6-pin or bolt on?

[J.Jensen]

OK, now I´m confused.

Which one is it? The adapters for bolt-ons make it heavier or the six-pins make it heavier?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by J.Jensen

OK, now I´m confused.

Which one is it? The adapters for bolt-ons make it heavier or the six-pins make it heavier?

Five-pin pin-drive wheels are also available from Trigo and Vintage Wheels. The wheels look exactly like the 6-pin from the outside, but are driven by special lug nuts that hold on the pin drive adapter. These will add about 4 pounds per wheel, but the system will save you about $1000 over the original six pin wheels.

Having anything else would just look terrible, regardless of the weight loss or gain.

Source: ERA Wheels Page

[KevinW]

I don't understand some of these comments.

Unless you are a racing driver, with racing driver skills aimed at winning races, why would you care if the car was a few % heavier? I'll bet 99% of people would never notice the difference.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by KevinW

I don't understand some of these comments.

Unless you are a racing driver, with racing driver skills aimed at winning races, why would you care if the car was a few % heavier? I'll bet 99% of people would never notice the difference.

You are correct - not a large percentage of people will track their cars hard enough to notice it, much less benefit from it. But hey, these cars are certainly not all about practicality so if it feels good, gives bragging rights, or they just do it because they can - more power to them.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

You are correct - not a large percentage of people will track their cars hard enough to notice it, much less benefit from it. But hey, these cars are certainly not all about practicality so if it feels good, gives bragging rights, or they just do it because they can - more power to them.

ERA2076 is pretty bright when it comes to the weight of different components on ERAs. I think he was saying that if you really want the lightest possible part, a specialized bolt-on is the way to go as opposed to any pin drives, five or six. Personally, I just don't like the looks of bolted wheels on Cobras.

[lippy]

Yeah, I agree. I think the look of pin drives just makes the car.

The extra weight of the adapter actually makes more of a difference than you might think because it's unsprung weight. That said, I have the five pin adapters and they work great and I don't think I personally would feel the weight difference.

[ERA2076]

Increasing the weight by 10 to 15% (or more) is getting too far way. I ran with some 2200 lb, 300 hp Miata's (turbo) on a technical 16 corner course. Half of the corners were in 2nd gear in the Mustang. They never got out of 3rd. I followed them as well as I could (terrible) to try to get some gage of what a 289 might be like (similar weight and wheelbase) They were amazingly fast in the corners. Much less weight to slow, much less lateral weight transfer, and a lot of momentum left on exit. I plan to try running with them.

R&T on CSX2000

With regard to handling, we reported that the Cobra, with its light 2020-lb. curb weight and excellent 48/52 balance, was good, but could be tricky: "With so much power on tap, the inept or inexperienced could get into considerable trouble, but a middlin'-good driver can certainly get the car around a race course in a hurry. .................................................. "

Shelby CSX2000 Road Test - The Original Cobra - Road & Track

2020 curb Street - 2400 is 20% - 25 is over the top.

un-sprung weight => lateral weight transfer

Form follows function - build it lite

If its a 427, do what you will.

chr

[lippy]

For the ERAs, I'm not sure the 289 chassis and body is necessarily lighter than the 427, without engine. For the engine, you can build an FE pretty light these days. Mine is all aluminum and the Pond FE block weighs 125#. Correct me if I'm wrong (Brent), but I think a Dart 302 race block weights about 115#. While I love FEs, I acknowledge the 302 and 351 small blocks are probably better designs. I don't think they weigh a lot less though.

[J.Jensen]

The ridiculously expensive Shelby block weighs in at 90# (their claim), and the rotating assy and heads also being slightly smaller - probably also a tad lighter than the FE counterparts.

I might not feel a difference on the track. But I would always have it in the back of my mind if I cut a corner to save a grand in the wrong spot.

Its a two-way thing. If your car is capable of being pushed further than the limit you stop on - building it better is widening the envelope and inherently safer. If you use the expanded capability to go even faster - because you already matched the cars limit - when **** hits the fan it hits a lot harder. Its a two sided sword, but I think I´m a bit smarter on the track now than I was 10 years ago. Back then it was all in for that last 10th with no regard of risk, but spinning out above 100mph teaches a young mind a thing or two...

[*13*]

I've said it a 1000 times. These cars are merely a Go-Kart with a V-8. A stock 289 with a little camshaft addition is quite enough for the street. You'ld best best, in thought, if you spent your money on rubber, first.