Can't drive my Cobra because of my health, any advice??

[Arvin]

Sorry to hear about your health condition. I too suffer from spinal issues. I've had C3-C4, C4-C5, and C5-C6 fused. Within the next year I am looking at C1-C2, and C2-C3. I've also had knee replacement and looking at some fusions in my back and both my feet. I get bad enough some times that I've had to call my wife to come and get the car because it's been too hard to drive (no power steering or brakes). However, I'm going to keep it as long as possible because I love it so much - I just put up with the pain afterwards. I am also looking for some high back seats that will help.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

... open the door as wide as possible, step up onto the seat with both feet (still standing), slowly extend your feet into the footboxes as you lower yourself down onto the seat, and then close the door.

That is exactly the process I used to get in to my Cobra and exactly the same sequence I use to get into my Ford GT.

But don't forget that for every in there has to be an out. Getting out of the very low cars with a bad back isn't that easy either. I honestly don't believe a GT40 will be acceptable, and if you expect your wife to be able to drive and she can't handle the Cobra, I doubt she would be able to handle a GT40.

How about a Miata? They are actually pretty spicey little cars. If you want a more modern fast but handleable car (because it is modern with nannies) consider a Lotus Elise.

[cscott672]

As several have mentioned a gt40 is not going to be easier to get in and out of than a cobra. I have to open the door, sit on the sill with one leg in and do a partial crunch to get the other leg in, lift myself down into the seat with my upper body, and then crouch down so my head clears the door!! Getting out is not pretty…….

Anyway, I replaced my regular seat in the cobra with a kirkey and it is a lot more comfortable than the standard cobra seats with no lateral support. If you get one and add some padding here and there so it fits you snug that should help a lot. You can also air down the tires a little if you are running 15s, and change out the shocks if its still too rough.

Hope you find a way to keep the cobra, S

[4Scargo]

If worse comes to worse....checkout Specialty Porsches in TN. They build a 356 clone with a mid mounted Subaru engine. Roll up windows, A/C, heat, automatic trans. You can get up to 300 plus HP. Probably install a newer P car seats in there and have the best of all worlds. Comfort/Performance/handling.

Not affiliated at all but would love to have one in my 'stable'.

[Luke427]

Hi folks,
Arvin, Ron, Keezling, The Nut, Tony... sorry to read about your problems as well.
I'm still relatively young (in my 40's) and had a bad accident 15 years ago. Am actually fit, but cannot sustain certain seating positions for more than a few minutes without dealing with aching and burning in my back and neck, which can lead to cramps in legs and feet, migraines, and sometimes even face hemiplegia. In addition to usual back pain of course.

So to answer Doug - getting in and out is fine. It's the seating position with little support, and the heavy steering that are problematic. I have been tracking cars recently, with bucket seats and didn't suffer from my back at all, so I know it's feasible.

Since I love working on the Cobra and still got a bit of tuning on the engine side which I plan to do Winter, I may give electric power steering a shot (had one on my race car and liked it).
As anyone gotten any experience with these?
EZ Electric Power Steering - American Powertrain

Then if conclusive I'll see if it can look good with a higher seat with better support, and then why not power brakes...

[xlr8or]

Luke,
You can make it work. I had L4-L5-S1 fused years ago and there are some cars I can't drive far at all without pain.
The Cobra is a bit unique in that the driving position is twisted because of the trans tunnel so your lower half goes one way and the upper half goes the other.
The fact that you can drive the other cars without pain means it is just a matter of proper seating position and support in the seat. Some simple and not so simple mods can improve the position. Modify the mounts on the seat and/or steering wheel so they more inline and then find a seat with proper support for you. In my Daytona Coupe I cut some foam supports and added them to a Kirkey seat and could drive it all day without more than a few minutes of discomfort when I got out. Then add the power steering for your shoulder.
I could drive my Cobra or Daytona longer and with less discomfort than I can my wifes current Honda just because the seat doesn't fit me properly.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Luke427

Hi folks,
Arvin, Ron, Keezling, The Nut, Tony... sorry to read about your problems as well.
I'm still relatively young (in my 40's) and had a bad accident 15 years ago. Am actually fit, but cannot sustain certain seating positions for more than a few minutes without dealing with aching and burning in my back and neck, which can lead to cramps in legs and feet, migraines, and sometimes even face hemiplegia. In addition to usual back pain of course.

