Cobras and reliability

[DrC]

I am soon to be a cobra owner and with my excitment I still have some trepidation. I'm doing some of the build myself less the engine, tranny, rearend and body on frame. I'm using people for these aspects of the build who are very reliable, came with great references and I trust completly.
When I go on long trips with my other vehicles (one being a Suburban) I wouldn't think twice about a 400 mile trek. But for some reason I have in the back of my mind that the cobra would't be good for a trip like that. Something could go wrong and leave me on the side of the road. I think my concerns stem from this being a new endevor and never owned something like this. Once I'm finished my build I have a guy locally who services original cobras and fabricates replica cobras who will look it over for me.
So my question laid out for discussion is "do I have a concern or is it all in my head?".
Thanks for the replies.

[Excaliber]

It is "all in your head". All though most Cobra owners don't put a lot of miles on their car, others do!

Hal Copple and his SPF come to mind, over 50K last I heard and ultra reliable. He runs an Olthoff 351 W. The key is building the right engine and selecting the right components. For "distance driving" you don't want to radical a motor and keep the compression ratio below or at 10 to 1 or so (hard to find "race gas" on that highway trip). I would not use a roller solid lifter either. It's going to be as reliable as the parts you select.

Seats and foot box are key components for long drives also. Use plenty of sound and thermal insulation, like "dynamat". Go for some quality seats, Classic Roadster (Don Scott) has about the best seats available. I like a "dead pedal" for resting my left foot on, lots of replicas don't come with one. Get a soft top, side windows optional. Just the soft top alone is generally all you need.

Unless, like my friend, planning a CROSS COUNTRY trip with your Cobra. In that case I would go with side windows. Heater/defroster would be nice also (for those LONG trips in questionable weather). If I was building a serious "daily commuter" and "long trip" replica I would consider a Classic Roadster. A little longer and wider and yet retains the good looks and superior quality of a nice replica.

But a standard size will be fine. My cross country friend did it with his wife in a Mid States with a 351 Cleveland, top loader and 9" live axle rear. He's got over a 100K on his! I would opt for IRS myself, with it's improved ride quality.

I would also choose a 351 Windsor, possibly a built 302. But even a Big Block (427 FE) would do you a fine job built "right". Additional gas and heat would be the major drawbacks to really long hauls with a Big Block.

With it't small trunk I've seen some guys use a "trunk mounted rack" for carrying additional gear. I don't think I would go that way, but it's an option. Think of the Cobra like a BIG highway motorcycle. Travel light and plan carefully your luggage, it CAN be done. I feel comfortable enough in my ERA with it's newly rebuilt "street" 427 FE to ship it to the mainland and head out to New York City in a,,, well,,,,, New York minute!

Ernie

[DrC]

Ernie,

Great advice. I decided to go with a 390. Though I don't think I will be going on long trip, just the knowledge that I could makes me feel better. As you did I'm going with an ERA. I think those guys know a thing or two or a thousand when it comes to durable, reliable and peace of mind cobras.

Thanks again,

Rich

[mj_duell]

I believe your answer lies in the quality of the build and the builders as well as how performance bent you are. If solid builders construct your motor, tranny, wiring and body, and the suspension is set up properly, then that's half the battle. The other half is in how far you went as far as performance. The farther you travel up the horse power curve and the more complex the motor, the more likely a chance for a problem to arise. Your Suburban makes you feel comfortable about reliability because engineers designed it within parameters that would allow good road manners, good performance and good reliability. Certain things were probably compromised, like additional performance, in order to do this. My Cobra was built with performance first, reliability second and gas mileage third. I take the old Harley approach to long trips in it. If it breaks, have the tools and parts to fix it. If I wanted a long distance Cobra I would have gone with a modern day small block with fuel injection, not a 60's giant chuck of metal (428FE) with a barely streetable cam. That's my $.02



--Mike

[DrC]

Mike,

You made me realize I have a suburban for long trips. I want a car to have fun in. Performance is fun. So I think I got my answer.

