Picking up my car on Wed. morning! What tape for emblem attachment?

tritoncobra · #1 (**permalink**) 11-22-2003, 09:43 AM

T-minus 4 days until I pick up my Cobra for her maiden voyage (900 miles) to Western Iowa! This is going to be insane..

A few questions -

1. If it starts raining, am I safe continuing the drive with the soft top up?

2. If it starts snowing, any ideas of good places I could keep the car while I wait it out? I might have to go around residential neighborhoods pleading for a garage spot..

3. What type of double sided tape works best for the emblem attachment? Does this really look good? I picture an emblem held on by tape bouncing around on bumps or flapping in the wind.. God forbid having one fall off.

foothills gary · #2 (**permalink**) 11-22-2003, 10:25 AM

Congratulations,Tritoncobra!Which Cobra did you end up getting?Will you be driving alone?I would search the internet for hotels that have their own parking garages,along your route.That way the car will be protected from the elements,as well as from theft and vandalism.You might as well celebrate in deluxe accomodations,as a road trip like this doesn't happen every day.Take pictures along the way for the gallery,and keep us posted on your daily progress!It sounds like great fun to me!

tritoncobra · #3 (**permalink**) 11-22-2003, 10:38 AM

Thanks Gary, yep I'll be alone unless one of my friends decides to go at the last minute. I'll be giving a lot of rides to family and friends in Iowa when I get home though.

I got a Titanium/Black SPF Cobra from Dynamic Motorsports in Ohio, loaded with the good stuff, a 485 HP 351W from Eric at Performance Engineering, and a nice Alpine/JL system with the head unit hidden in the glovebox.

Good idea on the hotels with covered parking.. unfortunately I'm not sure I've ever seen one in Iowa, even in the cities..! I'll look around though.

It's supposed to be between 40 and 55 for most of my trip - where in that range can I expect to have to put on the tonneau/soft top? I'll be bundled up pretty well.

foothills gary · #4 (**permalink**) 11-22-2003, 11:02 AM

With the heater on,I don't think you will really be that cold.Wind (and rain) pretty much blow right over you.I used to drive my car with the top down in the winter in N.Ca. with temps in the 40's and was never aware of being cold.Dress like you would for winter outdoor sports such as sking or cycling, with a wicking base layer to keep your skin dry,jersey,polartec vest and a windproof light jacket with ventilation in back or under arms.And of course a wool beanie!The car sounds outstanding-titanium,in my opinion is SPF's best color.Don't think you will ever get tired of looking at that combo.

Bill Wells · #5 (**permalink**) 11-22-2003, 12:50 PM

congrats on the car...top up. side curtains in place and you will be toasty roasty if you find the tonneau cover or topless to be not enough protection if you get too cold. make sure they show you the proper top installation procedure, and best to do it when it is warm as vinyl shrinks in the cold and can be at times contakerous to stretch in place.

if the tonneau is in place then remember the side over the door will flop in the breeze so put some masking tape on top of hte door area directly under the tonneau. easy to remove and no marring from whipping tonneau as it flaps in the breeze at speed.

if it snows , park it, as those wide tires will be oily skidaroo...careful in the rain/ wet til you get used to the car and be cautious of signs of hydroplaning, which can happen depending on speed, water on road and road surfaces. you always like the front end to arrive pointed in the right direction.

one of those 'anti fog' sprays or 'mitts' is helpful too in certain conditions to keep the moisture/fog off the inside of the window. also, put a good layer of Rain-X on the outside of the windshield, then over 35 mph you wont need those dinky wipers.

take some towels with you should it rain, water seems to find its way in...just smile at those smiling at you as they would rather be in your car than their dry warm family vehicle, right ?

enjoy the shakedown cruise ...be safe, have fun ! bill.

DonC · #6 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 09:11 AM

Triton:
You might try getting a hold of Hal Copple. He uses his SPF as a daily driver and, if I remember correctly, has the soft top, tonneau etc. that is used during inclement weather.
I belief Hal or someone else mentioned adding a strip of the 3M proterctor material in the areas where the tonneau and the top contact the body so as not to damage the paint by abrasion when the top and tonneau vibrate in the slip stream.
Good luck with your break-in ride. I'm due to get my ERA next summer and, as of now, the plan is to have it shipped to Denver for about 5 days of sorting out and then driving it the remaining 1200 miles to Portland, OR. Only planning on about 300 miles a day since I think anything longer in the new stage would probably toast me.
Again, bets of luch.
DonC

Bill Wells · #7 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 09:25 AM

don c, good point tool

other temporary materials to use where the top or tonneau hits the body in addition to masking tape is saran wrap or static cling products. dr semko suggests dr schol's foot corn pad protectors as i recall for installation around the 'lift a dots' on the body. the 3M type of materials are normally more permanent in application vs easy on / off for only when the top is used . i also use one of the above temporary protectors for the top of the doors for when the side curtains are in place, as well as the body in front of the side curtains going toward the windshield post. easier to mess with protectors and clean up than it is marred paint that can happen when nothing is there to protect it. Hal can better answer 3M type of material and its permancy vs on/off as i have no experience with it. again, good luck. bill.

