What are the basic upgrades to road race an 03/04 Cobra?

[TXPD]

I'm not planning on doing anything competitively, I'm just looking to have a little fun. I've been drag racing for years and I just want to try something different. If I like it that much I may end up building/buying a car for it but for now I'd just like to try it and see what it's like.

a lot of newbies come here asking about more horsepower and suspension upgrades and cooling and stuff to go faster.

the main reason to go faster is to keep up with or go faster than someone else. with healthy brakes and good tires that are well taken care of you need nothing to have a good time at the track. thats really my advice to you.

from experience i can tell you the more mods you do and the more adjustable you make your car the easier it is to completely mess up your fun.

i went to scca school with a friend in the marine corp. he in his cobra with a basically stock 4.6L early cobra motor was much faster than me in my 95 cobra r race car. by our second race together he had taken his car in for a tune to increase his HP and the car never ran right after that. he was always fighting it. meanwhile my cobra r ran like a sewing machine.

dont outsmart yourself.

 

[myslowstang]

I'm not trying to outsmart myself lol I just wanna try a different kind of racing and do it in a safe way. Since I've never been to a roadracing event I'm not really sure what to expect. This is why I'm asking you guys. My goal is not to go fast but to run my car in a safe manner. I don't want my car to over heat, I don't want to spray the track with oil/antifreeze, I don't want to injure myself or anyone else. Chances are that I'm not going to push my car to the limit because like you all have said, I'm new at this!

Seems like most of you are saying change my fluids, brake pads and rotors, and I should be fine. I'm looking forward to my first time at the track! Hopefully it'll be sooner rather then later.
Thanks again guys!

 

[TXPD]

anti freeze is a no no anyway

 

[03 DSG Snake]

I'm not trying to outsmart myself lol I just wanna try a different kind of racing and do it in a safe way. Since I've never been to a roadracing event I'm not really sure what to expect. This is why I'm asking you guys. My goal is not to go fast but to run my car in a safe manner. I don't want my car to over heat, I don't want to spray the track with oil/antifreeze, I don't want to injure myself or anyone else. Chances are that I'm not going to push my car to the limit because like you all have said, I'm new at this!

Seems like most of you are saying change my fluids, brake pads and rotors, and I should be fine. I'm looking forward to my first time at the track! Hopefully it'll be sooner rather then later.
Thanks again guys!

Brake cooling ducts are a good place to start, as is fresh fluid/brake pads.

Definitely don't need the head cooling mod or anything major, especially at the beginner levels. But the front brakes definitely do get hot fast stopping these heavy cars in a hurry.

 

[RDJ]

one additional point. Do NOT put the emergency brake on after a track session. you will warp your roters, that will not be good.

I'm not trying to outsmart myself lol I just wanna try a different kind of racing and do it in a safe way. Since I've never been to a roadracing event I'm not really sure what to expect. This is why I'm asking you guys. My goal is not to go fast but to run my car in a safe manner. I don't want my car to over heat, I don't want to spray the track with oil/antifreeze, I don't want to injure myself or anyone else. Chances are that I'm not going to push my car to the limit because like you all have said, I'm new at this!

Seems like most of you are saying change my fluids, brake pads and rotors, and I should be fine. I'm looking forward to my first time at the track! Hopefully it'll be sooner rather then later.
Thanks again guys!

 

[David Hester]

Yes, your heater core with the fan on will act as another radiator. By using the defrost mode, it blows hot air over your head where you won't feel it as much. Other trick is open passenger vents, point them toward the window and close driver side vents. You will be driving with windows open, so you don't notice the extra heat in the car. The sitting with hot brake pads is good advice. Not so sure about warping rotors, but you do put a pad brand mark on the rotor which will feel like a bump or pulse through your brake pedal. Try not to sit in line coming off track with your foot on the brake for more than a second or 2. Cool down lap is just that. Cool down. then park your car in gear with no brake. If paddock isn't flat, have someone grab a block and stick under your tire.