Factory Five Racing Cobra #1630

Specifications

• Home Alignment - archive of instructions

History

• 190 LPH BBK fuel pump at 11K miles
• Rebuilt Trac-Lok at 13K
• 6Sep00, reglued little dash flap
• 3-4Sep00, replaced left front studs (one was stripped). adjusted wheel bearings per manual, installed new front brake pads (Porterfield R4-S). adjusted wheel bearings showed much lower turning resistance, also dramatic effect on steering effort and front suspension response over bumps.
• Aug00, replaced burnt spark plug wire, had to crimp end on autolite wires to get it to stay on. reglued drivers side foot box carpet
• Sep00, Maximum Motorsports lower control arms
• Oct00, Lisman Upper Rear Heims, spark plug insulating boot over replaced wire
• Nov00, power steering, new stock lines from Ford, pump from Mark "Mr. Mom" Joyce
• Dec00, Atsco Autozone remanufactured power steering rack #6431 (old one leaked on pass side through boot)
  Lowered brake pedal by cutting rod, narrowed gas pedal slightly
  Removed one spacer from master cylinder to raise brake pedal
• Dec00, Consultation with Barry Spencer, lower front to make lower arm parallel to ground, kumhos may be too hard a tire for such a light car (wont get hot), recommended cross weights and alignment, double adjustable shocks.
• Dec00, Lowered rear ride height too, which had gone up due to removal of 6 of the 8 rubber bushings.
• Spring01, replaced both upper front a-arms. one broke/bent under braking, the other was bent. bought arms from john sawyer ($125).
• Apr01, new alignment by david
• May01, replaced missing tranny mount bolts, one missing engine mount bolt, ground down passenger side engine mount for header clearance.
• May01, replaced oil pan gasket $14.99 (changed oil)
• Jun01, replaced oil sending unit (autozone oil sending unit NIEHOFF OP24791 $15.99). unit is very close to exhaust pipe.
• Jul01, IRS retrofit, 1991 8.8 tbird donor. Rear disks, Panther pads, Wilwood proportioning valve, custom sway bars
• Aug01, changed to 650lb front springs, 8" x 2.5" Eibachs from Ground Control
• Nov01, new O2 sensors, new TPS, new fuel filter, reduced rear toe in, new spark plugs, new spark plug wires
• Dec01, changed to 500lb rear springs, replaced starter solenoid, battery swap with probe
• Jan02, stripped and reprimed/painted various parts of frame, adjusted right front wheel bearing to spec.
• Feb02, changed to 600lb rear springs, AFR 165 heads, 1.72 roller rockers, ARP bolts, cobra intake, 65mm TB, 73mm MAF, 24lb injectors, new battery, FMS 9mm plug wires, replaced passenger side exahust hanger, added angle to oil sender for more clearance from header, set TPS to .98 volts (required hole elongated), cobra valve covers (required change to throttle bracket) (changed oil)
• Summer 02, throttle sticky, installed new throttle cable (Explorer cable from dealer) and Russ Thompson gas pedal
• Jun02, swapped front and rear springs, now 600 front, 650 rear
• Aug 03, Won Open Class Championship, SCCA-OSP 2002 (first street-legal car to win?)
• Sep 02, installed competition upper front a-arms, welded spacers to bottom of plates to hold bolts, stripped and repainted frame visible in front wheel wells. replaced grease and large clamp (old one was loose) on driver's side CV joint. replaced prop valve to T junction brake line (old one was twisted), bled front and rear brakes (changed brake fluid). Set timing to 14 deg. Reset spring perch heights to even all around (cross weights were way off) took FTD at next event, reduced front camber and caster
• Nov02, won Best Daily Driver at FFROGFEST West 2002, FTD on autocross
• Dec02, Forte Clutch Quadrant, Ford clutch cable (original adjustable one broke, Nov02), Russ Thompson curved rear trunk frame mod (welded in), moved steering rack back so bolted to x-member to increase ackermann. Reduce front static toe to 0 inches (now has increased toe-out in turns).
• Jan03, added steering limiters so tie rods cant interfere with spring: 3/4" thin wall PVC pipe. Set the preload of the front sway bar. Noticed one of the heims has some play. Clearanced a couple of spots where the sway bar heims were hitting
• Feb03, replaced little rubber cover on brake pedal
• Apr03, FTD last event and #2 pax (GGF). removed forte clutch quadrant, was rubbing the adjuster. deepened notch to lower the angle of the cable, still touchs edge of adjuster a little, changed clutch adjustment. replaced starter with ford mini starter from mr. alternator. tightened one loose motor mount bolt. changed oil 23.2K. Installed special FFR spec Koni 3012 double adjustable monotube aluminum shocks, initially set at 2 clicks compression and 2 sweeps rebound = too soft! rewelded the driver's side quick jack mount which had been broken by the photoshoot rig, replaced one missing Flaming River rag joint eliminator set screw (3/16" x 5/8" i think).
• May 03, set shocks to 2/3 front, 3/3 rear.
• Jun 03, changed oil again at 24300- was overfilled.
• Aug 03, fastest non-kart two events in a row.  to run at GGF- softened shocks from bump/rebound 2/3 front 3/3 rear to 2/2.5 front and 2/2 rear.  car very fast.  fan busted at beginning of runs- watering radiator worked fine.  clutch slipping a little.  rear got a little loose later in runs, pyrometer (stick-in) showed only 85 degrees. 
• Aug03 - go fast goodies planned/ordered:  aluminum diff carrier, carbon fiber hood, AGR steering rack and AGR power steering pump, 15 lb battery, tubular front lowers, upper front a-arm change, front roll bar rate change. 
• Oct03 - aluminum diff carrier installed with a torsen T2, AGR steering rack and AGR power steering pump installed, 23 lb odyssey battery installed, 9 lb aluminum flywheel and new clutch, weight reduction program (approx 85lbs from the car, 5lbs from me).  
• Mar04 - CNC dual master cylinder installed, new hard lines in car. VPM rear IRS sway bar installed (removed custom bar). mounted the new kumho V710 in 275/40/17 all around.
• Apr04 - moved the frame diagonal that the upper arm would occasionally contact back to increase suspension travel under compression. back to shaved ecsta V700 as V710 were recalled.
• Fall 04 - switch to V710 tires.
  
• Spring 05 - PBR dual piston aluminum calipers and '00 brakes, SN 95 spindles.  car weight about 2160lbs.
  
• Apr05 - repositioned upper front A-arm to lower roll center, decrease anti-dive and reduce SAI.  install custom modified lower arms with easy adjust adapters and rod ends.  change to 750 front and 800 rear springs.  McLeod stage II clutch.  new 17x9 and 17x11 wheels with new 315/35/17 rear tires for race.  modify rear frame and trunk aluminum to fit wheels.  2nd place E Mod trophy 2005 SCCA Atwater National Tour.  2005 SCCA SFR Region OSP Champion.
  
• Aug05 - Kirkey Aluminum race seat. 
  
• Fall07 - production SAI adapters, 900lb rear springs, increased shock rates, fixed rear sway bar links (then new links from VPM), monoball adapters, welded broken fuel pump bracket broken by loose baffle in tank