dolphin717 First names are always nice. Thought about preowned if you don't have a 2 car garage? I built my ERA in a 1 car garage, not easy at times.
FF gives great instructions on how to assembly, you could also (YouTUbe) and sure there is info there. I know the all girls garage built one in 22 minutes.
. It takes about 50 hours to build with all the parts, minus paint work and body work. I would let FFR do this at there company. It will be alot easier for you.
Heres the up and down side of the cobra, What is the nastyest car or truck you have own? A cobra even with a 302 and auto is a nastier car to control. Short wheel base, Quick stopping with out ABS, AC is an opition, add a soft or hard top. Getting in and out is another adventure. Burning pants and skin on side pipes. Mechanical work and repairs, you need to have some experience in all fields, at least a basic. Getting it State inspected, registered and insuranced.
Up sides, A blast to drive, handles better than any other car you have been in. What motor trans and rearend are you looking at. Auto trans or 5 spd? both with overdrives. Rearend ratio with over drive should be in the 3.50 range. will give you good pickup and cruising. Smile on your face after every drive. Other half will not like the new mistress.
Spending too much time with her( cobra) and not with me!!!
Every one builts their car different. That's the great thing about cobras. I'm sure there 20- 30 guys in your neck of the woods that would help you build the car if you go that way.
You can get parts from a recycle yard but don't know what internal condition they are in and how long they will last before failures. New parts come with warranttys. Cost is more. You can save about 20-30% of building cost by doing this yourself. You will need tools, jacks, engine picker, and a good buddy to help with the heavy work. Motor is about 550 pounds, trans from 85-130 pounds, solid rearend another 120 pounds. Side note, which rearend do you want? Solid or Jag setup. Big price differents. Jag cost alot more but car handles better and looks orginal.
Here a check list of some of the thing you will need to think about before building this car,
Motor, carb or fuel injection, need more parts and electric for FI. Different fuel system with return line.
Trans, manual or automatic? Manual figure out which clutch you want to run? Auto trans need to add cooler lines and cooler to car, Location?
Rearend, solid or independant. Cost and cool factor.
Steering , power or not power steering, I have and like my P/S system. I autocross and road race 95% of the time.
Wheels and tires, Depending on car, Pin drive rims or fakes, Wirewheels look great on FIA cars or slabsides.
YOu have not said what body style you are going with? SC body? FIA body? Slab side? They are all a little different in looks.
I hope you are in good shape, The seats are ment for guys in the 250# weight range and about 5.5ft to 6.2ft outside this range you will need some other body changes. Some car come with seat tracks to move the seat around. Others are bolted to the body and have no movement. Steering wheel on some bodies is not adjustable for easy out and in of car. You might want to check this out before barking on this new adventure.
Exhaust, side pipes are cool, need ear plugs for any drive over 20 minutes. They can hear you coming 5 minutes before you get there. Cops love US. NO tickets just pulled over to look at and check out. Under car exhaust, Quiet, less noise. Ground clearance is your problem tall tires help. The pipes are small and kill preformance too with a strong motor. You do have your hearing and can talk in the car when cruising. Need heat shields under car for floors.
Sorry for long story but wanted you to get an understanding of what you are getting into. FFR will walk you through the whole buildup.
I saved the best for last, what color or colors, strips or no strips, hood scoop or not. Get the shields to protect the rear fenders from debrie hits of stones, garbage, anything the tires will pickup and throw.
Last thing and this is the most important, Even if you never race the car, autocross, or roadrace, Go to a driving school and brush up on your driving. If you have nevered drivin a high powered car, get your driving skills polished. Alot of guys here have gone and are better drivers from this. Safety is very important with driving a cobra. WE have lost guys here from accidents. There is not alot of protection in these cars unless you add a rollcage. 1 side note, make sure the roll bar is about 3" taller than your head sitting in the car seat. IF you have a roll over that may save your life and not break your neck. I have a 5 point setup in my car with a cross bar on the drivers side at the door.
Sorry for long story but this is what you want and just giving you a basic of what you are getting into. Good luck with the project or buying one. Rick L. ps if you want to talk about this, there is more, call in the evening. 7322543536. Try and answer all your questions.
That's a basic list, Rick L.