03 Cobra on Road Courses

[timrod0]

Hi all,

I'm considering an 03 Cobra. Ford seems to have done a very nice job with this car and I find it very appealling. I like the looks, the power, and the suspension engineering. And it seems like a very good value.

I want a car I can use periodically on a road course while retaining its road manners and providing a back seat for family driving too. I'm looking to replace my Porsche which handles absolutely wonderfully, but it doesn't have a great deal of power. I generally run 10 open track days per year on road courses around the Northeast.

Here's my question for all of you with experience: have you spent time with your Cobra on track? If yes, I would imagine a couple of basic modifications such as aligning the wheels with negative camber and installing five point harnesses. Any thoughts on this?

Mustangs traditionally seem like drag strip cars, which is great, but not my thing. Am I looking in the right place for a road course car?

Thanks in advance and enjoy your Cobras!

[PhillyCobra]

I think the Cobra would be fun on a road course, but not as fast on a tight track as a lighter, more nimble car. It's definitely heavy with a high center of gravity, and most magazine tests have it slower around corners than cars such as Porsches. It's not as precise as a Porsche, but it certainly is fun to drive, especially as you can steer it with the throttle, and the acceleration is a blast. I would guess tires would evaporate very quickly on a road course, too.

[dennish]

As long as you don't mind letting up exiting EACH and EVERY corner in order to stop the WHEEL HOP you might like it.

I love my Cobra, but I can barely leave a corner without wheel hop, it really is bad.

[W.C.MORTIMER]

This is one hellava road course car. On the Willow Springs Intl. road course (look up the track on the WEB) I never had it out of 4th and never under 60. No wheel hop at those speeds. Power disolved competition. Passed everything out there...Ferrari, Porche, Vettes, Shelbys, Vipers, and some Fox bodys. Will do 142 in 4th. Brakes adequate with no fading, could use a lowering package and some frame stiffners. 6 point cage will also stiffen. Power eats tires. With all my mods added since my last outing I will also add fuel cell, full suit for safety, and a 5 point harness. Cant wait to test my flat torque curve now pulling 425+ rwt from 2200 thru 5600 RPM.
Who ever nips at you in the turns will be demolished in the straights. Have fun and be safe.

[TBSVTOA]

Originally posted by dennish
As long as you don't mind letting up exiting EACH and EVERY corner in order to stop the WHEEL HOP you might like it.

I love my Cobra, but I can barely leave a corner without wheel hop, it really is bad.


Huh !!:huh:

I have had no such problem. It sound like you are tipping in while your in the corner. I would suggest you give the car the gas just as you start to exit the corner.

Even them I cannot say I have had that problem.



I would say the car performs very well for a stock car with IRS.

Since I have added sub-frames, springs, and caster camber to the car. It now even more fun drive. Plenty of power thru all the RMP ranges.

[dennish]

Ok OK I think I got this somewhat wrong. I do hit the gas early because I like to slide a little. My car hops too easily though so I don't get that controlled slide I like from the live axle cars in my past. My car will break loose and hop even when I'm straightend out if I hit it in first almost every time though.

I don't think my car will hop at speeds above 40 though.

[TBSVTOA]

True !

What tire pressure are you running ? May be too low .

Also the IRS will is much more suited to road course than drag. If you have the car leaning real hard rather than even it will break out out on you. There are some things you can too do to help stiffin up the chassis as help resolve that with little money !

I ran at a drag stip... floored it and about rattled my teeth out!

[clldreese]

Originally posted by timrod0
Hi all,

I'm considering an 03 Cobra. Ford seems to have done a very nice job with this car and I find it very appealling. I like the looks, the power, and the suspension engineering. And it seems like a very good value.

I want a car I can use periodically on a road course while retaining its road manners and providing a back seat for family driving too. I'm looking to replace my Porsche which handles absolutely wonderfully, but it doesn't have a great deal of power. I generally run 10 open track days per year on road courses around the Northeast.

Here's my question for all of you with experience: have you spent time with your Cobra on track? If yes, I would imagine a couple of basic modifications such as aligning the wheels with negative camber and installing five point harnesses. Any thoughts on this?

Mustangs traditionally seem like drag strip cars, which is great, but not my thing. Am I looking in the right place for a road course car?

