44-Year-old Cobra Wins Street Car Challenge

[cobrajeff]

I saw Bruce actually run that big old T'Bird (it was NEW at the time, probably a '75 or '76 model, the big, heavy ones that shared a platform with the Lincoln Mark IV) in an Autocross at the Ford WHQ parking lot back in the mid-seventies. I'm pretty sure it needed a new set of tires when he was done sliding it through the cones. Bruce knows how to extract every last bit of performance out of a machine. It was an amazing, eye opening experience that I'll never forget.

Jeff

[Rick Parker]

160 mph at Infineon SAAC event.

[xlr8tr]

I think you'll be doing nose wheelies under braking with 315's!! I'm curious: any body work/further suspension mods required to get 315's under the front fenders?

[D-CEL]

Mr. 3170,

My respect and admiration for you exists on many levels.
Not only do you regularly carry your 40+ year old weapon into battle, you routinely trounce your opponents so completely, that they don’t want to play anymore.
You may have the ultimate “sleeper”
Your competition thinks: “its an original Cobra with big wheels, nobody would dare modify a REAL cobra, How fast can it be?”

Then there’s your car..
The engineering and individual system detail would be impressive on a brand new race car. That you employ it on an irreplaceable car that many would put on a rotating, mirrored table in their living room, is what makes you “the man”.

Your gallery is filled with so many cool things, almost every picture has something telling in it.
I spent an hour looking and taking notes.
The adjustability designed into your suspension is beyond cool. Your sway-bars are fantastic
all the other things blow me away. (don’t want to give up what you don’t want divulged)

It’s so great to see a Cobra getting a technology infusion. I have always thought if someone put this kind of effort into a Cobra, it would be hard if not impossible to beat (up to 165mph lol)

A couple of questions?

What are your spring rates?
Why the lefty Stef’s oil pan when the rest is Aviaid?

I see your going to change your brake package. Have you decided on a direction? Im a Wilwood dealer, Id love to be involved if I can.


You and your car inspire me. Like Mark said, I bow in your presence.

Jason

[Cobra #3170]

I want to thank all of you again for your kind words, I really appreciate all the nice things you have said about my life's work.

The oil system is not Aviad the pan and tank are Stefs and the pump is a Daily, which I am very happy with since it not only returns the oil but pulls a substantial vacuum on the engine. I currently run 295/30/18's on the front so the 315/30/18's won't be a big deal. I'll go 1/2" wider on the inner rim since I have room to do that. The rear fenders were flaired by Mr. Shelby when I ordered the car and are actually wider than an original SC spec car.
They offered that option in the early Cobra days along with whatever else you could think of at the time. I have never touched the front or rear fender profile since the car was new. The reason the fronts fit is because the car is essentially a 0 scrub radius car, the spindle and brake package are inside the wheel unlike the originals that have the upper ball joint outside the inner rim. I originally sized the front brakes for 15" wheels so the rotor is only 12" in diameter. I won a front axle set from Baer Brakes at the Optima Challenge so I am installing their 13" rotor and six pot caliper. I have Wilwood
dynalites on now and they have quite a bit of caliper flex which makes the brakes difficult to properly modulate. I am really looking forward to the Baer system improving my braking capabilities. Comparing my car to the Morris KMP is kind of an apples and oranges deal, on high speed stuff he would have a huge advantage because of the extensive aero work he has done. I have more horsepower (same engine builder) and a lot less weight and no aero drag beyond the brick like aero of a Cobra so I would think acceleration and low speed performance would be superior to the Morris KMP. I believe my suspension geometry is superior but I am sure Mr. Morris would argue that his is so that would be a toss up regarding who you choose to believe. My spring rates (trying to answer all the questions here) are 1200 #/" front and 1100 #/" rear for road courses and 1100 #/" front and 1100#/" rear for autox. A better question would be what are your wheel rates for sway bars and springs front and rear but that is secret. The only way I could ever run these rates is with significant frame stiffening and really good shocks. I know this sounds really high but the car loves it. I hope this covers most of the questions you guys have.

Originally Posted by D-CEL

Mr. 3170,

My respect and admiration for you exists on many levels.
Not only do you regularly carry your 40+ year old weapon into battle, you routinely trounce your opponents so completely, that they don’t want to play anymore.
You may have the ultimate “sleeper”
Your competition thinks: “its an original Cobra with big wheels, nobody would dare modify a REAL cobra, How fast can it be?”

Then there’s your car..
The engineering and individual system detail would be impressive on a brand new race car. That you employ it on an irreplaceable car that many would put on a rotating, mirrored table in their living room, is what makes you “the man”.

Your gallery is filled with so many cool things, almost every picture has something telling in it.
I spent an hour looking and taking notes.
The adjustability designed into your suspension is beyond cool. Your sway-bars are fantastic
all the other things blow me away. (don’t want to give up what you don’t want divulged)

It’s so great to see a Cobra getting a technology infusion. I have always thought if someone put this kind of effort into a Cobra, it would be hard if not impossible to beat (up to 165mph lol)

A couple of questions?

What are your spring rates?
Why the lefty Stef’s oil pan when the rest is Aviaid?

