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CC Advertisers
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 2Likes
02-18-2008, 04:44 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by xlr8or
Will the birdcage for the body be aluminum as well? That should be fun.
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There is no reason why it can't be. Frankly, we are not that far along yet. The weight savings is only 10 pounds or so and the stiffness goes way down so it gets very hard to wrap the aluminum.
David
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02-18-2008, 05:35 PM
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Abnormal CC Member
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pottstown (East Coventry),
PA
Cobra Make, Engine: Don't think I'll be getting a Cobra for a long time... Do have '94 RX-7 R2.
Posts: 2,333
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Not Ranked
Is this car going to have one of your billet FE blocks that you showed as a prototype in wood last year?
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02-18-2008, 06:23 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hillsboro,
OR
Cobra Make, Engine: Scratch built CSX style frame, Carbon fiber body, 393 Stroker, T-bird IRS, T5
Posts: 1,623
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Not Ranked
What? No billet roll bars?  |
02-18-2008, 08:39 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1ntCobra
Is this car going to have one of your billet FE blocks that you showed as a prototype in wood last year?
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Yes, this is the car that the billet block was originally built for. We will get back on the block as soon as we get a little further down the road with the chassis.
David
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02-18-2008, 08:41 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by Three Peaks
What? No billet roll bars? |
We actually thought about them, but when we did the calcs they ended up being too heavy. So, for this car they will be made out of stainless. Interestingly, we made the car with provisions for roll bars on both sides.
David
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02-18-2008, 09:22 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP
Posts: 790
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Not Ranked
What are the hubs made out of? They look tres exotique!! Is that something that could be fitted to a standard KMS (assuming that MAGNESIUM wheels were available to maximize unsprung weight)?
__________________
Lew
I'm no expert. 
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02-18-2008, 09:45 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
The hubs are made from 17-4 stainless--extremely strong and very corrosion resistant. All of our current hubs are made from 17-4 as I hate rust.
What are you doing up so late? Wife kick you out of bed and send you to the couch?
David
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02-18-2008, 10:27 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Niederbipp ( BE ) / Switzerland,
BE
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA 427 SC # 571, 472 Shelby aluminum "stroker " CSX # 299 from Gessford, 48 IDA Weber carburetors from Jim Inglese
Posts: 397
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Not Ranked
David
Congratulations, what wonderful craftsman art.
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02-19-2008, 06:59 AM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 695
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Not Ranked
Thanks David for sharing.
BTW - I saw that you had mentioned the E-type Bonnet, are you planning on making a whole E-type roller?
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02-19-2008, 07:37 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Phoenix,
AZ
Cobra Make, Engine: FFR: 302 w/aluminum heads, Edlebrock injection. Street car trim, no scoop, side pipes or rollbar.
Posts: 1,869
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Not Ranked
So what does the whole shebang weigh before brakes, rearend etc. and how much less is that from the tube frame?
I sent this link to a buddy of mine that does CNCing for aerospace application and I think he fell off his chair. I asked him could he make me one if I sent him your (stolen of course ) files and a truckload of pop cans but he begged off. 
__________________
"Cobra-Cobra-bo-bobra, banana-fanna-fo-fobra, fe-fi-mo-mobra...Cobra!"
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02-19-2008, 03:38 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Walter,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
Keith,
We have thought about making the entire Light weight Jag, but I have too many other projects in the Skunkworks right now. If all goes well, one of them will keep me busy for a long, long time--certainly for the foreseeable future.
Maricopa,
The whole thing weighs just slightly less than the original tube chassis--but it is 300% stiffer. We traded weight for stiffness. It certainly was an immense undertaking...but not nearly as big as the one I am working on right now. We just keep reaching for the stars. Sometimes I can't believe I am paid to do what we do! Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done.
Here are my two favorite quotes from Robert Heinlein.
"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done."
"One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen."
David
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02-19-2008, 04:20 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Scottsdale,
az
Cobra Make, Engine: Bought an Exact carbon car in TX. Bought a 427 sideoiler with 630 HP
Posts: 1,714
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Not Ranked
A friend and old race engineer's favorite saying was "we need to add lightness".
One of my favorite sayings. A new thread should should be started.