So to answer Doug - getting in and out is fine. It's the seating position with little support, and the heavy steering that are problematic. I have been tracking cars recently, with bucket seats and didn't suffer from my back at all, so I know it's feasible.

Since I love working on the Cobra and still got a bit of tuning on the engine side which I plan to do Winter, I may give electric power steering a shot (had one on my race car and liked it).
As anyone gotten any experience with these?
EZ Electric Power Steering - American Powertrain

Then if conclusive I'll see if it can look good with a higher seat with better support, and then why not power brakes...

Being "fit" (not sure what the heck that means) is NOT the same thing as being flexible and optimizing your range of motion thru simple stretching exercises that strengthen ligaments, tendons, muscles, etc. in your entire body so that you can drive whatever kind of car you want.

Instead of spending money on your car, I suggest you spend some time doing "body work" on yourself. Sometimes even changing your diet can improve your health.

There was a time when I drove and got cramps in my legs and my back hurt. I was "fit" too.

[Luke427]

Thanks

Being "fit" (not sure what the heck that means) is NOT the same thing as being flexible

Yep, thanks for the advice. If fit doesn't mean much, call me athletic then. I do pull-ups and spinning daily in addition to weekly workout.
Believe it, I can jump in and out of the Cobra with no problem. Daytona or GT40 would be fine on that side. It's the seating position that can be terrible for my back (pinching nerves and creating pressure on spinal disks) and the hard steering is wearing too much on my shoulder (partial amputation of coracoid and missing ligaments).
I have been followed by a orthopedist, chiropractor and personal coach, and every doc that sees MRI or x-rays of my body call me a walking miracle! They all want to proceed with a bunch of surgeries to fix me but other than seating in some positions I'm really well. Also, techniques improves so I'm pushing as long as I can, monitoring regression especially on my back and I'll go with surgery when it sounds like the right time to do it.

For the story, I rolled a Miata multiple times through a ravine, braking two telephone posts and passing a cow fence. I think I'm as good as could be, it's been 15 years of dedication (including diet since you mention it) to stay healthy despite 23 bone fractures (including jaw and skull) a bunch of stitches and tong cut! I know my s..t

[Ron61]

Luke,

I have no problem with getting in and out of my Coupe and I just use the stock Factory Five racing seats as they are comfortable to me. I can't remember what seats I used in my Cobra Roadster but I ordered them from England and they had good back support. Like you, my problem is more in driving for a longer period of time and then the back starts hurting and I also have gotten leg cramps so bad I had to stop and get out. I haven't had that problem in the Coupe and I have gotten to old to race so I just drive it in the mountains for fun now.
Best of luck on finding some seats that will work for your particular problem as I know that all back problems aren't exactly the same.

Ron

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Luke427

Thanks


Yep, thanks for the advice. If fit doesn't mean much, call me athletic then. I do pull-ups and spinning daily in addition to weekly workout.
Believe it, I can jump in and out of the Cobra with no problem. Daytona or GT40 would be fine on that side. It's the seating position that can be terrible for my back (pinching nerves and creating pressure on spinal disks) and the hard steering is wearing too much on my shoulder (partial amputation of coracoid and missing ligaments).
I have been followed by a orthopedist, chiropractor and personal coach, and every doc that sees MRI or x-rays of my body call me a walking miracle! They all want to proceed with a bunch of surgeries to fix me but other than seating in some positions I'm really well. Also, techniques improves so I'm pushing as long as I can, monitoring regression especially on my back and I'll go with surgery when it sounds like the right time to do it.

