Since i posted about Chris' and my trip down the measured mile sat, doing right at 147 mph from a standing start, i have gotten to wondering how fast other replicas are, top speed. I am aware of the reputed and disputed 197 mph done by the Cobra (Dick Smith?) years ago, of course. When the course marshal asked me what i thought i would do at one mile, i told him low 140's, a guess. But i am running a five speed tremec, .68 fifth, 3.73 rear, but ran on the substantially smaller Hoosier slicks, which gave a more advantageous gearing.
While my car was accelerating as it went thru the two timing lights, i really do feel my top speed, my car, about a 460 hp Stroked Windsor, is about 155. Perhaps with a TKO II, with a .80 fifth, it might run faster, getting more up in the power band, i think i was at about 5000 rpm in fifth. I have been reading some of the old, contemporary road tests, they often claim a top speed of about 165 mph for the 427 cars. But they never actually timed them. Just guessed, perhaps.
It starts to take a lot of power to add those extra mph, so i think that it takes a whole lot more power to go say 165 to my est. 155. Or faster, even.
So has anybody out there with a non-full on race Cobra or replica, done a true accurately measured top speed, or a timed one mile run? Not something read off the car's speedo.
By the way, it was scary to me, so it is not something i would want to do often, or much faster.
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Hal Copple
Stroked SPF
"Daily Driver"
IV Corps 71-72, Gulf War
Cobra Make, Engine: NAF 289 FIA, 347 stroker with Weber 48's, building a '48 Anglia gasser, driving a '55 Chevy resto-rod
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No timed run here but last year at the school Vic and I went to, I chumped out about 115-120 on the back straight at SIR--or whatever they call it now--my wife hit 140--speedo speed on both runs--fast enough for me--instructor in the car coaching us thru the course--call me a chicken$hit--cluck-cluck
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Cobra Make, Engine: NAF replica, 351W, about 420 HP
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135 on the speedo AND the electronic timer/speedo under the dash....felt like there was a lot more....pretty smooth, not too much drama!
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Edley, The Cobra Rogue!
"If you think that you can cut it, if you think you got the time, you'll only get just one chance, better get it right first time. 'Cause in this game you're playing, if you lose you got to pay, and if you make just one wrong move, you'll get BLOWN AWAY. Expect no mercy.
I regularly hit about 120 at the end of the straight at the race track. I'm not sure there is a lot left with the current gearing and horse power. Very stable, feels fine. I've never looked at the rpm (a little busy you know) but I know the motor is SCREAMING.
By the way, Dick Smith was clocked at 198. AASUMING 30 inch tires and 2.9X gear that works out to about 6300 rpm with his 427 S.O. It was mentioned he ran some "tall" tires. I just figured with the "growth factor" at speed of a 29" tire I'd use 30" for the calculation.
Anyone got any idea if todays tires do in fact "grow" at high speed? I understand they DID "back in the day".
Hal, what speed rating do your tires have, by the way? I saw some video of tires being tested on a machine at high speed, it's amazing how distorted they get!
Ernie
Last edited by Excaliber; 10-01-2003 at 12:14 AM..
I was at the DVSFIII cruising between events on the highway and hit the gas--no cars around, and the radar detector on-----got to 130mph before backing off but the car was STILL PULLING strong--what a ride
When Turk, Pat (with U2) and I came back from VICE through Death Valley, the two big blocks took off on the slightly downhill straight into Lone Pine below Mt. Whitney. I was doing an indicated 145 with my 5 spd 351C Butler when I finally caught up with them (they were backing off a little by then). Uneventful at that speed, and I had more to go, but I was taking one-handed pictures at the time. From driving the Butler for miles and miles on our long trips, I do not think it was an overly optimistic speedometer, if at all. Turk and Pat must've been pulling above 150, with Pat pulling Turk a bit. This was about a ten mile run on a empty wide road.
PAT was going.........really fast! 150+ I make it.
I have YET to find an auto math calculator site I like!!! Why is it you can get DIFFERENT answers using the same equation with different calculators from different sites??!! AHhgrgghhddd,,,,,I'm steamed!
Heres an equation that sounds "promising" however!
Draw a line on your tire, draw a mathcing line on the ground. Roll your car ahead until the line on the tire has made a full turn. Draw a second line on the ground to match the tire line. Divide by "pi" 3.14. This is the size of the tire in inches, at REST, you HAVE to figure SOME growth rate I'm sure (uh,,,,,I think I'm sure)!
Thanks to Archimedes for figuring out "Pi" a couple thousand years ago.
135 MPH according to speedo on a 2 mile stretch of lonely road near my house!!
It felt very stable and then I thought about the "Mickey Mouse" windshield attachments as well as the lack of safety equipment and the probability of "Instant Death" if riding through the trees at 100+ MPH!!!!
I slowed to a sensible 60-70 and haven't done that again!!
Iwould like to try it on a measured mile but haven't had the opportunity.......besides it's more fun to wonder what the limits are!!
My speedo isn't accurate, as I have not changed it's gear since going from 2.73s to 3.73s, so I can only make a rough guess.
I backed off at about 120 mph at Pocono Raceway. My speedo needle was buried past 140, it looked impressive!! The car was still pulling pretty hard, and the engine was turning around 3600 rpm, maybe a little more (too busy looking ahead at the upcoming turn). I have a 351W with T5 trans and 17" wheels.
Steve
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excalibur,
Dick Smith had the closed course official on speed, but top speed was timed by SCTA in 1967 in a car owned K.L. Doheney for Union Oil at the salt flats 221.4 two way average. I'll try to find the old timing record, since I got this out of some handwritten notes from 1970.
Don't know of any official speed above that for any of the old fellas, COBRAs that is. I think it was a narrow hip 427 car with a single four barrel with a weird air intake trough.
I kinda watched the years top speed runs for production type cars since a neighbor had the production car record in 1960 in a Ford Starliner just like the one I drove in 1960 except for color.
grumpy
Originally posted by grumpy excalibur,
top speed was timed by SCTA in 1967 in a car owned K.L. Doheney for Union Oil at the salt flats 221.4 two way average.
I would love to know what aerodynamic changes were done in 1967 to keep the front end on the ground at that speed. Any more information or pictures?
I saw a picture in an old hot rod mag with a cobra on the salt flats. It had a lower air dam on the front and what I think was tape over the opening in the scoop. I f I remember the picture it also had really narrow tires.
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Tohmer
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" JFK
how fast have you gone??
How Fast
PAT was going.........really fast! 150+ I make it.
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