Raced a Mustang Cobra

[NEPatsFan]

On my way home from Boston a drove past a guy in Mustang Cobra. He got all excited when he saw my MM and drove up quick in the adjacent lane. We turned on to 295 exit and we both shot into the high speed lane. I was 4 car lengths in front of me at around 40 MPH. We both put the pedal to the floor. Guess what? The Cobra pulled away like I was parked. The MM jumped up to 100 MPH pretty quick but the Cobra was way faster. This made me really mad and I hope I run into him again in 6 months when I have my blower. I think a Cobra comes with a stock blower. The race was not even close.

[engine23ccvfd]

Yep learned the ole Cobra lesson on the way to work Monday...dont do it man...even with a blower he will smoke ya.....Saw a Saline (SP) yesterday that looked like the newer body style (I didnt think they still made them) anyway I pulled up next to him in my rental and smiled (thinking to myself...self its a good thing the MM is in the shop or you would make a total fool out of yourself)

Stay Safe

Andy

[Marauder57]

Note to self: Do not race Cobras......

[ghost]

I'd race one from a stop, but not on the highway - my 4.11 gears kill me above 60 m.p.h.

Raced a Cobra from a 70 roll and he walked me. Later when we talked, he said that the Camaro SS will walk HIM on the highway, he has a brother with one and he can't keep up. I thought that was interesting.

Eric

[Marauder57]

Since we are talking racing here......

How do you effectively "race" from a start with an Automatic? Do you just put your foot through the floor, or do you actually shift from 1? Keep the OD on or off? Take off the TC?

My assumption would be first off, shut off the AC, turn your baseball cap backward, put on a good tune.....(that's all I got so far)...so far I have dusted 2 Golf Carts and Medical Scooter from a dead start....and I am 3 for 3... :up:

[ghost]

It's easier to launch with an auto than a manual transmission. How many guys with a manual have you seen bog down upon launch, their cars bucking up and down, it's freakin' hilarious! Especially when they have their girlfriends with them!

If you're at a light and know a race is going to happen, pre-load the converter by depressing the brake pedal while simultaneously giving it gas to the point where the tires are just about to break free and start spinning. This will put your engine higher in the powerband and allow you to launch with more power and jump out of the hole. When the time comes, release the brake and give it as much gas as you can without breaking traction. This is especially important in your cars where the torque is somewhat lacking down low. Once you practice this a few times you'll get the hang of it.

If you want to keep a low profile and yet maintain a good launch, you can do the above but give it less gas, so as not to garner attention from others. Then quickly release the brake and feather in the throttle MAD QUICK, or floor it if you think you can do it without breaking traction.

I would just leave it in "D," unless you think you can get a little more out of the car by manually shifting at a point higher than the trans will do on it's own. Experienced MM owners will know if that's necessary, perhaps one will chime in with details particular to your car.

BTW, occasionally I will heat up the tires in a parking lot by power-braking prior to hitting the streets, since the warm meats will give you more traction than cold ones. This helps my car tremendously since I lose a lot of traction on the 1-2 shift, as well as the launch, with cold tires.

Eric

[Warpath]

2003 Cobras are the first ones to have a blower. Older ones didn't come with one from the factory.

Cobras have no low end torque. Therefore, starting from a standstill, Camaros usually win. That is why a lot of Cobra guys launch at 5k - 6k+ rpm. It also keeps the engine from bogging. From a rolling start, however, Cobras are higher in the powerband and get a much better launch.

Salines are still being made last I heard. They stopped puting 351 engines in them though a while back.

[Fourth Horseman]

Originally posted by ghost
It's easier to launch with an auto than a manual transmission. How many guys with a manual have you seen bog down upon launch, their cars bucking up and down, it's freakin' hilarious! Especially when they have their girlfriends with them!

ROFL! Seen that a couple of times myself.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by ghost
If you're at a light and know a race is going to happen, pre-load the converter by depressing the brake pedal while simultaneously giving it gas to the point where the tires are just about to break free and start spinning. This will put your engine higher in the powerband and allow you to launch with more power and jump out of the hole. When the time comes, release the brake and give it as much gas as you can without breaking traction. This is especially important in your cars where the torque is somewhat lacking down low. Once you practice this a few times you'll get the hang of it.

