Installing Auto Transmission into a Cobra

[kh7062]

Hi Everyone,

I am starting at on a Cobra Project. I am based in SoCal and looking to buy a second hand cobra (Superformance / FF5 etc) and then install an auto transmission. I know this not the traditional way, but unfortunately it is the only way I can drive a car. A cobra is my dream car.

Can anyone give me helpful thoughts on how to go about getting a mechanic / shop to install what I think will be a C6?

Does anyone know how much this would cost? Time to install? How much I would lose in HP? What other items need to be installed like cooling mechanisms etc? Anyone know a good shop or mechanic who has done this in SoCal?

I am looking at trying to get a Mark 3, Superformance with a Rousch engine..so if anyone knows one for sale in this area - let me know.

Thanks!!

[Got the Bug]

Welcome and good luck on the search!

I'm guessing that you're already scanning the ads here on CC and on both Cobra Country http://www.cobracountry.com/home2.html and Cobra Registry http://www.cobraregistry.com/ to compare prices and availability.

I'm sure the guys in SoCal can make a recommendation regarding the conversion to an AT, but you might also want to contact the folks at Hillbank in Irvine to see who they might recommend and/or use for their installs.

[Ron61]

He isn't in Southern California, but Emerson Motor sports which is active on this site has put them into a few Cobras and he could tell you what to expect in the way of work, money, and time. It seems the tranny tunnel may have had to be widened a little but I am not sure of that. Contact Bill Emerson and ask him about it.

Ron

[Excaliber]

C6 was primarily a big block motor trans, FE and 385 series engines. 427 and the later 460 kind of deal. Anyway if I was going auto, and someday some of us just might have to do that, I'd go with the more modern E4OD or 4R100. These are an over drive trans. Their both basically the same trans but the 4R100 seems to be a the stronger of the two.

[glenview289]

Hello,
My son and I have a Unique 289 FIA with and auto tranny in it. We used a Ford 4R70W. It is the same as used in the Ford Explorer. It is electronically controlled through a transmission managment system made by Baumann Engineering. The trans is controled by an onboard programable computer via your laptop to shift at RPMs, speed, or trans pressure, your choice. We have a track and street program in ours for those track days which require different driving characteristics. It is an AOD trans, with a Edge Llockup torque converter with a 2700# stall. The neat thing with the electronic trans is that it is fully adaptable to paddle shifters if you would desire them. We also added a shift kit to the trans to make shifts more positive. Do a little research on this and you can have a car like most of the new European cars that have electronic auto transmissions that shift as fast or faster than manuals.

Bill

[SunDude]

There's a beautiful Contemporary Classic Cobra for sale in Denver, equipped with an automatic transmission. Ready to go, as is...

[jdean]

For size, weight, cost and reliability you might want to consider a C4. Many are offered to handle up to 700hp. You won't have overdrive, but neither do all the Cobras running toploaders. For overdrive, the 4R70W would indeed be a good choice.

[Excaliber]

Easy to install as well, that C4, it's a good call. Simple, no electronics, cheap, yup, good call.

[rustyBob]

I have a TCI built C6 with a 2500 stall converter behind my FE and they work just fine...
got both from Summit for less than a grand......

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by kh7062

Hi Everyone,

I am starting at on a Cobra Project. I am based in SoCal and looking to buy a second hand cobra (Superformance / FF5 etc) and then install an auto transmission. I know this not the traditional way, but unfortunately it is the only way I can drive a car. A cobra is my dream car.

Can anyone give me helpful thoughts on how to go about getting a mechanic / shop to install what I think will be a C6?

Does anyone know how much this would cost? Time to install? How much I would lose in HP? What other items need to be installed like cooling mechanisms etc? Anyone know a good shop or mechanic who has done this in SoCal?

I am looking at trying to get a Mark 3, Superformance with a Rousch engine..so if anyone knows one for sale in this area - let me know.

Thanks!!

Welcome to the club, I suggest you call Erick Voss of Voss Performance at 714-773-9107, Voss is located in Fullerton. They will be installing a Bowler 4R70W and a Roush 511 IR FE 8 stack for me in a Superformace MK111 later this month. Lance Stander of Hillbank recommended Erick. You are in good hands with this team. tin-man

[kobrabytes]

I remember reading somewhere where Shelby put an automatic in a Cobra. On the test drive the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to provide quite a wild ride! High HP, low weight, and automatics make for an interesting combination. Anyone else know the story?

len

[SP01715]

I second talking to Eric Voss and Lance Stander. They did a cobra several years ago with an auto in it.

