What was your scariest cobra moment?

[Detroit Bill]

My scariest cobra moment to date was writing the first check. Car is due in late April. I have read enough warnings "just remember the car wants to kill you" type stuff that I thought there must be a lot of good stories to go with those warnings.

The scariest moments I have had in a vehicle were on a motorcycle and thankfully they were near misses.

[twobjshelbys]

Cool late spring morning but expected to be in the 80's later in the day... Was turning into the back road to my plant. Going about 30 or so and downshifted to 2nd for the later part of the turn (I wasn't even trying to do the heel/toe, I was mostly done coasting through the turn and ready to engage) and the rear end broke loose... Did a full 360 fortunately no curbs. I'd driven about 12 miles, but the pavement was air temp, "cold", maybe 45. I didn't drive it much in lower temps after that.

[Thor maine]

The day I decided to sell it, scary. Then the next day when I decided to look for another and start over, scary!

[Hotfingrs]

How about doing over 130 at the drag strip and have a half shaft break. Car came within 6 inches of the right hand concrete wall, as I struggled to keep it straight, I crossed in front on the car I was racing. Pulling it back into my lane, I went through the lights sideways at 10.22

[kevins2]

I've only done rolling starts (don't drop the clutch) and have broken the tires loose many times even rolling on the throttle and when hitting second. I'm very careful to be pointing in a straight direction on good pavement. Only got a small amount of lateral movement doing this, but then one time when I hit second the car fishtailed a lot and I almost lost it. Don't know what was different, but if you lose traction on one side more than the other for whatever reason, bad things start happening fast. I was lucky that I didn't take my foot off the gas but just eased up a bit and regained control. I really could benefit from a performance driving course...

[Igofastr]

When my wife saw it for the first time.

[johnnyc427]

When I saw the flashing red lights in my rearview at 140 mph!

[johnnyc427]

Just Kidding! The first time I drove the car and hit the brakes. When I first got the car it had the disc/drum from the mustang ll and didn't stop very well. went right into the shop for a 5 lug and 4wheel disc conversion and a passenger side roll bar that my wife got me for my birthday!

[Tommy]

The scariest for me personally was one of the first few times I was trying to get it off the ground and on to four jack stands. It had three stands in place when it started shifting. I pushed hard to balance it with one hand while furiously trying to get the jack back under it with the other. I just knew I was going to drop it ... on me.

The scariest scene I ever saw was at an all Cobra track day event. They black flagged the field and I saw lots of people running toward a stand of trees about 200 feet outside the fastest turn on the track. I assumed correctly that someone lost it in the turn. Returning to the pits I saw the wives of two friends running hysterically toward the crash scene. Not knowing what had happened and seeing the terror in their faces was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. It convinced me to never take a loved one to a track event where I would be attempting to drive at 10/10ths.

P.S. The Cobra that left the track and entered the trees ended upside down with significant damage. But the driver was not seriously hurt and the car was back together in less than a year.

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by Tommy

The scariest for me personally was one of the first few times I was trying to get it off the ground and on to four jack stands. It had three stands in place when it started shifting. I pushed hard to balance it with one hand while furiously trying to get the jack back under it with the other. I just knew I was going to drop it ... on me.

The scariest scene I ever saw was at an all Cobra track day event. They black flagged the field and I saw lots of people running toward a stand of trees about 200 feet outside the fastest turn on the track. I assumed correctly that someone lost it in the turn. Returning to the pits I saw the wives of two friends running hysterically toward the crash scene. Not knowing what had happened and seeing the terror in their faces was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. It convinced me to never take a loved one to a track event where I would be attempting to drive at 10/10ths.

What happened in the trees?

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by johnnyc427

...passenger side roll bar that my wife got me for my birthday!

Sounds like she bought it for herself.

[cycleguy55]

Last fall, after some work on the engine I decided to take the Cobra out for a short drive to check things out. Everything was fine until I stepped on the accelerator - it seemed a bit stuff so I pushed a little harder. Within nanoseconds I realized the throttle was now stuck open and it was taking off IN A HURRY. I live on a short cul de sac so I was running out of time and distance before I got to the end and a T intersection. Thankfully I had my wits about me and got it shut off and stopped in time, with no collision or apparent damage to the engine - though I may have lopped a few years off my life expectancy. As one of my friends said, "Which was closer to redline, the engine or your heart?"

