What gets new owners into trouble

[MNBoss]

Being a new owner sometime this winter of a Superformance. What mistakes will I most likely make the first time I get on the road. I would like to learn the easy way, from the experience of others.
Is setup a factor?
How should I expect the handling to be?
etc...

[Excaliber]

..and the number one thing that is likely to get a new owner in trouble is:

Low first gear ratio and sub standard TRACTION tires. A fine example would be, big horse power, a 3.5 rear gear, a 5 speed trans (for that LOW first gear) and Gooodrich T/A tires.

The above combination is a recipe for disaster and is actually quite a common setup for a LOT of Cobras.

Solution? Besides giveing PLENTY of respect to your right foot is dumping the tires and getting some serious traction. I'd go with DOT approved auto X tires, as an example, they might not be good in the rain but then a new guy shouldn't be driving one of THESE cars in the rain anyway! Yokohama makes some nice Auto X tires with plenty traction for the street.

If you got 15" tires consider going with the BIG WHITE LETTERED original style bias ply tires like they ran back in the 60's. These are GREAT tires, wet or dry, they are "period" correct and have awesome traction. Which just may save your butt.

Tough to do much with the gearing (trans or rear) but you can have decent traction tires in a few days. The "cost" of the tires should not be a factor. To hell with those new tires that came with the car, dump 'em and get some serious traction, PLEASE.

Click on the camera icon next to my name to see pics of the BIG letter Goodyears. Best tires I've ever had on any of my Cobras. All though the Yoko's were really good too!

[Curt C.]

Big HP, light weight and a short wheel base gets a lot of us in trouble. Be judicious with the throttle and learn the car before stepping hard on it. Get some good safety items and perform routine nut and bolt checks.

[Big-Foot]

The other guys are right - Judicous application of throttle is key. Another thing is that these cars, being as light as they are, have a tendancy to "wash out" when going around a corner or curve and encountering any washboard or rough surface. Know the roads you drive on the same way that you would if you were riding a motorcycle.

I would also advise that you take your car to a couple of local Auto-Crosses to learn how to drive it with the power down.

We will be holding a race and possibly an HPDE at Brainerd International Raceway over Memorial Day weekend. In the HPDE or HPCCC (High Performance Car Control Clinic) - we will pair up owner/drivers with seasoned instructors for some high speed touring around the track. We are also contemplating putting on an Auto Cross as well during the same weekend.

Keep checking the website for more information:

http://www.scca-lol.org

Welcome to the family!

[scottj]

The number one thing that will get a new owner into trouble is their EGO. Their EGO will then cause them to blame the tires, the short wheel base, gearing, etc.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Have to agree with Randy 100%,want to learn about your car safely and learn how to drive,start Auto-Crossing,but beware,some 85 pound 19 year old girl in a Honda Civic is going to eat your lunch real quick.......but you will learn how to drive in tight quarters and learn a lot about your cars handling..............

David

[decooney]

Don't let anyone drive your car until you are certain they will handle and repect it carefully. These cars will swap ends on a dime once the rear lets go at speed.

[Dirty Harry]

With a 90" wheelbase and street compound tires you can get the rear end 'way out there or maybe go around when you don't intend to. Don't apply throttle in big amounts when you're not going straight. Know the limitation of the brakes. Don't try to impress anyone. Resist the urge to prove yourself and your car when others want you to compete with them or to show off. Stay out of the rain.

[Dirty Harry]

Oh yes, and one other thing...

When you are parking and there is a concrete tire bumper or a tall curb, don't forget to stop short. I forgot once while distracted and parked it like the family sedan and forced the nose up and over one of the concrete tire stoppers. Luckily the damage is unoticeable, but my embarrasment remains.

[tfarhood]

Even with all the proper weather conditions and proper rubber, etc., Ego and gas pedal need to be in check. I won't name names, but one of our local club guys just got 6 days in jail and a 6 month suspended license for a "little" speeding on a two laner. I don't think he was going as fast as the cop said, but the judge didn't care either way. He almost got charged for endangerment because he had his son in the car. Sometimes everything seems perfect in these cars until you round the next bend and find a radar gun in your path.

