When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Found the pads to be too aggressive for DD in town. Pads are not getting hot enough to function the way I want them too. One of the guys suggested its because the car is so light & the brakes are designed for a 4000lb car. The pads are not heating enough to be in the optimum range.
Am trying a more street oriented pad & see how it goes.
Swapped the normal sealed beam headlights for modified Lucas replica Tri-Bar units. They are modified to use Halogen Bulbs & the lenses are duplicates of the 50's early 60's style used on British sports cars.
Also did the MK-IV license plate mod. Since its a British car body the plate mount is for the wide long English style plate. The first 3 versions of the trunk had a hump in them to accommodate the rectangular US standard plate.
When they developed the current MK-IV body they molded it as it came from the original car. This causes the plate to cover the trunk latch. Some guys go with an electric latch but I liked the Tee handle. Mod consists of cutting a slot the plate light lenses & moving the internals around a bit. Its sealed against the weather with clear silicone.
Is it just me or does the rear camber appear to have a positive tilt? Is that intended, or is it something that will be adjusted after everything settles?
Is it just me or does the rear camber appear to have a positive tilt? Is that intended, or is it something that will be adjusted after everything settles?
No its not positive. Car has a Ford Racing Mustang 8.8 Traction Lok LSD 3:55 rear axle mounted on a 3 link assembly + Coil overs.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 04-30-2015 at 12:39 PM.
A LOT Turned out to be a lot of fun, Still on shake down with little additions here & there but its in turn the key & go status.
Weather finally got nice so will try to get some stuff to post to Youtube. Had our monthly get together this morning. No new cars after mine but 4 are in the build process.
I had stuff to do today but some of the guys are going down to Concord for their big can show & concert. Others who live north of Raleigh went to the show in Roanoke Rapids.
3rd on a roll with a hard throttle press & the 3/4 shift if you are accelerating quickly. Just like the Beach Boys song Little Duce Coupe although this car is quicker than my 33 was.
Unlike my turbos the Cobra had instantaneous power. Tires are almost 13" wide but the car is so light its very easy to break them loose. Am backing off the throttle & slowing the shift right now till I get to a place where I can have some play time to work out driving it properly
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 05-02-2015 at 01:27 PM.
I want to know what gear can you be in, and still break the rear free...
Since I will not be tracking the car before the fall your question pronpted me to do a quick look into instead of making an unsupported WAG.
Performance Numbers, Car & Driver Magazine:
"The vehicle tested was powered by a modest 325 HP small block Ford 302 engine with an 8.8″ Ford rear end with 3.55 gears and Factory Five 3-link suspension. " Same as mine but I have 446 horsepower at the wheels
Performance
0-60 in 3.6 seconds
0-100 in 9.0 seconds
1/4 mile in 12.3 seconds @ 113 MPH
70-0 braking in 181 feet
Skid pad lat G – 1.00
Curb weight – 2,162 lbs.
Price as tested – $32,109
You can see how without horsepower, test car was 325 at the crank, the car runs into an aerodynamic wall in the second half of the quarter mile.
With slicks if you are brave, dumb?, this might be something to try:
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 05-03-2015 at 10:46 AM.
Have not done much with youtube but found I still had an account with some vids in it. This might be of interest to some. A few light aerobatic maneuvers. Have some with a lot more content but not sure where they are.
Had 13 or 14 cars at the Club meeting this morning. Nice weather is bringing them out including some new ones. Just a wee bit noisy when we are all leaving.
FWIW or not worth. Did the first tracking of the Cobras mileage when I got fuel on Thursday.
Car just crossed 600 mile mark. Filled the last time at 400. Took 10.2 gallons to fill to the same point in the filler neck (don't have a nozzle restrictor). 90% of the driving was short runs 5/7 miles with a number of stops requiring a run up through the gears, limit 3500rpm.
One for 40 miles mostly in town, main streets 45mph limit with traffic lights. 60mph cruise in 5th is 2100 RPM.
Just swapped over the Torque App interface to the Cobra from the 435. Will try to get some mid throttle runs in to start checking performance. Not the best but better than a stopwatch & speedo measurement.
Putting together a CAI using the Oil Cooler inlet in the fascia. Waiting for the molded part that fits to the opening & adapts it to a 5" tube that will run back to a home made air cleaner surround box.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 07-19-2015 at 12:33 PM.
Had an Orange Lambroghini follow me out of the local supermarket parking lot. We did 7 Rat Races on the way home. I was in front so I had a built in advantage since I got to make the start.
The Bull was never able to make up the initial spread & kept losing ground till I started to slow down.
Was hoping to get him in front for a few runs but before we got to a place to switch he turned off into his subdivision with some light flashes & wave.
