[tolenmar]

I've been working on some model kits lately, and something occured to me that I have no clue how to answer. So I'm going to ask my car buddies here:

Assuming equally competent drivers, with similar reaction times (and so on and so forth, yada yada yada)...

Who would win:
a 1/4 mile drag race,
a 10 lap oval race,
a "typical" street race (you know the fast and the furious kind that's illegal).

Would you say this car:

or

Both were built to be fast, from different design points of view (i.e., different methods), and both set records. But I only pretend to be a car guy, and have no real experience or even the knowledge to make this guess.

Which would you expect to win?

I think it might be the cobra, it's lighter and has a larger engine...but I could be wrong.

 

[CJTORINO]

in a quarter mile drag race, that 427 Cobra would eat that 'bird.
in a street race, a 427 Cobra would roast that 'bird.

in a ten lap oval race, I would like to see a 426 HEMI equipped Superbird square off against a real 427 Cobra.

The Superbird was built as a NASCAR high speed aero-car.
The Cobra was built just to kick butt.

 

[Harold Sage]

I'm in total agreement with CJTORINO.
and depending on which oval your racing it on the cobra might just take all three events.
Example- Running on the Bristol oval the Cobra would still have the advantage, but a bigger oval like Talladega, Daytona the Superbird would have the advantage.

 

[tolenmar]

See, I was thinking that, but I didn't really know the capabilites of the superbird.

 

[Marty]

Kind of an unfair comparison. The 427 Cobra was built as a race car that is also street driven. What you have pictured is a pure street car Superbird. In race trim who knows. A Sox & Martin prepared Superbird would see nothing but Cobra in the mirror. A Petty prepped Superbird would lap the Cobra more then once. On the street? You know the street racers don't run pure stock. Fix up the Superbird with the upgrades available and have at it.

MOO

Marty
Marysville, OH

 

[duncan]

Wasn't it the Superbird that first broke the 200 mph mark at Daytona? Pretty sure I read something recently along that line. Will have to go look -



Oops, I think I meant the Daytona, but they're both so closely related . . . . .

https://www.allpar.com/racing/200-mph-Daytona.html

 

[54belair]

I would agree with CJ...

:wave:

 

[Full Flaps!]

I think the Superbird would be a pig in comparison to the Cobra in any venue except one where it could stretch it's legs, like a NASCAR track. Which incidentally is where it was built to shine.

As for the ten lap oval race, I think the victor would greatly depend on how tight the track was. Tighter would be to the advantage of the Cobra.

 

[Global Diecast]

assuming the Cobra was packing a 427, it would take all 3 IMHO. Only chance for the bird would be a highbanked big track like Daytona or Talledega

 

[tolenmar]

Ok, the reason I was asking wqas because of this:

I built this a few months ago. The tiger striping was an experiment that turned out really well.

Then I bought these kits:

The Challenger I painted Panther Pink, but the Superbird, during the planning stages, was going to be painted Zebra Striped. So that got me thinking, if my tiger were to chase my zebra, who would win?

Of course, now the Superbird is being painted in a wildly different fashion...

So, let's play some more. New rules: Post two pictures, two different cars. Let's speculate over who would do better in the same set of circumstances as above (quarter mile, 10 lap oval, street race). I am not an expert on these things, so it should be fun to read the results.

To get things started, here are two more:
This:

vs.

1970 Oldsmobile 442 and a 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

Once again, I have my suspicions, and I admit, I may not be playing completely fair here...

 

[Harold Sage]

Now this would be a closer contest, I think it would depend more on how the cars are set up and how familiar the driver is with the car.
But of course my vote goes with the Cougar.:thumbsup:

 

[duncan]

Now this would be a closer contest, I think it would depend more on how the cars are set up and how familiar the driver is with the car.
But of course my vote goes with the Cougar.:thumbsup:

I'm partial to the Cougar as well.

 

[tolenmar]

Well, me too. But then I chose the one tricked out for racing, didn't I?

 

[Full Flaps!]

Cougar Eliminator was the top Cougar for 1970 right? So shouldn't we pair it with the top performance Olds of 1970, the 442 with the W-30 performance package?... As much as I like the Cougar - '67-'68 mostly, I'd have to be rooting for the 442 on this one. I found this period spec sheet for the Cougar.

1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator...

Engine Type
V-8/Cleveland
Displacement (cid)
351
Horsepower @ rpm:
300 @ 5400
Torque (pounds/feet) @ rpm
380 @ 3400
Compression Ratio
11.0:1
Bore (inches)
4
Stroke (inches)
3.5
Valve Lifters
Hydraulic
Availability
Optional (1970)
Times*:

0-60 mph (sec)
7.6
0-100 mph (sec)
21.1
1/4-mile (sec)
15.8 @ 90 mph
Top speed (mph)
104
Axle ratio
4.30:1
Engine type
Boss 302

*Source: Car Life (April 1970), Road Test (September 1969)


And this Olds 442 W-30 convertible is a '71 not '70, but it fills the bill. Draw your own conclusions...

 

[Global Diecast]

I had a 70 442 ragtop in high school................it was a beast..............another one on my "never should have sold" list! It was like a Hawaiian Blue, white top/interior.................sweet ride. Who knew?