Starting a CMC build!

65pb736 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2011, 04:16 PM

Hello every one! I have had this kit for almost a year and am finally going to be able to get started on it. To make a long story short I had just finished my last car project and was in our local NAPA store when an older gentleman came on to buy some parts and told the store owner that he had a Cobra kit that he had purchased in 1992 and he was not going to be able to finish it. The store owner looked at me and I asked where it was and it was 6 miles from my house. 30 min later I had it in my possesion. I really was not looking for another project but the price was right and I like alot of people have always wanted to have a Cobra. The car has been stored inside my neices barn for almost a year and I will be able to bring it to my garage to get started on it by the first of the month. The kit is a CMC and appears to be complete, the front suspension and rear suspension is already done, but it has 4 lug hubs and drum brakes in the rear. I am planning on changing that and converting to coilovers as well. So here we go! Here are some pics of what the car looks like today:

Beastly · #2 (**permalink**) 10-28-2011, 06:26 PM

65 PB If need help let me know I have a CMC Street Beast along with the complete build manual-Though the manual is not very well written. While Fiber fib/CMC/Streetbeast as company did not have the best rep- With some effort- planning and beer you can build a nice car. Beastly

65pb736 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-28-2011, 07:46 PM

Hey Beastly! Thanks for the offer on the manual, luckily one came with the kit that I have, and you are right the manual is not very good.

Beastly · #4 (**permalink**) 11-01-2011, 05:55 PM

Well If can help PM me. Lesson learned are that street beast headers are unique - and side pipes are odd. You can your the factory five ones the match pretty close. Also take a look on you tube for a street beast by cars and guitars he built a street beast and logged it on video

Beastly · #5 (**permalink**) 11-01-2011, 05:57 PM

whoops sorry about the grammar!! I tried to type. You can use the FFR headers and side pipe combo!!!

65pb736 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2011, 07:10 PM

Hey Beastly! Thanks for the tips. I am sure that I am going to need some odds and ends to finish the car properly. Luckily I'm not going to use sidepipes, and had already planned to building custom headers. Of course just about everything on this build is going to be very custom, as I am using very unconvential running gear in this project.

65pb736 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 08:43 PM

Well its been awhile but I finally got the garage finished and the Cobra is in the garage. I have a little grunt work to do since this was started in 1992, there is some surface rust covering most of the chassis that has to come off. So if anyone has a suggestion on anything to coat the chassis with let me know. I heard from the engine builder today and he is almost done with it. I need to touch base with the guy that is making the intake manifold and see wwhere he is with that.

Tuck

65pb736 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2012, 09:42 PM

Here's a few pics of the chassis and body in the new garage.

65pb736 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-13-2012, 06:47 PM

Now that the car is in the garage instead of the nieces barn, I have finally had a chance to start looking things over. I just discovered that the rear end is a 7.5 non limited slip 2.73 gear ratio differential with 4 lugs and drum brakes removed from a ford Fairmont maybe 1979.

This is not going to work. So now we go looking for a suitable rear end. Any suggestions? I think that I need to look for a 8.8 from maybe a 1993 mustang gt with 5 lugs, disk brakes, and limited slip.

cobra learner · #10 (**permalink**) 04-09-2012, 06:38 AM

Hi could u please help me i am looking for the measurments for the chassis i am really wanting to build one if u do please could u help me gatemation@gmail.com

SunDude · #11 (**permalink**) 04-09-2012, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65pb736

...there is some surface rust covering most of the chassis that has to come off. So if anyone has a suggestion on anything to coat the chassis with let me know...

Lots of builders use POR-15 paint to protect the chassis from rust.

notwise · #12 (**permalink**) 04-09-2012, 09:12 AM

My 1994 cmc has a 5 bolt rear from a 1990 Mustang GT. fwiw.

madjack57754 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-10-2012, 03:10 AM

Other than the red gel coat, it looks like the black cmc and the white primered Street Beast in my garage. Same crappy 2x2 frame.
Check the upper rear end mount tabs and I'd bet the left side is welded in out of alignment like both of mine were.

joyridin' · #14 (**permalink**) 04-10-2012, 04:41 AM

Well, what you may want to do is look for a rear axle from a 1994. Go to Northracecars.com and get different backing plates. This will allow you to use an axle from a earlier model in the car and you will have the disk set-up. If I recall, only the Cobras had disks in 1993 and they are different than 1994 versions. You can also buy the backing plates for the 11.65" brakes and upgrade. I narrowed the rear axle 2.5" on each side and bought custom axles. They are pretty cheap. This allowed me to remove all the spring perches from the frame and go with coilovers. You can then run a 315 size tire if you want to go with 17" rims.

I believe the rear mounting as mentioned above was a Streetbeast issue. Nobody seems to have ever mentioned it on the CMC's and mine was one of the last CMC's before they closed the doors.

Clois Harlan · #15 (**permalink**) 04-10-2012, 04:44 AM

If this was my project I would send it to a sand blaster and put it in powder coat. The $300 would be well spent. Even if you have to cut and re-weld some of the suspension. If you know you are going to change out the rear end and all the brakes now would be a good time to weld all your bungs and tabs.

Keep us posted with your build. There are some very qualified people that can help.

Clois Harlan

65pb736 · #16 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 08:05 AM

Hello all! Progress has been slow but here are some pics of the engine and new intake manifold. As many of you have guessed this project will have very radical running gear for a Cobra. The engine is a Mazda 20B 3 rotor Rotary. The engine weighs just under 200 pounds and should produce around 400 HP. With triple DCOE Webers this build is very radical even for 20B fans. HP to weight ratio should be about 500 hp per ton. For those of you that follow the Rolex and Continental Tire series this is the same engine that all of the RX-8's have run in previous years. Except I won't be limited to 8600 rpm's to make it fair for the other competitors. This engine transmission combination should really balance the car for handling as well as acceleration. I have always believed in Colin Chapmans ideas of "Simplify and then add lightness". I also have a Lotus 7 powered by a 13B 2 rotor. 225 HP and 1300 pounds.

Tuck

52chevyred · #17 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 04:35 PM

Good Luck! There is plenty of good information here. I have met people all across the USA, that have built these.

I put my Street Beasts on the road last year & won 6 trophies: Best of Show for paint (twice), People's Choice, 1st Place in the '60-'69 class (beat some great old Chevy's and hot Camaro's, Top 50 of over 100 cars, with tons of Corvette's & Top Ten of 50 plus cars.

Just ask questions, because somebody has an answer.

Wbulk · #18 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 05:50 PM

This is going to be interesting. Please post a lot of pictures. What kind on transmission are you going to use?

65pb736 · #19 (**permalink**) 02-21-2013, 03:49 PM

Hi Wayne! I will be posting alot more pics as the build continues to progress. The tranny is from an RX-7 Turbo II second generation. They have been known to take 700 HP with no problems.

Tuck

Mother · #20 (**permalink**) 02-21-2013, 05:55 PM

I would go with powder coating the frame as well. Because while Powder coating the frame, the process of re- tempering, and annealing the fame happens at the same time. I would not sand blast the frame before powder coating, but I would use walnut shells. By using the crushed walnut shells, sand will not get into the small drilled holes that are in the frame from attaching various wires to the frame. Don't forget to file the welds before powder coating to look for faults in the older welds.