Lots of fun, pretty safe location & no suicidal top end speeds. His subdivision is only a few blocks from mine so hope at some point to get a picture of both cars together.
Was fun - Based on pictures it looks like a late model Gallardo LP 550-2 - but in this instance he was under a lot of handicaps.
Its about 1500lbs heavier, has more horsepower but less torque, needs a lot of RPM with a power power peak at 8000rpm, reacting to me instead of an even start. Side by side I would expect to beat him through 62MPH since they are rated at 3.9 seconds.
Expect it would be very close at the end of the 1/4 one way or another with the Lambo running a faster terminal speed. The Gallardo would win a 1/2 mile airport run with better aerodynamics.
The Triangle Cobra Club here in Raleigh is going to run the Tail Of The Dragon in October. Have decided to upgrade brakes before hand with 13" front & 12" (Picture)Ford Cobra SVT multi-piston calipers. Using Hawk HPS & HPS+ street track day pads.
Also while the car is jacked up am building a CAI system using the oil cooler air intake on the front fascia. Have the Intake Vent to 5" flexible duct finished & a prototype (read crude) air box base finished. Will run for a week taking AIT's using the X4 tuners real time logging system
If proves to be worthwhile in keeping the AIT's down will redo the base then finish the sides & top. Cardboard is used to simulate the panels the cut into sheet aluminum. Have a small 3ft metal brake to shape the sheet metal. Exterior of the box is covered in Thermo-Tec insulation to keep heat soak down.
Was fun - Based on pictures it looks like a late model Gallardo LP 550-2 - but in this instance he was under a lot of handicaps.
Its about 1500lbs heavier, has more horsepower but less torque, needs a lot of RPM with a power power peak at 8000rpm, reacting to me instead of an even start. Side by side I would expect to beat him through 62MPH since they are rated at 3.9 seconds.
Expect it would be very close at the end of the 1/4 one way or another with the Lambo running a faster terminal speed. The Gallardo would win a 1/2 mile airport run with better aerodynamics.
Nice!
But i would expect the 1/2 mile airport's result to be different if you upgrade your tires.
But i would expect the 1/2 mile airport's result to be different if you upgrade your tires.
Long winded:
The issue is not so much the tires but aerodynamics. The Cobra is a virtual brick trying to push through the air once the speed gets up into the 130's. At that speed the sleak Gallardo with more power is just beginning to roll.
In the 1/4 the Cobra will get there first but the Lambo is already going faster & will have a better MPH. In a 1/2 mile run he will be long gone.
One normal guy car that will/has outrun the Lambo in the 1/2 mile are the full bolt-on BMW 335's running Terry's JB4 systems. They dyno in the 500 whp range.
The Cobra, Dave Smith's, was about .01 second behind the Gallardo at the Las Vegas road course where Hot Rod magazine ran their tests. The course is short, about a mile, with no long straights which keeps top speed down & rewards mid range acceleration.
At VIR'S main course 4.1 miles with two longish straights, one up-hill, the fast Cobra guys are in the 145+ range before they have to brake. Those cars have aerodynamic enhancements but the guys will admit they can be scary.
World record for a Cobra, original & replica, is 198mph. Dick Smith was clocked at 198.47 at Daytona during the 1967 SCCA/ARRC Nationals.
Gordon Levy, real nice guy, who builds engines for a lot of the FFR cars was clocked at just over 181 mph at Willow in an FFR replica.
I have been up to 135mph indicated in MEXICO & it was very very interesting. Old Chinese curse, "may your life be interesting" That said the whole thing start to stop was under 1/2 mile.
Seat of the pants, bad thing so its not official, suggest 0-60 in 3.2. Really need to get off my butt & setup the Torque app for some better than butt, no pun intended, timings.
This has been posted before. The Dave Smith's red roadster is the car I copied. Both are the same except my rear tires are optimized for acceleration & his for road racing.
This is the screen & transition piece for the CAI. They have been bonded to the body for a secure mounting. You can just about see the outlet side where it transitions from the opening shape to the 5" duct. The duct goes up to the air filter & a temporary air box base & sides. Was able to match the expanded aluminum mesh used in the smaller air intakes next to the radiator opening.
Working on a radiator/fan shroud to go in & direct hot radiator air away from the CAI. one that is done will finish the air filter air box design.
POST #568 shows what the lower intake looked like before the duct work.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 08-17-2015 at 04:28 PM.
Thanks for the kind words. On the race versions that opening has an Oil Cooler in it. Flares inward nice so you can form the mesh to fit over it like a cup from the inside. Gives it a nice finished look.
04-25-2015 | 12:08 PM
Turned out to be a lot of fun, Still on shake down with little additions here & there but its in turn the key & go status.
