First Ride.

**Randy** · February 3rd, 2009, 03:22 AM

Good morning. After 8 months of fun I'm nearing completion. The temperature is predicted to be in the 50's this weekend which is warm enough for the first ride. My question is this is the first car I've built and I need some advice on the do's and don'ts of the first ride. I have the 427 with a SA 406 and Toploader. Wish me luck.

**Brent** · February 3rd, 2009, 04:17 AM

Randy Congrats!!

Well the obvious is to check every nut, bolt, lugnut etc. one more time. I would place the car on jack stands and run in the trans and rear end in first. The rearend especially needs to heat cycle a couple of times before putting it under a load. Start it and run it through all the gears, leave it in 4th and vary the rpm. Let the rear end get good and warm then shut it down. While it cools check out everything again. Good time to re tighten the header bolts too while she is cooling down. I would do this 2-3 times before the first drive. You would rather have a surprise on the jackstands in your garage then 10 miles from the house on the side of the road.

have Fun!!!

**eliminator** · February 3rd, 2009, 05:20 AM

Good advise from Brent.

Note: When you run the car on jackstands make sure the rear hub carriers are jacked up too. If not the axle angle will cause the u-joints to bind and hit the hub carriers.

Keep the speeds under 50 MPH fpr the first 50 or so miles. Then check everything again. After the first 400 - 500 miles I would change all fluids, filters,engine and drive train.

**weaver** · February 3rd, 2009, 06:06 AM

Great advice from people who know, rear end break in is very important.

Alan

**aks801** · February 3rd, 2009, 07:02 AM

So you don't start out by doing wide-open throttle steering coming off the interstate?

Seriously, that is some good info. I had totally not thought about trans and rear break-in. Wisdom is a good thing.

**RonJ** · February 3rd, 2009, 09:30 AM

[quote=aks801;82542]So you don't start out by doing wide-open throttle steering coming off the interstate?

That is true! You do that getting on the interstate not getting off! Sure is a good thing you checked here first!

Have fun, enjoy yourself and be safe! You are going to enjoy this more than you ever imagined!!

**Aggressor** · February 3rd, 2009, 11:20 AM

Remember that the response you get from the vehicle can be far more than you have anticipated. It's all to easy to have your future rushing through the windscreen at a pace you never dreamed existed. A quote from a vintage Lotus Europa owners manual states that you should learn your own limitations first for you'll exceed those before you reach the car's limitations.

Motor easy for a while with no sharp movements of steering, brakes, or especially the LOUD pedal. Smooth and deliberate motions keep you safe.

With reference to the original cars here are a few quotes that I've found over the years:

* "It looks fabulous, it accelerates with such savage force it could thrust your spine through your ribcage, it has a distinguished racing career, and it's lusted after the world over. The Cobra's part of the American automotive dream. Trouble is, that dream is also a nightmare. The Cobra's an absolute brute to drive. It lacks finesse, it isn't agile, and the steering's so slow and heavy that if you get the tail out of shape only a strong-armed genius can get it back in line. And if the road is a bit wet, be very afraid".

* "The acceleration is akin to being hit in the small of your back with a Louisville Slugger"

* "A real 427 Cobra is a very strong dose, so much so that the market back in the Sixties choked on the oversupply of just 335 originals. The huge engine burbles as we chase through the turns. Carburetors-Big sucking four barrels-they stumble under braking and sometimes cough as the throttles open.. So elemental, so flawed, so Cobra".

* "The side exhaust hammers your eardrums to calluses. So what? The tank in the aluminum tail holds three times the Pinto’s gallons without even a bumper for crash protection. Big deal! Third-degree burns await your ankles if you forget and touch them against the pipes on your way out of the cockpit".

* "The air erupts about you, the asphalt quakes beneath your feet, and hot acrid exhaust fumes asail your nostrils. .....All is right with the world!!"

Have fun - Motor easy - Use it to the full occasionally - Welcome to the next level.

-Aggressor (Geary)

**Aggressor** · February 3rd, 2009, 11:35 AM

Posted twice and removed.

**Randy** · February 3rd, 2009, 12:52 PM

Gentleman, thanks for all your helpful comments. I will definitely heed all your advice and warnings. I'll let you know how the first ride goes. I'm 61 years old and I feel like a kid again.

**Slither** · February 3rd, 2009, 08:42 PM

Oh ya babe... That is the Essence of... er... COBRA

!

When you kick up a notch, it's like... BAM

!!!

Love those quotes!

**pgermond** · February 4th, 2009, 08:13 PM

Hmmmmm, good information, to be sure. I just got in it and drove - short distance at first just taking it easy. First a mile... then three..... then 10... then tightened everything I could think of. We took our first 100 mile drive up to the Gold Country in April that year and the passenger side door almost fell off in Amador City (the bottom shoulder bolt work its way out). It is just a matter of keeping an eye (and ear) on everything regularly after that. I think nothing of taking off now for a 400 mi trip (well, almost nothing

)

**weaver** · February 5th, 2009, 05:56 AM

How about a 2200 mile trip to Homecoming, you have plenty of time.

Alan

**weaver** · February 5th, 2009, 05:58 AM

We have 2 customers from Ct, Tom and Mike, that have made 14 round trip runs to Homecoming with no problems.

Alan

**pgermond** · February 5th, 2009, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by weaver

How about a 2200 mile trip to Homecoming, you have plenty of time.

Alan

I'm going to play the "bad back" card on that suggestion

**Naumoff** · February 5th, 2009, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by pgermond

I'm going to play the "bad back" card on that suggestion

Get yourself a vintage comp seat. Trust me.

Randy,

Congratulations
Good advice from the others.

Make sure you are pointed straight and have plenty of road in front of you the first time you hit the go pedal.

You will run out of road very quickly.

**ralphscott** · February 6th, 2009, 06:56 AM

Randy, apart from all the good advice one addition observation the wheel base is short 90" hence on a wet road or hitting tha accelerator a little too hard at the wrong time in a curve can spin you around like a top. One of my friends who shall go nameless was behind me on a morning cruise the road was a little damp we were just coming out of a hairpin and accelerating, looked in my rear view mirror to check to see how close he was I saw him break loose and do 2 360's on the road...he stayed on the road! I congratulated him in not going into the ditch or into the rock wall. It happened in a blink of an eye. Once you get attuned to the car it will become an extension of your mind you will feel one with the car. Kind of a Zen thing I guess. You will love it..

Ralph

**Glenview289** · February 6th, 2009, 07:13 AM

Hey Randy, where is St. Albans, Missouri? My son Brian and I are down here in Northwest Arkansas with our Unique 289 FIA car. Once you get everything debugged, maybe we can hook up and cruise if we are close to each other. Have fun this weekend on your drive. We did our first drive last April and have put 2000 fun filled miles since.

Bill

**aks801** · February 6th, 2009, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by ralphscott

.... Once you get attuned to the car it will become an extension of your mind you will feel one with the car. Kind of a Zen thing I guess. You will love it..

Ralph

Aaaahh...... That is beautifully stated, and very much what I am so lookinig forward to.

**Randy** · February 6th, 2009, 10:52 AM

Hi Bill. We're probably not real close to each other. St. Albans is about 40 miles west of St. Louis. Maybe I'll see you at the homecoming or London.

Randy

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