Racing a Cobra

[dareo]

On a track of course, i plan on racing a friend of a friends 1996 Cobra mustang. I figure we both have around 4.5l and 32 valves, leather interiors, and rwd. But one is a nissan and one is a ford and we have a bit of a rivalry going here.

The rules, 60mph to 100mph rolling race, using my speedo as judge cause his is all messed up from his 4.11 gears. Little does he know i'l cut the race at about 97 when my 2nd gear tops out.

Do you guys think i can overcome a 600lb curb weight handicap with the Q45's stellar highway performance? (i mean track...of course..)

I plan on cheating a bit, removing the spare tire prior to the race, 1/4 tank of gas, brand new air filter and synthetic fluids through the whole drivetrain. I gotta make up those 600 pounds somehow, and he's got headerback exhaust to further stack my odds.

60mph in 2nd puts me at exactly 4000 RPMs, or about the torque peak and where the power really lays on thick. 100mph is right at my shift point, he's gonna have to shift once between 60 and 100.

Any tips on safely cheating a bit more temporary speed?

[PalmerWMD]

It will be hard to make up tfor the weight difference and teh auto transmission, but try to go froma roll at about 55.Or barring that from about 25 mph, which is fast enough for there to be good revs on the odo but slow enough it will still downshift into first.

Fred...

[rsiwicki]

sorry....but you will be buying the beers at the end of the day.

http://www.dragtimes.com/resul...ke=15

btw....your shift point is around 90-93mph, not 97mph as you need a JWT ECU to get to 97mph in 2nd gear because you will be well past 6,900rpms at 97mph and the OEM ECU will cut off the fuel after 7,000rpms to protect itself. You can try to manually hold it out there, but the fuel will cut off before you hit 97mph (i have tried it many times and the OEM ECU cut off the fuel always). This of course being that your car is all within OEM specs, but check your FSM and it will list the max speed shift points for each shift.

Wish ya best of luck anyway and it is always fun to race even if you don't win.....now if you had a 4.08 gear you would definetly close the gap, but him running 4.11's is going to be a tall order to try and hang with. Just look at the drag times and then do a comparison against my drag times from 1/8 to 1/4 distance...the Cobra still pulls on me and I have tons of mods on one of the fastest Q's.

[1992Q45A]

Hmm I wouldn't be so sure. I raced a droptop SVT cobra of around the same year way back in the day in my 91. We engaged on the freeway from about 60-70 all the way to 130-135.

He never pulled an inch on me. Although He did have a convertible it was an SVT cobra.

Slam that shifted into 2nd and floor it hold it till redline shift. Since he has that 4.11 (which isnt stock?) He may pull on you, but it's going to be a solid race. Just whatever you do, DONT RACE HIM OFF THE LINE!!

[dareo]

Somehow i can hold second till 97-100mph before the fuel cut i don't know if its a different transmission cause the car's first 100k miles are unknown. He built his car for off the line racing, i'd so get creamed off the line. I'm banking on the fact that he's going to shift and i'm not.

This kid ran a 14.6 at the drags here in Utah, he's not exactly Mario Andretti when it comes to R/T and fast shifts. Plus his cobra has over 100k miles on it, its like a miracle it still starts and drives! mwuahaha i love making fun of fords

[911/Q45]

If it's even close, call it a victory!

[QShip]

Agreed.

[rsiwicki]

You rot him if he is only pulling a 14.6 ET....hell I wish I could race him as it would be real fun to see him pull out 2 car lengths infront of me off the line and then at the midway point start to real him in just before the end of the 1/4 creating a tie.

[dareo]

Times are a little slower here in Utah due to the altitude, but he still doesnt know much about cars. He thought a starter was belt driven and that he had to replace it cause it clicked (low battery)But his cobra is the shiznit off the line, he can beat vipers across the intersections here. Good thing i'l race from a roll where his gears don't help and cause him to shift once.

[rsiwicki]

you have got the altitude...I have got the heat as my 1/4 was done in July Miami heat and humidity. I can feel my car to be much stronger now that we are into the mid 80's in the evening. I sometimes forget how fast our cars actually are from 60mph+

When I get back to the US I will take it to the 1/4 for some new ET's and also the dyno shop.

[nuQ]

i agree,,if it's anywhere close,,a victory for you!!!!! if my modded mustang couldn't waste a four door sedan,,,i'd be pissed!!!!

[elwesso]

So true Jeff.....

[maxnix]

Maybe get four other passengers of equal cumulative weight wearing helmets to ride with each of you?

[downtempo]

if he really knows nothing about cars, tell him to run the AC while racing, explain that it will keep the engine cooler

[Jeff Williams]

The Mallet Cadillac actually ran faster, with the A/C on in the Car & Driver Supercar Shootout.