wheel chair accessable Cobra
 

Since the Bennett Cobra sits 3'+/- lower than regular Cobras, she's the perfect candidate for this fun project. 2" tubes, as opposed to standard 4" makes the cockpit floor 2" lower than standard, I don't know yet where Paul took out the other inch.

So, cut the perfectly good chassis "cross" braces, extra braces that Paul put in the door opening. Then added 1/4" plate in floor for extra support, have just regular 12 volt scissors jack to raise/lower wheelchair, no plans, all in my head.

Tomorrow, I will epoxy the door in, then cut the body for a 24"+ opening, put a piano hinge on bottom of body cut out, etc....

A truly noble project, I look forward to watching it's progress.


Bill

Is it going to be an automatic or standard?

Bill, thank you. I have a couple of friends that are smarter than me, (well more than a couple), at first they said I was nuts, then after a few more beers, bouncing the idea around, they said: "Hey, it just might work."
We see lots of Cobras being built on this site, I just wanted to try and do something a bit different.

1795, yea, I at first wanted standard, (it's a Cobra) but then have since decided automatic will work better.

I forgot to mention in my original post, my first thinking, and main reason was for Veterans, confined to chairs.

Not a very important part of the project, is paint, camouflage? Naw, that's just dumb. Maybe Army green?

As an Architect I always believe it is a good idea to take the trouble to make measured plans before cutting up a perfectly good Cobra.

I have a good friend that used to be a master mech and now has parkins .He always loved cobras so I gave him a ride in mine.It was a total bear getting him in and out of the car but the grin on his face was worth it! Good on you sir!

A gloss Olive Drab like those on Staff cars wouldn't look bad.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vid...taff-car-sells

https://store.midwestmilitary.com/category-s/1965.htm

Or a Marine One Green
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_One

FS 14079 (color code)
https://www.milspeccoating.com/Feder...olors-s/41.htm

t walgamuth
as a construction contract manager for 30 years I followed 2" thick set of plans, and spec books equaling 4" thick, (one project was 17 million $ in mid eighty's money, maybe 50 million today?)almost every little detail was spelled out drawn out. Since I retired 15 years ago, I absolutely enjoy building something without any plans, maybe a hand sketch, but mostly working off pictures/ideas/thoughts in my head, much, much more fun. But I do understand what you are saying.

hauss
thanks for the encouragement

spdbrake
Great suggestions, funny thing is I'm colorblind, which is actually a misnomer, I'm not blind to color, I like to say I'm color confused. I've only had silver/white/or black cars. Maybe rather than going green, I know I don't like army green anymore, maybe a standard blue with white stripes, tires with red lettering????

Hey, just looking/asking for advice: Any wheelchair experts out there, or medical supply specialist? I've found, at, of all places, Walmart, a chair with removable wheels and arm rest for less than $200.00, BUT, I've seen chairs with shorter than standard wheels, which, I think, would work better in this situation.

My cobra has a 16" wide racing seat. There is no extra room anywhere except straight up. Any wheelchair that will fit in that dimension? But if you want to cut your frame up after sizing things up by eyeball only, its your car.;)

twlmouth
To get this to work/fit, I'm willing to shorten steering wheel shaft, install removable steering wheel, and may make cut out of cowel forward 4" to windshield, to move steering fore about 4". Removable steering wheel, shortened cowel, and ANY other modifications I need to make it work. Would appreciate positive suggestions why it will will work not why it wont. But I am open to
any and all imput!
The in knowledge combined on this club by everyone is so very much more than any one or two of us.

ANY WHEEL CHAIR EXPERTS OUT THERE, NEED HELP!

SO, UNLESS MY MATH IS STUPID, ROUGH, Bennett cobra cockpit floor is about 6" off ground, to. meet ADS slope requirements I need 5 foot long ramp.+/- Cobra door is 24" +, make second piano hinge on top.of door, so when it dropped down, unfoldes, on.itself, we have 5' ramp+/-

I'm going nuts about actually cutting 2" opening into side of cobra body. Am I just nuts or something? fuxxk it, just "get er done"! I've delayed two days, wondering IF I have any idea about what I'm about to do.

You're just yanking our chains right?

t walgamuth
"My cobra has a 16" wide racing seat. There is no extra room anywhere except straight up. Any wheelchair that will fit in that dimension? But if you want to cut your frame up after sizing things up by eyeball only, its your car."
Thank you for your permission.
This car is a Bennett, have you ever seen a Bennett? I don't know which manufacture your car is, but it's not relevant as it's not a Bennett

"You're just yanking our chains right?"

Do you mean about the entire idea, or that I'm spooked about cutting a two foot wide opening into the side of a cobra?

