18 yr old boy, should I let him drive it.

[KevinW]

Originally Posted by HSC-ZL1

I asked both of my kids, several times during my cobra build if they wanted to come out in the garage and help. Neither of them will drive my cobra until they are 26 as the insurance allows because I never got any help. I do not count the brake bleed pedal pushing as help. I guess I am a little old school and believe privileges are earned. I think driving a big block cobra is a privilege.

Like it... gonna use this on my boy.
Friend with a big block car took him out for a spin this weekend (it was freezing). He told me it was the best thing ever, and way better than any fairground roller-coster.... and when could he drive mine....? He's 10.

[john chesnut]

Back in the late 90's I was building a scratch built sports car. My sister and her family came from Scottsdale, AZ to visit me in NH. My nephew who was just starting High School asked me if you could ever drive my car. I told him that if he got straight A's all through High School that he could have it for his Senior Prom.

He got the straight A's. I adjusted the throttle so that it could only open half way and shipped it to AZ and Back! I made his father check him out in the car and follow him with the family mini van. He had the use of the car for a couple of memorable weeks. Dad loved it too. 500hp, 2000lbs.


True and expensive for me story!

[CHANMADD]

All my now adults drove my Cobra as soon as they could.......I found out later that my daughte4 and friend had taken the Cobra without my knowledge ,on more than one occasion, at about 13...14 yrs old, while I was home asleep.............I still love her to bits........

[RodKnock]

I have some questions.

How mature can ANY 18-year old be? Is this 18-year old married with kids, looked for a job, has an advanced degree from some college or university, paid a mortgage and his or her health insurance cost, been outside the state and/or country?

I was a "mature" 18-year old once. I wouldn't let myself drive a Cobra at that age. No freakin' way. How mature can an 18-year old be to drive around a 600 HP 2,100 lb car that has literally no modern safety devices.

[sharpe 1]

why not. if he is responsible for his age. My son drove mine about that age and did well

[madmaxx]

You old grumpy bastard well said



QUOTE=RodKnock;1272490]I have some questions.

How mature can ANY 18-year old be? Is this 18-year old married with kids, looked for a job, has an advanced degree from some college or university, paid a mortgage and his or her health insurance cost, been outside the state and/or country?

I was a "mature" 18-year old once. I wouldn't let myself drive a Cobra at that age. No freakin' way. How mature can an 18-year old be to drive around a 600 HP 2,100 lb car that has literally no modern safety devices.[/quote]

[patrickt]

Well, I, for one, was not mature enough to drive a Cobra at age 18. If anyone thought I was, well, then, I had them fooled.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by CHANMADD

All my now adults drove my Cobra as soon as they could.......I found out later that my daughte4 and friend had taken the Cobra without my knowledge ,on more than one occasion, at about 13...14 yrs old, while I was home asleep.............I still love her to bits........

CHANMADD, either you have an exceptionally quiet Cobra, or I wish I could sleep as soundly as you do!

As for the topic at hand, my 21 year old son helped me build the car so I will let him drive it - with me in the passenger seat and only on the back, country roads. I won't be properly insured with him behind the wheel so it will be limited, but a risk I'll take - and a good excuse as to why he can't drive off in it by himself.

[Bartruff1]

Tell him to ask his mother....

[Murky781]

Only you know how responsible or mature your son is. Him being able to drive the cobra isn't really the question, in my humble opinion. I think the question is, How would you feel if the worse were to happen? Could you live with it? One decision can change a lot of lives very quickly. You'll do the right thing Dad.
My youngest son, 28, would drive responsibly. Our oldest, 32 and a cop, would wreck in 50 feet! LOL just saying

[trularin]

London, a few years back when Jay used to go to almost all of them, my youngest son at 16 drove burnouts for a few hours. He and Jay were back and forth on who was spinning tires and making noise. Jay had his burnt orange at the time.

Not sure if it is relative, but if you believe in your son, let him.

Just my $.29 worth.

[PANAVIA]

There are ways of making the car a bit safer to drive for first time cobra personnel

1. raise idle up to 900 RPM to ease clutch engagement
2. add a stronger throttle return spring as to reduce pedal itchiness
3. advance the timing a tick to reduce power and make it easier to clutch
4. set rev limiter to 3000RPM ( if so equipped )
5. rig a kill switch from passenger area to drop power out of the ignition.

you can then take them to a controlled area and start driving lessons in the cobra.

[zots]

I was using my post-hole digger and broke one of the wood handles...so I took the hose clamps off my Cobra radiator for a quick fix of the handle. Seemed like a good idea! My son asked to borrow the Cobra. I said, "sure"...so off he went. We had rebuilt his VW bug together so he had not experienced the tell-tale smell of over-heating coolant issues. I received a frantic call that he was stuck along the side of the road and the car was acting funny. Luckily...engine was ok!

[Bryan Wilson]

I let my son drive it with limits. he wanted to use it as the wedding car when he got married I said ok cause he had driven it many times with me riding shotgun.
So being the trusting parent I am I set the rev limiter to 2000 revs which leaves it drivable without letting it go fast.

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I have some questions.
How mature can ANY 18-year old be?

With 18 I drove one like this....




With 19 I drove one like this...




My brother still did not let me drive his 911, so I had to wait until 30 to buy my own. With 50 I decided to build my first Cobra. I will not let my son (30yo) drive my 911 nor my Cobra.

Pattern...?

[itstock]

Originally Posted by Bryan Wilson

I let my son drive it with limits. he wanted to use it as the wedding car when he got married I said ok cause he had driven it many times with me riding shotgun.
So being the trusting parent I am I set the rev limiter to 2000 revs which leaves it drivable without letting it go fast.

2000rpm is still well over 400rwtq for many of us. Plenty to get in trouble

Most accidents in these cars are from one of two things....

spinning the tires at low speed
hitting the gas around turns

A 2000rpm limit might help some, but it won't stop a car from getting out of control while doing one of those two.