Drag race - Kirkham 65 side-oiler vs Ferrari 458 italia

[Buzz]

David, nobody bets to lose, buddy! Starts with a verbal debate - no one backs down - cash on the dash then - let's do it! Each side believes they're gonna win - nothing wrong with that.
And Tommy - you're quite right not to pass on the pointers - the Cobra guy, especially given his inexperience, should be the one on here doing his own intel.

[mr0077]

Tommy, yes, please do post the date of the race; I would REALLY like to see this. I'm on the fence on how this will go if the race does actually occur, but it will be a real sight. I'll swing by the Panorama Towers and take a look at his Kirkham soon.

[Stentor]

While the owner of the Kirkham might not know how to drive his car, the car should certainly be capable of running below 11.5 seconds in the quarter mile.

Here's an example of a naturally aspirated, small-block-powered SPF that has spanked plenty of exotics at the drag strip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmDd14eITU0

[Dominik]

Tommy,

there is plenty of prove for Cobras running mid 10s, like mine did and my mate in Germany.
I posted a video link further up. And just look at this forum. And those are not Cobras looking like dragsters.

But we raced many races. It's about experience, which your Ferrari has "built-in".
That's why I voted against the Cobra. But supercar owners like you must really be aware of the potential of a well sorted Cobra (Replica).

I did frequent 0 to 125mph with wheels spinning in just under 10 sec (but less distance than a 1/4-mile). Just one bullet point: car weight was 2.200 lbs, with driver!

[otomix]

mach ah velliii Get out of the way of this thread - or leave this site better yet. You are an un -informed fool & make ill advised comments.. ..

[CoolCarl]

Originally Posted by otomix

mach ah velliii Get out of the way of this thread - or leave this site better yet. You are an un -informed fool & make ill advised comments.. ..

ditto. His behavior is just plain rude.

Thanks for the entertainment Tommy and Blitz. This has been one heck of a thread and I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing about the results.

[henrik]

....................

[tommygold]

Ken, Thank you. If you can infer anything about the Kirkham's makeup from the outside, that's great (though I expect unlikely). I expect to get more info from him today about the engine. I'd ask him to meet up with Club members, but I don't want him getting tips!! -Tom

[Trevor Legate]

Having had a small taste of throwing a Cobra at the horizon I can state from personal experience that tyres play a huge part in such an issue. I'd recommend the gentleman concerned to do some serious homework based on both performance and safety (mostly safety) Not certain I'd opt for slicks.

So he succeeded in writing off a 430...and now he wants to indulge in a challenge match in a car of which he has virtually no experience? Why do I get a bad feeling about this? Nice to know that both parties can afford to lose a considerable chunk of $$$$ - that gives me a different kind of feeling

[tommygold]

Thank you DE. I think we can certainly have multiple cameras. I expect we'll both practice a fair amount because of the stakes -- both financial and pride -- and we'll both learn enough to have the tires in the right condition at the moment of the races. (The 458 is remarkable in that regard -- it tracks each tire's temperature and also gives you color-coded readouts in the left display on when they are ready.) In terms of the stability of the equipment, I have to have a significant edge -- my car is new, and I don't think he's done much to care for his. -Tom

[elmariachi]

I have driving experience with both a Cobra and a 458. If you both want to make this fun, safe and fair, my advice is to go to the drag strip and first run a couple of solo passes against the clock, not each other. This will give you both a better sense of how your cars will behave and it will also dampen a bit of the adrenaline and testosterone that will be pulsing through you by not having to stage against each other.

Once you both make a couple passes, compare results and discuss whether or not you feel you can safely race each other. After 2-3 solo timing passes and 1-2 against each other, you should be able to have a safe race that yields some accurate results, with no hardware left lying on the track and no Ferrari black paint on the walls.

"Gimme $500 on the Bandit...er, I mean the 458."

[289ACE]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

I have driving experience with both a Cobra and a 458. If you both want to make this fun, safe and fair, my advice is to go to the drag strip and first run a couple of solo passes against the clock, not each other. This will give you both a better sense of how your cars will behave and it will also dampen a bit of the adrenaline and testosterone that will be pulsing through you by not having to stage against each other.

Once you both make a couple passes, compare results and discuss whether or not you feel you can safely race each other. After 2-3 solo timing passes and 1-2 against each other, you should be able to have a safe race that yields some accurate results, with no hardware left lying on the track and no Ferrari black paint on the walls.

"Gimme $500 on the Bandit...er, I mean the 458."

Great Suggestion

Tommy,
Can you get your friend to join in on this thread? He might benefit from the conversations on the safety issues, and he can let us all know the details of his car.

Jay

[Ibr8k4vetts]

Your friend will win if the 20 miles he put on the Cobra was 1/4 mile at a time! LOL

[cobrakalas427]

Originally Posted by Ibr8k4vetts

Your friend will win if the 20 miles he put on the Cobra was 1/4 mile at a time! LOL

Excellent point!!!

[CoolCarl]

Love this thread.

I would have liked to have heard the conversation that took place when the bet was made. Nothing like 2 guys bragging and talking smack about their cars to get the juices flowing.

I'd definitely watch a video of the race (several times). When is this supposed to happen roughly? Within a month? Within a year?

The anticipation is unbearable.

I was trying to find the video of the twin turbo ffr running 10.07 in medford but couldn't find it. I've seen that video lots!

[rodneym]

What a fun thread.

Definitely a ton of variables but car for car, if the Cobra driver had experience, 600 HP and slicks, I'd say it's all that 2-3 gear shift as 750HP mentioned. It's certainly the one that kills ME!

Old 427 S/C times are a thing of the past. Some of us are pushing an EXTRA 150HP and more.

Please make sure you post the results and BE SAFE.

[tommygold]

Hi all. The race will certainly happen in the next month. I have a good bit of work to get done, but just need to get my car on a truck and meet it in LV. Given all the great points about safety, I want to have a day to practice. I've done more looking on the times, and the tested times for the 458 run between 11.0 and 11.5. I'd be grateful for direction on what I should be asking him to determine what his time is likely to be. Is it simply a question of the engine? I'm confident that it's still the same setup as when Kirkham sold it. Thanks again, Tom

[Voyager]

Without the right tires and practice, I don’t see the cobra staying in its lane.

[STL Mark]

Tom - why don't you send your bud with the Cobra to this web site and we'll give him all the pointers he needs to help him win.

[tommygold]

STL - that's the point!!! I can't send him here. If he truly cares about the Cobra, he'll figure out he needs to come listen and learn. I'm trying to learn here whether I've definitely got the advantage, and over on the Ferrari forums how best to win! -Tom