Hey, Hows it goin?!

So, I think I'm gonna make a few people proud here tonight!!! My car didnt even roll off the assembly line yet and I'm thinking mods!

Ok, first one, not so major...

I searched the forum and all over the internet and could find no information... I want to change the clutch-starter interlock with a neutral safety switch, well, have them both actually. Is there already a neutral position sensor, or do I have to go and make my own? Anyone else do this? I learned to drive stick on a 66 TR4a, and then my dads Cobra, so Im used to shaking the stick (no pun inteded!... ok maybe a little!) to make sure its in neutral, I find that more convenient than pushing down the clutch.

Two...

When I get my car and some free time, I want to fabricate my own Intake. It will most likely by made out of Aluminum, and the box will be insulated to keep temps as low as possible. I was wondering if anybody would be so kind as to take some detailed photos of the air box and ducting and areas around it and email 'em to me, just so I can work on some ideas and a sketch or two! I would go take some myself, but my dealership is not too close, and I just dont have time right now... Schools got me swamped for the next month. If some one does take some pics, please also take a few of the exhaust manifold. Im thinking of wrapping it in insulator to help keep under hood temps low, and to help with HP loss due to thermal inefficiencies.

PS: There isnt enough "OFF!" in the world to keep the mod bug away! These are two of the biggest mods I seriously have in mind so far... That is until I have more money to spare... HEHE!!! Oh yeah, even bigger mod... Turning my Jeep into a Benz!

Thanks All...

 

yeah but if you moded your car right away and something went wrong (factory fault), the warranty would be voided.

 

dude whats teh cobra, like do u have pics, specs, price, i want one of those

 

good job on the early mod list. my car hadnt been built either, and i had bought and received Audio10, Digital Climate control, Illuminated Door sills, Convex mirrors, SL Parking Brake pad, and ordered my personalized plates.

yeah, that warranty issue comes up. im sticking with OEM mods until my warranty has expired. 7yr/100k, i have a ways to go. i have 30k miles now and my car turn 2 yrs old Dec 17th, warranty didnt start until jan 29, 03 though.

dont think ive read anything about neutral safety switch. interesting.
airbox, i can take photos for you tomorrow when my brother gets back with my digital camera. if pics have been posted by then, ill do it.

 

Cool, thanks Citron...
Mick1, being I live on Long Island, winter is just too f*ing cold to do work on the car, and gets dark too early! This is just the research stage, I wont be doing much work 'til around april. By then, any factory screw ups should have shown up. I put on about 230 to 300 miles a week when school is in session, so...

as far as the Cobra goes...

It is a 2003 Superformance Shelby 427 Cobra Replica. It's the only "factory made only" replica, meaning it is not sold in kit form. It comes from South Africa as a rolling chasis, all that needs to be done is install an engine and transmission of choice. Unlike other replicas, this car uses a brand new ladder frame chasis, brand new Ford Thunderbird 8.8inch independent rear. No donor parts. It has Billstien coilovers in all four corners, and has 15x8 front and 15 x 10 rear Hallibrand Knockoffs. And the paint... OH MY, If you were to get it done at a shop it would cost about 15 grand. Leather bucket seats. This is how it comes from the factory for $39,000. Once your car comes in from SA, you install the engine/tranny combo of your choice, and miscellaneous accessories. Heres our setup...

Brand new Ford Motorsports 351W crate motor and Tremec T-5 5 speed manual. This engine puts out about 400hp. After owning the car for a summer, my dad decided he needed more power, so... We had a Paxton centrifigal supercharger put on. The pulley on the supercharger puts out 8 psi on a 302 engine, but on a 351 makes about 6.5 to 7 psi. After tunning the carbs at a local dyno shop, our final numbers are:

479.9 HP and 439.1 ft-lbs at the rear wheels. With an 18% drivetrain loss, that calculats to about 567 hp at the Flywheel. Oh and did I mention, the car weighs 2400 pounds! Thats good for a mid 10 second 1/4mile and 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, and thats starting in 2nd!!!

Final price after is about $75,000

Here are some pics (pre supercharged)...

 

Hey, just noticed, thats my Jeep in the background! The 318 V8 is great, moves the truck to 60 in about 7.5 seconds, but gets horrible gas mileage! The cobra is actually better on gas! So does the SL65 and the SLR. Looking foward to the C230s mileage! 10mpg avg. just aint cutting it anymore!!!

