Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

Just need to see how the package works best...upper or lower.

 

Many of the 60's and 70's Fords were sprung off the upper control arms (Mustangs, Falcons etc.). So long as the control arm is designed for it should be no issue. Food for thought...given the lower control arm is usually longer than the upper...the spring mounting point could be moved further outboard (toward the ball joint). This would give a greater mechanical advantage for the spring and would allow a smaller and lighter spring to support the weight of the car...could make up for that extra 6 pounds of frame weight you'll be carrying ☺.

 

Interesting conversation, if you run both an upper and a lower control arm, you will need to run a shackle unless you just let the end of the spring run in some sort of a track as a slider. The early design just let the camber sweep take care of any spring length change, and it looks to me like you would get more positive camber as the suspension was loaded probably contributed to some of the ill handling.

 

See that is exactly what I was thinking. I feel like it will need a shackle of some kind. The only thing I am just not sure about is the mounting point (upper arm) is going to be moving. Normally that is a fixed point (like the straight axle on hot rod etc.) and shackle moves. Not sure what effects the mounting point moving would have on the shackle system.

 

CS 2030 was the prototype chassis for the MGB style rack and pinion steering system. The car was not intended to be eXported to America so there was no X in the chassis number. Because the car was not intended to shipment out of England it was built up in right had drive. AC Cars used the car as a demonstrator and pictures of the car were used in subsequent sales literature for markets other than North America.

CSX2126 became the working prototype for many upgrade changes planned for Cobras. As a test and display car it became the first car intended for the USA to get the new steering system (based on that of an MGB) and it was finished in left hand drive. It was eXported and did get the familiar X in the chassis number. It was completed out of sequence before CSX2080. In its duties as test and show car it crossed the ocean more than once and even was shown at LeMans.

 

CSX2353 didn't get a straight front axle but it did run spindle mount wheels up front. Here's a link to a Club Cobra® thread.
http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/all-cobra-talk/97518-anyone-have-any-information-dragonsnake.html

 

Very cool...thanks for the education. I have seen 289 replicas with fake front transverse but I'm going to make mine work. I have spoken to a local spring geru and the engineers from Heidts and I think we can do it with little effort (famous last words especially from me LOL). We will use a strengthen upper "A" arm customized to utilize the transverse spring and then just shocks on the lower etc. We are going to use a straight axle (Ford 9") out back but it will get a transverse spring as well plus a Watt's Link and ladder bar system. As I have said before they are already starting on the body and I ordered my 3" 11 gauge ladder frame material yesterday.

 

You are welcome.

 

I think I am going to have to change the art comp on my Drag Snake and get rid of the side pipes. First off I have noticed none of the Drag Snakes had them (my bad in the first place) but I also learned why??? They were required by NHRA to run mufflers. However ever it seems there was a loophole in the wording. I am going to try and look it up but apparently they only had to have a muffler on the car, it didn't say they had to use it. So the "Dragon Snakes" you see with side pipe style headers also had a functional exhaust with mufflers (small glass packs) which could be utilized by capping the header. Got to find me an NHRA rule from back in the day.

 

BOYS and GIRLS if you want see the ultimate site for AA/MSP race cars you have to check this out:
http://georgeklass.net/mod-sports.html

 

See the 1965 rules here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2006u57wp7sqpxt/eZJPZZcJdZ?preview=1965_Drag_Rules.pdf

The relevant section is on page 8.

Roo

 

Yes that was the rule up to the 70's I believe. Most had a small pipe coming off the collector back to one muffler if it was race only. Then build a contraption with sheet metal to go up in the collector and block off that small pipe.

 

Wow Roo....that is quite a drop box there 58-68! Thanks

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

...AND I wont have to worry about burning my legs when I squeeze my fat backside in and out of the thing...LOL
I had a Vette with side pipes once (it didn't like me)...

 

One interesting nugget I see in the stock class rules; if running a FX, SS, or AA/S or A/S class, you must run an explosion-proof bellhousing. It's only 'recommended' for the slower classes UNLESS you have a solid-lifter Chevrolet V8. The Chevys are required to have one, regardless of class...

