West Coast Cobra Owner Build Chassis # 3299

[kitcarbp]

First I want to thank this forum for all the information that helped point me in the right direction when I ran into challenges. This is a build log that assembles all my photos chronologically that my photo Albums may not. This was my first build and many times it felt like a scratch build. This build took nearly 16 years of part time dabbling to complete. There were periods in my life where for up to 18 months not a wrench was turned. Life happens. Thanks to my family for putting up with this! In fact this car is family now forever. Selling it would be like selling one of your kids. Its a keeper. When I started my build I really enjoyed the act of creating and building and didnt think driving it would as fun. Well I was wrong. Its a blast to drive. The only other human to work on this car was a paint and body man I selected who had extensive fiberglass build experience. My goal was to build a driver and not a trailer queen. Ive just reached nearly 800 miles since completing car in May 2020. Grinning ear to ear.

The list of suppliers I used is long and the internet made it possible. Many suppliers were discovered reading this forum. As an automotive engineer by training the fun part of further development of the car begins now. Thats the next chapter Im beginning to write now.

Winter 2004- In The beginning
The year of our third child being born, so it was time to start. Believe it or not after researching cobra kits for over 10 years in the planning, I decided to purchase a WCC in two phases. Part 1 ( rolling chassis) then when I was ready and had the money I would buy Part 2 ( complete body and interior). It never works out like you plan. So read on and learn about my journey. This Ford Big Block 385 series OEM bell-housing was my first part purchased in my build. Formerly in a Bronco. Wacky! I know. Its one of the few used parts repurposed for my build.

Pics from the WCC web brochure.

[kitcarbp]

So near the end of 2004 after waiting about 3 months, WCC had completed my rolling chassis and delivered it to my home in suburban DC. Trailered all the way from Windsor Ontario where their shop was located. For those that may not be familiar with this WCC chassis it uses a Mustang II type front end and a full size Pass car Ford 9 inch rear end , 4 link with coil spring and tube shocks circa the 1970’s. Its set up with Power brakes from a F150 truck and Fox body Ford Steering column and power steering rack. It uses the durable and trusted Saginaw Power steering pump used in millions of applications. The 4 wheel disc system uses the 11 inch Granada rotors and GM intermediate early 70’s D52 type front calipers up front and Ford/ Lincoln 12 inch rear calipers found in SVO mustangs back in the day with integral e-brake. A brake bias adjustment allows you tune as needed.

These photos were taken by WCC just before leaving their shop. The sales and marketing photo I had on my wall for years is shown below too

[kitcarbp]

2005

The WCC is designed around a Ford Big Block 385 Series engine. You can choose any powerplant you want for this kit but I insisted on a Big Block and I had a budget. Ford Racing at the time in 2005 offered the 460 crate engines that were great value for money. The best part is I went to the local Ford dealer with a pickup truck (THANKS DAD!) to bring home my engine. These crate motors were rated about 500 hp on 106 octane racing gas. 10.5:1 CR meant I could run 93 pump gas and enjoy it on the street, with lower power of course. Remember my goal was a street machine. They used the newest Jon Kasse Racing Aluminum Super CobraJet heads that to this day in 2021 continue to evolve and make big power in current stroked 460. They used a nice high lift cam that it still streetable. I had to use a low rise TorkerII to fit under the hood, so that reduced peak power too. Oh. And I had to machine down the carb base by .250” to ensure clearance and then use a 1/4” carb insulating gasket to reduce fuel boil for better hot restarts.
2005. Crate Motor. The unCrating

Then test fitting with the crane I used only for this project to install the power unit

[kitcarbp]

2006
After having the crate motor and buying and installing my Edelbrock Torker II manifold to be able to clear the hood( it was a rumor it would clear, i didnt have the body to verify!). I insisted on keeping the original low profile hood scoop to keep the traditional body lines. Thankfully it worked out, it did clear the hood years later I learned. Lol ��
So after collecting engine accessory items like fuel lines, hoses, ign wires etc it was time to buy the rest of the drivetrain.
I purchased a Ford Racing flywheel ( made be McLeod back then) for my big block then a clutch from Centerforce. But immediately after mock-up I realized the silly sliding weights used on the Centerforce pressure plate interfered with my McLeod HTOB i was using. See the pic here. So I decided to use a McLeod single disc clutch with pressure plate. Btw. Back then the McLeod HTOB got alot of bad press for leaks. Mine has held fluid and pressure for 11 years since first fill with no issues. I think its all about how you set it up. And keep the fluid clean!! I decided on the Tremec TKO 600 due to its torque capacity and 5 speed gearing It allowed a nice 2300 rpm at 70 mph in 5th gear (0.82). Perfect for keeping up in traffic on road trips and still allowing 225 mile range from my fuel cell for weekend road trips. Im using a 3.25:1 rear axle gearing for street use.




