Recommended Cobra Servicing On Eastside

[Rjw289]

Does anyone have any recommendations for general maintenance on Cobras in the Kirkland, Bellevue, Seattle vicinity? This would include oil changes, troubleshooting, etc?

[ReMorton]

...i would not recommend Park Place..

[Rjw289]

That is a given-I would never go there.

[Blue Cobra]

Don't trust anyone. I like to think of our Cobras as each one being a unique piece of artwork. Truly with a wide variety of small to enormous engines, custom suspension and drivetrains there is NO all knowing expert in a Cobra. For a mechanic, tuner or body guy to say they can work on any Cobra they would need to understand all builds of high performance V8's, coupled with american to european anything, such as leaf, to torsion bar, coil-over or IRS suspensions, and the chassis vary dramatically from replicar to replicar manufacture. Honestly there are a very few who can do all that.

Basic maintenance is not hard to learn, pick up a Chilton's (or shop manual) for your motor they have step by step instructions, much of the work can be done from within the engine compartment. For under car work you can spend $3500 for a SG-7000 car hoist (Purchase A Made In The USA Car Lift From RadLiftsByGemini.com - Car Lifts, Auto Lifts, Motorcycle Lifts and other Garage Accessories), or $120 for a very low profile floor jack when you need to get under the snake.

If your not a motorhead, my advise is that ALL major engine and drivetrain work should be taken to the expert in the particular engine mill, and suspension rigging setup. For a FE block you want the expert, for a 385 block you want the expert, for a 5.0 you want the expert, and so on. None of these "experts" are the same person or shop (well unless you live in SoCali), even the expert Cobra replicar privateer builders tend to focus on a specific Cobra manufacture and a few engine/drivetrain conflagrations.

This is where Club Cobra as your resource at your fingertips will shine! Everyone, and I mean everyone, has lots of Cobra experience (good or bad), and we all love to expunge our vast worldly advise on those Cobrafile's brave enough to put forth the questions. There is no dumb questions, we're all going to die, so who cares what others think anyway?

Back to the your answer, this is a good place to start as any. What's your motor? Without some basics, all you'll receive in the way of advise is the bad places, because when we get burned, we love to spread the word too. Don't go to Jim Green's Speedshop.

Cheers,
BC

[Rjw289]

Thanks BC. I look forward to meeting some of the local members. Engine is a 351C putting out 485 hp.
Was hoping someone locally might have a favorite, dependable, and honest shop nearby?

[Blue Cobra]

Unless it requires a unique talents like flowing, machining/pressing, or machines I don't have (or can't afford), custom carb build work, other than things I tear off and take somewhere for these services, I do it all myself soup-2-nuts. Alas High School Auto Shop in the late 1970's--and my 1st car being a 1969 GTO--I've always had muscle cars in my life which has sure helped with my Cobra self-maintenance approach.

Of course the Cobra is an American build sports car that kicked the exotic Ferraris, Maseratis, Aston Martins, and Scarabs worldwide in road racing in the early 60's, the 427 S/C was the best muscle car of the era as well, and still continues to hold that title. Proud to own one. BTW, GREAT choice on replicar manufacture, made from molding and copying the real thing. Whats under it for suspension and drivetrain?

Back to a recommendation, I've got the 429SJC (385 block) so I will defer the recommendations to the Ford 335 block Cobrafiles to give you some guidance on Cleveland and Windsor motor experts.

BC Kevin

[Zoom This]

JFC Racing in Auburn. Very professional and thorough.

Bill