While traveling in Turkey I have had the chance to catch up with Ozgur Tan and his scratch Cobra build. Ozgur is an experienced mechanical engineer who has led some automotive design operations at some large car manufacturers in the US and Sweden. He has already made a Porsche 550 replica and has several other projects in train.
His Cobra is based on a careful study and analysis of original 289 dimensions. He also has hundreds of Cobra models and is extremely knowledgeable on the history and heritage of the car.
Starting with a 3-D computer model, he made a full size wooden buck and then from that, the moulds for the car. Kevlar is used extensively throughout the extremely strong body structure. He has added some wheel arch extensions that are similar to those used on early Cobra racers in the UK. Most of the parts including the windscreen, trunk hinges (reversed opening for the planned Le Mans hardtop), door hinges, bonnet and trunk locks, roll hoops, 105 litre fuel tank and bonnet hinge are made by hand from polished stainless steel and use of a laser cutter. Also, the interior tunnel and dash are made from carbon fibre and resin in special moulds that he has developed.
The car has a Chev racing-heritage small block installed and his own design exhaust stainless steel system that sits well up into the body.
The location of the handbrake is also interesting - being beside and slightly behind the driver's seat. It falls to hand very easily and saves space between the seats.
A work in progress, but on the road soon!
