Cobra in hot weather

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by gigabloke

I am toying with the idea of getting a Cobra. I would use it for weekend pleasure drives. No racing. Not interested in shows. I want it to be reasonably reliable. I would purchase new, including the motor. I foresee a problem: I live in N California where the summer temperature often exceeds 100 degrees. Yesterday it was 110 on the roads. I understand that Cobras don’t come with a/c. Effective a/c is essential where I live. Further, I hear that heat drifts back into the cabin from the engine bay. How do people deal with these issues? Presumably a/c can be fitted. But can it look good, both under-hood and in the cabin, and also be functional? Searching the forum has made me pessimistic. There seems to be no recognized solution.

AC in a Cobra, yes it has been done with a few Factory Five Cobras, Jeff at Whitby offers a kit (CLICK HERE), however, in an open cockpit car such as the Cobra, no top, no side windows, the only area the air conditioning will really work for you is the foot-boxes. The way you post above, I'm really wondering if a Cobra is going to be right for you. It's not anywhere near a modern car, it's not even anywhere near a typical 60's car in regards to ride, creature comforts, etc. Instead, it is a raw automobile, more of a race car for the street than a 100% street car. Sure, back in the day, they were indeed purchased for daily driving, but back then, there were less creature comforts than there are today. Perhaps you want to look at a later model, 2dr convertible that comes with AC and a folding convertible top if you want power (more power than most cobras) and modern conveniences.

Bill S