If you want to keep a low profile and yet maintain a good launch, you can do the above but give it less gas, so as not to garner attention from others. Then quickly release the brake and feather in the throttle MAD QUICK, or floor it if you think you can do it without breaking traction.

I would just leave it in "D," unless you think you can get a little more out of the car by manually shifting at a point higher than the trans will do on it's own. Experienced MM owners will know if that's necessary, perhaps one will chime in with details particular to your car. Eric

Good advice, Eric, thanks. If you don't want to go up in smoke, leave quietly. Don't overlook the value of psychology, and body language, i.e. torqueing the car so high, everyone notices.

With my first MM, it took me a while to focus on her best launch because I kept making improvements to her. But, she did come to settle down and I figured it out.

Method 1) When I pull up to a stoplight, I never pull all the way up. I lay back 1/2 to 3/4 of a car length and if I anticipate a little challenge from the other guy, I quietly load the TC with just under 1K RPM, and leave early. Don't do this unless you know the stop light you're at, some turn lanes have a cycle of their own. But, if you know the corner and the cycles, you win.

Method 2) When side by side at the light change, I let the other guy roll first and look for a sign that it's on. If it is, I got him already, because he's watching for my signal too and gets nothing. Hopefully, he's thinking twice now, and while he's thinking he should pull up, I nail it with a steady 1 2 3 count before I can feel the floor push back. The other guy is lost in thought about what's happening while I drive right past him. Sneaky? Perhaps, but who said there are rules?

This works for me, and I've never lost at a stoplight, hell, never got out of 1st gear now that I think about it. A little distraction goes a long way. Another favorite distraction of mine, I save for when I pull up on the kiddies who are obviously on the hunt for some fun at the lights.

I keep an empty Mc Donald's coffee cup in the center console, and when I pull up next to the kiddies, I smile, give the the thumbs up with the coffee cup in my hand, and pretend to sip away. While they're thinking that this old geezer with hot coffee isn't anything to worry about...Gone. Gotcha! At the next light, my launch #2 works even better because they are really pissed now. Very few try me a third time, now its roll down the window time, and pay some respect to an old time street racer..."Dude, sup? WTF is that?" "Ummm...Grand Marquis?"

Now I have a new MM coming this Friday, and I don't know if I'll be able to use these methods or not. I expect the car will have too much power on tap for stoplight fun. We'll have to see how well she behaves herself in public.

Just my .02c...

[Slowpoke]

you're getting a new car? what's up with that? I'was out of town for a week, then working 18 hours a day; I haven't logged on much and see what i missed!!?

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by Slowpoke
you're getting a new car? what's up with that? I'was out of town for a week, then working 18 hours a day; I haven't logged on much and see what i missed!!?

Don't act so surprised, 'Poke, it's YOUR fault!

You been hounding and hounding me to get a dead pedal, from day one! Everytime we get together, you're peeking into my car to see if I got one yet, and teasing me about falling over in my car and banging my head on right turns. Well, I couldn't take the pressure anymore, I was fed up with your BS "deadpedal, deadpedal, deadpedal" so, I found a dead pedal for sale and I bought it! Now leave me ALONE!

One small problem with it though, it's got this Kenny Brown Marauder S hanging off of it...

[mad man]

Hee Hee Hee:bows:

[Paul T. Casey]

Pick your challenges carefully, Camaros, Cobras, Vipers are all no go. Most Grand Prix,Am, Montes (new ones),Impalas,etc. are good for your ego. BEWARE of the new Dodge Neon though, he'll leave you at the line and pull away right to 140. Also, someone on this site has made mention of some sort of Sable???

[Dr Caleb]

Originally posted by Paul T. Casey
Pick your challenges carefully,... BEWARE of the new Dodge Neon ...

Good advise, and thanks for the warning. I'll go back into "it's my dad's car" mode if I see one :lol:

I keep my sig up to date, so don't feel intimidated by any of the below cars...

