GTP Cool Wall: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake

  • Thread starter Thread starter GranTurismo916
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1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake

  • Total voters
    131
  • Poll closed .
As much as I'd like to say it's cool to have a V8 outputting 800bhp in something that looks like that, you will always look like an idiot driving it and because it hasn't got a roof everyone can see how much of a bellend you are.
 
I personally like the insanity of something like this being built purely as a tuning company's plaything (aside from Cosby's of course). However, because it is just massive auction fodder, it slips into uncool.
 
Zenith
It's worth noting that basically no car manufacturers actually build their own transmissions. They buy units from companies like ZF or Tremec.

This is why the 6 speed stick shift in a Mustang is more or less the same unit that's in a Viper, Camaro, Challenger, Corvette, or Aston Martin DB7. The more exotic cars tend to share ZF transmissions for their DCT's as well. Changing shifters, software, or minor components? Easy. Raising torque capacity by double? Not easy.
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Up until the late 80s with most American cars they were their own units ( though it depends).
 
Slash
Pretty much exactly why. The auto that's in it to this day is one of the best autos as far as autos go for the fact it can hold an ungodly amount of power in stock form and its ratios. No manual back then could hold more than (transmission depending of course) 500 without serious work.
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*cough* bollocks *cough*

Gearboxes don't give a crap about how much power you're shovelling through them because power isn't a force. They care about how much torque they're dealing with, because torque is a force and the purpose of the gearbox is to multiply it - while the power passes through unabated (save for friction losses). That's why gearboxes - like clutches - are always rated by input torque.

Now of course the point that it was difficult to find a manual in the 1960s that was rated to 462lbft (and not weigh the Moon) may hold true - though I'm fairly sure that the Ford GT40 used a 4 speed manual rated to around 500lbft at Le Mans that year - but the amount of power doesn't come into it.
 
I got a good laugh at the "lazy" bit.

Couldn't bring myself to vote a Cobra SU, but this is almost as warm as the original 427 Cobra is icy.
 
In light of this conversation, I was toying with the numbers: there are only a few sources that pair an RPM to the 800hp figure -- 5600RPM -- at which point the 427 would be making 750lb.ft of torque. If it was making the full 462lb.ft at its peak horsepower RPM, it would be revving over 9000. If it was 400lb.ft at peak power, then it's already past 10k.

So...800hp is a bluff? I'm not terribly surprised.
 
Wolfe
In light of this conversation, I was toying with the numbers: there are only a few sources that pair an RPM to the 800hp figure -- 5600RPM -- at which point the 427 would be making 750lb.ft of torque. If it was making the full 462lb.ft at its peak horsepower RPM, it would be revving over 9000. If it was 400lb.ft at peak power, then it's already past 10k.

So...800hp is a bluff? I'm not terribly surprised.
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That's a good point. I did find the torque peak listed as 2,800rpm, but it wouldn't even be churning 250hp out by that point - and yes, it'd need to produce that maximum right through to 9,100rpm in order to see 800hp.

Shelby suggested that the car would do 200mph (as per Cosby's request), but that he himself only had it to 190mph on an unlimited section of Nevada highway. If the 425hp Cobra was aero limited to 167mph, the Super Snake would need 626hp to hit 190mph - corresponding to 462lbft at 7,100rpm...
 
Interesting observations @Wolfe @Famine

I wouldn't be surprised if 800hp was a high ball number. Forced induction was practically witchcraft during that time and the old school Paxton's really weren't as effective as they could've been. On the other hand, centrifugals are known to ramp up torque as they get into boost, so I don't know about that peak torque RPM being so low. Here's another 7.0L engine with a centrifugal. Look at where torque peaks.

14086-2006-Chevrolet-Corvette-Dyno.jpg


~5200RPM. That's with one, two superchargers would yield an even more pronounced effect.

But then again, who cares about the power? There's one of these left. It's unlikely that the back of the throttle pedal will ever hit the floor mat again.
 

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