club cobra gokart
 

hello to all new member looking for information on a gokart I bought 10yrs ago, for my son when I original found it, the body was a dark blue and the body was good except paint, and the fiberglass was dry, so stripped it down and the fake headlights 1 was missing, gave it a look over and since I couldn't find anything on it at the time, new lens or info on it, I painted it viper red and gave it the graphics it has now, and while sanding the body, decided to cut out the grill and headlights, because it being closed just didn't look right, and open up the hump on the trunk/engine lid. installed 4'' lights, got it painted assembled etc... gave it to my so for his birthday, with in that next week he was following me around on the golf cart, and he ran into the rear of it while I was parked and it cracked the body over drivers front wheel, easy repair, but being a ford fan, I removed the body because I feared he would demolish it. and it has sat for years. I'm a member over at the diygokarts.com forum, and after I finish my current project, I'd like to start on this cobra, so I'm looking for any information about it, and possibly to see if the kart it was on was original to the body, if its not the original frame, i'll start building one for it, if it is the org. frame figure do a restoration leave it the way it was. it has briggs electric start engine, and the older gentleman I bought it from said it was rare, but I don't know. searched images and kept seeing the body being called a club cobra, any information or knowledge any one has I would greatly appreciate. pics, articles etc... one post referred to a member here named Mr. bruce? who makes these?

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The body was not original to that chassis, the body you have appears to be one of four that were used on an amusement park ride from the early to mid 1970's. The good news for you is that the fiberglass should be quite thick, and quite durable.


Bill S.

From StangAholics
 

http://www.stang-aholics.com/UserDat...rge/108366.jpg

Cobra Style Fiberglass Go-kart Body: Fiberglass &amp Go Kart Body

bill s.,

before I bought this kart, I seen one in person, a guy had same frame e start down to wiring switches body, etc.... he said he had gotten his from a Goodyear dealer, in the mid 80's that it was a promotional run that every Goodyear dealer got 2. I'm wondering if it is true and they got the molds from a amusement park ride, I looked for around 5yrs. after seeing his before I found mine, every thing was identical, so makes me want to lean toward there being some type of limited production run on this build with this frame, unless it was a popular good fit of a amusement park mold?? still open to anyone having any old ads or pictures, with this type body, have few months before I make anymore changes to it, to try and find out exactly who made them and if it was some sort of production line build, since I have seen 2 now in person and some pics of the same body without a frame floating around the internet. know its not worth much but you don't see many which what makes it different.

Not hear to make a thread like speedomans' from 2011 lol just looking for a time frame or manufactor, of it or try and confirm the stories I've heard. this is in no way a publicity sells pitch! everyone has a reason to copy the legendary cobra, but with out its creation this group wouldn't be here, we wouldn't have the head turning, icon's that make such a conversational prop....hats off to the creator for his ingenuity, and passion for the masses.. 1 man does make a difference.

Back in the days when I owned a bodyshop, I had a local amusement park operator that would give me all of their fiberglass bodies to repaint, once a year I got 4 dozen bodies, scatters among them were the exact body that you have pictured above, two different corvette, a few Model T and A bodies, even a Scarab looking one now and then. Yours of course missing some of the inner tubing that they used to reinforce the passenger opening. yet same body, same trunk hinges, same fake gas cap. You are also missing the padded rear headrest and panel off the trunk hump.


Bill S.

there is fiberglass reinforcements on the inside, on both sides, almost like arm rest on door panels, and the hump it truck lid, head rest!! that's what the 2 holes toward the bottom were for, when I cut it out I had planned to use some wire mesh to put over it, but I left the holes.

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do you happen to have taken any photos of those cars back in day, you can share or email them to me, possible any pics of the rides unless you mean small go kart track. yea fake gas cap figure when do a repaint find one more realistic, they designed it pretty good then the cap is like they got tired of designing and just threw it on. :LOL: head rest and panel? 10-4 0n the head rest, panel are you referring to the section I cut out, did that to allow some air to go in and heat to come out but I left 2 holes along bottom area that were already there. so far you have the most info, but the one that I saw also used the frame I had? coincidence they are identical? %/:confused:

All except for the U shaped cut outs for a steering wheel and linkage, that looks exactly like the ones I've painted in the past. Although, again, they had a small tube subframe to support the body, clearly that is missing.

Bill S.

Answer about if the body is original to frame
 

Hey guys im new just made an account, i seen your question about the cobra kart body on the streaker frame. Yes it is, i have seen several on only the streaker including mine!

Who ever made the bodies in mass quantities probably sold to who ever is a buyer and if you want to sell as many as you can i too would have targeted the amusement park industry.

But to answer who made the body its self, couldnt tell you. Mine has several cracks to repair but is all there and i too cut out the opening and making lights. It had a dot lens of some sort with shiny foil behind it to look like a light.

But anyway streaker is a big gokart frame mfg of the day. I remember seeing the i think valvoline f1 or indy car at the goodyear dealership when i was a kid. Might have said goodyear too, thats been 20 some years ago for me but i remember karts for sale for sure.

We put a Gurney Eagle on My sons kart. Gurney was amazing and of course part of GT40 history. Not sure if he raced w Shelby

@ HUBBLE RACING, You're joking of course ;) Did Mr. Daniel Sexton Gurney (One of our hero's here) , race for/with Ol'Shel. That's all I can say, is you have a lot reading to do. History is right out there (On Line, many, many book's etc.) for all to see. Short answer is OH, indeed he did ;) In fact in the 58-though 59 season (Before Shel retired) they raced against each other. One race was the 59 Seafair races here at Shelton Wa. Shel. drove the BIG 4.9 liter Ferrari, and Dan in a Ferrari 750 Monza. I was there but don't remember much as I was 4yo :) Cheers TommyRot.