 

Hard to keep a handle on them bad boys.

 

You know it is interesting...I didn't actually realize it until @rooman sent me the rule book but the Cobras were running in the stock sports car class. I know I saw the AA/SP on them and I even emulated that on the graphic mock up I did of my cobra (to be). But I simply was not paying attention to what that meant. I guess I had it in my head they were running under modified sports cars and maybe some of them did but in reality, they were a bone STOCK sports car.

Class AA - 0.00 to 7.50 (lbs. divided by advertised HP)
Class A - 7.51 to 8.39 (lbs. divided by advertised HP)
Class B - 8.40 to 9.49 (lbs. divided by advertised HP)

I did the math and at 2270 lbs and an advertised 385 hp with the Webers, that puts the Cobras right around 5.9 which easily falls under the AA class cut off of 7.50. If things go well the math on my car is going to be around 4.5...LOL! But seriously, who were they racing in that class. The Stingrays with Fuel Injection were 375 hp but weighed nearly a 1000 pounds more at 3180 (Most of them were probably in B/SP as their math puts them at 8.48). The Jags were 265 hp at 2579 pounds which is 9.73, a number not even found on the class scale. MGA? Nope...108 hp at 2185 is a nasty 20.23 Yikes!

I mean the only other car I can come up with is a big block Vette and even that car just barely makes it in by the skin of its teeth and only the 425 hp models at 7.44. Personally I don't think they could run with Cobra. I mean Car & Driver says they put one in the high twelves but most other sources always put them in the 13s etc. So....what were the Cobra's racing in AA/SP? Besides themselves and since there were only 6 of them in the world?????

 

I found the "highly reccomended" reference to Roll Bar interesting too!

 

Randall you need not worry about my MGA.

 

I put that in there just for you James...LOL!

 

Funny story from 'back in the day'... There was a 'local hero' type who raced at Puyallup and had a 427 'Vette that had the motor pretty well breathed on. One Saturday one of the Dragonsnakes showed up. Well, they raced once, and the Cobra only beat him by a bit. So the 'Vette owner challenged the Cobra again. They both ran quicker, but the 'Vette lost again... by a bit. The 'Vette owner wasn't done; wanted to go again, and this time he was pulling out all the stops ('No 289 is going to beat ME!' he told everyone who would listen...). One more pass with the 'Vette on 'Banzai', and the 'Vette lost yet again... with his motor exploding in the lights.... whoops! That's not the end though...

To pour salt in the wound, the Cobra made one final solo pass... and ran almost 1/2 second quicker than his previous passes. He was just toying with the 'Vette....

 

Who needs a roll bar anyway, I mean the rules are very clear about racing with the top up...! LOL

 

Glad you are thinking of me.

 

Randall, you are probably correct that there were not many cars in AA/SP to compete against the Cobras. The Cobras were so much lighter than the Corvettes that it would not be hard to bet on the Cobras. The only race that I have read about with one of the AA/SP Cobras racing a Corvette as related in Larry Davis' Gasser Wars book that took place at the 65 Winternationals.

Bruce Larsen's Larsen/Costilou (page one of this thread post #11) after winning class was running for the Street Eliminator title. The Cobra beat Jerry Harvey's SOHC B/FX 65 Galaxie but when Larsen had to line up against Ernie Dutre's 57 Vette (B/MP) (many pictures of the car on the HAMB) Dutre put the Cobra on the trailer. Then Ernie Dutre had to run the Hoefer Brothers C/FX Galaxie for the title and Dutre passed the Galaxie for the win at the 1000ft mark, with a time of 11.74.

Now you may claim this is from a Chevy guy but I have a 61 Starliner in the garage so I do have admiration for a number of Fords (including Cobras). Looking forward to seeing your new ride at the Meltdown in the not too distant future.

 

Been day dreaming today...about all I can do right now till we get rolling. Thinking about wheels etc. I have always liked the cp200 or "Coke Bottle" as some folks call them. I have pretty much decided on them but not sure about the whole rear steel wheel look. I am thinking if you had a cobra back in the day you probably had a matching set of rims...LOL! Got rid of the side pipes...like the look.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!