Mustang and Ford Performance Forums banner

I'm Bored... what's next?

2K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  mike69440 
#1 · (Edited)
Went to Atco last night. Got there at 7:00, for the second time in a row, I only got two runs.

I figured that my clutch still worked smooth, so the friction material and pressure plate springs must be intact. Maybe the friction material is just glazed over? I spent the week driving in a way that it might scuff up the clutch a little, like starting in second, feathering a little longer on normal starts. It seems to have worked a little.

I went 11.596 @ 121.37 with a 1.789 60 ft and a 11.589 @121.62 with a 1.747 60 ft.

In any event, the whole clutch thing is causing a lot of soul searching. To decide what clutch to install, I really need to decide what my long term plan is. Right now going the same times as I went last year isn't real exciting. I think the car is running a little better now with the new airbox and tune. I think with a good clutch I could put up a new best for me, in the low 11's somewhere. That doesn't seem so exciting either. plus, Atco is starting to get tired of me running 11's with no bar.

So, the KB seems like a good idea. I mean if I am going to have the bar, I may as well take full advantage of it. Now, for about an hour last night at the track I am convinced, today I'll order a straight spec 3 and a KB, and set up my bar install.

Than an hour passes with no run... then another hour passes, then another... Thought crosses my mind, why do I come here? Should I really drop 5K ish for all this crap to come to the track and stand around for 5 hours???

Maybe I should try open tracking the way the cars sits first??

Anyway, suggestions accepted...
 
See less See more
#2 ·
NX dude, put a shot on. Or, you could always mini-tub the 03, launch off the rev limiter and put the bumper on the ground... :D
 
#4 ·
Do nothing to the car, try autocrossing, and if you like it look at an opentrack event. Then your money goes to a larger radiator, diffy cooler, bigger brakes, sticky tires, and of course a cage to be safe. That sucks about the long wait to make a pass, thats the main reason I like the 1/8th mile tracks. On a decent night, no waiting! Most passes in one night (w/ my 89') was 23 passes... silly fun.

Jerry
 
#5 ·
Maybe it's Maturity but i will be satisfied with mid to low 11's,,,I went low 10's with the 99 and it became a race car..
Hopefully you can have a 10sec creature compfort car with the 03 Cobra..It has been done :hammer but i ain't going there because i love driving this car as is..And don't want the fuel system problems that i feel will arise..
No Cage for me...Also
 
#6 ·
Just an FYI for those looking for a more consistant launch. Certain tuners have the ability to put in a soft rev limiter. WHat it does is make it so if the car is not moving there will be an RPM the car will hold. While moving the car will use the hard limiter of 6500....or what ever you have it raised to.
 
#8 ·
Im gettin tired with mine and the huge payment and with winter approaching its even worse for me. I am gonna get a beater, if I dont im gonna drive the 03.

I love my car dont get me wrong, the payment just gets old, and the times its running are awesome. Maybe a small shot of spray or something. I can any quicker and you have start spendin big bux on mods and safety devices. I move next year to FL and I may get serious with the car.

I get like this every year though living in Alaska. Car goes on the backburner in the late fall and my snowmobile is my center of attention till the april timeframe. So there is no offseason for me.

My goals for next year are a 10.xx pass @ 125. It will be done with the heaton. I figure small shot of spray and Throttle body will get me there.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Jim Vaccaro said:
Maybe it's Maturity but i will be satisfied with mid to low 11's,,,I went low 10's with the 99 and it became a race car..
Hopefully you can have a 10sec creature compfort car with the 03 Cobra..It has been done :hammer but i ain't going there because i love driving this car as is..And don't want the fuel system problems that i feel will arise..
No Cage for me...Also
Same here:king You live and you learn I guess:confused:

I know what you mean about being bored with the car JT, but in my opinion it is perfect. Start another project if you want to go faster. After my pulley, I am pretty much done with my 03. I am going to just play around with my 91 when I feel the need to tinker. I am actually considering a 557ci big block setup for it:jawdrop

Good luck on whatever you decide on!
 
#10 ·
#11 ·
Hmmm, seems like others are where i am as well??

Don't get me wrong, I love the car. I wish their was a nice quiet 50+ ish hp mod to do...

Hmmm JDM's upgraded blower maybe?

By chance, has anyone tried to find that IHI twin screw mercedes is putting on the AMG 55? I bet that would be a nice blower to get 500-550 ish rear wheel. I'm sure from a dealer the blower alone costs more than our whole engine though.

That is the rub with blower upgrades, I think they will be priced that when you decide to spend the money to change blowers, the temptation to go for 625+ rear wheel from the KB will be too much.

JT
 
#12 ·
I guess I am still pretty excited about my car because I have kept mine stock... waiting for all the good stuff still being developed for it. In a year there will be tons more boltons that will boggle the imagination and set new marks in what has already been accomplished in such a short time. Look at the Works blower, Magnuson blower, G-Force T-56, new TBs, brake systems, etc. Not to mention that very, very soon a lot of guys are going to start installing the new cams coming on the market. Watch out!! The only thing killing us is our impatience. We have kicked a$$ in every street in America.

