Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

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Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

February 12, 2013, 11:12:35 PM

This is Gary's car, a guy that came out to the autox races near the end of the season. He'd never been to one before, and started talking to my dad, who is one of the worker cheif's in our region. Gary wanted to try going around as a passenger, and dad stuffed him in my car for my last run of the day. I don't think he really knew what he was getting into when he got in my car. After the run, I could see that he was visibly shaking:D He couldn't believe that it was possible to go that fast through a parking lot.
That got him hooked though, and he brought out his cobra kit car to the next couple events, but was having a tough time with it. He couldn't really push very hard or it would spin almost instantly. For the last event, my dad and gary switched vehicles. He drove my dads supercharged BBF ranger pickup, and actually started to go faster with a vehicle with good suspension under it. Dad on the other hand couldn't get thae car to do anything, and spun it while going very slowly. Gave him no warning before it went around.
That takes us to where I get to put a new suspension under this car that actually works. It pretty much had a mustang rear suspension under it but with really short lower control arms that I think bound the rear up so bad that it gave no warning at all. So the upgrades are going to be a torque arm, panhard bar, coilovers, heim lower control arms, and tubular mustang II front control arms. Its also getting an 8.8 axle instead of the 7.5 that was in it.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #1 – February 12, 2013, 11:16:41 PM

Very nice. Factory Five?
Guy I know is planning a build of one. He wants to go balls-out, TT LS, T56, all the way.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #2 – February 12, 2013, 11:21:12 PM

Its not a factory five as far as I know. I think he said it was from a company that went out of business

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #3 – February 12, 2013, 11:59:10 PM

I used to be a lurker over at ffcarsdotcom, but haven't been in some time now. On second glance(s) I can see it doesn't look like an FF as much, but i can't remember the subleties of the different makers...
Anywho, it's still a very nice ride!

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #4 – February 13, 2013, 12:07:35 AM

Most of the frame is 2x3 tubing. I know factory fives had 3 inch round tube down the middle didnt they?

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #5 – February 13, 2013, 12:09:22 AM

I'm thinking so...man, it's been well over a year since I lurked there, might have to go back and browse more lol

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #6 – February 13, 2013, 12:25:04 AM

You would think a car like that would be fast and solid on an auto x course. Good luck. Does the new 8.8 have a trac-lok?

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #7 – February 13, 2013, 12:52:24 AM

truthfully, I've seen a bunch of them autox, and only 2 that were remotely fast. I think they are mostly built for looks, not performance.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #8 – February 13, 2013, 02:20:25 AM

Go tell them rich old farts on ffcars that, lmao.

I do agree though, they're more head turners than corner carvers, although with some money and careful shopping that is easily solved.
Hopefully your pal's roadster turns out (pun intended) better than before

Meant to ask earlier, did the Cobra have poly bushings in the rear at all points? that will cause binding, probably more so with even shorter c/a lengths.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #9 – February 13, 2013, 05:38:47 PM

nope, all rubber bushings. Maybe the factory five kits are better though. This thing should kick ass once I'm done. Getting rid of the manual steering too, for power steering. Takes way too long to turn the wheel for the desired effect. I could tell that driving it down our driveway at 10 mph.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #10 – February 14, 2013, 10:55:12 PM

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #11 – February 22, 2013, 07:10:55 PM

Almost done. Have to finish up the plumbing and drive belt stuff for the power steering, put the front rotors and brakes back on, put a cooling fan back, and a few other things yet.

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #12 – February 27, 2013, 10:23:09 PM

Now its got power steering!

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #13 – February 27, 2013, 10:53:14 PM

Very shagy

Cobra suspension upgrade - not my car though

Reply #14 – January 15, 2014, 10:08:44 PM

Never updated this, but after we got finished with all this work, the guys wife wouldn't let him race anymore so we never found out how it worked after all this. Kind of a bummer.