[trularin]

I believe you need to understand that there is nothing... I mean nothing, you need to prove to any other person on the road.

Dump the pedal and there is a very high likely you will spin her around... more than once.

Read all of these posts to your question and get the common element.

Hitching a ride to work will not go over well because you lost your license in a little "display of power". The real power is the judge and his ability to remove your driving privilege.

Please act responsibly and welcome to the club!!!!

[anchor2]

I would have to say the throttle. Yes I have driven fast cars, owned fast cars, talked fast cars etc....but until I got my Cobra I never knew how strange (in a good way) these cars can be. Throttle will make it do things no other car will and I don't mean just go fast.

Go to a driving school, spin out a few times and you will learn a lot.

[Excaliber]

..rounding the corner and finding a radar gun...

or a bicycle, pedestrian, dog or whatever.

My ERA does 120 mph in about 11 seconds. 60 to 100 mph is a heart beat away. I scare MYSELF sometimes, way easy to "speed" in these things.

[Ron61]

Tfarhood,

Thanks for telling us what happened to your guy. I have been watching for an update since he first posted asking what he should do.

MNBoss,

All of the replies are good and be well aware that the police will take notice of you in a Cobra more than in your regular car. Going to a high performance driving school is always a good thing if you can. These cars handle differently than anything you have probably driven and take some getting used to. Don't take people for rides until you have driven your car enough to find out what quirks it has. They are all different. Once you get used to the car, then you will have a great time. I second Ernie's statement about scaring himself. Very easy to do.

Ron

[Excaliber]

Point of clarification for Ron61...

Yes Ron the motor is STILL out, no I can't drive it right now. I DO sit in it occasionally and make "motor" noises.

It won't currently do 120mph, I feel very safe!

[Ron61]

Ernie,

I know where there is a great set of pedals off a RACING bicycle. Why not get them and leave the motor out. You can make the motor noises as you pedal down the street. And for excitement, you can pedal through a red light.

Ron

[Rick Parker]

And you don't have to change the pistons or the cam! The Hawaiian environmentalists would love ya!


Rick

[RockSnake]

Trailing Throttle Oversteer.

I'd never heard of it before the cobra. And, I think the vast majority of factory street cars are incapable of it. But when you're applying power (not excessively) through a long sweeping curve, and something unexpected comes into view; simply lifting your foot quickly can cause the back-end to pass you on the outside (even with good tires).

Good luck, and the above-mentioned driving school is a VERY good idea.

[REDSC400]

Beyond a doubt, the probable #1 issue that will get you is the low clearance, especially the 427 Cobra's front Oil Cooler and oil pan. Steep inclines, debris on the road, parking bumpers and curbs, etc will take out the front oil cooler very quickly.

Keep a good distance behind other cars so that debris in the road is visible long enough to react and avoid it. A thrown tire tread/retread or dead animal in the road will do much damage to the front of your car while "normal" cars will pass over it without a scratch.

Remember to take steep inclines (up or down) at a 45 degree angle, especially tall lips to driveways and even some speed bumps.

Lastly, some of the higher powered engines can do some pretty good damage to drive train components so do NOT pull 5000 RPM and dump the clutch.

Find a good big parking lot that is empty and preferably WITHOUT lamp posts, and start going around in a circle and keep applying the gas to get the feel of when and how the rear end will slide out. Try this both clockwise and counter-clockwise. This is the best way to get the feel of the car's limits easily. You can get dizzy though. You can learn to slide out the rear with the throttle.
If you vary the tire pressures front and rear you can tune this reaction to some extent.

[MNBoss]

Now everyone has me thinking. Keep the safety hints coming.....probably a good thing that winter is here and May will be my first opportunity to be on the road.
I am seeing a pattern! There is only one person in control, or should be.
I remember my dad putting a block under the gas pedal of the Studebaker when I first learned to drive.