[kh7062]

Thanks so much for the info guys. I still need to find a car and then I will talk to Eric Voss about an auto install. Does anyone know any Cobra owners who have to drive them with hand controls? I will be doing this for the Brake and Gas.

[Mark IV]

Mr. Mustang know a guy in jersey who has an auto with hand controls. JBo has seen him at some Cobra events.

[jdean]

If you are using hand controls for brake and gas I hope you are going to have power brakes in it. I had PB before and really miss it.

[Mark IV]

Also, with a Superformance you can add power steering which may be needed with hand controls.

And the story on the automatic Cobra is that Lew Spencer took a prototype 427 Cobra with the Lincoln MX automatic on an errand and the box downshifted at a serious rate of speed causing the car to get "rather sideways". The story is Lew called back to 6501 Imperial Highway and told them to "send a truck, 'cause I ain't driving this pig any further" or something to that effect.

Shelby American did build a series of 289 Cobras with automatics that were sucessful nad all sold. 25 cars or so as I recall.

[Rick Yeager]

There is an old article describing where Ole CS put a 351 Boss with a C6 in his personal Cobra.

I am no longer able to drive a straight transmission and have changed to an automatic.
I had a trust worthy old top loader and really hated to give it up. I took one of the rarer heavy duty C4s down to our local transmission guy who has had several years of racing experience to be rebuilt. We talked for a while and he recommended that I go to an AOD rather than a C4. He felt he could build it as tough or a little bit tougher and that I would appreciate the overdrive. I found an AOD with converter and yolk at the salvage yard for $100 and had him rebuild it. We kept the stall converter at the stock RPMs. The fly wheel had to be changed. The AOD took longer bell housing bolts than the one for the top loader. The trans mount had to be moved rearward about an inch. I bought a TV cable kit, carb mounting kit and shifter. A C4 shifter would have worked fine but I didn't have one. I used an aftermarket trans cooler from PRC. It all went together well and there were no problems with fitment. The drive shaft did not even need to be cut. The speedometer gear fit and had the right number of teeth for a reasonably accurate speedometer reading.

But I did have a lot of bad luck that is thankfully not typcial for others but is very typical for me. Somehow the TV cable did not sit right and burned the clutches and bands in the tranny in a matter of miles. It had to be taken out and those replaced. After it was back together, in less than a few weeks, the pump and rear clutches went out and the tranny had to come out and be rebuilt again. The tranny specialist put an extra block plate in between the block and bell housing to prevent this from happening again. I have only had it back on the road a short time and hold my breath every time the transmission shifts. Ha!! The AOD makes the car much easier to drive and the overdrive is well worth having. The rear ratio is 3.5:1 Not having the clutch pedal in my tight foot box makes braking easier and improves road comfort significantly. Plus I am no longer riding the clutch part of the time.

If the transmission goes out this time and if I don't drive it off a cliff. I think that I would go to a 4R70W. From what I have read they may be a little stronger and have a little lower first gear ratio about 2.8 compared to 2.4 of an AOD. Plus they can use the after market electronic control sytem mentioned earlier. The down side is that the 4R70W is about an inch longer which would mean shortening an already short drive shaft even shorter. The electronic controler costs about $700 and I believe I would have to convert to an electronic speedometer. And that is after I have purchased and paid to have a 4R rebuilt--at this point not a pleasant perspective.

Oh by the way when I decided to go to the automatic transmission, I also decided to just have the engine rebuilt too and while it was being rebuilt but in a stroker kit. Because I am no longer able to do anything my self, I had to hire others to do the work. If you think the transmission story is bad, the engine rebuild turned into a major train wreck. After it was rebuilt with a stroker kit in it, this 408 cammed 4bl head Cleveland with a professionally tweaked carb, and roller rockers made 200 RWHP and 280 ftpd torque on the dyno. Yeah, it really happened.

[kh7062]

I got the cobra. Now waiting for the auto install to be completed....wish me luck

[rustyBob]

kh7062.....what did you get......we need more info and some pics........

[PJ4myboo]

Congrats kh7062!!! Can't wait to see some pictures and hear all about your new toy.