New Cobra is coming along....One year later!

[Wazza]

Thought some might be interested in how the new Cobra is coming along.

It's been one year since I sold my beloved "Bumblebee", and started on the new build.

Bye Bye Sweetheart.

A few minor changes to the original plan, but had some better ideas as we got into it.

The following "mix" is what it's ending up with....

LS7 ( 427 CU. IN.)
"Beefed up" T56
3 " under car exhaust system.
1996 Ford Thunderbird I.R.S.
"Knock off" Halibrand 17" wheels, with some decent width...Rears 315,(12.6 inches ), front 245, ( nearly 10 ins )


plus a load of little touches that will be all part of the finished product.

"Girlie" things like a heater...(But not AC)
Sound System
etc.

A few more months??....and it will all fall into place.

I put some more pics on my gallery if anyone wants a look.



Cheers,

Warren.

[Beejay]

Looks nice Waz.

Awesome rear wheels!

Ben

[T.L.]

Warren,

Mine is yet to drop onto the wheels, I'm running 17" knock on's as well, and they seem to be the same rim. Look good.

Getting engine bay painted at Dougs this week, then it's time to start putting it together. Then off to the auto sparky and trim and engineering. I hope that there wont be any issues with the blower sitting on the top, but given both Harrop and Walkinshaw are running them engineered there should be no issue.

I went for the Kuhmo KU36's all round, have had a few issues with knock on wheel drive flanges as they sent the incorrect ones over, but that should be corrected this week all going well.

What weight in springs did you go for?.

Looking good.

Lawrence

[Mando]

Looks great Warren. Your exhaust system doesn't look like a temporary one yet you've got cutouts for sidepipes, what are you actually doing?
Is your frame standard or have you altered it to get the dish front and back? The wheels look spot on.
Thanks for the update!

Regards.

[Wazza]

The exhaust system will stay......trying to tuck it away more and have some "Fakies" down the side.

Even thought about just the under car system as it is...but with the front end guards given the wider treatment, it looks like it needs the side pipes.

Springs ?.....

Factory Five Cobras with the same IRS use 750 lb.springs....

Can't see us going that high though...

The Harrison chassis is way stronger/stiffer than the FF, so thinking we could start with the same as the Nissan IRS uses on the Harrisons...i.e. 350 lb., and make some decisions after we've had a chance to get on a test track.

The frame is standard, just had to get some fiberglass work done on the front guards to give me the room we needed.

Took a few "Goes" to get the guards to look like they belong.

It's a bit of trial and error to avoid making the front wheel arches balloon out too much , and get away from what I think a Cobra should look like.

The guy who did the glass work didn't quite get it the first couple of times, and thought I was being too fussy....

( You know the drill...eyes rolling, head shakes, lots of sighs and mmmmmm's )...

but when he got it how I wanted it he admitted it was 1000% better than his first effort.
Didn't want to look at a car everyday, and be shat off with the shape....happy now.

Cheers,
Warren.

[T.L.]

Warren

I have 250 and 275lb springs, maybe a bit light, but we'll see when it's sitting on the wheels and then when the suspension drops a bit when I get in it!!!!!

My front guards have been extended a small bit as well. 30-35mm to fit the front wheels in there.

Cheers

Lawrence

[Merv and Sharon]

Looking really great Warren. Were the rear guards completely standard? The front guards were widened then - any pics in progress to show how much added and how it was done? Very neat job. Black side pipes?

[rustyBob]

Warren.........

fill the holes for the sidepipes and just run the
undercar exhaust......it looks "sportier" that way
but thats just my opinion............looks sporty

[Rob. Smith]

When the fibreglass guy did the guards why didn't he remove the flanges under the body ?
I have an RMC and the harrison is a rough copy.(ha ha ha) I cut the body 3" above the flange and lowered it the width of the flange. Cut the flange off and have the correct body shape down far enough to cover the chassis....It looks spot on. I'm not too flash with posting pics ...have a look at my gallery.

[Wazza]

Originally Posted by Rob. Smith

When the fibreglass guy did the guards why didn't he remove the flanges under the body ?
I have an RMC and the harrison is a rough copy.(ha ha ha) I cut the body 3" above the flange and lowered it the width of the flange. Cut the flange off and have the correct body shape down far enough to cover the chassis....It looks spot on. I'm not too flash with posting pics ...have a look at my gallery.

My main concerns were to ....

1. Have the guard cover the wheel as close as we could.... i.e. not have too bigger flare so that it would hang out over the wheel too far.