A lot of you have made yourselves a part of the 03 Cobra legacy by what you have accomplished. Don't give up now! You guys and this forum have taught me more than I could ever hope for on my own. I hope to birth a beast of my own sometime soon by all I have learned here.

Hey Jt...I recently looked at autocross myself, just because these cars can......and it would be fun. In my neighborhood I have the VMSC that holds events and their web site is great for all kinds of info. I know that you were asking ?s before about the subject. Check it out and look for an organization in your area.

Just my .02 as I read your posts. :cool:
 
#13 ·
I am with ya 100% on the KB but I think the Spec 3 is a wrong move. I see you breaking more things and your car runs fast for the few mods because you can drive it so well, I think the Spec3 would limit your ability to drive the car out of the whole. Kinda like back in the fox body days when I went just as fast as my buddies with a King Cobra clutch and yet they always had to have Centerforce DF clutches and they were always breaking their T5's because of them! Spring for the KB, you are surrounded with people who know the ins and outs of tuning them, if I were in your position I would have 1!
 
#14 ·
Jt,
If you want to try a spec 3 ceramic, i have one less than 200 miles on it never tracked 150.00. I sold my 03 earlier this summer and put it back to stock, now with the rebates though i may have another shortly. Jerry (ndvipergtsr@aol.com)
 
#15 ·
JT...

Understand your frustration..... JimV and I have been where you are now. We went from nice daily drivers to all out 9 sec race cars. Regrets? Not really. Had a ball. Do it again? No way.

I don't get to the race track much anymore, and frankly, don't miss it that much. I love to drive my car daily. I just don't want to do anything to it that will take me out of "the old man's comfort zone". Beleive me, it does not take very much anymore to make a car a real pita (comfort wise) to drive.

Road racing? Not a bad idea. Much longer seat time, a new set of driver skills, something different. Down side? I assume you will want to be competative? Silly question. Going to need a cage, upgraded cooling, and oh, the brakes!!! I have seen some serious road race cars come out of Paul's with $20,000 brake jobs. By in large, road racing is much more expensive that what you are doing now. IMHO

Advice? For you...the KB. Go with a dedicated fuel system, return style and do it right. Clutch? I DO NOT recommend the Spec in any way, shape or form. Like I said before, been there, done that. I am not sure what is going to work for our cars. You may have to be a quinea pig. Maybe the new piece from Rick Anderson? I believe it is made by ClutchMasters.

Prolly doesn't help you much, but my .02

Ben
 
#16 ·
Clutces and mods.

Hasn't anyone heard of McLeod Dual disc clutches.

Their cluch worked the balls on my 518 Ft-Lbs torque 513 HP Mopar

Regards Mod's, Except for some minor mods I will do this winter, I am waiting for the fuel issue problems with the " Screw-blowers" to be resolved that will support 600 hp all day, anytime.

Mike69440

PS. Miss that Dodge, but I only got $6,000 I owe on the Cobra and my saving account is intact.
 
#17 ·
MODCOBRA said:
Clutch? I DO NOT recommend the Spec in any way, shape or form. Like I said before, been there, done that. I am not sure what is going to work for our cars. You may have to be a quinea pig. Maybe the new piece from Rick Anderson? I believe it is made by ClutchMasters.
Ben, can you enlighten me a bit more on your opinion of the spec clutches? Im still working ot the kinks in my KB tune but am compiling a list of mods I would like to do over winter/spring. Can you elaborate on why you dislike the spec units?
 
#18 ·
Re: Clutces and mods.

mike69440 said:
Hasn't anyone heard of McLeod Dual disc clutches.

Their cluch worked the balls on my 518 Ft-Lbs torque 513 HP Mopar

Regards Mod's, Except for some minor mods I will do this winter, I am waiting for the fuel issue problems with the " Screw-blowers" to be resolved that will support 600 hp all day, anytime.

Mike69440

PS. Miss that Dodge, but I only got $6,000 I owe on the Cobra and my saving account is intact.
Based on what Chad said about his twin disc, I don't like the idea of increased pedal travel. It doesn't seem to be the hot deal for fast shifts if the fork needs to move twice as far to disengage the clutch.

Then there are the shimming issues.

JT
 
#19 ·
Shadowgray03 said:
Ben, can you enlighten me a bit more on your opinion of the spec clutches? Im still working ot the kinks in my KB tune but am compiling a list of mods I would like to do over winter/spring. Can you elaborate on why you dislike the spec units?
I can only give you my experience with Spec. I smoked a Stage 4 on the dyno.

We were in a hurry for the modshootout, and told spec to send the best they had for my application after the stage 4 went south.

The sent me the scintered iron, stage 5. Smoked that on two 60's passes trying for my 9 sec license.

stage 4 - after the fact - told me I should have had 400 break-in miles before I used it at the strip. How do u get 400 breakin miles on a full blown race car?

Stage 5 - they had no idea why it did not work. Heck, could have been me, idk.

disclaimer - customer service was great - took back both clutches with a 20% restocking fee.

Two is enough for me. Some people have had great success.

Good luck, maybe u will be one of the lucky ones.

Ben Dorn
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top