I want a cobra, how and why

[Hoity]

It's quite funny, you decide one day you want to build a cobra, you talk to people. It takes awhile, do your research, lots of options they say!

I have been researching for 4 weeks, yet the answer has been under my nose for 3 1/2 weeks. Some kit suppliers offer kits that appear cheap at the start, you talk to the people actually building them and the final result is not that cheap purely from a dollar perspective. Then how much time is too much time, is 250-400 hr labour of love ok, is 600+ hrs too much? Two or three days a month, somewhere in 2-5+ years you have a cobra.
Do you want to spend time at wreckers/Oem dealers sourcing parts, rebuilding secondhand parts, hard to quanitfy that cost.

Is an aluminium chassis going to work harden and crack, does aluminium suffer from elctroysis with two dissimilar metals?

Dirtbikes, boats and push bikes have been made from alloy for a long time with no adverse results. You get to hear a lot of crazy stuff.

If you want to build a car and are capable of maintaining your passion for the build after many many frustrating moments and have endless amounts of time, then you have a few more options.

This thread has a pretty common theme, sure people are passionate about there build but will acknowledge something special when they see it.

[boxhead]

On a purely dollar aspect, I spent about the same as PACE starter kit plus roller.
And that got me a complete car past by engineer, stamp duty paid and 12 months full rego.
Time is a hard one to figure out, as I did bits, then did it a different way, then a lot of time was also spent sitting on a chair with beer in hand and a goofy grin.
If I stripped my car down now (not dismantling engine, box and diff), I believe I could reassemble the car inside 100 hours.
But first time doing it you spend many many more.

Originally Posted by Hoity

, you talk to the people actually building them and the final result is not that cheap purely from a dollar perspective. Then how much time is too much time, is 250-400 hr labour of love ok, is 600+ hrs too much? Two or three days a month, somewhere in 2-5+ years you have a cobra.

[Hoity]

Originally Posted by boxhead

On a purely dollar aspect, I spent about the same as PACE starter kit plus roller.
And that got me a complete car past by engineer, stamp duty paid and 12 months full rego.
Time is a hard one to figure out, as I did bits, then did it a different way, then a lot of time was also spent sitting on a chair with beer in hand and a goofy grin.
If I stripped my car down now (not dismantling engine, box and diff), I believe I could reassemble the car inside 100 hours.
But first time doing it you spend many many more.

Thats 34k, less 2k for engineering and rego, 32K That is pretty impressive given the CR Kit is 16k, i am thinking you spent a fair bit of time engineering solutions and maybe manufacturing in house. The others i have spoken to building CR kits whilst they love their cars, might not make the same choices if they had there time over again.
The CR kit will ultimately end up a great car, the guys prepared to do the big hours and have the engineering know how either individually or collectively (B-Club) can get it done, most end up spending a lot more than you have.

well done
cheers
jon

[boxhead]

When I bought my kit, the sale price was $12k (plus GST that Ian forgot to include all through the quote process)
I also got lucky on freight, the car was packed on a single pallet, and Northline only billed me for 1 pallet ($120) to freight from Sydney to Alice Springs)
Engineer was happy to bill me an hourly rate of $100 per hour, he billed me for 10 hours.
Plus I bought his plane ticket from Darwin to Alice Springs.

Originally Posted by Hoity

Thats 34k, less 2k for engineering and rego, 32K That is pretty impressive given the CR Kit is 16k, i am thinking you spent a fair bit of time engineering solutions and maybe manufacturing in house. The others i have spoken to building CR kits whilst they love their cars, might not make the same choices if they had there time over again.
The CR kit will ultimately end up a great car, the guys prepared to do the big hours and have the engineering know how either individually or collectively (B-Club) can get it done, most end up spending a lot more than you have.

well done
cheers
jon

[750hp]

Originally Posted by boxhead

Time is a hard one to figure out...
If I stripped my car down now (not dismantling engine, box and diff), I believe I could reassemble the car inside 100 hours.

Yeah, but Box you are far from the average Joe having a crack at putting something together. You have actual talent. It seems like Mildred was turned from barn-find quality to Street Machine Magazine quality in the blink of an eye and without making the back pocket flinch too much at all.

Skills and a can-do attitude can make an enormous difference to the cost/quality of a finished product if fabrication work is involved.

