Please Help Value Car

[patrickt]

MM is correct. But the sad truth about Cobra roll bars is that far more serious injuries are caused by BFT to the head resulting from relatively minor impacts than from flipping the car and collapsing the roll bar.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

MM is correct. But the sad truth about Cobra roll bars is that far more serious injuries are caused by BFT to the head resulting from relatively minor impacts than from flipping the car and collapsing the roll bar.

You're right. Rollovers are in fact rare (on the street, not so much on the track) but the chances of getting injured from your head hitting the roll bar are much higher than getting smushed in a rollover. In reality, you should always wear a helmet when in a Cobra. Remember, it is a race car.

The only greater safety illusion in Cobras is shoulder harnesses attached to a wimpy car-wide cross brace that could be bent with tug on it from the back side. And the fact that unless you're very short harnesses mounted there are lower than your shoulders (that's not good in case you didn't know it.)

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

You're right. Rollovers are in fact rare (on the street, not so much on the track) but the chances of getting injured from your head hitting the roll bar are much higher than getting smushed in a rollover. In reality, you should always wear a helmet when in a Cobra. Remember, it is a race car.

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

[Unique427]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

As you have mentioned in previous threads Patrick, having a bare roll hoop
and getting tagged from behind, you're trading whiplash for BFT when your
head makes contact. I recall the roll hoop was always intended to work
in conjunction with a safety helmet to mitigate BFT when things go wrong.

[txaggie929]

I'm not delusional about the safety (or lack thereof) on these cars. Flipping it is a much lower concern than getting hit by another car on the road and having nothing more than fiberglass, next to no reinforcement, and no airbags to soften a blow. And I believe that would apply to pretty much any Cobra replica out there.


Thanks to those who have provided insight on some things I missed. Like I stated, I'm pretty new to these and not a purist by any means.

[RUFdriver]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

There was a guy at the Texas Spring meet with bolt on pads on his roll bars for head protection, looks not bad, I think it was an older ERA build. That’s why Club Sport Porsche models are never sold in the US, Porsche is pretty clear about roll bars and helmets only.