Towy's new race car

Towmaster · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 10:30 PM

I am suspecting as this thread is not a direct Cobra build then it will probably get booed off the Forum..... anyways time will tell. If I don't feel there is any interest then I won't post any more updates.

A recent incident at Bathurst (blown sideways across the track down Conrod at 250) made me think again about my safety when racing my little car. I fully realise if I had come off the track at that point in time then I wouldn't be sitting here typing this article. No substantial rollover protection and the fact my helmet is at best level with my roll bar has always had me worried.

I had looked at race cars in the past, MX5's etc but I didn't want to end up going slower than my current pace.

I had a false run with a previous vehicle, seller sold it out from under me after I told him I would take it. So I flew down to Sydney last Friday, looked at and placed a 50% deposit on the following vehicle.

The V8 Sleuth // Classifieds

The goal is to have a pretty cool track car, that I can race in sports sedans or a series up here called V8 sports and sedans. I can also compete in our A series sprints at Warwick with the rest of the Cobra gang.

Budget (i'm hoping) is $50k all up..... yeah I know who am i kidding...

Plan as follows.

Cost of car $40k (with a trailer load of spare body panels, front splitter, full exhaust etc etc.)
Cost of donor SS commodore $5000
Extras $5k......

Think about it. The car comes with everything else, brakes, fuel system, adjustable sway bars, air jacks (this alone will be the butt of many jacks.. i mean jokes) 9 inch diff with 2.5 degree camber wedges, Ohlins shocks, full cage, dry sump tank etc, fire bomb, fully log booked.

All I have to do is get the motor in as low and far back as possible, get new plates for the extractors and hopefully go racing...

Leaving myself 7 months to get the car running and ready to go.

I will post some more photos of the car if anyone is interested.

Gav · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 10:33 PM

Awesome Ash, I'd only have booed you had you bought a Falcoon

Towmaster · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 10:34 PM

Forgot to add that the upcoming Nationals could well be my Cobras last outing.....

Not sure yet if I am going to sell it yet.... Would like to convert it back to a nice driveable road car and enjoy it more.

muzzza · #4 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 11:03 PM

Go for it Mate !!. Any build diary is interesting and we can always learn something that can be applied to our own cars / race cars. If a part of it is to do with safety and rollover protection........ all the better.
I see lack of proper rollover protection and glass windscreens as a real issue on cobras in club level racing.
I put my Cobra around Lakeside a couple of weeks ago .....having walked away from a few accidents in single seater racing with good rollover protection, I was only too aware that if I got off the black stuff in a cobra.......things would get nasty real quick........especially at Lakeside with all the armco and banks etc.

I found I could not really commit too far, without the safety features that I would normally have in a proper race car. Just not worth it ! The confidence that comes with a properly equipped car will always be reflected in your track times as well.
Something with a full roll cage is the go, especially when guys like yourself are pushing road modified cobras pretty much to the limit.
Good Luck. Murray

spookypt · #5 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 11:13 PM

I always seem to leave my nuts in my wifes purse at lakeside! As a weekend warrior racer, even in a "race car" its impossible for this wood duck to be truly committed there....

(I'm glad my car's dba is too high. Makes for less sleepless nights.)

Bring it on Towy, be very keen to see what you've got there and how you detail your build....

Spookypt

Wazza · #6 (**permalink**) 06-02-2013, 11:45 PM

Ash....That looks like a ton of fun...and you've achieved much more than most of us with your Cobra...

Sure beats deciding to quit racing the Cobra AFTER one too many of those "incidents" we've all had on the track.

If you were a REAL mate, you'd buy one for all of us and we can all have a go!

Cheers,
Warren.

Donunder · #7 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 12:44 AM

I think we should have one of those events at the next Nationals where a road car takes off followed by a racing sedan of some sort followed by a F1 monster, with the handicaps being arranged so that they all finish within a whisker of each other.

"Our" version could feature the race cars of Boxhead, Wazza, Spook, Ozvenom and Towy.

Wonder what the handicap spacing would be for a standing lap of Wakefield Park?

I'd like to be sitting on the bank near the kink after the finish line to see these five try to fit through there five abreast!

LJ47 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 12:44 AM

Go for it Ash hope you get hooked and do some rounds down south you will love PI 200 plus through turn 1 and hope it sticks.

400TT · #9 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 12:53 AM

Nice work mate, looks great.

You can not be TOO safe.

Definitely keep us updated on it.

Towmaster · #10 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 12:59 AM

First official pic....

400TT · #11 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 01:03 AM

Oh and please do not sell your Cobra if you don't have to.

Convert it back to a nice street car and enjoy the drive...

750hp · #12 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 01:55 AM

There will be heaps of interest in this build! A great driver in a sorted chassis should be heaps of fun to watch!

Mrs flatchat · #13 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 04:51 AM

Yay, lets go racing
With the Blue and White matching. -- Your wife should be pleased

fordracing65 · #14 (**permalink**) 06-03-2013, 07:38 AM

Sweet car, I want one...

BMK · #15 (**permalink**) 06-04-2013, 02:28 PM

Sure looks great - perhaps the best buy after all.

boxhead · #16 (**permalink**) 06-04-2013, 02:32 PM

Keep us up to date Ash, will love to see the build up and racing.

Towmaster · #17 (**permalink**) 06-04-2013, 06:18 PM

First problem arose when I was looking at the car in Sydney.
I knew Supercars were supposed to be no more than 185cm wide.... But how much width would a stack of front wheel camber make??
I had 191cm clearance between the guards in my trailer. I was hoping this would be enough. Turns out it isn't enough...... 193cm needed. I didn't want to build a big ramp to drive up & over the guards so had to cut out part of the inner guards and 'narrow' them a little.
I now have 195cm clearance between them so all good...
Club Cobra - Towmaster's Album: V8 Supercar - Picture
Club Cobra - Towmaster's Album: V8 Supercar - Picture

I hope these pictures work......

spookypt · #18 (**permalink**) 06-04-2013, 07:02 PM

Bugger... centre lock nuts Ash? If not you always could have run narrow rims on the front for transport to get you outta trouble. Pain in the bum I know.

Looks like what you've done is the goods!

You know that this is all eventually leading to a "transporter" upgrade.

byroncobra · #19 (**permalink**) 06-05-2013, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Yay, lets go racing
With the Blue and White matching. -- Your wife should be pleased

Ha, a mate of mine swears that if he keeps buying the same coloured motorbike as the last his wife never notices

Looking forward to keeping up with your little project here Towy

Towmaster · #20 (**permalink**) 06-15-2013, 05:46 AM

Just returned back from Sydney, the beast is still in the trailer out the front. 11 hours drive then the Streetings made Wayne Proctor & I go to Hooters in Parramatta & join them for dinner... Too many buckets of Coronas later & we awake to a rotten hangover to go & load her all up & drive back to Brissie... A very long day!