Safely driving a Cobra

[WardL]

I've done autocross to improve my Cobra driving skills. My #1 Rule is ZERO ALCOHOL tolerance. I know my limits on that issue.....

[Paul F]

New Jersey- you should be practicing in an open, snow covered parking lot with the daily driver. It's a lot safer and easier on the car to get it out of control and learn how to get it back in control on snow. it's lots of fun too. I did this a lot when I was a teenager. Then I went out to remote snow covered roads and would go about 50mph and then lock up the brakes or start a spin or drift and then get it back out. That helps you learn to react automatically to spins and drifts with out the danger of wrecking the car or tearing up tires.

Then tear up the tires with the Cobra in a dry parking lot. Too late this year, but try it next year.

[RallySnake]

I agree with all the comments here and have used them all. However, I personally learned the most from running SCCA Solo 2's. Every time I ran, I had to analyze what was wrong and how to fix it. I had to work out a lot of problems with my car to get it to handle at all. I tried a bunch of junkyard anti-swaybars on the front and rear until the car was balanced enough so I could maintain 4 wheel drifts. I burned up a lot of Mickey Thompson street tires before finally buying a set of Hoosier race tires. After I got the car balanced with those, I won a Regional Championship event in B/SP. After a couple of years of Solo2's, I got a little tired of driving hours to and from the tracks to make a few 1 minute runs. So, I started running rallies. Now two of us can enjoy the car for hours instead of minutes and it's just as competitive. The tires last for years instead of months, too.

However, whenever I buy a new type of tire, I go back and run a Solo 2 to learn their limits and to work with tire pressures to get neutral handling.

RS

[mdross1]

The very best thing you can do is make sure your car is in good mechanical condition then learn it's limits either at a track or on a stretch of road where you can get away with it. You never want to learn in panic situations.

[Bill Bess]

Well ! It's very simple.... make sure the car is in safe condition and don't be stupid when you get behind the wheel.
Stupid is trying to impress yourself, or somebody riding with you or next to you in another car.
Stupid will get you dead!

[genolan]

Thanks All
I had the car inspected in great detail for safety issues and plan on burning up the parking lot this weekend followed by a driving lesson at Pocono Speedway in Aug. They suggested I start with my 2008 Corvette to get a feel then bring the Cobra. I do have the original 7 year old Goodyear's and have started the hunt for new tires (235/45/17 front and 315/35/17 rear). Mickey Thompson or Nittros?

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by saturnkk

Based upon one having 300-500hp on a go-cart chassis with few if any modern safety devices, I would say more dangerous on average. That can be somewhat mitigated by responsible / alert driving.

The fatality rate of convertibles/roadsters is 0.6%, well below the average...

Interesting is, the fatality rate of pedestrian is the exact same rate (0.6%) as the convertibles/roadsters...

It is NOT the car (not Christine), it is the driver...

Monitor your right foot and everything will be fine.

[saturnkk]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

The fatality rate of convertibles/roadsters is 0.6%, well below the average...

Interesting is, the fatality rate of pedestrian is the exact same rate (0.6%) as the convertibles/roadsters...

It is NOT the car (not Christine), it is the driver...

Monitor your right foot and everything will be fine.

Some thoughts:

1. Convertibles are driven far less and represent a much much smaller population than other cars and trucks, especially when factoring the number of miles driven annually as this increases your odds of getting into an accident.
2. Convertibles, modern ones, are much safer than Cobras, having most of the safety features and crash worthiness of their hardtop counterparts.


As an example, big wheels make up 0% of the fatality rate in 2013. However, they also aren't driven very often on the roads either...

If it is NOT the car, then why have automobile safety ratings or standards at all. It is the car, along with a host of other variables.

[PSB]

If you really, honestly believe that a Cobra is as safe as a Honda Civic, you really shouldn't be driving a Cobra...JMHO

[Snake2998]

Cobras have a very bad habit of exploiting an over heavy accelerator foot by breaking traction and then regaining it when facing in exactly the wrong direction.

From what I have learnt from friends and acquaintances who have demolished all sorts of street furniture with their Cobras, (some 5 to date over 23 years) this is what happened in most of their accidents - fortunately the worst injury was a passengers broken leg and all the cars were salvageable.

So the moral is no stomping on the accelerator on the street, and if it does break traction come off the power gently so she doesn't regain traction suddenly whilst pointing at something hard - and practice in a safe place until it all becomes second nature. Oh, and it's the last car you want to show off in - posing's much safer and gets just as much attention. Also just blipping the throttle in Neutral will garner as much attention as showing off.

[Mr Jody]

Originally Posted by dallas_

....find a big open parking lot and learn the traction limits......

Just make sure you do this in a private parking lot and you have the owner’s permission. May even want to have them present and the lot entrance blocked/roped off. Might want to inform the local authorities that this is going to take place, too. Otherwise, if they should happen to ride by and see someone “cuttin’ the fool” in some sports car in a parking lot, they may decide to pull in and give you a free ride downtown in the back of THEIR car.

This may take eating a lot of humble pie, but when someone challenges you on the street, ALWAYS act like there is no way your car could beat their car. Make humor out of the situation if they are verbally goading you. If it’s a ricer, tell them they will have to give you a head start and laugh. If it’s a Corvette it may be harder to do, but somehow find a way to laugh and wave it off. You will find your car is always more enjoyable if YOU are in control of when you get on it and when you let off. If you are seduced into a street race, then THEY are in control of your accelerator and brake pedal. Think about it.

[dallas_]

Also, corner weight your car. It will handle better and will hold traction better.

[AL427SBF]

Originally Posted by Mr Jody

... This may take eating a lot of humble pie, but when someone challenges you on the street, ALWAYS act like there is no way your car could beat their car. Make humor out of the situation if they are verbally goading you. If it’s a ricer, tell them they will have to give you a head start and laugh. If it’s a Corvette it may be harder to do, but somehow find a way to laugh and wave it off. You will find your car is always more enjoyable if YOU are in control of when you get on it and when you let off. If you are seduced into a street race, then THEY are in control of your accelerator and brake pedal. Think about it.

Probably a bit much to tell people how they should drive their cobras. Knowing how your car handles and exercising good judgment reins supreme - the common theme in responses here. That's not to say that if some smart ass is deserving of a spanking, and road conditions/traffic permit it, you shouldn't give him one. Just be responsible about it, aware of your surroundings and risks, before answering the call.

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by saturnkk

Some thoughts:

1. Convertibles are driven far less and represent a much much smaller population than other cars and trucks, especially when factoring the number of miles driven annually as this increases your odds of getting into an accident.
2. Convertibles, modern ones, are much safer than Cobras, having most of the safety features and crash worthiness of their hardtop counterparts.


As an example, big wheels make up 0% of the fatality rate in 2013. However, they also aren't driven very often on the roads either...

If it is NOT the car, then why have automobile safety ratings or standards at all. It is the car, along with a host of other variables.

Well, the statistics are based on miles driven (equal amount) and not registration numbers.

Now to a good example of "modern cars" -- the SMART. You take this car and hit a 45 degree angle barrier with the driver side at 55mph, your lower extremities are flat like a pancake, literally, but "Car and Driver Magazine" pointed out the intact windshield. hahahahahahaha