2. To make sure we started the "flare" high enough on the guard so that it didn't look "stuck on"...like an A9x...if you know what I mean.

3. Not to make it too "fat" from the front..... i,e, the guard had to more or less copy the sweep of the back wheel arch/guard, so that when you looked at the car from the front, the front and rear wheel arch/guard looked as if they were matching.

It's a bit hard to explain....but I've seen front guards widened too much , and they don't "match" the look of the rear of the car...they tend to look like they've been frogged out too much.

No 2 above was the main one to watch......
Too high and it changed the shape of the car...and too low and you had the A9x thing going.


In the end...it all depends on what the individual wants, and if it looks good to the owner...he or she is the only one that needs to be happy with it.

I'm happy with it now...so it all worked out fine.



Merv......
Just widened the front a bit...not the rear guard.

The Thunderbird IRS was great for that....gave plenty of depth for some decent offsets in the wheels.

Hope it all works!!!!!

Cheers,
Warren

[Rob. Smith]

Originally Posted by Wazza

My main concerns were to ....

1. Have the guard cover the wheel as close as we could.... i.e. not have too bigger flare so that it would hang out over the wheel too far.

2. To make sure we started the "flare" high enough on the guard so that it didn't look "stuck on"...like an A9x...if you know what I mean.

3. Not to make it too "fat" from the front..... i,e, the guard had to more or less copy the sweep of the back wheel arch/guard, so that when you looked at the car from the front, the front and rear wheel arch/guard looked as if they were matching.

It's a bit hard to explain....but I've seen front guards widened too much , and they don't "match" the look of the rear of the car...they tend to look like they've been frogged out too much.

No 2 above was the main one to watch......
Too high and it changed the shape of the car...and too low and you had the A9x thing going.


In the end...it all depends on what the individual wants, and if it looks good to the owner...he or she is the only one that needs to be happy with it.

I'm happy with it now...so it all worked out fine.



Merv......
Just widened the front a bit...not the rear guard.

The Thunderbird IRS was great for that....gave plenty of depth for some decent offsets in the wheels.

Hope it all works!!!!!

Cheers,
Warren

Naaah I meant the flange along the bottom of the body between the wheels. Your guards look great.

[Merv and Sharon]

Looking good Warren. Lawrence any pics yet?

[Mrs flatchat]

The wheels make the car Wazz --can you lay the screen down a bit.
lookin' good

[Wazza]

Naaah I meant the flange along the bottom of the body between the wheels. Your guards look great.

Hey Rob......
I see what you mean....good job, that looks brilliant.

Bugger !!......I'll have to wait until the NEXT Cobra to do that !!

This one is getting a strip of polished stainless across the bottom flange.....I hate the "rivets" look along that strip, so the stainless should square it up for a tidier look.

Like this......






Chris?/ Yve?...

I think it might be the camera angle making the screen look like it's standing up a bit....
I'll have a look at it again tomorrow.

Cheers,
Warren.

[rustyBob]

Warren....

Now thats what i was talking about........looks awesome...........

[Krait]

Originally Posted by Wazza

Naaah I meant the flange along the bottom of the body between the wheels. Your guards look great.

Hey Rob......
I see what you mean....good job, that looks brilliant.

Bugger !!......I'll have to wait until the NEXT Cobra to do that !!

This one is getting a strip of polished stainless across the bottom flange.....I hate the "rivets" look along that strip, so the stainless should square it up for a tidier look.

Like this......




Cheers,
Warren.

Jeez Wazza,

That's a good looking Cobra, good decision of yours to emulate it

Cheers

[Wazza]

Nice try young Geoffrey.....

I already had a strip like it on the race cobra years ago, and also had seen it on one of Roland Drury's ( Dru) Cobras about 6 years ago.

I've been nagging Warwick for years about that "rivet" strip , and how it should be covered with stainless or glassed over.

He was finally convinced when he did it on your lovely car...and now he's suggesting it on all builds.

It looks terrific on your car...so hopefully I can get mine to look just as tidy.

Mind you....that idea of dropping the whole body down to the bottom of the sill looks pretty good as well.

Cheers.
Warren

[Krait]

Got to get points for trying

Agree, the sill mod sounds cool.

Try it on your next car

Cheers

[Merv and Sharon]

And I thought mine was first! Glassed over and the metal strip ....

[Wazza]

Who knows......


Maybe not the first....but a good look just the same.



Cheers,

Warren.