Ok, here is another can of worms

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by BT SNAKE

Not an issue here Rod... I ain't never gonna own a lectric car. Not as long as there is oil.
I knew about the Kirkham tanks. I don't think Ren..auh I mean Stimpy has decided a 100% on a Kirkham yet.
I have a 350Z. Luv driving it but it's two different worlds compared to a Cobra regardless of make.
The Cobra is the switchblade of knives, The Grizzly of bears and the best thrill ride you will ever have on a track.

Hersh

I was speaking more to Ren's original post re: gas mileage. I mean, even the small blocks aren't gas sippers. Granted the gas mileage on average probably tends to be worse with a big block, all things being equal, but I would never make the gas mileage a part of my Cobra purchase decision. But that's me. We're all different.

I need more power Scotty!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I need more power Scotty!

Uhh, tell the truth -- have you ever put your throttle pedal completely to the floor and held it there for three seconds or more (with the car running, that is)?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Uhh, tell the truth -- have you ever put your throttle pedal completely to the floor and held it there for three seconds or more (with the car running, that is)?

That's between me and my...., I guess just me.

But for the cost and the amount of fabrication to do, there would be a SOHC engine in my car.

Insert Full Throttle Al's Weber-ized SOHC engine here.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Insert Full Throttle Al's Weber-ized SOHC engine here.

... and Ernie usually cuts in right about now and points out how he increased the enjoyment of his Cobra my shaving a hundred horsepower off the engine build.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

... and Ernie usually cuts in right about now and points out how he increased the enjoyment of his Cobra my shaving a hundred horsepower off the engine build.

I always love to hear Ernie "wax on" philosophically about he old "tall and terrible" High Rise 427 with the solid roller and 15:1 (hyperbole Ernie, I know)compression.

The 351 Cobra. Has a nice ring to it.

Ernie, somehow they figure out how to put tire to the ground in the F.A.S.T. class, but then they're musclecars and they cheat.

[Great Asp]

The guys on this forum "get" the Cobra, there is lots of good advice in this thread.

If you are buying the Kirkham aluminum 427SC, it would be a crime to put a small block in it.

Too much power? put a block of wood under the "wow" pedal.

Nose heavy? Maybe if you are extracting the maximum performance on the track (you will never notice on the street IMO), but most of us are on the track for fun.

I have owned 3 Cobras, two SBFs, and one FE powered (my current SPF).

I love the Kirkhams, I might even trade my SPF for one. If you buy the aluminum 427SC, get the FE motor.

E

[SuperHart]

I don't actually recall where I saw the comment, but supposedly Carrol Shelby himself said once that when he decided to upgrade the power of the 289 Cobra, if Ford had the 351W in its lineup he would have chosen that motor instead of the 427. It would have made the upgrade a lot easier, cheaper and made for a better weight distribution.

Had the 351W been used, I wonder if the car would actually look the same as it does today considering the changes that were made to accommodate the choice of motors.

[Excaliber]

Even with a 100 (or more) less power than before I STILL have trouble putting the power to the ground. Spinning your wheels is fun and all that, but it sucks when your actually trying to get somewhere; like to the end of a 1/4 mile or coming out of a corner on the track!

MPG is important if you have a small gas tank, it has a dramatic impact on your cruising range miles. It's not my first consideration, but I won't ignore it either. Getting the compression down so I could run pump gas was a good call. Having to run race gas get's old in a hurry, it aint easy to find and cost an arm and leg to boot.

I suppose Shelby, or a lot of other people, "would have", "could have", "should have" as the years roll by, technology marches on. But they didn't, they made the best call for what was available at the time. As I recall it, Shelby's FIRST engine choice was a 800 pound Olds V8 (he always liked Oldsmobile, go figure). The 289 was an extreme light weight in comparison, even the FE was a light weight. Small block Chevy, at the time, weighed even more!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Even with a 100 (or more) less power than before I STILL have trouble...

We're starting to remind me of old married couples playing "balloon toss" at the retirement home.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by SuperHart

I don't actually recall where I saw the comment, but supposedly Carrol Shelby himself said once that when he decided to upgrade the power of the 289 Cobra, if Ford had the 351W in its lineup he would have chosen that motor instead of the 427. It would have made the upgrade a lot easier, cheaper and made for a better weight distribution.

I think Shelby/Ford chose the 427 because Chevy was out with the 396 vette in late '64, and the 289 didn't generate the HP, and the Nascar 427 was an off the shelf race motor. Shelby wanted to run bigger tires, so the fenders were widened/rounded. The frame was redesigned to be over twice as strong, yet weighed about 40lbs more. The suspension was redesigned. The 427 Cobra came to be from many of these wanted modifications. If they had a 351W back then, with the technology back then, I believe the Nascar 427 would still have been the choice. The 289 cobra was a beefed up AC ace. The 427 Cobra was Carroll's baby, designed by/for him.