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We tested both the street version and the track machine. For this last, we will now turn you over to Jerry Titus: Last Spring, Ken Miles debuted the competition 427 Cobra in the Riverside USRRC. Naturally, he had to run it as a Modified at that time. Aboard the Webster Two-Liter, we sat in his trunk for quite a few laps and had a good opportunity to watch the suspension work. It wasn't very impressive, hut the thing stopped and accelerated like the best Modified on the track that day. A lot of careful development has taken place since then, and we again had the opportunity to be on the same track with a 427 - this time in the hands of Skip Scott - at the recent Continental Divide USRRC (See, Boss? We're out there evaluating other equipment when we're racing). This time the results were impressive. Scott was getting goodly amounts of power to the ground coming out of a corner, and quite a bit more bite under all conditions than the original prototype did. Power is something the 427 has plenty of, yet the race-car version uses a single four-barrel Holley carburetor as opposed to the two quads on the street version. To reduce engine weight, cast aluminum heads, oil pan, high-riser manifold, and timing-chain cover are part of the competition package. This pares some 80 pounds from the stock 427. Torque is ample to bust the rear wheels loose from 2800 to 6500 rpm, so the gearbox ratios are fairly widespaced by race car standards. The shift handle is long but positive, with the throws very firm and very short. In the bottom three gears, delicate use of the throttle is required if you wish to continue heading in the direction desired… even with a machine that grosses (with fuel and driver aboard) in the neighborhood of 2700 pounds! Obviously, the 427 Cobra is a brute. There's no other word for it. So the majority of effort in the race car version has been concentrated on helping the chassis cope with the performance. Huge Koni adjustable shocks are installed in both front and rear. Spring height is also adjustable via a screw-up collar that acts as a lower seat for the coils. CR Girling calipers up front and RR units in the rear clamp on 11-inch discs that are 9/16-inch thick. The stopability of the heavy machine is strictly amazing. These are real anchors and the suspension works well in combination with them for maximum stopping stability there's a lot more squat than nose-dive. Cooling-air ducts of
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