Which Kit?

[hawkmns]

Hey People
I am new here, I've been thinking of buying a Cobra since 1995, I've asked in the All talk forum about a few pointers. I would like to know which is THE safest body of the Cobra Kits? Safety is number one for me? is the Aluminium body really that much stronger? or the Kevlar lined kits? please advise

thank you

[MidOHasp]

I dunno...

I do know that SPF has actual crush zones and a very modern frame and suspension. Probably one of the best frame/suspension combos out there.

It is not "original" or even trying to replicate "original" - but it handles like a dream, and is VERY rigid and safe (relatively speaking...NONE of them are THAT safe)!!

Hope this helps...
JP

[MidOHasp]

by the way... the frame and suspension are not original. the body of the car is a pretty good copy.

also one of the best finished cars out there. again...some are more "accurate" but at the end of the day they are all replicas (except the shelbys). SPF has a beautiful glass car with very high tech running gear.

[Gasman]

Aluminum Body Stronger? I would think just the opposite.

[Roscoe]

No Cobra, in and of itself, is safe. It is only as save as the driver.

Creative and Gifted Author of this fine message,
Roscoe

[klayfish]

Roscoe couldn't have said it better.

Cobras by their nature are unsafe, when compared to most other cars. I saw in your other post that you want a fast daily driver you can go over 100mph with. Don't get me wrong, I'd recommend a Cobra in a heartbeat, but be cautious. With a very short wheelbase, these cars are twitchy. Cruising at those speeds may be an adventure. You'll definitely want to make sure you've got some aerodynamic mods on the car, as the front end gets somewhat light at triple digit speeds. You may want to look at the stretched cars, with the 95" wheelbase.

Steve

[MidOHasp]

While none of them are safe, which I already said once, there are differences.

Fact is, modern suspension geometry, frame welded on a heavy jig, etc... *helps*. Kind of like a band-aid of sorts if we are talking about safety...

I think having a modern frame and suspension, 4-point safety harness, a roll bar that is at least 3 inches taller than you, a full (or dual) rollbar if you have a passenger when you are out blasting triple digits, etc... help greatly. Fact is, if your car breaks apart, there's not much to protect you. If your car holds together, crushes in the right places, and it holds you in your seat, you have a better chance....usually.

I will speak from experience and say the SPF does not get dancy or light over 100. Or over 120 for that matter. Couple of times at 145+, not exactly confidence inspiring, but... not a harrowing experience, either.

They're all very different cars. But if you want to spend time over 100, regularly, I don't recommend building your own out of Mustang parts. There are FFR's that I'd trust at the speeds I talked about all day long...but I would have to know the builder and have seen the parts. In a truly self assembled, donor-based car, that is the nature of the beast. Some of them are truly spectacular at all levels, and some of them I would be afraid to sustain triple digit speeds in, you know? Not a slam or a negative thing, just a fact. Matter of safety and vehicle integrity.

SPF, ERA, Kirkham, Shelby, Unique, Classic, Factory Five... you name it, they all (and others) have their +'s and -'s. But if you are talking about a lot of fast driving, I highly recommend one with an extensively engineered chassis.

Good luck!

[Doug I]

To those who ask me how safe are these cars I tell they are as safe as a motorcycle. Drive like you would ride.

[tony martin]

DOUG,
U SUMED IT UP IN 1 SENTENCE.

"DRIVE LIKE U WOULD RIDE"

SAFELY

REGARDS

[Art Burtt]

I built a Classic Roadsters kit. A little longer and wider then an original. The fit and finish was excellent and their factory support
is aces. I have a Corvette that I drive fast and feel comfortable
going fast. The Cobra scares the hell out of me,which is a good thing, cause when you start feeling comfotable in one of these rockets you're doomed!

[MOTORHEAD]

You want safety?? Buy a Volvo!!!. There is no such thing as a "safe" Cobra. The body offers no protection other than from the elements(and then not from all of them!) Get a copy of "The Complete Guide to Cobra Replicas" (www.cobracountry.com)
Most mfr's show a picture of their chassis in this book. The best one as far as "safety" goes appears to me to be RU Car Crafters Inc. Their "outriggers" (where YOU sit) appears to have more and bigger structural members, and there is an impressive metal structure in the doors, a feature I don't see in any of the others.
Like Doug 1 said, "Drive it like a motorcycle"!!
Thats what they are, 4 wheeled motorcycles, the difference being they don't tend to fall over when stopped!!!

[MidOHasp]

No, they just fall over (and over and over) when they lift off at about 175

I personally feel like the the Wright Brothers have NOTHING on me.

