[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Putting the engine break-in aside (let's say it was painstakingly broken in for weeks on a dyno and it's now, by anyone's benchmark, perfectly broken in), there's all sorts of other parts on his new Cobra that do need to mate, and taking it easy is the way to go (think transmission, rear, brakes, etc). But the most important raggedy-jaggedy part is him -- and remember he put in an automatic transmission in, which we've written about a zillion times. Some of us say it makes the car less safe, some say "not true." I don't know -- but what I think he should do, once he's put a couple of hundred miles on the car, is take it out to the parking lot at an open-air concert park or stadium that has no light posts, Jersey walls, or the like, where he can safely floor-it, maybe with the wheels not aimed straight, and see what happens when the automatic transmission shifts its gears while he's holding the throttle to the floor. I think it'll scare the shi* out of him and he'll never do it again. But what do I know....

Oh yes, that's totally correct. What tires? I can't tell from the pictures. I hope they're good and sticky ones else the auto shift from 2nd to 3rd could be a hair raising experience. It would also be advised to try to do a 60MPH "stomp on it to pass" maneuver (which will force a downshift from 4th, and could also involve an exchange of rear end with the front.).