: smooth and positive gear selection. The higher revs and clutch slip required from a standing start to keep the engine happy will take some getting used to. I have the standard 3.55 differential ratio and the .81 overdrive TKX, which has a 2.87 first gear ratio.
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Old 10-08-2023, 09:56 AM
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Default Words to live by...

Duplicate post

Last edited by FredG; 10-08-2023 at 10:06 AM.. Reason: duplicate
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Old 10-08-2023, 09:59 AM
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Default Advice to live by

Tony.

Truer words were never spoken. I am in the process of selling my car and I am being very sure that person who buy it knows what they are getting into. So far I have done such a good job that I have scared everyone away. After an orientation speech about the car, I take them for a drive and that is the end. One 6 or 7 second straight line blast usually clinches it. I just can't sell the car to anyone before they understand what they are getting into mechanically and performance wise.


Fred



Quote:
Originally Posted by twobjshelbys View Post
The Cobra is a frame and body designed to move a high powered engine around a track driven by trained professionals. It is not user friendly otherwise.

If you haven't done it you should seek out a high performance driving course. In that class you will learn certain techniques about driving a race car. For example, heel-toe shifting, proper braking techniques, how to handle a skid (if you're lucky enough to have a skid pad).

Most of the Cobra wrecks occur because of oversteer. The original Cobras had no where near the horsepower that people put in them today. There really isn't a good reason to have a 600HP Cobra because that power cannot, under normal skill levels, be transferred to the road through the wheels/tires. Most wrecks occur because of that fact. Oversteer is the result.

The following WILL cause your rear end to break loose.

Accelerating not in a straight line. With cold tires and a cold road, accelerating into a turn can be a deadly maneuver. The simple turn out of your subdivision on to the street can result in a major pucker event. Don't ask me how I know this. Driving class is useful to know what happens and how to recover the skid.

Upshifting suddenly, especially from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th and then stomping on the accelerator. The simple maneuver you get away with in your Mustang to pass a slow car will kill you in a Cobra. A long time ago I heard of a Cobra accident on I25 near Denver. Witnesses reported the driver changed lanes to pass and spun out... My mechanic friend had done some simple adjustment and asked me to take him to show the car to a friend of his. Early morning, cool temps. Spent 15-20 minutes car talking, got in the car to go back to the shop. Made the left turn onto the major highway - no left turn event. However, and this section of the road had a speed limit of 50, I was shifting from 2nd to 3rd and we both felt the rear tires "skip". Fortunately nothing happened. I let off the throttle which is often NOT the correct response since it can also result in trailing throttle oversteer. Pucker event!

Failing to rev-match on a down shift. Failure to use proper heel-toe rev-matching. The high compression on these engines practically guarantees a compression braking event which breaks the tires loose. The opposite of straight line acceleration. Note, the pedal arrangement and brake/accelerator vertical offsets make heel-toe difficult. The better method is "brake slow, accelerator go".

All of these have a learning curve and you can over time learn what your car and you are capable of but I'll guarantee you you will find a circumstance where what worked yesterday won't work today. I was on my way to work one morning. Chilly AM. Got to the turn onto the street that went to the parking lot and that simple left turn, with no overt actions, resulted in a 360 in the intersection. I'd done that same turn many many times. 7AM, chilly road, maybe a little melting frost, hockey puck tires. Bingo. Pucker event.

Note all of these pucker events. In every single one of them I wasn't doing anything I hadn't done before with the Cobra. And daily with the daily drivers. And the Mustangs, and even the Ford GT. But just these small changes in road condition with almost 600hp at the wheels and a 90" wheelbase and you've got a completely different animal.

Every time you get into your Cobra it whispers a little snakey "I'm going to kill you". Heed the warning.

FYI, for these and other reasons, my next Cobra would have been a much tamer small block 289 car. Love the Cobra, just think the 427 isn't necessarily the best tool for having fun.

DO NOT ASSUME YOUR PREVIOUS SPORTS CAR EXPERIENCE APPLY! THEY DON'T.

PS. We're assuming you're not a driver with Ken Miles experience... If you do know all about this, have fun. Car is a scream.
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