[Hoity]

Originally Posted by 750hp

Yeah, but Box you are far from the average Joe having a crack at putting something together. You have actual talent. It seems like Mildred was turned from barn-find quality to Street Machine Magazine quality in the blink of an eye and without making the back pocket flinch too much at all.

Skills and a can-do attitude can make an enormous difference to the cost/quality of a finished product if fabrication work is involved.

What he said!

[Hoity]

Where does the spare go?

Just saw the kids ride on, made me think, do Cobras have a spare and if so where does it go?

[Wazza]

Not usually a spare...although I've seen some using a space saver type spare....but when I asked them what they were going to do with the big fat tyre/wheel when they use the spare....

Oh !

Either rely on your R.a.c.q. Or Similar.....or an instant tyre repair and small compressor or foot pump.
Cheers
Warren

[albanycobra]

That was my plan, powder coat chassis satin black and black anodise the suspension arms and uprights black.

[albanycobra]

Fibreglass will catch fire very, very quickly. If anyone even suspects their kit car is one fire, you had better exit very quickly as you will get burned very quickly.

Go the alloy body option.....problem solved.....

[DaveW]

Originally Posted by albanycobra

Go the alloy body option.....problem solved.....

Is there any progress pics of the pace alloy body development yet, bucks etc.

I'm hanging out to see this version.

Dave

[400TT]

Originally Posted by DaveW

Is there any progress pics of the pace alloy body development yet, bucks etc.

Buck is just having it's final touches finished. Pushing now to get bodies rolling through.

I think our PACE Alumina (alloy body version) will surprise a lot of people with it's unique features. Body is hand formed (english wheeled) with vacuum infused carbon superstructure. It is also removable from the chassis. The rest of the vehicle is similar to the PACE 427, but some cool upgrades.

We will hopefully release some photos soon.

[deano59]

can the alloy body be retro fitted to cars with the standard body ?

cheers dean

[Jaydee]

What is the advantage of ali body over fibreglass?

[400TT]

Originally Posted by Jaydee

What is the advantage of ali body over fibreglass?

In my opinion the alloy body is just for the cool factor of having alloy. Especially leaving it with a natural aluminium finish or polished. At Absolute Pace we are bringing the alloy body into the modern age and producing an alloy body solution that both increases the visual appeal of the alloy body under bonnet, boot etc by using a vacuum infused carbon structure which also improves the performance and practicality of having an alloy body.

In every respect you could argue our Carbon/Kevlar composite bodies are superior to our alloy.

What would I have? Alloy, it is just too cool for school...especially with an infused carbon sub structure.

Craig White
Owner of Absolute Pace

[Tenrocca]

Originally Posted by 400TT

In my opinion the alloy body is just for the cool factor of having alloy. Especially leaving it with a natural aluminium finish or polished. At Absolute Pace we are bringing the alloy body into the modern age and producing an alloy body solution that both increases the visual appeal of the alloy body under bonnet, boot etc by using a vacuum infused carbon structure which also improves the performance and practicality of having an alloy body.

Craig - can you clarify what your doing with the carbon fibre - Is it just basically a layer of CF layed up on the inside of the Aluminium?

We just had a nice Hail storm come through here that would have golf balled a aluminium car.

Cheers

[albanycobra]

Fellas feel free to move the Alumina body conversation to my Alumina build thread, might be some good detail that should be kept easy to search for and keep Hoity's thread on course

[stephen low]

Jon

I have a spread sheet somewhere from my pre-engineering build costs. I did this partly as some form of proof for Vicroads when I first registered it in terms of claimed cost for tax purposes.

My initial total build cost to engineering stage was just on $30K I recall.

It was a nothing special build and was very Spartan in terms finish but it was registered.

Don't ask me what it now owes me as for one I stopped counting and I'm sure the missus wouldn't want to know - lol

[Hoity]

I think to get purely to the point of rego as you say it can be done for something south of 50 k, using a secondhand drivetrain, minimalist interior, no covers, s/h wheels etc. but as you rightly point out, when the passion grabs you to make it your pride and joy. $$$

[Aussie Mike]

Jody talks a little about Heat affected zone in one of his recent videos. He had a really good demonstration of the affect on the temper of aluminium.

My understanding is that TIG is a little better for controlling the heat affected zone when welding.

Check it out, I've linked to the relevant section

https://youtu.be/ulQ4ie0Fq2k?t=300

Cheers