TerrysSPF · #8 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 11:50 AM

Triton: Congrats on the new car! Sounds like fun getting it home......Eric DOES have an enclosed trailor, you know! Maybe he can give you a good price on shipping it! If not........stay warm. You definately want to bring some towells and apply the rain-x (I have it on our family cars and it really does work). I've never had to use the wipers on the car, but I would say that they are pretty much useless (by just looking at them). Do you have any Thinsulate clothing (like for skiing)? Don't forget gloves, ......and a TIGHT FITTING hat!! You may want to pick up a can of "Fix-a-flat" as well......just in case.
The newer soft tops are a lot better than the older models and seem to go up much easier (and stay on better too!). The old ones would come off around 65-70 mph, and they were next to impossible to get on! You shouldn't have that kind of problem with yours......but you may want them to show you how to install it before you leave Dynamic. Or.......scrape up a few more bucks for the hard top!

bnewell · #9 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 12:21 PM

Great choice of cars and colors!!

Brian

p.s. have Eric H. deliver it

jhein · #10 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 12:44 PM

I agree with Brian, great choice of car and color, I would add engine, engine builder, and dealer too!

I would have Eric deliver it considering the time of year and your location. I live in central Wisconsin and I am having him pick up my car this week (I think) while his driver is up in this area delivering a car to a customer in Chicago. So Eric's driver will be up in this neck of the woods anyway and his trailer will take 3 cars I believe. My car is going to Dynamic for some work and storage while I am in a little transition here getting ready to move to Tennessee.

By the way, you're going to love your car! As you see I have the exact same setup.

If you decide to drive, be careful! Oh, one more thing, sometimes the fuel gauges on these cars are not all that accurate. With my motor I get about 12 mpg depending on how I drive, although we have nearly the same setup I think Eric is using a 750cfm carb now (650 on my motor) so your mileage may vary. I would use your odometer as a fuel gauge. Stop after 50-100 miles, fill it up and see what kind of mileage your getting, then you can use this as a guide as far as miles per tank that you can expect. Running out of gas on the highway on a cold rainy day would definitely fall into the "this really sucks" category!

John
spf1421 titanium/black 351w by pref. eng.

tritoncobra · #11 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 12:50 PM

Haha, I appreciate your collective plea to have my car delivered.. but c'mon - if you had a chance to drive your Cobra for the FIRST TIME in three days, would you risk a little adverse weather and go for it.. or have it trailered there and wait another month (if not until next spring) to drive it??? haha.. I know you all have an adventerous spirit to even own a Cobra in the first place.

Quote:

Originally posted by jhein

By the way, you're going to love your car! As you see I have the exact same setup.

If you decide to drive, be careful! Oh, one more thing, sometimes the fuel gauges on these cars are not all that accurate. With my motor I get about 12 mpg depending on how I drive, although we have nearly the same setup I think Eric is using a 750cfm carb now (650 on my motor) so your mileage may vary. I would use your odometer as a fuel gauge. Stop after 50-100 miles, fill it up and see what kind of mileage your getting, then you can use this as a guide as far as miles per tank that you can expect. Running out of gas on the highway on a cold rainy day would definitely fall into the "this really sucks" category!

John
spf1421 titanium/black 351w by pref. eng.

John, wow you have great taste.

GREAT advice on the mileage, I forgot to ask about that. I will fill up the tank, drive 80 miles, and calculate my mileage. The tank is 17 gallons, correct? So I would expect about 200-300 miles per tank.

jhein · #12 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 12:57 PM

I have the fuel cell which is 17 gal. I usually fill the tank when I get up to 140 - 150 miles. I will typically get about 12 mpg but it can go much lower depending on how I've been driving. The only time I ever ran out of gas I had 143 miles on the odometer, good thing I was sitting in my driveway at the time.

John
spf1421

jhein · #13 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 01:03 PM

Originally posted by tritoncobra:

Haha, I appreciate your collective plea to have my car delivered.. but c'mon - if you had a chance to drive your Cobra for the FIRST TIME in three days, would you risk a little adverse weather and go for it.. or have it trailered there and wait another month (if not until next spring) to drive it??? haha.. I know you all have an adventerous spirit to even own a Cobra in the first place.

My honest answer is I would trailer it. I guess this proves that I am far from the most adventurous person around.