John
__________________
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The average fighter pilot, despite the sometimes swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. These feelings just don't involve anybody else.
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02-19-2008, 04:58 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,078
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Not Ranked
Hey David,
SERIOUSLY-all us humble folk would like is a set of Sunburst Wheels. Billet, magnesium, copper or cream cheese. FIFTEEN INCHES. How frikken hard can that be for you guys after this stuff??
Please respond before NASA confiscates your company, takes you off the web and makes you design the Mars lander.
I am serious...
__________________
Chas.
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02-19-2008, 06:03 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP
Posts: 790
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Not Ranked
My thoughts exactly. Maybe Peter Brock approved/endorsed wheels in magnesium. Anyone seen that guy lately?
__________________
Lew
I'm no expert.
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02-19-2008, 06:46 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas
Hey David,
SERIOUSLY-all us humble folk would like is a set of Sunburst Wheels. Billet, magnesium, copper or cream cheese. FIFTEEN INCHES. How frikken hard can that be for you guys after this stuff??
Please respond before NASA confiscates your company, takes you off the web and makes you design the Mars lander.
I am serious...
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Thank you for your kind words...I don't think we have to worry about men in black coming any time soon!
I would love to make billet rims. It would not be that big of a deal for us to do.
HOWEVER!!!
The billet alone for EACH wheel would be $450! 
If anyone is interested, let me know and I will work out the best price possible to machine a set. They would be the ultimate in cool...
Maybe Lew will donate the programming time to CC!
David
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02-19-2008, 07:09 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP
Posts: 790
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Not Ranked
As long as your hourly rates are less than mine! 
__________________
Lew
I'm no expert.
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02-19-2008, 07:15 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
Let's see,
Just 1 hour/wheel?
David |
02-19-2008, 07:20 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP
Posts: 790
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Not Ranked
Even at my rate, I would be happy to cover that.
Actually, anyone want to make a charity challenge out of this? Some percentage toward R&D, some percentage toward a worthy charity. (No, not the Romney in 2008 campaign.....)
__________________
Lew
I'm no expert.
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02-19-2008, 07:44 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Provo,
Ut
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham, 427
Posts: 6,990
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Not Ranked
If we can get 10 sets committed:
I'll throw in the programming of the wheels.
We still have to come up with.
Digitizing the wheel.
Tweaking the digitized wheel in Solidworks--probably $1000
Machine time (I will have to think about how much that will cost and I probably won't know until we have it programmed and modeled.
material costs--depend on the size of the rim. Big wide rims are expensive billets.
shipping to your door--probably $25-$35/rim in the US.
Another thing, we could probably make this babies a TON cheaper if we use wheel hats and just billet the centers. But if you guys want billet everything, then what the hay, I'll throw in the programming for either entire billet or just the billet centers.
David
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02-19-2008, 08:01 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Syracuse,
NY
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary classics 3041,sbc 350(have no fear ford guys for there is a FE 428 in the garage waiting to be rebuilt & installed) but for now she is a driver while other projects take precidence.
Posts: 405
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Kirkham
If we can get 10 sets committed:
I'll throw in the programming of the wheels.
We still have to come up with.
Digitizing the wheel.
Tweaking the digitized wheel in Solidworks--probably $1000
Machine time (I will have to think about how much that will cost and I probably won't know until we have it programmed and modeled.
material costs--depend on the size of the rim. Big wide rims are expensive billets.
shipping to your door--probably $25-$35/rim in the US.
Another thing, we could probably make this babies a TON cheaper if we use wheel hats and just billet the centers. But if you guys want billet everything, then what the hay, I'll throw in the programming for either entire billet or just the billet centers.
David
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I would kill for Sunburst's.... Hats and centers would be fine by me...Hell, I will send you my compomotives and you can make sunburst centers to interchange with the fia centers that are in there. I know there are a bunch of Compomotives out there that people may be willing to retrofit given the chance.
Aside from the Sunbursts I have to say...as a mechanical engineer , I am continually stunned and appalled at what fine work you and your brothers do out there. That Chassis has been haunting my dreams for days now. Bravo!!
Dan
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2030, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.
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