Gone very far to the Dark Side

9 minute(s) of a 189 minute read

One of our Triangle Cobra Clubs members had a very flimsy excuse for missing out First Saturday last weekend.

Bob Stearns went off to play with his plastic fantastic again instead. He will be at Watkins Glen this week and Pittsburgh International and Mid Ohio at end of month.  

He said, "I am staying competitive for an old man! Live your dreams life is short!"

The races will be on TV so maybe some of you will see the Old Man Privateer at speed.

Picture is Bob in 93 at Sebring Internationals Raceway back in the first week end in April, another missed meeting.

5-15-2015

Took a shot & entered my first judged car show, The 20th Annual Triangle British Classic Car Show. There were about 200 cars entered.

Got a pass on entry because the original Cobra had a British built chassis & body. Was assigned to the Race Car class by the organizers.  

Was interesting choice because my first three race cars were all British models back in the 1960's.

The absolute hottest car at the show was a brand new McLaren MP4-12C Supercar.

Next up on the dollars spent column were a pair of new Jaguars.

Next were two cars of personal interest to me since the covered my first three race cars.



Put a roll bar & some meatballs on the sides, hood/trunk & this TR3A is my first & second race car.

My last British sports car was a red Morgan +4SS like this black one.

Living pretty close to the shows site at the North Hills Mall got me a primo spot to park.

Second car in the class to show up had an unspecified technical problem & I helped push it off & on the trailer.

Little self promotion always helps. Asked my granddaughter to knock out a quick sign & wound up with a second place in class.

One of the best moments of the day. Was letting some of the kids sit in the car with the shoulder belts on to get their pictures taken. One lady who was part of the organizing club asked it I would answer a bunch of questions from her teenaged sons. We talked for a while the boys got there pictures taken & one asked me as I helped him out of the car if they could here it run.
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The lady said it would not cause any problems so I ran it up. I was looking sort of over my left shoulder trying to hear the guys when I ran it up. When I turned around there were about 25 people now standing there with a whole bunch of thumbs up.

5-27-2016

Very jealous today. Am slaving over installing a hot BOSS 302 package with a BOSS 302manifold & 3 new programs, street performance, race & ghost cam to go with it plus an updated coolant recovery system on the COBRA.

4 cars pull into the driveway, 2 Genesis Coupes one an R-Spec, 1 BRZ & 1 BOSS 302 Mustang. My grandson & his friends just out for the summer break between Junior & Senior years have finished a 5 hour drive back from western Carolina.

They were not coming from school which is an hour& a half south of here but from Carolina 129 better known as The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap 318 curves in 11 miles through some spectacular landscape.

Personally consider that 11 mile stretch the best public sport car road in the country.

Hey at least I got a Tee Shirt

5-29-2016

Started on my upgrade which will add cooling capability & additional power.

Original GT manifold & new BOSS 302 version.

Whole current project, swap manifolds, retune for new manifold & add cooling capacity. The MOROSO alloy tank is the main part of the cooling upgrade. Will take the system from an open one to a closed system & add some fluid capacity.

Last the inside of the COYOTE. The new manifold put a stratigh shot of air & fuel into the pocket above the two intake valves. The short runners improve top end performance.

Had a question on the tune so will go slow installing this...done for today

6-1-2015

Figure if I brain wash the kids they can do the heavy lifting when I get old & feeble.

Sent both through the BMW drivers school as soon as they could drive. Both liked it but only one talked about taking the advanced M school

There is not as much interest in cars among todays kids. I graduated High School in 1959 pretty much at the birth of the Muscle Car Era so I was fully indoctrinated into cars & engines.

When I got drafted after basic I was sent to Tracked Vehicle Mechanics school. Was eventually transferred to a line unit as a tracked vehicle recovery mechanic. Over time became a senior tracked vehicle recovery mechanic before I was discharged.

Was my main hobby ever since. FWIW am this far on the upgrade, just need to finish the cooling system then back on the road.

6-2-2015

Not so much it needed more power, but then some of the FFR guys are pushing 700HP, but it did need a little more bling under the hood.

In those very rare instances when bling is actually functional you really have to grab some.

6-3-2015

I like that Mustang. Very well done. Got the new overflow/burp tank in so for a while it will be just driving time. Outside of playing with tunes this project is about done. Might redo some of the hoses in braided stainless steel.

Got a Ghost Cam tune to try. It opens the exhaust valve early, increases its duration & overlap a very low RPM's. Mimics a full race solid lifter "side oiler" Ford 427 cams sound at idle. These 427's powered the Original 1965Cobra Race cars.

7-12-2016

Ian Hunter one of the FFR Cobra guys from the UK had a chance to run at the Le Mans circuit in Grance. These are his vids of the experience. He got to 150mph .Mulsanne Straight between the two chicanes!

FULL Le Mans TRACK RUN 20 minutes

SHORT 150mph on the 45 seconds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FAoO...ature=youtu.be

This is his setup Ford 393W with Edelbrock RPM Performer = 475 bhp. Tremec TKO 600. Rear axle 3.55:1. IRS and Vintage pin-drive wheels.

7-28-2016

Just about finished the performance look bling that is also functional.

Pulled the crankcase vent hoses & replaced them with filters, FORD Racing Powder Coated alloy coil covers replaced the original plastic ones, BOSS 302 specific insulation panels between the intake & coil covers.

Time to leave the engine porn be for awhile. New tune has proven to be very strong & am happy with 'Bama's product..

7-31-2016

Agree, Its not something you would expect to see here & not something I would do in a home built car. That said, the season opening weekend at VIR has a lap the track "run what you brung" thing @ so much a lap for charity. That also does not require helmets but IIRC the max speed is more tightly controlled. Looks like at LeMans the pace car blasted off into the sunset never to be seen again.

Car has been a real joy over the past year & a half (time flys when you are having fun) & am helping 3 others with their COYOTE builds. Interesting thing is two of the three are professional pilots. One is flying for a first tier commercial airline & the other a Charter Business Jet operator. Both retired Naval Aviators

Have some MotorX coming up later this summer & hope to get some vids. Also hope to not be too badly embarrassed by prepared Miata's. For me most all courses are a 2nd gear only run but the manual steering can be a b**ch on a very tight run.