So a modern Jumbo Jet lifts off at about 165-170 MPH. So does my Cobra!!! BFD!!!

[ENTDOC]

When I was shopping for my first cobra, I asked my builder if his kit used steel in the doors for protection.His reply was "you do know that an Explorers bumper is about at the level of your head in one of these"that pretty much said it all. chuck

[MOTORHEAD]

ENTDOC:
I was thinking more along the lines of trees and t-poles!!!!
Around here it seems more of the performance "mishaps" are one-car, late at night, and involve a large round vertical upright piece of lumber covered with bark.
Height of other bumpers not withstanding; I would prefer some side protection as opposed to none. The aforementioned Explorer
door armor(whatever it may be) would probably be ineffectual if
"T" boned by an 18 wheeler!!!!
Just my opinion, and we all know what "they" say about those!!!

[lineslinger]

Hmmmm........ 2200 lbs. putting out at least 400 h.p. I would venture to say my old BSA 650 was just about as safe, maybe a little more, it was nimble enough to get me out of the tight spots with granny and her big a%$# caddy. "I didn't see you!!!"

[Russ Dickey]

hawkmns:
Some Cobra's are engineered better than others, but regardless of crush zones, the chance of surviving a serious accident on the street in a Cobra is slim. Too much of your body is exposed or only protected by thin fiberglass or aluminum.

As the rest have said, these cars are inherently dangerous. Make yourself aware of the risks before jumping into one of these. All that being said, there is also no driving experience in the world like being behind the wheel of a Cobra!!! I highly recommend it!

Russ

[Cobra Chuck]

Originally posted by Roscoe


No Cobra, in and of itself, is safe. It is only as save as the driver.

Creative and Gifted Author of this fine message,
Roscoe

I think the words above are absolutely ACCURATE. I know of SPFs that have wrecked, FFRs, ERAs and a CSX all resulting in serious injuries to the driver. The safety comes from the driver not from the car. I am not a FFR guy but if you want safety check out FFRs Spec racer. It's not much to look at but it is probably as safe as a Cobra will ever be because it is designed for modern racing.

I don't know if RUCC is still building Cobras, but his space frame design struck me as being about as safe a design as you could buy without going to the FFR full race machine with a full roll cage.

Let's apply a little logic hear. 400 HP, 2300 lbs, ladder frame, 40" max height, a single hoop role bar or maybe even a double, fiber glass or 0.030" thick Aluminum skin versus a 3600 lb steel, unibody, average car, with airbags, crumple zone, who knows or cares about the HP. YOU LOSE EVERY TIME!!! Try a SUV, Light Truck or a MACK TRUCK you lose every time!!! I don't have statistic at my finger tips but many Cobra crashes are single vehicle crashes. I all of the wrecks I know about were. You still lose.

Perhaps the best way to think of the Cobra experience is to imagine yourself in a fast, four wheel motorcycle with a little fiberglass or aluminum fairing. If you constantly think that way while driving you will be as safe as you will ever be in a Cobra.


Chuck Foster
Lone Star Classic LS 427

[Cobra Chuck]

Originally posted by Roscoe


No Cobra, in and of itself, is safe. It is only as save as the driver.

Creative and Gifted Author of this fine message,
Roscoe

I think the words above are absolutely ACCURATE. I know of SPFs that have wrecked, FFRs, ERAs and a CSX all resulting in serious injuries to the driver. The safety comes from the driver not from the car. I am not a FFR guy but if you want safety check out FFRs Spec racer. It's not much to look at but it is probably as safe as a Cobra will ever be because it is designed for modern racing.

I don't know if RUCC is still building Cobras, but his space frame design struck me as being about as safe a design as you could buy without going to the FFR full race machine with a full roll cage.

Let's apply a little logic here. 400 HP, 2300 lbs, ladder frame, 40" max height, a single hoop role bar or maybe even a double, fiber glass or 0.030" thick Aluminum skin versus a 3600 lb steel, unibody, average car, with airbags, crumple zone, who knows or cares about the HP. YOU LOSE EVERY TIME!!! Try a SUV, Light Truck or a MACK TRUCK you lose every time!!! I don't have statistic at my finger tips but many Cobra crashes are single vehicle crashes. I all of the wrecks I know about were. You still lose.

Perhaps the best way to think of the Cobra experience is to imagine yourself in a fast, four wheel motorcycle with a little fiberglass or aluminum fairing. If you constantly think that way while driving you will be as safe as you will ever be in a Cobra.


Chuck Foster
Lone Star Classic LS 427