[RallySnake]

Capt H,

Not everyone has the cubic money and driving skills for big inch engines. Thay are NOT necessary!

Beware of the Cobra fever. You can become addited to Summit, Jegs and PAW catalogs and eternally enslaved to the evil force that craves speed.

A 302 engine is perfect in a Cobra. You will have a power to weight ratio that will beat anything that cost less than a supercar. You will save some gas, too. Built with the right parts, a 302 Ford engine can wind up to 8,000 rpm and put out over 400 hp.

It all comes down to how fast you want to go. People who build smaller engines tend to drive their Cobras a lot more. They not worried about wearing out that mega-buck mill.

Driving quickly comes down to eyesight, training and tires. I have driven my Arntz with 356 cubic inches for almost 20 years now. I push it VERY hard on long distance rallies. This size engine gives so much usable power that there has been exactly one time that I needed more. I was climbing a long straight road up a very steep hill. At about 80 mph, I realized that my foot was all the way to the floor. It was such a rare experience, it was almost a shock. Of course, the Honda S2000 behind me was left in the dust. There has NEVER been a time when any car has out accelerated mine.

You don't NEED more power. But, after bitten, you WANT more power.

Paul