8 replies to this topic

[twobjshelbys]

Well, the lights in the room just got bright...

I'd been trying the heel-and-toe downshift on the Cobra with no success.

Then this week at the Bondurant school I got to drive a Corvette and a Formula Mazda and really practice and use it...

Today I powered up the Cobra and tried it again.

Well, there's no way.   The spacing from the brake to the accelerator pedal is way too far to reach with roll of the ankle to catch the pedal with the outer part of the foot.  If I were to guess it's more like the distance would be more to the ankle bone - way too far to consider it working.

Are they all like this???

Pics from mine

Spacing between clutch and brake is close but comfortable - basically big toe area of the foot on each pedal.  



In normal driving the spacing from the brake to the accelerator is fine, but it's way too far to reach with heel and toe (at least with a roll of the foot style, and too short to do a real toe-on-the-brake to heel-on-the-gas blip without getting the right toe portion of the foot against the clutch foot.    Plus the brake, even when depressed, is a lot higher than the accelerator.

[CSX4350]

I've been thinking of taking a piece of fairly heavy guage aluminum, curving it to the same radius as the gas pedal, then attaching it to the gas pedal to extend it over toward the brake pedal a bit.  I haven't measured yet, but it would need to extend over a good inch or two.
Not only the spacing of the pedals (I can't get a good bite on the brake and still have enough foot to get to the gas) but it is a royal pain trying to get the gas pedal down far enough to work right and still get a full throw on the throttle.

Edited by CSX4350, 01 May 2011 - 04:21 PM.

[twobjshelbys]

CSX4350, on 01 May 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

I've been thinking of taking a piece of fairly heavy guage aluminum, curving it to the same radius as the gas pedal, then attaching it to the gas pedal to extend it over toward the brake pedal a bit.  I haven't measured yet, but it would need to extend over a good inch or two.
Not only the spacing of the pedals (I can't get a good bite on the brake and still have enough foot to get to the gas) but it is a royal pain trying to get the gas pedal down far enough to work right and still get a full throw on the throttle.

I'm afraid that the Cobra might be a real example of the heel part of heel and toe.  I'll do some more experimenting but I think the reach and angle needed to make it work aren't too easy given the tight space.

By the way, is it the same in all of your Cobras?

How about the Series 1?

Edited by twobjshelbys, 01 May 2011 - 05:02 PM.

[CSX4350]

The Cobras are all like this, at least the race cars, I haven't driven the street cars hard enough to even try H&T but I've got no reason to think they're diferent.
I've got the 427's gas pedal height adjusted down far enough so it is at the proper height, but I haven't tried the 289's yet. I don't think the pedal height will adjust down enough, because the Webers require a ton of throw. That is just for the height, the distance between the brake and gas pedals stll needs to be addressed.

As far as the Series 1, I honestly don't remember. It has been quite a few months since I drove it, and it's at my other house right now so I can't go check. As I remember it is absolutely perfect. With Gary Patterson involved in designing the car, I have little doubt that it was designed that way.

[cobra25]

Its not about the pedals. Its about your shoes.  I use wider shoes with the Cobra (CSX 4990) and I have no problem.

[twobjshelbys]

cobra25, on 02 June 2011 - 09:11 PM, said:

Its not about the pedals. Its about your shoes.  I use wider shoes with the Cobra (CSX 4990) and I have no problem.

My clown shoes don't exactly fit the demeanor of  Cobra.        I'd need shoes that are at least 8" wide and 2" deeper above the accelerator.  It really isn't about the shoes, at least not on this car.

[MY500SS]

twobjshelbys, on 03 June 2011 - 07:46 AM, said:

My clown shoes don't exactly fit the demeanor of  Cobra.   I'd need shoes that are at least 8" wide and 2" deeper above the accelerator.  It really isn't about the shoes, at least not on this car.

"clown shoes".................... .

Heel-Toe..............forget it.  I need to wear the smallest racing shoes just to fit my feet into that tiny foot box.

[Mickmate]

4000 footbox is a couple of inches narrower than the 3000's. The pedal heights and positions are all adjustable. If you raise the gas pedal position you need a pedal stop. You really need one anyway and I don't see it in your picture. If you don't have the stop the levers get cranked out of position on the shaft. Side to side they can be bent but it is easier to remove them and make adjustments by measurements on the bench or in the vise.
You can see the stop here http://actoncobra.co...products_id=107

[CSX4833]

I could never heel-to-toe in my CSX4833. The spacing was just not conducive for me. Many times I found myself using both feet and resting my left foot ever so LIGHTLY on the clutch pedal (not enough to ride or engage). So, you are not alone, all CSX's use the same pedal spacing.