Tried to post questions...

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Hell, as Patrick said you can kill yourself in these cars with 300 hp! Don't get too hung up on that number.

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

HA! That is the truth! I can't even find enough road around me to go WOT with secondaries wide open. Did it in the parking lot at Santa Anita Race track, which is huge, and still ran out of real estate. That's right before I was escorted off the premises by certain authorities.

You really don't need bucking, snorting, nasty manners and will probably enjoy the car a lot more with "moderate" horsepower and a reliable ride. You seem to be on the right track.

[1795]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

Ditto,

When I was taking the person who bought my cobra for a test drive and we were doing some hard accelerating I pointed out to him that we were just running on the primaries and that he had better be careful kicking in the secondaries. Rarely ever required the secondaries to pass someone on the highway; just a little blip of the throttle and away you go.

What Mark IV is saying is that, the usable horsepower of your engine will be directly effected by the size of your tire. If you put a rip-snorting engine with 500+ horsepower and torque in a car with skinny tires, every time you step on it you will just spin the tires. If you want a small block with big numbers, you had better consider an FIA instead of a slab side, as you can get wider rubber in the rear. If you are looking for a fun daily driver, then go with the slab side and an engine that the tires can manage. Enjoy your ride.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by 1795

Ditto,

When I was taking the person who bought my cobra for a test drive and we were doing some hard accelerating I pointed out to him that we were just running on the primaries and that he had better be careful kicking in the secondaries. Rarely ever required the secondaries to pass someone on the highway; just a little blip of the throttle and away you go.

What Mark IV is saying is that, the usable horsepower of your engine will be directly effected by the size of your tire. If you put a rip-snorting engine with 500+ horsepower and torque in a car with skinny tires, every time you step on it you will just spin the tires. If you want a small block with big numbers, you had better consider an FIA instead of a slab side, as you can get wider rubber in the rear. If you are looking for a fun daily driver, then go with the slab side and an engine that the tires can manage. Enjoy your ride.

Very good write-up and sums it up pretty well.

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Very good write-up and sums it up pretty well.

I agree, well stated. The MK IIs were a wonderful balance of horsepower, torque and tire. Stray from that, and the fun just goes away. I was, thanks to a tip from Lynn Park, to fit Michelin 215/70 XWXs on the car with no rubbing anywhere.

The Ford Performance Boss 302 motor is a great streetable hydraulic roller with power right where you want it. I'll post the part # in a minute. More than enough horsepower to get in ugly trouble if you get 'stupid'. I have a manual choke Holley 600 thats trouble free, and starts easily. However, OP.. EFI is better for obvious reasons.. cold weather, alt. changes, etc..