Taking a sawsall to a cobra body....it actually does make me pause.....

t walgamuth
First you tell me: I always believe it is a good idea to take the trouble to make measured plans before cutting up a perfectly good Cobra. SO, WHAT DO I CARE WHAT YOU THINK IS A GOOD IDEA?
Then you tell me: My cobra has a 16" wide racing seat. There is no extra room anywhere except straight up. Any wheelchair that will fit in that dimension? But if you want to cut your frame up after sizing things up by eyeball only, its your car. THEN YOU GIVE ME DIMENSION OF YOUR CAR, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DIMENSIONS OF MY CAR. (Unless yours is a Bennett, also, even then Paul made changes to each and every car he built) THEN YOU GIVE ME PERMISSION TO CUT UP MY OWN COBRA

Do you have any positive suggestions??

I guess I'm kind of confused too since I don't know anything about your background. I assume you are in a wheel chair and you are trying to fab this car to be able to enter it and sit inside in a wheel chair to drive the car? Or is this a special accommodation for the right side to be able to get wheel chair bound passengers into the car?

I would just cut it - I've done enough work in fiberglass to know what an easy material it is to work with compared to steel. I did all the restoration on my old Corvette body and the great thing is it can be cut, repaired, patched, sculpted, spliced, reinforced, etc to deal with just about any issue.

DanEC

Thankfully I am NOT in a wheelchair, I was one of the lucky ones, came back with no physical injuries, my mind, now that's a different thing.

No accommodation for wheelchair passenger, only the driver.

As I've said above, my first thought was to build a Cobra that a Vietnam Veteran who is confined to a chair can drive, rather than driving a boring van.

"I would just cut it - I've done enough work in fiberglass to know what an easy material it is to work with compared to steel. I did all the restoration on my old Corvette body and the great thing is it can be cut, repaired, patched, sculpted, spliced, reinforced, etc to deal with just about any issue."
THANKS FOR THE POSITIVE ENCOURGEMENT!

That's the plan, today...to just cut it, I've got a great fiberglasser I'm working with here in town, so any error, mistake can be easily fixed.

My background is 30+ years in the construction industry, 12 units short of an engineering degree...which I'm more proud of NOT actually getting the degree, than had I completed it. Had I got the degree, I would most likely worked inside, without it, I spent my time on the ground, on the actual construction sites, overseeing, managing the Projects.

I'm not a very good mechanic, but I've kept my MGAs, Bs, Triumphs, and Mini Coopers, running since I was 16; but I'm working with several excellent mechanics here in town.

I took First Place at the Knott's Berry Farm Kit Car Show, 10+ years ago, in the under construction class, car was complete except for paint, I put my own body (it came out of Tim Figuars of Fiberjet Industries, mold (that I purchased from him) onto a FF5 chassis.

It would be a lot cheaper to build a wheelchair to fit your car than modify your car to accept a typical $300 wheelchair. Cut up the wheelchair instead of the poor innocent Cobra.

I suggest you reconsider your point of view. The problem is not that the cobra is too small it is that the wheelchair is too big.

Ok - got it now. Admirable goals. I think you are probably going to be doing a custom Cobra and custom wheel chair when all is said and done.

Is this lower cut going to be a separate flip down door section or are you going to have it grafted to the door panel to end up with an enlarged and lower threshold door and door opening when completed?

Good luck with the project.

2" tubes? Brings new meaning to the term "flexible flyer "

t walgamuth

Who are you, this is my idea, my brainchild, go find your own.

I suggest you reconsider your point of view.)
I SUGGEST YOU GO AWAY

it's been said the best/easiest way to improve ones life is to eliminate the negative people in your life, therefore Mr. t walgamuth, I bid you adue.

DanEC
you got it!!! the wheelchair will go with and be part of cobra package. Maybe, in future one will be able to use ones own wheelchair, I haven't taken my brain that far into the future. the cobra/wheelchair may not be as comfortable as ones regular chair, but how much time will be spent in it? Grocery run, bar run, dinner run?


(Is this lower cut going to be a separate flip down door section or are you going to have it grafted to the door panel to end up with an enlarged and lower threshold door and door opening when completed?)

That's a mouthful, I've read it three times and still not 100% sure what you are saying.
Piano hinge at bottom of 2' cut out, door is 28"+/- height, second piano hinge at top of door, drop door, unfold second 28" panel, have 5'-6" long ramp, to reach 5-1/2"" height of Bennett cobra floor, didn't take time to do exact math, but it's damn close to ADA requirements.

twobjshelbys
If you read some of the stuff I've posted about Paul Bennett, I think you might realize he knew what he was doing. He build race cobras, not street cobras when given the choice.

I wish you the best in your endeavor.