(didnt really need to post that, just wanted to make it an even 20 posts!!!)

 

You have to depress the clutch pedal to start the engine. It would then start even in gear. Otherwise it won't, even in neutral. Bad thing is that you may have to change your habits, as messing with this car's electronics is not an easy task.

P.S. Your Shelby is bloody marvelous!!! I just realized that THIS is my dream car! I would like to get more info about it, if you don't mind.

 

Well, my plan was not to remove this important safety feature, but to change its method to come to the same result. The idea was to tap into the wires for the switch on the clutch pedal and have the switch in parallel with a neutral safety switch. What this would allow to be done is when you want to start the car, either the stick is in neutral OR the clutch is depressed. This way, it is either/or. And it is not messing with the electronics, but the cars electrical system. Its simply redundancy, like having two clutch pedal switches. And the car would never know, other than less electrical resistance from adding the second switch and its wires, but is really minimal, and can be counteracted by adding a resistor in series with both switches. Voltage and Amperage would remain the same, even if both the clutch and NSS are closed.

 

Vadim, for basic information, it might be easir to check out their website. www.superformance.com If you have any other specific questions, let me know, I'll answer the best I can. Your nearest dealer is Olthoff Racing in Mt. Ulla, NC. They happen to be the biggest Superformance dealer in the country (I think there are only 5 or 6) and are the most knowledgeable in anything Superformance (Bob Olthoff was the first dealer in the states, unfortunately he recently passed away, but his son knows just as much.) As far as my opinion goes, I think the Superformance is one of the best Cobra replicas out there. Yes, it costs more than one of its main competitor, Factory 5 Racing, but the quality is the reason, and being factory made, each ones quality is the same as the next. with the F5Rs, the quality is only as good as the man who built it. And after pricing it up, to make the cars equal, the F5R comes out to cost more. Car&Driver did a road test of the Superformance Brock Coupe, the Daytona Coupe replica, and they loved the build quality, with the exception of being one of the first 20 made, and still had some bugs to be worked out. By the way, the Caroll Shelby Motors replica is just that, a replica, its not an original, dont let anyone tell you otherwise, and its still a kit car, and costs over $110K OTD. It doesnt matter if the person who made the original 427 signs the dash, its still not an original. and CSM has poor practices too.


Hope it helps!!!
PS: sorry if all my posts are long! I got so used to typing BS, I have a 25page Physics lab report do every week!!!

 

how much is the car, with them putting it together totally. u said 75 was afteru put it together plus your supercharger. right

i would think 400hp would be good enuf for me, but who knows, the car is lovely, must sound awesome

what i really want to find is a gullwing replica, anyone knw where to fidn that

 

Running a couple of wires and connecting them in parallel is easy, indeed. What I meant was that this car - more likely than not - already has a neutral position sensor that is already wired into its respective control unit. If yes, then you are up for a challenge (relay, etc.). If there is no neutral position sensor, then you are facing another interesting problem. Is it worth the hassle? Just put your foot on the clutch when you crank it, that's it! This also helps when the ambient temperature is low, BTW.

 

Capt Nemo - thanks for the great intro! I hope that my keen interest in this car is not a sign of a nearing mid-life crisis

 

I say do it. Dont worry about the warranty. Nothing will happen. New projects are fun. Keep us updated.

 

Me too, I really want one of my own. I'm only 20!!! If thats a sign of a mid-life crisis, well than... Ive wasted half my life, I feel so insignificant!!!!

No, people of all ages want this car. My dad wanted one since 1966, when he first got his license, business has been really good for him since he started on his own, so he was able to afford to buy a new toy. So why not buy the car he wanted since he was 17? The car all said and done cost around 65 naturally aspirated. The supercharger needed to have custom brackets made.

BTW 400 hp is plenty! The car is very driveable with that. At 570, you cant f*ck around on the streets, the car will spin. At 30mph with 2 people, mashing the gas in second will spin the tires! The parkway is another story! And yes the car sounds awesome, just found out that they used the same car but n/a to replace the sound of the S7 in "Bruce Almighty"!

Why does pushing the clutch in help in low temps? And its not a hassle! Im an Mechanical Engineering major (one day you will all be buying cars I made!), so I see things like this as a challenge, and find it fun. I do alot of things that dont seem worth the hassle, but it beats the boredom!