I opened the hood and there was nothing out of place or jammed. I then reached in to the foot box and tried to pull the accelerator pedal back - note the word 'tried' - it was jammed HARD. I'm about 220 lbs. and in reasonable shape and it wouldn't budge.

Subsequent investigation revealed the outer metal jacket on the push-pull cable had broken about 1" from the pedal end and the broken off piece had jammed hard against the remaining piece, even showing a bulge when it jammed. Of course, when it jammed it also jammed the inner cable in place, resulting in a stuck throttle.

Lesson learned: If you feel ANY unusual binding or resistance in the throttle - DON'T FORCE IT! EVER! Stop the damn thing and figure out what's going on before going further.

[CSX3183]

While backing the car off of the trailer for a 3 day car show in Orlando. When my back tires were just touching the pavement, the ramps moved up from the bar that they ,(the front part of the ramp) hooked onto, and by the time I stopped, the ramps fell to the pavement. Usually they would just raise up, and fall right back into place, causing no problem, other than a moment of fear.

Now I'm sitting with the front tires ready to come off of the trailer, and the rears on the ground. Many tense moments while I got some people to help, after that I devised a better way to secure the ramps, so there was never a chance for that to happen again.

[lovehamr]

The first time I drove mine with my youngest son (19 at the time) in the car I went to pass a slow moving truck at about 45mph. I pulled out as all was clear, then proceeded to treat the Cobra like it was my Saleen Mustang. That means I floored it as I banged a down shift. Wrong freaking move! The car immediately went sideways toward the truck with the back tires blazing. My mind was screaming 8 million things at one time but I knew I couldn't just pedal it and jam the brakes nor could I keep going the way I was so I counter steered like a mad man and backed out of the throttle comparatively slowly. So when we complete the pass (without dying) my son has a hold of the dash with one hand and door with the other and is laughing like an idiot. I couldn't say ****. When we got back to the house I had to sit for a few minutes as I convinced my anus to release the leather.

[Tom Wells]

left the track and entered the trees ended upside down with significant damage. But the driver was not seriously hurt and the car was back together in less than a year.

Did that. Summit Point 2003. Took longer to mend the bones than to have the car rebodied.

Back on the tracks again after becoming a wrist restraint evangelist.

Had a laugh at Gainesville a few years later as I pulled on all my driving gear; a young first-timer walked over and said you can tell the ones who have had a crash - they have all the safety gear.

Don't underestimate these cars!

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

My scariest cobra moment to date was writing the first check.

Funny....mine was waiting for a check to clear!

[brettco]

Dropping the engine in over the just painted body

[BevanWright]

Spin at 100mph into a corner at a airport racetrack, did lots of loops down an adjoining taxi way making lots of smoke. Don't know how many revolutions I did, but something like 5 or 6. Kept the clutch in tho so when the smoke cleared I took off again!

[Blacklemming]

Originally Posted by lovehamr

The first time I drove mine with my youngest son (19 at the time) in the car I went to pass a slow moving truck at about 45mph. I pulled out as all was clear, then proceeded to treat the Cobra like it was my Saleen Mustang. That means I floored it as I banged a down shift. Wrong freaking move! The car immediately went sideways toward the truck with the back tires blazing. My mind was screaming 8 million things at one time but I knew I couldn't just pedal it and jam the brakes nor could I keep going the way I was so I counter steered like a mad man and backed out of the throttle comparatively slowly. So when we complete the pass (without dying) my son has a hold of the dash with one hand and door with the other and is laughing like an idiot. I couldn't say ****. When we got back to the house I had to sit for a few minutes as I convinced my anus to release the leather.

[Dominik]

A car pulling out while I was overtaking on a backroad in Germany.

Had to swerve to avoid the car. Mine was matt-black, and I was doing about 130 mph - too fast. You know it takes about 5 seconds from 55 to 130, while you overtake two other cars.

I painted the front orange after this event... and only overtake cars one at a time.