Thanks

Rich

[Excaliber]

Rich, any plans for a soft top for yours?

I'm considering it, for the relentless SUN SHINE we have here. In many ways I still miss my "first born" replica, an Excalibur. Much like a Classic Roadster, same size, specs, seats, etc. AND a great soft top, which I used a LOT (sun).

Eventually I just HAD to pursue something a little more "accurate", like the ERA with IRS and a Big Block. And very happy with it, night and day difference. But I could see myself coming full circle at some point and going back to an Excalibur. Yeah, I liked it that much! Maybe with Air Conditioning too (having said that I need to wash my mouth out with soap).

Still close friends with they guy that bought mine, in fact I drove it again just the other day. Man I miss that car, starts right up, never over heats, roomy and comfortable, 100% reliable, good gas mileage. I wonder if he would consider a trade....

[mikiec]

DrC.

I have over 33K miles in the past 4 years. Many, many runs to California and Nevada. I have no problem jumping in and going all day.

Mike

[Bill Wells]

I think Hal Copple has overf 85,000 miles on his SPF now, quite an accomplishment and that includes hundreds of miles of track time and strip time in addition to daily driver usage and 1,000 + one way mile trips.

any car can break down, but hopefully it is during the debugging process when new. carry a AAA PLUS RV card ( 100 miles of flatbed towing included) and a cell phone, just in case. basic tools and selected spare parts helps too...

I have had many several hundred mile treks in my car , rain and shine , and always made it home. My occasional break downs were early on ...and were near my home...and were attributed to a gremlin ground issue once, a bad electric fuel pump once , a carb that went bad once and a distributer problem once. NO biggie, just a frustration at the time. I could limp home on two of these occasions, and was towed the other 2 times.

I recently returned from a Cobra outing in the Ozarks in southern MO and northern AR, 40 cars with only one mishap- a u-joint problem on one car. Many drove 1000 +/- one way to get there with NO mishaps. Then they slithered the back roads of the Ozarks for 3 days and drove home, no mishaps or breakdowns. Once you get it sorted out, and the build was a quality build for the car ( if not a roller ) with quality new components...and the engine /driveline was of qualitiy parts and assembly , you should be ok. Most of the breakdowns I have heard about were engine/trans issues,not car issues..again,the quality of the build/install is the key.

Rain or shine ? hey, a top and side curtains saves the day many times. they still leak in places, but keep you on the road if you have no other choice.
'
Yep, any car, new or old, can break down- same with these toy cars. It is part of the ownership experience... just like 1000 hour rated light bulbs, some fail at 100 hr and some last 1200 hours, go figure.....these are the same at times. but, for the smiles to the miles, GO4IT ...get your car and enjoy it. Bill.

[klayfish]

DrC,
Assuming the mechanical parts going in are good quality, the car will be as reliable as a "normal" car. Just bring a fully charged cell phone.

Your answer is dead on. A car to have fun with. I'm sure you could do a long drive with it if you had to. You could also trailer the car with your Suburban if you had an extra long trip and wanted the Cobra with you.

Hope to see out at some of our events soon!!

Steve

[trularin]

Once you get all the bugs worked out, you'll be okay.

Put 140 miles on mine on Sunday. I carry a small assortment of tools ( very small ) and a cell phone with a AAA card in my pocket.

If you are going over night or for a few days ( London car show ), pack for three days. You can do the laundry every other day if you have to. Carry quarters. Stop about every two hours and stretch.

Just suggestions

[rob frink]

DrC,

Like Bill Wells said....I was one the cars in the Osarks last month. That weekend put just over 1600 miles on the car....through sun, rain and snow. The trip to Branson from Columbus was 12hrs of solid driving...stopping only for gas and food.