For the story, I rolled a Miata multiple times through a ravine, braking two telephone posts and passing a cow fence. I think I'm as good as could be, it's been 15 years of dedication (including diet since you mention it) to stay healthy despite 23 bone fractures (including jaw and skull) a bunch of stitches and tong cut! I know my s..t

Again, running, spinning, swimming, basketball, softball, poker, hiking, etc. is NOT what I'm talking about. When you have aches, pains, soreness, cramps, whatever ailment, 99.99% of us do nothing about helping our bodies as they age. We lose muscle and become less flexible as we age. I'm talking about spending 15-30 minutes daily doing mobility, flexibility and range of motion exercises. Most people just don't understand that much of their physical problems (shoulders, calves, knees, elbows, ankles, etc.) can be cured just by doing some basic rolling and stretching.

My point here is to spend money on your body, not your Cobra.

[RodKnock]

I know spending some money on a new sportscar or maybe some new seats for your Cobra might seem like the easier thing to do, but I'll let you in on a little secret. READ THIS!

Spend the time and money on YOU. More effort in the short run, but a huge payoff in the long run. Or just ignore my opinion and live with the pain.

[Luke427]

lol

I should hire you each time the Veteran Affairs complain about a non accessible product. I'll tell them to fix their disabled users instead of trying to make products accessible

Anyway I have put my butt in a Kirkey this week-end, and the fact that it's 5" taller than the Cobra seats makes a huge difference. I realized it's the lack of support from around below the shoulder blades that's the main problem.

So looks like $500 for a good looking vintage-style Kirkey bucket seat and my life might be greatly improved Also it will be a bit safer and offers better lateral support.

I'll still investigate the electric steering.

Rodknock: my weekly workout is judo-jujitsu. I know about flexibility. My problem is mechanical - missing pieces of bones in some places, and extra cartilage in others... making some positions very hard to sustain.

[Ron61]

Luke,

I am glad that you found a seat that will work for you. Now you can continue to enjoy the Cobra and it will be much easier on your back.

Ron

[ray humbel]

I can relate to you 100% . I am thinking I guess it is time to sell my CSX4000. I hesitate because it took me a long time to work up to getting a real Shelby Cobra, it's not an original Cobra but it was built by Shelby in Las Vegas,. To me it is getting harder to drive. I used to drive my Cobras everywhere now I do not drive it very often. As much as it will be very hard for me to sell it it makes more sense to get something that is easier to drive. Now I spend more time looking at it than behind the wheel.

[Luke427]

Hi Ray,
Don't give-up!

I found a seat that's totally tolerable for my back and I'm investigating power steering. Once these two aspects are solved, I think I'll be good to drive it for a while (a long while I hope). Another interesting option could be brake booster, at least master vac to help. I hear other drivers complain about how hard brakes are to hit (however it doesn't bother me at this point).

Best,
Luke

[Ron61]

Ray,

As Luke said, look for options to make it easier on you to drive your Cobra. I am 75 and have days when I can't stand up straight because of my back, but I manage to get into the Coupe. I once thought of selling it but just didn't want to do so. Best of luck on whatever youm decide to do.

Ron

[Brastic]

I am sorry for your pain. I am doing the opposite right now. I am selling my E46 M3 and getting a Cobra. As much as I love the M3, it still is "too easy" on me. I miss having a car that you know when you are driving it.

[t walgamuth]

[quote=markiemark;1403249]my MK2 Came with mazda miata seats from a 1st generation and they were quite comfortable and were cloth so it felt better too. I just changed them to the Factory Five seats though. It's a pretty cheap option and definitely better on the back.[quote=markiemark;1403249]

Do you mean the miata seats are a cheap solution or the FF?

[Morris]

We put this in all of our seats for competition....

https://www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalo...?clickkey=4682

And you can layer it to work for all back situations......the pads are great for endurance racing......

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Morris

We put this in all of our seats for competition....

https://www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalo...?clickkey=4682

And you can layer it to work for all back situations......the pads are great for endurance racing......

Those look nice. Are they waterproof?