To be continued"................

[kitcarbp]

Summer 2006
So life keeps happening and in 2006 the Real Estate market was getting hot and we took the opportunity to sell high and buy high in a house upgrade. That meant I had to have the drivetrain installed so I could trailer the rolling chassis to its new home across town. Nothing like a deadline to focus on your build! So needless to say the rolling chassis was ready to trailer in a rented uhaul trailer on moving day. The rest of 2006 and most of 2007 was spent building out my workshop and doing house stuff in my new house so I can finish the Cobra. I promised myself I will never pack and unpack my entire house ever again. Lesson learned.



Here are pics of the drivetrain


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[kitcarbp]

2008. Improving the WCC Cooling System

The biggest challenge with any car design that uses a high horsepower motor is to manage the heat rejection through air flow and coolant flow. Cobras are no different. So upon filling my cooling system for the first time I realized the WCC provided radiator leaked as fast as I filled it! What a POS ! That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The WCC kit supplied radiator was from some stationary engine( generator?) and was a brass and copper design that no joke weighed about 40 pounds! This unit was never designed for automotive use, it had a 4 inch thick core. The radiator is the heart of the cooling system, its the foundation. So I called up a famous radiator company in South Carolina and had a custom aluminum radiator built to my specs to handle 500+ hp
I chose to use twin SPAL 13 inch fans because they are an OEM fan supplier and durable. SPAL fans protect some of the most expensive OEM production engines in the world. They can be trusted. Each fan rated at 1,700 cfm. Other car builders I spoke to advised to always over design the fan size and flow rate. You can control the on /off temp strategy with a controller to optimize them later. I achieved 69% core coverage with these twin fans without a shroud fitted. With both fans running you can hold a sheet of 8.5x11 paper 5 inches away and it will suck it out of you hands. I have air flow!
Dont forget about coolant flow!. You want to maximize the flow at idle for a street car so you can manage the heat in traffic. I ordered a WP pulley to ensure its as small as possible to ensure max coolant flow in the low rpm low air flow through rad modes like traffic. The Ford Racing crate motor used an Edelbrock high flow WP. Contacting Edelbrock they were happy to share the pump curve with me, their customer. I also changed the lower hose design such that the chrome expansion tank 5/8 line fills into the lower hose to reduce air pockets. The last mod was to add a coolant air bleed valve to the water outlet neck on the intake. Its a production GM part. Btw. I learned all these off shore made chrome water outlets are warped about .080” on the gasket surface and leak. I didnt have access to a mill to fix it then so I found an cast iron outlet from a 1969 429. Problem solved.



Here is my sketch and pics of it installed.

[chucks1]

C'mon, c'mon . . . more posts and more pics. Exquisite story and build thus far!

Chuck

[kitcarbp]

Fall 2010
So now that I have an expensive WCC go-kart and another unfinished WCC I picked up on eBay, my plan was to sell the extra unfinished chassis to help offset the costs invested on the eBay purchase. My wife just rolled her eyes but was a trooper when I explained the plan. So I advertised the unfinished rolling chassis in late summer and a few months later I sold it for the asking price. It was priced to sell! The dude that bought it wanted to build an armored vehicle with the WCC chassis Lol. Good luck buddy. No joke. You cant make this stuff up!

Now with the spare chassis gone and remonetized, it was time to hoist up the body and hang it from the rafters above where the chassis was parked. Now I would look for a body shop to take on the body work.
This is where the story turns sad and dark and I almost gave up my project. Read the next post to see what happened.

[kitcarbp]

2012
After procuring the body, the project sat in my garage in literally “ suspended animation”. For nearly 2 years from 2010-2012. Family commitments , youth sports coaching and life was busy. Those that remember the great recession and the impact it had on alot of people it even impacted us white collar folks in the auto industry. The lucky ones like myself were able to keep their jobs but salary reductions were the norm and bonuses eliminated. There was no extra cash to finish my Cobra project which is by nature cash intensive. It appeared I was heading down the infamous path of yet another unfinished Cobra project of which there are hundreds out there even today! I have read reports that Cobra Projects rank 1st in unfinished projects in the car hobby world. Someone should fact check that!

