Ways To Make A Cobra Safer

[Carroll DeWeese]

I agree that driver training is critical. Everyone who owns a Cobra should factor the cost of a high performance driving school into the cost of the car as a given. ALWAYS treat the Cobra with respect. Anyone driving a Cobra is basically driving a street legal race car among cars and drivers that are are mpre variable and more unpredictable than on a race track. PREVENTION and ANTICIPATION are keys to staying out of trouble. If something can go wrong, it probably will go wrong at some point.

Even though I do not plan to race my car (other than time trials and autocross), I installed a racing fuel cell in my car. I am concerned that someone will ram my car in the rear. Cobras have better brakes than most any car behind them. A Cobra does not have a spare tire to add protection in a crash from the rear. Thus Cobras are vunerable from fuel tank fires when rear ended. I also have full racing harness for both driver and passenger. Anyone riding with me will have to wear their harness. I also installed dual roll bars. What is good for the driver is good for the passenger. When building your Cobra, think of the safety of both driver and passenger. Again, PREVENTION is more important than any reaction after the fact.

If safety is an absolute priority, use these cars for show only. Do not drive or start them. You could build one for "safety" but it would not look or handle like an "original" replica. Or you could buy a "new" car. You can not match a modern, new production car for crush zones, air bags, etc.

I love these cars. I hope that the people that drive them will never drive them over their skill level. It does not take too many abuses and accidents to spoil the fun for all of us. We do not need the social police on our backs.