[SergntMac]

Sable...oh yah big time. Even Neon's won't try a Sable SE-OSR2. BTW, they are completely unmarked, the only way you can tell is the Anderson Ford license plate frame and delivery decals, and two tips exiting behind the left tire.

Rumor on BON that a 3V cammer coupe is on the design table for '05, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[sprtyworty]

Congrats on the Kenny Brown S Serge! I thought you were going the Trilogy route on MM #1. Looking forward to the new stories. I will wait to here all the results from the first Trilogy aided MM's from this site and make a decision. Now your cookin.

[judntude]

Last Sunday, I drove a friend's 03 cobra mustang. He has the same power plant as my mm, but with the SC. Encouraged to run it thru the gears, I was super impressed. Then, he turned off the traction control, and the next run, WOW. Still love my mm, for the size and comfort, and big car performance.

[Fourth Horseman]

Originally posted by SergntMac
Rumor on BON that a 3V cammer coupe is on the design table for '05, but I'll believe it when I see it.

With VVT, no less. :D

My rule of thumb is that I don't race anything that weighs considerably less than me and has 100 HP on me. Know what mean? Hehe.

Saw an M5 on the highway the other day, but he didn't look like he wanted to play. Good thing, too, because he certainly fit the above criteria. I woulda got thumped. :P

[Reaper948]

Yea fourth, those M5s can hit 0-60 in 4.8 seconds stock, 13.4-6s in the quarter.

I forget who slammed the New Neon though, Not that im a fan. But the new SRT-4,(sport neon) turbocharged, 215 horsepower (actually 230) that hit 60 in 5.9 seconds....They're no joke

Althought everybody keeps saying not to screw around with the Camaro SS's or stock cobras... Aren't trilogy's MM along with the KBS doing solid sub 13s?

There's definitely competition.

Besides,wed be safe if we went flying into a wall than if we were in one of those..for my 6'4" a$$ anyway

[mchunt]

I learned not to race Cobras the first month I had the car. I have wanted more power sense that day oh well maybe next year.:(

[ghost]

As you guys know, it's all about Power to Weight ratios. We have more weight, we need more POWER!!

Let the mods continue! :D

My personal goal is to have my car into the 12's just on motor. Then I'll add the S/C.

Eric

[Jay Stark]

Originally posted by Marauder57
Since we are talking racing here......

How do you effectively "race" from a start with an Automatic? Do you just put your foot through the floor, or do you actually shift from 1? Keep the OD on or off? Take off the TC?

My assumption would be first off, shut off the AC, turn your baseball cap backward, put on a good tune.....(that's all I got so far)...so far I have dusted 2 Golf Carts and Medical Scooter from a dead start....and I am 3 for 3... :up:

[duhtroll]

Just don't go over any bumps in those new Neons - you could break something in the suspension. :)

No, I'm not kidding. A few good potholes at speed and that car is done for. I looked at one of those when I was shopping - the Neon is the only "small" car that I could sit in the back seat. (one of my criteria since we have the baby on the way - we need the room) Oh, and I did not want to subject my wife to the manual tranny.

Well, AND I couldn't see myself driving anything called "neon." :P

Sure, they're fast and cheap. The downside is that they're, well, cheap.

-A

[schuvwj]

Originally posted by SergntMac

I keep an empty Mc Donald's coffee cup in the center console, and when I pull up next to the kiddies, I smile, give the the thumbs up with the coffee cup in my hand, and pretend to sip away. While they're thinking that this old geezer with hot coffee isn't anything to worry about...Gone. Gotcha! At the next light, my launch #2 works even better because they are really pissed now. Very few try me a third time, now its roll down the window time, and pay some respect to an old time street racer..."Dude, sup? WTF is that?" "Ummm...Grand Marquis?"

Just my .02c... [/B]

Thanks Sarg you made my day with the empty Mc Donald's coffee cup method. This is a classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for a great laugh!

[Reaper948]

thast an awesome technique..although I have to concentrate on everything and cant be distracted by using such a sneaky technique.......