How many miles on your Cobra?

[GUMBALL]

xlr8or,

I have to agree with you. If someone is looking to purchase/build a vehicle JUST for long trips through the Mojave desert, then a big-block 427 Cobra with a toploader is probably not the wisest choice. Then again, to each his own.

Now, cruising around town or taking it to the track............... the Cobra gets a 9.8 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Do you have much of experience in 200-500 mile trips in BB Cobra's? If so, please tell me what I'm missing. I can understand the occasional long club drive or poker run with a group of Cobra's. But on a frequent basis?

Regards,

John

[Paul Gillespie]

FFR 1574 has a litlle over 17,000 on it and I am planning on driving it to DVSF II so tack on another 5,000 on it in June.

[Jack21]

Eau Contrair M'seur,

5,100 miles, 6 mos old (on the street).

Not too hot, 'cept in 95 deg stalled traffic. Not too cold, have heater, top, windows. Not too loud with the right mufflers on it. And quite comfortable I might add. Fuel economy 15 - 16 mpg, and carb isn't completely dialed in yet.

Car was built as a driver, and I enjoy driving it.

Did another monolog on how low mileage cars get For Sale, at or below component cost.

It's easy to overbuild these cars, and when a builder finally gets it on the street, there's too much engine, and too little car. The engines powerband is all wrong for the application. Practical considerations for the driving application, fuel economy, maintenance, were not considered in the planning phase.

Good example. About 6 months before the already built 351W engine was to be installed, the 393 stroker became popular. Should I? I resisted, spent the money on upgrading wheels, tires, and front brakes instead. But it was close, and now, with the gremlins fixed, (and a better feel for the cars behavior) the extra bottom end and mid range would feel nice.

It's easy to outstrip ones build budget on one aspect, or another, particularly the engine, so the rest of the car suffers. Stock 8.8 w/ 2.73 gears and drum brakes are a dead giveaway.

The builder doesn't have the skills to complete all the tasks required, or diagnose and deglitch the inevitable gremlins that crop up. Has a maintenance nightmare, or mismatched components, gets disgusted and throws in the towel. Experience plays a major role here. Not your casual belts, plugs, and oil changes, we're looking at years of engines, transmissions, ignition systems, carburetors, clutch linkages, suspensions, brakes, electrical systems, and tuning. Knowing when to follow the instructions in the assembly manual, and when to intuitively know it won't work, and what will.

The single thing I experienced is the kit manufacturers component recommendations on the use of salvage components. In an effort to sell kits, the build cost is predicated on "Donor" components. One winds up with a junk Mustang with a brand new body and frame that doesn't perform to expectations. The kit manufacturers are their own worst enemy in this in not having a good, better, and best approach to component selection, and vendor sources.

The builder is pretty much left to his own devices, and the learning curve is time consuming, and expensive. If one builds his first Cobra, drives it for 6 months and sells it. His second Cobra will likely be done right. The more general automotive technician (Hot Rodder to some of us) experience the builder has the higher the likelyhood the Car will meet the builders expectations, and the less likely it will be for sale.

Have yet to see any good references on how to build a Cobra, how to select the components for your Cobra, complete with vendor listing.

A team of us on this forum could author such a book.

[Hal Copple]

SPF owned since new for just over two years, with 39,868 miles in the garage. Longest trip with the top off was 1150 miles straight thru, from Kansas back home to SC last summer, never turned the engine off. Son Chris is taking it to the Beach next week down towards GA this weekend, then he and i are going to VIR, and with the summer relaxation upcoming, i expect about 6-10K more by early fall.

Runs like a scalded cat, reliable as taxes, as comfortable on any trip (with goggles and earplugs for anthing over 4 hours), as any car i ever owned. Driven on trips with temps from 15 degrees top down, to 105 in the shade, downpours, searing sun. I never ever miss the opportunity to cruise thru any and all interstate rest-stops, either.

In my former life, i believe i was some sort of mongral dog, with a few bloody scabs here and there. A hunting sort of canine, as i have this irresistable urge to hunt down Porsche Boxsters.

[Rich]

12 years old - 18,500 miles...and the rockchips to prove it!

Rich

[Jamo]

OK Hal, you win.

[GUMBALL]

Any big-block FE with toploaders out there using their car as a daily driver?

[BLACKJACK]

ESTIMATING:

* * * 4000 PLUS, LAST YEAR ON THE EXCALIBUR.

* * * 2000 PLUS ON THE GT-40.

* * * "ZERO" ON THE ERA 427. IT'S BEEN ON TOP OF THE LIFT FOR MOST OF THE LAST YEAR. NEED TO REPLACE THE FLYWHEEL AND DO A BUNCH OF RE-WIRING. CIRCUMSTANCES AND TIME HAVE KEPT ME FROM IT AND IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY,

BLACKJACK

[CMansfield]

3 Months old and 3k miles, can't wait till it gets broken in!!
Chas

[millennium200]

April 02 wife and I fly to Utah buy a used spf with 514 crate motor and TKO. We drive back to NC in 8 days with help from the Kirkhams in Provo (see post in 429/460 forum) and a stop in New Orleans to see the spf dealer the Reeds then on to NC. Top down all but 96 miles (got up and had two inches of snow on car) Was the trip of a life time we smiled all the way. Also the Kirkhams 42 gallon gas tank does not strike me as odd anymore.

[Cobranut]

2 years on the road = 1499 miles.

No, I don't drive her often, because I insist on a complete detailing after every drive, and I just don't have the time. I knew this going in. I never planned for this to be a daily driver, and I didn't build it as such.

The race car's a completely different story.

[aumoore]

6 months old and about 900 miles all in the winter and about 1/2 on the race track.

[Bish Wheeler]

14 months....7500 miles.

[frknfast]

On SPF 1205 just over 2600 miles since Dec21/01. Loving every mile and planning on putting on a lot more. The car was bought for driving enjoyment not garage gazing.

[cobra427mnsi]

Got the cobra on the raod in the summer of '95. I have over 18,000 miles on it. Engine is an FE 406. Love driving it. It goes in the garage for the winter. Driving season is from April till October.

Paul

[Kim Pallister]

14 months -> 3500Miles

[ssirlin]

Four weeks : 1900 miles

[Fred Hamilton]

3 years >> 16,000 plus 1 new motor, tranny & 4 sets of rear tires.

[dexter]

picked it up on Friday 6/14 - have 290 miles on it in 2 days (most of that was the drive home from Reno).

[Geary L. Sarno]

4000+ since April. 2000 miles were a round trip to Alabama from Harrisburg, PA. While in Alabama it was raced at Talledega Grand Prix with other Unique owners vehicles.
I don't believe in "Trailer Queens" - USE IT!
- Aggressor