John
spf1421

tritoncobra · #14 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 01:07 PM

You would trailer it because of the weather? The risk of snow or just the cold temperature?

Am I underestimating the difficulty of driving a Cobra over such a long distance? Will I lose my hearing??

bnewell · #15 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 02:27 PM

IMHO.........1st time driving the cobra + 485 HP + possible bad/cold weather + cold/wet pavement + sh!t for tires (I'm assuming) = a disaster waiting to happen.

Ever try ice skating with a pair of roller skates on??

Brian

Lowell W · #16 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 02:44 PM

Triton,

Eric finished my car almost exactly a year ago. I debated driving it home vs. taking a trailer to pick it up vs. having Eric deliver it and decided to have it delivered. It arrived on December 1, a cold day threatening snow. My greatest concern was snow and rain; not the cold. With the soft top up and the heater on, you'll be cozy in a winter coat in the 40's with no problem. I wouldn't bother with the tonneau cover: it flaps a lot at highway speeds and doesn't really keep you warm. If it's nice out, go topless; if it's cold, put up the top. The tonneau is for nice weather when you want to hide the stuff in your car or keep off the dust, rain showers, etc. I have the fuel cell also and stop for gas about every 150 miles. On a long trip, I drive an hour, stop for a break, drive another hour and gas up. I've never driven my car in the snow, but it does get squirrelly in heavy rain at highway speeds. I know exactly how you feel and was deeply disappointed when it became apparent I wouldn't be able to drive my new car home but, in retrospect, spending $500 or so to have my car delivered was a good decision. My advice is to check the weather and if you think you can depend on having two days of no rain or snow, it should be an enjoyable trip. If you look at the weather report and have any misgivings, either wait it out or have Eric deliver the car. Congratulations and good luck. You'll love the car.

BTW: What route are you planning to take?

misfit41 · #17 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 02:49 PM

Hi Triton.

BIG congrats on your spf,,such a great car,and 485 HP ! wow,,hold on,,
I am pretty adventurous,actually some say down right nuts,but from east Ohio to the great midwest,I would definately trailer it,there are so many possibilities,weather being the biggest one,you can pull an open 16 or 18 ft car trailer with a regular pickup which you could rent or borrow ,you still get all the thumbs up and the "cobra" thrill with out weather and traffic woes,ANYTHING can happen in november,and there is something to be said for being used to the car,the first drive should be "no drama".
either way enjoy the car,just my opinion,,Tk

jhein · #18 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 03:59 PM

Triton,

Believe me, I can appreciate how you feel about driving the car. I can still remember the way I felt when it was so close.

Now that I've had the car for a while and have some miles on it, I'll say with caution that it's not as ill tempered a car to drive as I was afraid of. BUT that's after 15 months and 5000 miles of driving that I say that. I have no idea about your experience, ability, etc. but for me, I was much more comfortable learning to drive my 480 hp, 2500 lb car in good weather in familiar surroundings. If you're comfortable with it, right on, you da man! If you have good weather and no other trouble, you'll have a great trip and you won't be able to get the smile off your face for at least a week! On the other hand if stuff goes wrong it'll really suck. It just depends on your risk tolerence. I went through the same decision in the month of August and I picked delivery. Just the way I am. Anyway, whatever you do I hope it works out! and no matter what you ARE going to love the car!

John
spf1421

Lowell W · #19 (**permalink**) 11-23-2003, 04:06 PM

TK,

I considered the open trailer option too. I thought I'd put on a car cover and tie it down but was strongly advised against doing that. In the end, I figured if it snowed my new car would be a mess on an open trailer by the time I got home. Also, if it started to snow or rain, the likelihood of my getting in an accident would increase. I decided I'd rather spend $500 for someone else to be responsible for the car under those conditions. I have trailered my car a short distance on an open trailer in nice weather but used an enclosed trailer for long distances. The enclosed trailer is too big to pull with a car or 1/2 ton pickup, though.

Bottom line: Don't take chances with a new $50,000 car!

Zoom This · #20 (**permalink**) 12-12-2003, 12:10 PM

Well, if you haven't attached your emblem(s) to your new car, I had great success using the 3M double sided tape on my SPF. I bought a packet of 4-5 squares that are 2" square in size, partially cut at the factory into 4 equal 1 inch squares. I pulled off one side of the tape and carefully laid my Cobra emblem squarely in the middle of the 2 inch square from the packet. Take a very sharp exacto knife and cut around the emblem as you hold it down onto a cutting board. Pull away the waste and take the exacto blade and neatly cut around the edge of the emblem at an angle so the tape doesn't show readily after the emblem is applied to the car trunk or hood. Remember, you only have one try to get it straight and true once you put it down. Looks fine and it saved me drilling holes and using barrell nuts to hold down the emblem. I just couldn't make myself drill into that beautiful paint.