Fasterpatricks Custom Cobra

[F150toRoadster]

May not be your preference and might not fit the contours but machine turned stainless is pretty amazing if you like the look.
I did .030, 1" turns, laser cut locally here in Ft Worth TX. Cost was $135 for the material from FPM Metals http://www.fpmmetals.com/autopics.htm. They'll send you out a sample pack of the different sizes.

[fasterpatrick]

Well have the dash side of the electrical done, so I could mount it in the car and work out the rest of the stuff needed to get the car running. While not Dash is not finished the harness should work fine. It will be removed to put on the finishing touches and covering during the body work stage of the build.




One more thing to check off on my way toward first start.
Patrick

[marcalan]

Congratulations! That's awesome. I have been following your build off and on and think you've done a great job. Really appreciate you sharing the build.

M-A

[alfy65]

Lookin real good and nice sound...congrats...makes it all worth while...

[fasterpatrick]

Well guys' I did it fixed the oil leak, routed the coolant overflow differently and changed out the clutch master/slave. Ran the car to temp and the t-stat opened, but I forgot to close the overflow drain so we spilled more coolant on the floor. I found some more wire issues. But I stillTOOK IT FOR A SPIN :mf_w00t1::clap::thumbup1:

Now for the bad news fan relay power supply needs to be rerouted and my speedo is not working, it has good power. I think the signal is messed up, the sender is from the 03 t-3650 will that work with the autometer speedo or do I need the adapter.
Patrick
P.S. Thanks to Jerry for coming down in his car and keeping me sane while I did this.

[marcalan]

Great video, so how did it handle? As you expected, better-worse?

m-a

[RedBarchetta]

It's ALIVE!!!!!

[*13*]

It looks so nice, you might want to think about having a plexi-glass body molded for it.

[fasterpatrick]

Here is a little in car footage, just thought it would be cool.




Patrick

[F150toRoadster]

I've got a 3650 tranny and for my VDO gauge I talked to Painless wiring and they said ground one wire (either one) coming out of the sender and connect the other to the speedo. Mine worked with this set up. Had to get a tach convertor becasue my eninge is Coil on Plug 4.6L 03 DOHC to get the tach working.

[CobraVIII]

Hey Patrick very nice build. I’ve been forwarded from many sources to you. I guess to make it all simple. Were you able to get the quarter hoarse working on your 95 pcm and 93 Lincoln mark VIII engine. Tuning and data logging?
I have a 95 and am very interested in doing this.
Thanks, Kenton

[Skuzzy]

That is the longest and best thread read I have done in a very long time. Damn fine job. Heck of a read! Looking forward to more news!

[fasterpatrick]

Sorry guys' I haven't kept up with everyone with my project but we have turned another page in this never ending quest. Okay I went to make the cut outs in the body and discovered two things
A. This body was made thin where all of the tub parts (floor foot-wells and firewall) were to be glassed into the body.
B. The shape of the front wheel opening left me very limited space to put the aluminum panels protecting the exhaust and stuff from the onslaught of debris.
This led to two things,
1. I had to add glass to the body about ten yards of mat and 2.5 gals. of resin.
2. My louver openings when laid out on the car bisected the splash panel Ouch!, good thing I didn't just go a head and cut them I had to move them back a good 3" from stock to fit up right behind the panels. Yes they don't look right "tough" I would rather that than sacrifice expensive stuff to the road demons. I have gotten the trunk and hood fitted about the best I can this body is crap.Yes it's my own damn fault. I Have a HOT stock tip "body filler", it looks like I will be able to pull off that bank job as I will soon be sanding my fingerprints clean off.



Now I promise that I will try to keep regular with my updates, as long as I can get some support and encouragement.
Patrick

[Ozgur_Tan]

g'day patrick,
thank you for update about your project and eagerly waiting fresh news.
I would like to support you but I'm located other side of the pond.
peace,
ozgur

[Maurice Butler]

Your thread is one of the reasons I have decide to have a go with a scratch build.

I hav managed to collect parts over the last 12 months (Jag diff, suspension, 302W, stroker crank, gearbox) exercise book full of notes and ideas unshamably stolen from you and others. Busy finishing a couple of other project then I will be buying the steel for the chassis

[*13*]

Keep up the good work! The vent placement looks fine.

[lal Naja]

I'm impressed with the talent, skill and brain power that it takes to build a custom chassis with independent suspension. So one of you enlightened builders may be able to help my situation. I have a Butler Racing Cobra that I'm building. I have a Jag IRS and a IFS by Fast Cars. I've done the installation of both IFS & IRS units and I'm trying to figure out how to correctly measure everything for proper alignment.

But before I loose anymore sleep I may be trying too hard to get the measurements perfect. Perfect matters with suspension and that can only be good, but how much deviation should one accept.

Here is my situation. I've adjusted and measure my wheel base and the measurement is perfect between left & right. But when I measure diagonally to check for squareness, one diagonal measurement is 1/4" longer. Will this amount of misalignment seriously effect the performance.

I would have to setup a number of reference lines, etc. to try to locate where the alignment is off. But before I do this is is worth it to correct 1/4"

Thanks for any assistance,

Arthur

[fasterpatrick]

Originally Posted by lal Naja

.

I would have to setup a number of reference lines, etc. to try to locate where the alignment is off. But before I do this is is worth it to correct 1/4"
Arthur

If I would be that lucky!

Okay, Now everyone knows that I try real hard to not take this car building thing to serious but now I have too. I really do hate doing body work, but there was no way I was going to make somebody else try to fix my P.O.S. body. So I have been at it for two weeks and I have barely made a dent ( body work humor) in the back third of the car. This has got to be the biggest challenge in "Bondo Sculpture" I have ever attempted. This is a long way from fixing all my friends mid seventies blazers and pickups. You can tell by the way it looks just how far off this glass fits together thank god for reinforced putty. And it doesn't help that when he made the shell he only colored the first coat of gel-coat so it looks like I'm sanding right through the friggin thing. Enough griping, here are the pics.




Now I'm going to get out of the dust
Patrick

[*13*]

Props to you! Body work on a fiberglass car is nothing short of a dirty freakin' mess. To do it again I think I'd hand over the bodywork to someone who gets paid to breathe in dusty fiberglass. That said, I can't wait to see it in paint! Good luck!

[COBRANIP]

Wait a minute.......you mean to tell us the body DOESN'T come right out of the mold ready for painting????
Oh, great.........First there was that Santa Clause thing....now this. Guess I'd better book a little more time with my therapist.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND INSPIRATION!