Yes, the cars can be very dependable! They are typically built with modern production components such as CV joints, rear ends, trannies...etc. The auto industry is producing quality and performance better today than ever before....so once your car is sorted...you can expect many miles from the perishable components.

On the other hand...cobras are only a little more practical than a motorcycle. If it rains...you'll get wet...even with the top. You can't pack a ton of supplies....you won't have a spare tire...etc. This adds to the "adventure " of the trip. The cobra is not as comfortable as your family haulers. For me....I wear ear plugs on long trips. I'm sure 8-12hrs of road noise and exhaust rumble is damaging to my hearing....but again...that's part of the adventure.

So when you take your new Cobra out ....think of it as "adventure" .......not a run of the mill trip to grandma's. And be prepared for anything...from changing sparkplugs, patching a flat tire, retighting headers...to phoning for a flatbed.

Have fun with it....drive it... have an adventure!!!

Have fun!

-Rob

[DrC]

Everyone has made great points. Like I stated earlier I want to have fun and I will assure you all I will. Now here is the toughest question of all. How do I occupy my time seeing I have another 8 weeks until my car arrives? The wait is KILLING me.

[RICK LAKE]

DrC Welcome to the Cobra club and the ERA family. We are all over the northeastern area. What trans are you going with? What gear ratio also. These are important for these long drives you are talking about. Kit Car show is in 2 weeks on May 20-22. You may want to stop by Say Hi and look at what is in other people's cars. You may want to go with a 6spd nash and a 3.07 or 3.31 gear for the car. This will give you the best of both worlds. Era sits are well padded but you will need to stop every couple of hours to get a break. Watch out for the Wavers Ask for extra insulation in the compartment, heater, and ear plugs. Need to talk call any evening Rick Lake 732-254-3536 ERA makes great solid cars that ride well. Long trips are no problem, bring a poncho in the glove box. Rick Lake

[HI Cobra]

DrC,

As you have seen, you have gotten a lot of good experienced advice here.

Now, what to do for the next 8 weeks? Research more info on your Cobra
in the mean time - you can do search here on ERA's and get a wealth of
history, information on maintenance, different options available, etc. Not
only will you have a lot of fun with the Cobra, but with the friends you will
meet through here you will open a whole new world. Enjoy!

[DrC]

thanks Rick,

That's one of the best welcomes I had since going on CC. I thank you for your generosity and believe you me I'll be calling once the build begins. On Peter P suggestion I went with a 390 fe with a toploader 4 speed 3.31 gear ratio. I decided on the toploader to keep some originality and the 390 because the 427 SO or TO was out of budget. The 390 and 427 share same block so I will upgrade in future ( at least thats the idea now).

Thanks again for the welcome. I'll be talking to you in the future. Your new ERA friend.

Rich

[rdorman]

Not only can they be reliable, but they can be easy to work on.
Rick

[Dwight]

I build my Cobra and have driven from North Alabama to Ohio twice, averaged 19 mpg on the last trip. My little 5.0 was hitting 82-84 mph on Main St in London, Ohio.
When you first get your Cobra take short trip to shake it down and then 100 mile trips, ect. Cell phone, credit card and a phone number of a tow truck. Hit the road and have fun. You get to meet new people when and if you break down!


DWIGHT

SEE YA IN OHIO IN JUNE

[rdorman]

Way to go there Dwight! My first test drive was 2000 miles!
Rick

[DrC]

Rick,

Can you tell me more about the kit car show on May 20 - 22? Where and possibly address so I can get directions on mapquest.

[RICK LAKE]

DrC Rich If you go to Carlisle Shows it should give you everything you need. Exit 6 of the PA turnpike I think. Great show,nice people ask alot of questions. As for the trans, Call me in the evening, we can talk. You only see the shifter in the car and it will look orignial. Pete will build you a nice tork motor, but about 14-18 mpg with the trans you are talking about, over 20 mpg with overdrive trans. We can Talk, later