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Dialing in Goldberg’s Cobra kit car.

Dialing in Goldberg’s Cobra kit car.

CarCast Oct 23, 2025 51 min
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About this episode

Bill Goldberg shares his ongoing journey of fine-tuning his Cobra kit car, detailing the late-night sessions with friends Clint and Manny. The episode dives into the challenges of adjusting shocks, tuning the carburetor, and ensuring the car's performance meets expectations. Goldberg discusses the importance of hands-on learning and the camaraderie that comes with working on classic cars. Listeners will appreciate the practical tips on tuning and the humorous anecdotes about the quirks of the Cobra, making it a relatable experience for car enthusiasts.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Shelby Cobra

"...dberg. You're back in the office, dialing in the Cobra. So I know it's been a lot of Cobra talk, but I ..."

The Shelby Cobra is a classic sports car that is really fast and has a unique look. It was made in the 1960s and is famous for being a great car for racing, which is why many car lovers talk about it.

Part

clutch

"It's, we're having to install a clutch. It's, hey, you know what, we need to adjust the shocks because it's rubbing when, you know,"

The clutch is a part of the car that helps you change gears. When you press the clutch pedal, it disconnects the engine from the wheels, making it easier to shift gears without stalling the car.

Part

shocks

"It's, hey, you know what, we need to adjust the shocks because it's rubbing when, you know,"

Shocks are parts of the car that help absorb bumps in the road, making your ride smoother. If they're not adjusted properly, the car can rub against its own body when turning.

Term

suspension

"to see how it reacts, how's the suspension, how's the engine? You got to shake, you know, you got to shake everything down."

The suspension is what helps your car ride smoothly and keeps the tires in contact with the road. It includes parts like springs and shock absorbers that absorb bumps and keep the car stable.

Term

brakes

"Yeah, the brakes feel good, the steering feels good. Everything feels good."

Brakes are what help you stop your car when you press the pedal. They create friction to slow down the wheels, allowing you to come to a stop safely.

Term

steering

"Yeah, the brakes feel good, the steering feels good. Everything feels good."

Steering is how you control the direction your car goes. When you turn the steering wheel, it moves the front wheels to help you steer left or right.

Concept

American muscle car

"That's all they do, American muscle car. And I met them when I met Manny and I told them as we walked through that there's going to be"

American muscle cars are fast cars that usually have big engines. They became popular in the 1960s and are known for their strong performance and cool looks.

Part

carburetor

"And so we're driving the Cobra and the carburetor, we can't get it to idle."

A carburetor is a part of a car's engine that helps mix air and fuel so the engine can run. If it's not working right, the car can have trouble starting or idling.

Term

vacuum leak

"Because we had a vacuum leak, right? So with air cleaner on, the screw holding the air cleaner on, it creates the vacuum. We didn't even think about that."

A vacuum leak is when extra air gets into the engine that shouldn't be there, which can make the engine run poorly. It can cause problems like rough idling or stalling.

Term

dino

"I meant to ask before, is there a dino in town? Does anybody have a dino shop? Because I'm curious, I mean, also part of the tuning process..."

A 'dino' is a machine that measures how powerful an engine is. It tells you how much strength the engine has, which is important for tuning it to perform better.

Car

Cobra

"I think we're all kind of curious and what kind of power that Cobra is actually making..."

The Cobra is a special version of the Ford Mustang that is designed to be faster and more powerful. Many people like to modify it to make it even better.

Term

twin turbo

"...the twin turbo Mach 1, when I had that, when I would take it to full throttle..."

Twin turbo means the car has two turbochargers that help the engine produce more power. This makes the car faster and more efficient.

Car

Mach 1

"...we looked at the dino graph for the Mach 1, separately, we looked at all of his files where he's looking at the air fuel ratios and..."

The Mustang Mach 1 is a special version of the Ford Mustang that focuses on performance and speed. It's popular among car lovers for its powerful engine and sporty look.

Term

wide open throttle

"where is it at idle, where it is at wide open throttle, are we cruising, are we burning too much fuel at cruising speed, wasting fuel for no reason?"

Wide open throttle means the gas pedal is pushed all the way down, letting the engine get as much air and fuel as possible. This is when the car can go the fastest.

Term

dyno

"...what he's need to do on the dyno, then make sure you drive it on the street and it feels the same. Well, yeah, a dyno is not going to tell you if you're going to rub in your right rear because your socks not..."

A dyno is a machine that checks how powerful an engine is. It helps car tuners see if changes made to the car improve its performance.

Car

Ford Mustang

"...s not. Yeah. And so, and his dyno is good. It's a Mustang dyno where it has a load. You can simulate the l..."

The Ford Mustang is a famous car that many people love because it's fast and looks cool. It was first made in the 1960s and has been a favorite for car fans ever since, often talked about for its speed and design.

Term

fine tuning

"...get it out on the street and do some fine tuning on it. You know, it might be an interesting idea..."

Fine tuning means making small changes to a car to make it run better or feel better while driving. It's about getting everything just right after the main work is done.

Company

Dakota Digital

"These Dakota digital gauges are great, man. I mean, the app that they have with it, you can monitor every single thing and you can adjust while we're going..."

Dakota Digital makes digital gauges that show important information about your car, like speed and engine temperature. They are known for being very accurate and easy to read.

Part

springs

"that we changed the shocks, changed the length of the shock itself and then changed the springs..."

Springs are parts that help hold up the car and make the ride smoother by absorbing bumps. They work together with shocks to keep the car stable.

Part

coilovers

"Yeah, they have the inboards. There's four coilovers back there, two on each side for that independent rear. One's inverted. One set's inverted, remember?"

Coilovers are special parts of a car's suspension that help control how the car rides and handles. They can be adjusted to change how high or low the car sits, which can make it handle better on the road or track.

Car

BMW E46

"I did KWs on my BMW, my E46 BMW. And then I got Tukiko."

The E46 is a specific version of the BMW 3 Series, a popular compact car known for being fun to drive and practical.

Company

Maximum Motorsports

"but a maximum motorsports coilover conversion."

Maximum Motorsports is a brand that makes parts to improve the performance of cars, especially Mustangs.

Term

throttle response

"...Complete throttle response, picks back and forth. I can't even, so I need a longer linkage rod..."

Throttle response is how fast a car speeds up when you press the gas pedal. If it's good, the car goes faster quickly when you want it to.

Part

linkage rod

"...I need a longer linkage rod because I'm not even getting full throttle right now..."

A linkage rod is a part that connects the gas pedal to the engine, helping control how much power the engine produces. If it's not the right length, the car might not go as fast as it could.

Term

full throttle

"...because I'm not even getting full throttle right now. There's about, I don't know, half an inch that I'm not pulling..."

Full throttle means pressing the gas pedal all the way down so the engine can work at its strongest. This helps the car go as fast as it can.

Term

throttle linkage

"...we were talking about the throttle linkage possibly hitting and was slightly hitting, but it wasn't getting stuck..."

Throttle linkage is the set of parts that connects the gas pedal to the engine. It helps the engine know how much power to use when you press the pedal.

Company

CarEdge

"That's why CarEdge is AI negotiator is a game changer. It contacts the dealer and does the haggling for you and it costs less than taking gas."

CarEdge is a service that uses artificial intelligence to help you negotiate the price of a car with dealers, making the buying process easier and less stressful.

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