So what's the trick to making a Cobra turn without hooking?

[Robert Elder]

She runs great down the straights but doesn't like to turn. I come off the throttle a bit going in and then accelerate through and out of the turn but the turning radius is too wide. There seems to be a point in the turning when it all of a sudden catches. If I am fast enough in my reaction time I can avoid a hook but not always.

 

[camaroboy383]

im assuming this is the cobra 1 robert?????..... ive owned one and personally seen several run at the pond i run at....... this is a very common thing with the cobra 1..... you add rudder input and it slides,,slides,,slides,,,then once you get to that certain point of rudder input,,,,WHAM,,,hooked.......... we tried so many different setups and they always turned this way......... take the hull and slap it on a setup board....... id bet the hull has a twist in it,,, id also bet when you push down on the back of the hull to get it on the setup board that the right sponson is high off the board,,obviously more towards the front....... check it for a twist.... mine had it......

it got to the point that we couldnt tame the cornering,,, so it came down to learning how to drive them...... not quite the point and shoot hull the others are... they do fly down the straights....

 

[Beau Parsons]

Robert,

Sorry to tell you I owned 2 of these boats you kinda get what you pay for one ran okay the other hooked, spun out, tracked to the right. I tried everything could not get the boat to run. I have heard that people have gotten these boats to run, but with lots of work. For me it was enough one whole season and never a finish, finally I beat my to pieces in the garage with a 5 pound sledge hammer, then the dumpster it went. I would scrap the Cobra boat and buy a Vision Craft Boat. I own 2 and just won 1st place in A Stock OPC, over the weekend in our club. This is just my opinion take it for face value.

Beau Parsons

 

[Dan Hutchinson]

Hey !! dont listen to MR Parsons he has way to much free time on his hands. and likes to bash what a novice builder does or does not do right. im the builer of these boats and there was a issue in the truness of the sponsons. that is why im not currently makeing the gen 1 cobra anymore. i made a totally new hull (cobra 2) which i addressed all the problems that i faced on the first one

but there are ways to fix this issue with your boat. and it is not expensive. do as alden stated put the boat on a set up board and you will see the right hand sponson is twisted. i fixed this by useing bondo to build up the one side that was low and block sanding it flat. and my boats ran great after that. as a matter of fact i placed 2nd and 4th respectivly at my very first tunnel champ event a few years ago. so if you need help please give me a call at (906) 233-0062 or contact me on IW. i will even do the repairs to your boat, and ill do that for free !! all you need to do is send it to me. Dan

 

[RodneyPierce]

OR buy one of Dan's Cobra 2's. That boat looks stellar, and I do think both Tim Duggan and Alden Cost have said they are much improved over the Gen1 Cobra....

 

[Tim_Duggan]

OR buy one of Dan's Cobra 2's. That boat looks stellar, and I do think both Tim Duggan and Alden Cost have said they are much improved over the Gen1 Cobra....

That's true, I did say that. The Cobra 2 I received has very good running surfaces.

Dan's offer seems more than reasonable to blueprint the bottom of the hull for free - worth a shot before buying another hull and having to build it again.

 

[camaroboy383]

i agree tim,, dans offer is top notch... And yes,, i also said that...lol.... the gen 2 cobra is very nice,,very true....great layup from what i can tell... deck to hull joint is much better,,all around better boat..... But,,,that cobra 1 i had really did fly.... i have yet to get the gen 2 in the water... hope to very very soon,,, life has kinda been in the way....

Alden

 

[moparbarn]

the cobra 2 is a much better hull. i'm lovin' mine so far B) .

 

[Robert Elder]

Hey !! dont listen to MR Parsons he has way to much free time on his hands. and likes to bash what a novice builder does or does not do right. im the builer of these boats and there was a issue in the truness of the sponsons. that is why im not currently makeing the gen 1 cobra anymore. i made a totally new hull (cobra 2) which i addressed all the problems that i faced on the first one

but there are ways to fix this issue with your boat. and it is not expensive. do as alden stated put the boat on a set up board and you will see the right hand sponson is twisted. i fixed this by useing bondo to build up the one side that was low and block sanding it flat. and my boats ran great after that. as a matter of fact i placed 2nd and 4th respectivly at my very first tunnel champ event a few years ago. so if you need help please give me a call at (906) 233-0062 or contact me on IW. i will even do the repairs to your boat, and ill do that for free !! all you need to do is send it to me. Dan

You recently moved to Michigan, right? How far from the border? I could drop it off to you and buy some Grimracer fuel (that I can't buy in Canada) at the same time.