I see your going to change your brake package. Have you decided on a direction? Im a Wilwood dealer, Id love to be involved if I can.


You and your car inspire me. Like Mark said, I bow in your presence.

Jason

[ERA Chas]

Bruce,
Your info sharing is most appreciated by me. Believe me, I did not imply a pi$$ing contest with Morris. Both are superb examples of what could be done in two different technical areas.
Continue to press the envelope but please share all the progress (except the deep dark secrets), with those of us who really are students of the technical side.
Thanks,

[Jamo]

If you ever get a chance...

Bruce's Cobra is beyond belief. I got a chance to chat with him about the suspension changes during the Belmont Concours, and it is nothing less significant than when shelby messed with the front of the early Mustangs.

Great to see a true living Cobra, evolving through its life as it should. Even more so when the owner is a true gentleman.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Great to see a true living Cobra, evolving through its life as it should. Even more so when the owner is a true gentleman.

Very true. Would love to see a competition and a technical comparison between Bruces' original and Morris' KMP.
Where has Morris been these days anyway???

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Jamo

If you ever get a chance...

Bruce's Cobra is beyond belief. I got a chance to chat with him about the suspension changes during the Belmont Concours, and it is nothing less significant than when shelby messed with the front of the early Mustangs.

Great to see a true living Cobra, evolving through its life as it should. Even more so when the owner is a true gentleman.

You're right. Anyone who takes an original Cobra out for a beating like this deserves our respect. I think the same thing of the cars at the Shelby American Collection. On any given weekend, one or more of them may be out for vintage racing. Not as much now as a few years ago, but still happens.

The Murray brothers think like this: We put it back together once, we can do it again. [Remember, race cars get no penalty for repairs. I expect one that hasn't been wrecked doesn't know the limits.]

[D-CEL]

Thank you so much for responding.

When I saw the drive pulley, integral with the crank spacer I assumed it was from Aviaid, sorry LOL.

Yea those old “open bridge” Superlites are… in a word… Crappy! While I was the Quality manager at Wilwood (several years ago) we received a lot of complaints, we built a test rig that measured pedal travel and input force, clamping force and caliper flex in several different axis. Eng attempted to fix it, but in the end, the whole caliper was redesigned into the current SL series that is very stiff. I run the SL-6R on the front of my SPF with a 12.75x1.25 rotor.

I’m certainly sorry to see you switching to Baer…

I would never be so presumptuous as to ask your wheel rates in open forum LOL.

From all the video I’ve watched, the car looks stiffer than the lunch room at Pfizer! And it steers like lightning. The turn in is amazing, almost too quick. I’m guessing it takes mighty powerful arms to turn a cobra like that

[Cobra #3170]

The car has a modified Appleton power steering gear with GM pump, ratio is 12-1 about .95 lock to lock. It is like a formula car for turn in but I run enough toe in that it is quite stable at high speeds. It actually feels like a modern car with a little quicker than normal steering. I have enough Ackerman % that I don't need any static toe out, thus it is stable in a straight line. We played around with boost so that there is still a good deal of "feel" but it is fairly easy to steer. I was well into 4th gear on the straight out of the Carousel at infineon (about 160 mph according to the PI system) and it was very stable even under some really heavy braking. My Wilwoods are about 10 years old now, I am sure their new stuff is much better. I just changed to a more aggressive pad last year which made the Wilwoods a ton better than they were originally. I did notice a lack of initial bite at Infineon which was spooky at high speed (probably a compound issue). I actually overshot the 180 because of that a couple of times, once with a passenger.
The passenger was Dave Wagner, I am sure some of you know him through his Cobra building business. He was a good sport about it, but I would not have liked being in that passenger seat not knowing if we would make the corner or not. I have to admit your 6 piston Wilwoods with slotted rotors look terrific and I am sure perform well too.

Originally Posted by D-CEL

Thank you so much for responding.

When I saw the drive pulley, integral with the crank spacer I assumed it was from Aviaid, sorry LOL.

Yea those old “open bridge” Superlites are… in a word… Crappy! While I was the Quality manager at Wilwood (several years ago) we received a lot of complaints, we built a test rig that measured pedal travel and input force, clamping force and caliper flex in several different axis. Eng attempted to fix it, but in the end, the whole caliper was redesigned into the current SL series that is very stiff. I run the SL-6R on the front of my SPF with a 12.75x1.25 rotor.

I’m certainly sorry to see you switching to Baer…

I would never be so presumptuous as to ask your wheel rates in open forum LOL.

From all the video I’ve watched, the car looks stiffer than the lunch room at Pfizer! And it steers like lightning. The turn in is amazing, almost too quick. I’m guessing it takes mighty powerful arms to turn a cobra like that

[cdnus]

D-CEL

Are the safety wired bolts in your photo left hand threads?

Craig

[twobjshelbys]

Just spotted on the Ford GT forum that Optima has invited Bruce back to the Optima Invitational. He doesn't get to drive the Cobra though. 2005 FGT. I wonder what specials we'll see


GOOD LUCK BRUCE!

[twobjshelbys]

Bruce posted his results here:


2010 Optima Challenge Results