Thanks in advance and enjoy your Cobras!


i have raced my cobra on the scca solo II road course here in colorado. the car is not as nimble as a smaller car (bmw z-3, m-3). as a i found out it is mostly the driver. what is great , is what the car lacks in is made up with in power. the only thing i would change would be the tires. i would go to dot-r racing tires. the f-1's wear out to fast. i did raise the air pressure to 44 psi on the front to keep from rolling the edges. i wanted to race in the open road race events, but i will not destroy the cars interior with a roll bar, and fire equipment.:spinem:

[ObiOneCobi]

the car is a monster, put some racing tires on and see what happens

[Mike Kievit]

Mortimer,

Willow is awesome. Going on the 15th of May. I being in a '99 have left it in 4th the whole way around the track with street tires and stock gears. I'm into driving home too.lol
But, I also will drop to third in the straight. Get to shift to fourth right around the end of the pit exit. Then it's 124 and brake, brake, brake for the nice turn one entrance in third gear. Remember this is just for fun.lol

Now than. I just installed 3.73's so next month will be a new learning experience.

Back to the original topic. These cars are made for the Road Course and drags.
For the Road Course you need to put some frame strengthing into it as well as suspension mods. All can be done for less than $2,000.00.
You may also want to put some different front pads on for race days. Porterfield Performance Friction work well. They are a local SoCal shop so this is who I used. I hear Hawk is good too, they sell them as well.

Have Fun.

Mike
PS. Wheel Hop??? For almost 4 years I didn't know what you guy's were talking about until last month. I went with the club to Cal Speedway for a drag day afternoon. My first time drag racing. I overcame the hop, and went 4 for 4 with my best run being 13.776 @100.25mph. I admit, drag racing is not just going..............................................................................

[David A. Wilks]

I have built a few Cobras, and Vipers for Road course duty.

Several areas will need to be addressed for consistent performance during the heat and abuse.

One, the front end has two 3" ducts beside the foglights for brake ducting. This is great because you do not lose the fogs for street driving and can incorporate these to your racing habit.

Two, install a differential cooler. A pump, filter and diff cooler setup will save you many headaches when the fluid expands and dumps on your rearend.

Three, my new heat exchanger for the aftercooler is tops in road racing cars. It has four time the fluid volume of the stock heat exchanger and ten times the btu exchange over stock. It bolts into the stock location and makes a considerable difference in power.

Four, chassis stiffening is a must. A full frame kit is ideal but other than that, get the requisite bay braces and subframes.

Five, The Cobra R springs work great and I have loved the consistent performance.

Six, Full exhaust is needed with an off-road setup.

Seven, eight, nine, ten......

More power!!!

http://www.davidawilks.com/Flash01.jpg

[30psiboosted]

better get a diff cooler from everything i've read, they get smoking hot, on top of that it's one of only 2 parts they recommend if you want to road coarse it!

[timrod0]

Thanks to all of you who have responded.

I need to go drive the car. I haven't yet because I've wanted to have the Porsche back from the shop where it's been for 3 weeks (accumulating huge repair bills, no doubt, replacing my limited slip diff). My theory being I'll avoid spontaneous sports car buying if I have my car back to satisfy my need to drive. However, the more I've read about the Cobra, the more intrigued I am and the better it sounds. Looks like some camber plates, a roll bar with a bolt-in cross piece and a strut tower truss would go far stiffening the chassis and modifying the alignment.

Have any of you experienced brake fade?

Also, my local dealer told me "they don't allow test drives of Cobras". What's up with that?! I said fine, I don't buy without test drives. When they saw I was a real prospect they said OK with a $5000 deposit. I could go down to a Porsche dealer and drive a Carrera without any hassle at all! Is this standard? I can't help notice that within a few miles of my house there are at least 10 Cobras for sale at dealer lots.

Cheers.

[dkumashiro]

I think the test drive is largely dependent on the dealer you go to. I think I have read that a few people did test drive the cobras before buying. The dealer I got mine from did not allow test driving of the cobra. Atleast you know someone hasn't been out running it ragged this way :)

[03Kobra]

5000.00 test drive deposit.........MY dealer allowed me to test drive it and to do it alone, not once but twice...AND when I said the 34k price was a bit higher than I was looking to pay he gave me one of his employees extra A plans.. hence 03 Cobra for 32k. the cobra buy was by far the easiest, best deal I have ever gotten and I have purchased somewhere around 11 new cars over the years. If anyone is in the Northwest Ohio area and looking for a Cobra they have 2 on the lot and will deal( not mark them up)

and YES 40 miles up the road there still marking them up.

[David A. Wilks]

If you are interested in throwing some money down for a test drive, them bring it this way....

First part of next month the SVTOA On Track event will be at Hallett in Oklahoma. I will personally take you for a test drive that will end your Cobra vs. Porsche debate. In fact, I have a Ford Focus SVT which can post a laptime faster than most all Carreras that were at the last track event I went to.

Brakes... not a problem. I use Castrol SRF fluid, SS lines, and EBC pads for non-existent fade and excellent modulation.

If you want to build a serious car for street and track use, look no further than the '03 Cobra and then call me.