Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cobras In A Blizzard! (Only In Montana)

A small museum I used to belong to.......maybe 200 members ........had a 427.

So you could go back and look at them all the time and they "exercised" ALL the cars. Including a Type 41.

Anyway. Don't know if it was original.... But some of the constant gauges were not mounted straight.

They were tilted so if the temp or oil pressure was right it was straight up.

You could look quick and check.

Anybody know more?

Some of the World War II aircraft had that done to the gauges, I've read.

Readin that chit gave me autism

Thanks. I'll do that on the next build. I never thought to ask when the museum was open.

Would have been a good Pot Luck Dinner topic.

And these folks would have known.

Dude! WTH? TMI!

Ken Howell used to say readability came from the white spaces, not the black parts.

That becomes apparent with a post like that.

Back in prehistoric times when we only had analog gauges, that was a common ploy to make gauges easier to read "at a glance". Drag racers frequently did the same thing when mounting tachometers. When the needle was straight up, shift...

I remember that. These were some of the stock gauges.

The car may be in Naples Florida. I may drive down this winter and see.

Just checked......it isn't there.

The Titanium headered Westlake 12 is there.

257x50: I got a PM this afternoon suggesting the cracked open hoods to the vehicles would allow hot air from the engine compartment to help clear/defrost/cleanse the small windshields for better vision of the driver?
I am still trying to get over the top speed of these cars made in the early 60's!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The story goes.......the owner of Lamborghini America was cruising at 170 in Nevada (NO speed limit then ) when a car passed him at abut 30 miles an hour faster. It was Carrol Shelby in his coupe. From a magazine in my youth.

Yeah. They were crazy speeds. On those tire too!!!!

The Corvette GT (7 made?) were competitive........

people built cars then. They had more

Tag

Well, even if the story isn't told to your liking, it still rings true. This is the time of year many Cobra owners and clubs schedule long road trips because the weather is usually "predictable" . Once on the road, you pretty much have to deal with what the weather brings you- good or bad. Getting caught in a rainstorm (or snowstorm) isn't for the faint of heart, but it does happen and most Cobra drivers and their passengers (usually the spouse on these road trips) just deal with it and move along. What every Cobra driver learns is the rain and snow blow right over your head if you keep your speed up.
Doubtful all of these Cobras were originals, but very possible that some of them were. Unlike a lot of collector cars, Cobra owners tend to drive their cars- original and replica alike because they just are a lot more fun to be behind the wheel than to look at. There were just a bit over 1,000 Cobras of all types made and many of them are still on the road or in collections somewhere- certainly way more than a few dozen. Those guys who learn to drive their cars can do amazing things in them, including spin the tires in just about any gear an conditions. Others never really learn to drive these beasts and do somewhat amazing things- but not of the impressive variety.

I've only been driving my Cobra replica (not a kit) for a couple years since finishing it. I'm still learning to drive it, but the process is more fun than should be allowed with clothes on... 500+ hp in a car that weighs in around 2,000 lbs can get your attention real quick. And the sound, well, it just can't be described unless you are next to one listening to the side pipes and lumpy cams. Some of the youtube videos almost capture the sound, but just not quite. The look of car guys next to me at a light as they roll their window down to hear the car and actually wave their arms to capture the unburned gas fumes in the exhaust, they thumbs up and hollers from street side as I go by, the fart can ricers wanting to race me, tells me these cars still have a following. Heck, I could probably open a business letting people listen to or ride in my car if I was so inclined.....

Just to correct one poster above- the top seller of kit cobras is "Factory Five". No, they aren't build on a Fox body mustang chassis. You take the engine, drive train, radiator, fuel tank, and other usable parts and junk the rest of the car and put them in the Factory Five supplied chassis. However, now their kits support the Fox body and all modern mustang parts, multiple engine and drivetrain platforms, and all new parts if you prefer to go that way. And that is only one of literally dozens of kit manufacturers.

Interesting thread for a hunting forum, but probably not as much as some of the other threads posted in the throes of cabin fever or hunting season anxiety onset....

Bob

LOL........you gotta admit though......VarmintGal never disappoints....

Did anyone call the gas station?

Sheister: Thanks for the insight on the Cobra sporting cars.
Did the original Cobras have heaters and/or defrosters.
I wish I had gotten the name of the car club these folks are from - i assume its something like California Cobra Car Club.
I think I will Google that.
500 horsepower for 2,000 pounds of car - wow again.
I hope they have good disc brakes - those little cars can really get rollin (164 M.P.H. is what wiki-pedia declares - maybe the new models are even faster?).
I saw them race at Seattle International Raceways (S.I.R.) when I was young - impressive then - even more impressive nowadays.
I agree with you the sound is just indescribable!
Thanks again for the input - by the way did the fellow who P/M'ed me have a point about the warm air flow from the engine compartment helping to clear/warm the windshield?
Drive careful!
By the way here in my neck of the woods the "Goins" brothers were building Cobras about 8 years ago - they sold some.
One of my Gopher Hunting buddies was interested in their replica cars and he looked them over carefully and continued saving money to get one but these fellas went out of business or moved I am not sure which.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

700LH: Call'em yourself if you doubt me.
Va-roooom.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

And then there was the "Billet" Cobra made in Europe on a CNC.

One off

For the guy that founded Oracle.

257 x 50: I googled California Cobra Collectors Car Clubs and this is just ONE of them that popped up.
I think I will spend some time reading about the cars and their meets and travels (they are the Orange County California Cobra Club).

Cool site - I have linked to it: https://cocoaoc.org/

Dinner bell - more later.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Heaters/ defrosters were optional on the early Cobras but I've found mine to be helpful on cold mornings when the windshield fogs up. I hear stories about Cobras going speeds that I would doubt, but some guys have bigger balls than others, so who knows? I know the basic Cobras are "aerodynamically challenged" due to their shape and don't do well over about 140 or so. The Cobra Coupes were built to overcome this shortcoming and did very well- winning everything in sight the couple years they were available until the GT40 came out and Ford dropped their sponsorship of the Cobra racing program.
Yes, the heat from the small engine compartment is legendary and is always a factor to deal with when driving one of these cars. Opening the hood to keep the windshield clear and defrosted is an old Cobra owners' trick, since they hinge in the front and open in the rear. Personally, I try not to drive when the temps indicate snow, ice, or other severe weather. No top does have it's drawbacks. Our club had to cancel our long distance trip this summer when the temps were forecast to hit 108 for most of the trip duration. About the only thing worse in a Cobra than getting rained/snowed on, is getting cooked by the sun while driving.
Lots of very good Replica manufacturers available right now and probably one that will fit just about any budget, aesthetic, or need for originality the buyer is searching for. Check out Clubcobra.com and ffcars.com for info and loyal followings for the different models available. Along with 24hourcampfire style arguments, questions, and characters...

Bob

Doubting you was not the thought