Anyone selling quality glass 427 Cobra Body (only) packages?

[decooney]

To: Body / Glass people or those with referrals to make:

Is there anyone around still making, selling, or holding old inventory of quality glass 427 Cobra Body/Parts packages these days? (just the body parts package, no chassis or other bits needed).


... even better would be complete 90" wheelbase 427 SC glass body package offering quality made doors and internals for original style hinges, must have a nice hood and trunk lid, (optional) floor and footbox tubs. Something with a very accurate body shape perferred, with proper front/rear flares, with THICK fiberglass desired.

This is a possibility I am looking into for a few colleagues. This would be for up to two immediate cars and one future car to be started from scratch. The first car is a possible rebody to an existing custom car that has a garbage body not worth fixing or reshaping at all. A second car is a custom chassis needing a nice body. The third might result if the first two go well. We will put in the time to make the body fit to the chassis if the body is formed to original dimensions. Might even be willing to pay extra $$$ if body(s) are extra nice requiring little to no glass work time to change the shape, close gaps, or make things fit a lot better. I am aware of the mainstream kit makers who sell chassis/body packages together, and this is not what I am searching for; just really nice body packages only please. Big shop profile or image and name is not required, the smaller the watchmaker shop the better - especially if the body is super nice Thanks in advance for replies or PM messages here on CC.

[mickmate]

You're only on the left coast, we should talk about it though.

[mr bruce]

PhotoPost Classifieds - Brand new F5 Mk4 body - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

[mr bruce]

Cobra Slabside Body pictures from racing photos on webshots

[mr bruce]

I also have Daytona Coupe and FiA bodys

[ERA Chas]

Duane,
Except for the f'glass requirement, why not the K'Bros? I think they'd sell you a complete shell and you can't get more accurate and perfectly finished than that. Also much lighter than thick glass and a similar material to join to a chassis with less structure.
And why a fiberglass requirement in the first
place??
To use your 'watchmaker' analogy, why not the Rolex factory?

[mreid]

Mr. Bruce. Out of the mold quality is excellent.

[Tom Wells]

decooney,

Here's a source for the original Everett-Morrison body: http://www.pwrperformance.com/body%20home.htm#bodyhome

When E-M went out of business and I needed a body for mine, Power Performance supplied the body only. It seems fine.

Tom

[LMH]

Sagebrush sells a glass 427 body with hood/trunk/doors and it's very accurate.
Shop is in AZ, you could come pick it up or shipping would probably be cheaper than others due to distance. Let me know if you want more info.
Larry

[Buzz]

E-M had a great chassis and good quality fiberglass but the bodies are not very accurate. I've heard Sagebrush is good if they are still in business. I would recommend calling Unique Motorcars - they build a solid, accurate body with an integrated tub and footboxes.

[Bryan Anderson]

Please take a look at B&B we offer a Handlaid fiberglass Body, with hood, doors and trunk, steel reinforced and bonded with an Inner and outer skin 4500 you can see all of our options at *B&B Manufacturing - :::: - Feel the Thunder - :::: - Hotrods from Kit to Turn Key - ::::

[decooney]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Duane,
Except for the f'glass requirement, why not the K'Bros? I think they'd sell you a complete shell and you can't get more accurate and perfectly finished than that. Also much lighter than thick glass and a similar material to join to a chassis with less structure.
And why a fiberglass requirement in the first
place??
To use your 'watchmaker' analogy, why not the Rolex factory?

Answer: Starts with Durability, Fixability, and in reality the truth is reasonable Affordability for starters. These bodies might potentially be for some cars with probably half the initial investment as a KM car. I include durability because anyone can fix fiberglass, but only a few out there can fix an aluminum body car well - and sh$% happens more than most care to admit. One time a (large guy who stopped by) to see something in my garage. He had very solid heeled cowboy boots on. He was hopping over a fence and as he spun around and caught himself from slipping and falling his heel kicked the crap out of the left rear corner of my car. It was a loud thud and actually shook my car. My first thought was "oh my gosh, time for some body work and paint". I wasn't that worried knowing I could fix it. Looking closer we both sat there in wonder to find there was no dent, not even a ding, and no scratch. Definitely some benefits to a well built fiberglass body too. In this case, looking for some good replacement and upgrade bodies for someone who might buy or just make 2-3. I told him to try and find some first as there are a lot of great glass people out there who need work.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by mr bruce

PhotoPost Classifieds - Brand new F5 Mk4 body - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

Mr. B,

Is that your body in the link, a copy, or an FFR Mk4?. The study is finding something that is truly full-figured, dropped butt, very wide hip and wide fender 427 shape with SC flares; more like an ERA or Shelby shape body.