 

[Dan Hutchinson]

im in escanaba mi 49829 not sue of exactly how far from the border about 2 hours i think

 

[Rhonda Pickard]

Dans way up there, Dan i bet you he means Windsor area your like 4 hours from there Robert

 

[Dan Hutchinson]

i did some checking and there is a border crossing at sault ste marie in upper mi. im not sure if that is close to you but let me know

 

[Tim leyde]

I did have some problems with the Cobra 1 catching late in the turn. Drive it more like a sport hydro, as u are exiting the turn lay off the wheel. I would go all out all the way through the turn ( never backing off the throttle ). I got mine to run sweet constant 43mph and took home a MN State Champ with a worked prop from no other than Mark S. Thanks Dan and Mark, I wanted to show people what that hull could do and did it with due to you guys. I really liked driving that boat!

TL

 

[Robert Elder]

Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming .

I spoke to Dan last night and, while I appreciate his offer to fix the bottom of the hull and pay the shipping back to me, between us two, we'll just spend something like $80 to $100 in shipping. I know what to do now so I will buy some materials locally and have a go at fixing the concave in the right sponson. The hull sits flat on the board and doesn't rock at all. It just has a bit of a concave in the right sponson so it shouldn't be too difficult to build it up a bit.

 

[dave roach]

I have no problems with the cobra 1 turns like on rails.

Dave Roach

 

[DeanJohnson]

Hi Robert,

I recently adjusted the weight distribution in my gen 1 and added weight to the mid section too as opposed to all in the nose which helped durastically. It doesn't appear that I sacrificed any strait line speed, but the boat lays down nicer entering the corner with limited throtle reduction and maintains a consistant lane throughout the turn. I guess the amount of weight used and its placement depends on your engine AOA, prop, and prop height; but it helped for me and my current set up.

Dean

 

[Tim leyde]

Weight on top of the radio is key. Rather than way up front.

TL

 

[John Knight]

Weight on top of the radio is key. Rather than way up front.

TL

Think about this for a minute. Putting weight on TOP of the radio does what for the weight distribution VERTICALLY on the boat. It makes it top heavy. Put the majority of the weight right behind the radio box and in front of the fuel tank(s). That places it actually below the sponson height and the boat will ride much better. That is what I had your brother Mark do for his Vision.

 

[Tim leyde]

Weight on top of the radio is key. Rather than way up front.

TL

Think about this for a minute.  Putting weight on TOP of the radio does what for the weight distribution VERTICALLY on the boat.  It makes it top heavy.  Put the majority of the weight right behind the radio box and in front of the fuel tank(s).  That places it actually below the sponson height and the boat will ride much better.  That is what I had your brother Mark do for his Vision.

You are right John, I stand corrected. Marks boat could not run better!I only added 1/2 oz on the radio box. But John is right about this.TL

 

[Robert Elder]

I have filled in the concave on the left sponson with bondo and shaped the hull so that it sits level and doesn't rock from front to back or side to side. Still a bit of a challenge to turn at speed but I am now noticing and issue where the boat want to pull to the left at speed. With more hull in the water it tracks (and turns) fine but once you get it aired out she pulls to the left. I can trim it on the radio but would rather not scrub off the speed. I am now thinking about two possible causes:

1) The weight from the Irwin pipe is causing the boat to pull to the left when it is aired out. I think I will add 1/2 oz of stick on lead to the right sponson just ahead of the Cobra sticker.

2) Look at the left stumble block. It seems to be sticking down more than the right one and particularily towards the centre of the tunnel. Maybe it is creating enough drag at speed that the boat is pulling to the left.

Thoughts?