427 FE Cobra Street: MSD 6AL or AL2 ?

[AC Ventura]

Hmmm.....if Bearwolf is correct and on the Al 2 I can set the 1st step, not as a launcher, but as a switchable lower limit, that sounds just what I need. My kids drive powerful cars, but they have all the protection of modern fail safes. I don't want them trying out the Cobra and it ends badly. That's my reason for the limiter.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by AC Ventura

Hmmm.....if Bearwolf is correct and on the Al 2 I can set the 1st step, not as a launcher, but as a switchable lower limit, that sounds just what I need. My kids drive powerful cars, but they have all the protection of modern fail safes. I don't want them trying out the Cobra and it ends badly. That's my reason for the limiter.

I guess you're faced with a Ferris Bueller's Day Off scenario. I think if I had a Cobra, where every time I sat in the front seat the car whispered "I'm going to kill you" and I instructed the kids that they were NOT to ever touch it, and I didn't feel I could trust them to heed that order, then maybe I've got a bigger problem than a rev limiter should be expected to fix. I'd be certain that anyone that can figure out how to get the car out of the garage will figure out how to turn the switch for the limiter. It might be useful for a valet (and that is precisely what some valet keys do) but not much value otherwise.

[AC Ventura]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

I guess you're faced with a Ferris Bueller's Day Off scenario. I think if I had a Cobra, where every time I sat in the front seat the car whispered "I'm going to kill you" and I instructed the kids that they were NOT to ever touch it, and I didn't feel I could trust them to heed that order, then maybe I've got a bigger problem than a rev limiter should be expected to fix. I'd be certain that anyone that can figure out how to get the car out of the garage will figure out how to turn the switch for the limiter. It might be useful for a valet (and that is precisely what some valet keys do) but not much value otherwise.

The problem is you never know where the actual limit of accerator pedal travel is in a 500hp Cobra in 2nd gear. As Brian Angliss of Autokraft said “The 427 allows you to think that you’ve tamed it, but in reality you never can”
In a split second one can lose all control and by the time you realise it, your future is a matter of good or bad luck. 4 people in Germany died recently in two separate Cobra accidents, doing exactly that. I’m just trying to prevent that possibility. There’s a whole generation of kids that have never had to regain control of an out of shape and the Cobra sure isn’t the car to learn that on. It’s nothing to do with not trusting my kids, it’s to help protect them as we can’t tell them at what point the fun will stop.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by AC Ventura

The problem is you never know where the actual limit of accerator pedal travel is in a 500hp Cobra in 2nd gear. As Brian Angliss of Autokraft said “The 427 allows you to think that you’ve tamed it, but in reality you never can”
In a split second one can lose all control and by the time you realise it, your future is a matter of good or bad luck. 4 people in Germany died recently in two separate Cobra accidents, doing exactly that. I’m just trying to prevent that possibility. There’s a whole generation of kids that have never had to regain control of an out of shape and the Cobra sure isn’t the car to learn that on. It’s nothing to do with not trusting my kids, it’s to help protect them as we can’t tell them at what point the fun will stop.

I used to drive a Ford van with a 138" wheelbase. Not much power, but it had a limited slip rear end and I loved seeing the looks on people's faces when I drifted that thing in the winter. Long wheelbase and easy to control when sideways.

A Cobra with more way power and a short wheelbase is a totally different beast. You have to be on your 'A' game all the time and, as you noted, not the car to learn on.

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by AC Ventura

Hmmm.....if Bearwolf is correct and on the Al 2 I can set the 1st step, not as a launcher, but as a switchable lower limit, that sounds just what I need. My kids drive powerful cars, but they have all the protection of modern fail safes. I don't want them trying out the Cobra and it ends badly. That's my reason for the limiter.

The lower limit can be used for either a launch limit, or an engine power limiter while driving, depends on how you wire it to whatever switch you like.
The engine won't pull past the limit, since it will continue to misfire randomly at the cut rpm.
The randomly misfiring starts before the chosen rpm by dropping one or two, then however many it needs to keep the rpm stable.

Wide open throttle on the dragstrip while the cut is occurring, then only needs the clutch or brake pedal released timed correctly.
Once you get to know how hard your car can launch, then reaction and 60ft times improve.

Of course for a street car, there are limits as to how high you would set the low rpm limiter.

Gary