What's It Like to Drive 600hp?

[scottj]

W. MITTY ,
600+ HP in a Cobra is not what I would consider a “Plug n Play” device, at least not when it’s used for the track or other “spirited “ cornering.

Initially, on the throttle off corners, my car moved around a lot and was unpredictable. The solution was to either not push the car (some would refer to this as driving smart) or to fix the problems (my definition of driving smart).

The solution(s) to being able to use the power was much more than a matter of bolting on big sticky tires. I have Vette suspension so working with Dick Guldstrand and Doug Rippie, I made extensive modifications to the suspension. All pieces, such as trailing arms, toe rods, camber rods, and sway bar links were replaced with rod ends, swedged tubes and billet mounting hardware(which I believe the Kirkham alreadt has). Components and mounting locations in the rear were modified to change the camber gain and bumpsteer and all rubber bushings, front and rear were replaced with bearings or nylon. Additionally, spring rates, dampers, alignment setting and weight distribution are geared more towards acceleration off corners than ultimate skid pad grip. As Guldstrand put it, “power becomes more of a problem than a benefit when you can’t hook it up". He encouraged me to think “outside the box” when setting it up.

The point is, if you take the time to set it up, the power can be used and it will be an absolute BLAST!
Scott