2013
WCC project for sale on Ebay! By 2013 I had lost all hope in completing the project due to continued financial troubles at work and sinking salaries. Auto industry recovery was steady but slow. So I gathered the courage to photograph everything and post it on eBay. The response was enormous. The very next day I was showing potential bidders the kit in the garage ready for body work but no interior yet. I had priced it to sell. It broke my heart to do this. Here are some of the pics from the eBay posting of my project. Including the WCC list of hardware supplied in Phase 1 of my kit. I was physically sick to my stomach having to sell a project I already had well over 800 hours expended over an 8 year period. Ive never been sadder.

[kitcarbp]

2013
The second night into the eBay listing I broke the news to the extended family that I put the Cobra project up for auction. That day was a complete embarrassment because I have never quit anything. The family was shocked and couldn't believe it. They knew the blood sweat and cursing I had already invested was profound on the project. That night at dinner we found a way forward that would allow me to continue the project. I’ll leave it that. Enough said. I love my family!
2014
In the Spring with my project having a new start again I finished up a few odds and ends and found a body shop that specialized in Corvettes. They had experience restoring and customizing Vettes of all Years. Ive seen their craftsmanship on cars near me. Why was that important? I wanted a very experienced fiberglass man and painter. While my Cobra was there they even repowered a 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt Clone. That was cool to see! Same motor as by Cobra. 385 Series big block. Of course they were all Vette guys and they swore they would never tackle a Thunderbolt project ever again. One and done! They were happy to see the Thunderbolt Clone leave their shop

[kitcarbp]

Summer 2014
It took a while to agree a start date with the body shop because they were slammed with Vette work. I was patient. I waited this long, whats another few months? In July 2014 I rolled the Cobra out to the street with the body in place but not yet fastened with rivets permanently.
Called AAA and they took it to the body shop. Now the progress really begins! The body man would be the only other person that worked on my car. Up to this point I was the only wrench. Notice the chalk drawing on the driveway. I guess earlier in that day it was playdate at my house

[kitcarbp]

More interior pics

[kitcarbp]

The Pandemic of 2020! Time to Finish the car!
So like most folks in March of 2020 I started to realize daily life was about to change. We didnt know how it would change but it would be profound. So I seized this opportunity of being stuck at home and off the road to finish my life’s work...... my unfinished song, or symphony. At this point I only needed labor, not much money to finish it. My Magnum Opus was about to be completed and debuted to the world...

Final assembly begins

First project was to get my O2 sensor bung installed for a future injection project so I could reinstall the exhaust system.
Here are photos of that mini project to weld it to the stainless steel passenger side header collector. The welders out there will notice my basic set up for back purging Argon on the backside of the weld to ensure a good long life reliable weld. Then a little metal polish to finish it. I dont weld.........but I know a guy! The pic got rotated but the O2 sensor will sit about 8 oclock position. Not ideal for sensor life, but its not visible, I’ll just treat the sensor as a maintenance item.

[kitcarbp]

Here are pics of the stainless exhaust system that came with the kit from WCC

[kitcarbp]

Heat shields under budget. So after shopping around for heat shields they were all over my budget. The prices made no sense to me for a simple curved stainless plate. So I ordered 304 stainless cut to my dimensions including nice radius’d corners that Chip Foose would approve of. I purchased the Stainless heatshield clamps from Finishline years ago and installed them. I had to relocate their mounting standoffs for my application. I took my flat pcs of heatshield to an architectural steel fab shop to run these through sheet roller for the exact radius I needed. All done these cost about 50% of aftermarket shields

[kitcarbp]

Oh. Forgot to post my humble garage with no lift to build the car ( except the body and paint that was outsourced) I used only one side of my garage to build the cobra.
Its not the size of your toolbox fellas, its the dude behind the tool that matters. Lol.

[kitcarbp]

Ok so the biggest lesson learned ( of about 1,000 lessons) on my build is never underestimate the labor it takes to make your hardtop fit to your Cobra Body. Since this was my first Rodeo, I had no idea. I shot my budget to hell on getting the hardtop to fit correctly but the results are priceless! The hard top took over 40 hours of cutting, glassing, and sanding and repeat ! to get it right. Here are progress photos.

[Spyderdan56]

That dash looks awesome!

[Buzz]

Nice job with the top! Thanks for sharing your build.

[ERA174]

Kitcarbp, Your Cobra looks great, nice work! So, did you make it to the OCMD 2020 Endless Summer Cruisin'? The May Cruisin', usually has a larger turnout. This year it's May 20-23, 2021. The Endless Summer Cruisin' is Oct. 7-10, 2021. If you haven't attended yet, I highly recommend it. Don't expect to do anything crazy, enforcement has been stepped up in the last couple of years. If you or any other Club Cobra members will be attending either event, pm me and I'll buy you a beer.