[rustyBob]

Duane, try Shell Valley....their bodies have the hood,trunk,and doors already hung and they have the floors, trunk pans, and inner fender panels already installed....talk to Travis Roth the owner or the company.....

[LMH]

Originally Posted by Buzz

E-M had a great chassis and good quality fiberglass but the bodies are not very accurate. I've heard Sagebrush is good if they are still in business. I would recommend calling Unique Motorcars - they build a solid, accurate body with an integrated tub and footboxes.

Sagebrush is in business. I'm in the shop all the time. In fact, they are probably sick of me by now!
Larry

[mr bruce]

the body in my link is a brand new f5 mk4 body, has all the latest features you stated

[mr bruce]

YouTube - 73turbopinto's Channel

[Tom Wells]

Buzz,

As an E-M/Power Performance owner I'm curious about exactly what you meant when you stated

the bodies are not very accurate

For example,


Tom

[Buzz]

Hi Tom - don't take it as a slam or mean spirited criticism, but the E-M bodies (and I refer to the 90" wheelbase cars made by the Everetts) have a few subtle deviations from the loosely defined "original" shape and stance that are not important or even that noticeable unless one really cares about closely adhering to original appearance.

The most obvious is the slightly high "perky butt" that is seen in varying degrees on a few replica bodies. The rear fender shape as viewed from the front quarter is different and the sectional height of the body is greater in the area of the doors, giving the car a chunkier though not unpleasant appearance (compare the distance between the bottom of the door opening and the bottom of the body to a photo of any original Cobra) . There has been mention of the wider front track that necessitates shallow dish wheels to keep the tires inside the bodywork, but that may vary depending on which of the many suspension choices is on a particular car.

It seems like a lot of nitpicking, but I seriously considered buying from E-M a number of years ago and I studied them extensively. As I said before the frame is a work of art and there are many beautifully finished E-M cars out there - yours absolutely included - its a beauty!

I only brought it up because the OP specified an accurate body shape, but I would not discourage anyone from buying a well executed Everett Morrison Cobra.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by mr bruce

the body in my link is a brand new f5 mk4 body, has all the latest features you stated

Mr. Bruce,

Would you mind posting 4-5 photos of the full rear and side profile?

It would be good to visualize the latest features you are referring to. I'd also like to know what has been done to not only address the issues but to give the body a little more substance and thickness than a flimsy potato chip.

Note: I recently spent several trips, night phone call conversations and emails over the past four months back and forth to the body shop with a friend who was finishing up his Mk3 body. I won't go too far into the myriad of problems but here is a small list. Once completed, I'd estimate there had to be at least five or more significant changes required to make the Mk3 version fit and look better, and even then it left more to be desired. I truly had no idea until my friend and I really started spending hours focusing and looking at each area requiring attention. Many times I think he was ready to scrap it in a dumpster and find something else better to start with - but he hung in there and saw it through to completion. And, we are talking veteran body shop too with several completed to date. I'm sure you've compared the 3 vs. 4 version and developed an eye for it; you know what I'm about to say. Hopefully with your eye and photos you can describe how and why its better and what really has been done to address all issues that truly needed attention; re-shape rear quarters, rear bottom section cut and drop or added glass, terrible door fitment, huge door gaps with dips, dips in hood, bulge above glovebox, straight line rear quarters vs. full round shape, narrow rear flares/quarters need to be extended to fit wider tires with real clearance - the list goes on... etc. Sure would save a body guy and owners a lot of work and headache if all this stuff is truly fixed now, which would be a big deal to those who actually work on this stuff. I'm sure anyone who's truly worked on a Mk2/M3 body knows first hand what it took them, which is a lot of work to make it right and truly ready for paint. At this point, I'd have to imagine an all new body with all design, all new doors/trunk/hood, and revised shape with added glass in several places would be necessary to make it noticeably better. I can't wait to see the new version properly fit to a chassis. Thanks in advance - would you mind sharing several eye level, side, rear, 3/4 angle photos of front and rear of the Mk4 body you have there for all of us to see?