Fasterpatricks Custom Cobra

[fasterpatrick]

It's great to see Joey and Carl getting started on their builds, I don't feel so alone here. Well one more panel done. Rear cockpit firewall,



Now I have some artistic carving to do, the tunnel and dash are next this is where things are going to slow down a bit.
Patrick

[Jay Little]

Originally Posted by fasterpatrick

Lurkers, I know this thread gets lots of traffic, so speak up good or bad I would love to have your opinions. Plus I don't get out to much so this is as close to contact as I get sometimes;
Patrick

I love coming here to watch the build progress! In the future I hope to be where you are now, as far as actually building a car, but have to get some personnel issues in my life resolved before that can happen. So for now, I will simply enjoy watching what you have accomplished. Besides, you've given me some really neat idea's!

Jay

[joey_hv]

like to see some body work...

[4RE KLR]

Man that is just talent.

I have looked at this thread for awhile now. All I can say is wow!
Congrats on having the skill to do all you have on your own.

Looking good!

[63mercury]

I'd love to post some pics on this (my build) site but haven't figired how yet.

[joey_hv]

carl, I use Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket, just upload your pictures there and then get the image code and paste it in your post. the image codes look like this:
[IMG]the code[/IMG]

[fasterpatrick]

Flex! could happen, like I said on the fence. I plan to be able to pull the whole unit out of the car rather easily. Very few bolts and some rubber mounts in places. Pop off the shifter and brake boots, drop the column and lift, pull and out it comes with one or two large multi pin harness plugs,(my best friend is an electrical engineer parts are not a problem) ah the beauty of electric gauges. Besides I need it to do so to allow for the tranny removal. The seats will lock to the floor (ala minivan style) in multiple positions for different drivers, and quick removal. Yes everything about this car is just a little different.
Patrick

[fasterpatrick]

After a bunch of sanding I am close to final on the dash plug some small holes to fill and edges to finish and I should be able to paint and start waxing the f___ out of it. I just hope that the body isn't this hard to work on.


The rings are for the gauge placement, shifter location, and sanding guides the incomplete ring is where the column goes.
Patrick

[RedBarchetta]

The things that I could do with 10% of your crafting skills...I have really enjoyed watching this build. Thanks for sharing with us.

-Dean

[macloft]

Hi Patrick
Sure done a lot of sanding. Looks sort of womanly.
Thoughts
Have you looked at using a couple of sheets of carbon fibre over some areas of the dash. I dont know what sort of look you are after but carbon fibre sheet can be layed over the fibre glass fairly easily.
Did you think about turning the gauges slightly towards the driver so the viewing angle is easier.
Cheers
Bruce

[fasterpatrick]

After spending all that time making panels for my car I didn't want to simply rivet them to the tubing. Not my style plus I didn't want all those holes in my chassis. So I spent an immense am out of time making little 1"x1" tabs with threaded holes to fix the panels to with screws. I haven't put the panels back on yet, but the tabs were tacked in place screwed to the panels so they do still fit,

there are over fifty of them welded to the back half of the chassis. I can't wait to do the rest of the chassis at least that will all be metal.
Patrick

[fasterpatrick]

Have been in a slump lately and could use some encouragement that everything will workout just fine. Put the body back on the frame and wouldn't you know the door frames wouldn't fit. So after cutting out the door jams that I had done last fall I made molds in the car and glassed up some new ones.


Then back to the doors now with new jams the door frames had to be adjusted to fit again (just modified the pin catches for more clearance). Finally after getting the door frames to work smoothly again, I could make some tabs for glassing the door skins to. Now to get up the nerve to start fixing the skins to the frames.



Man this is taking way longer than I thought; Patrick

[joey_hv]

P,
Here is a picture of a helmet I am working on, it is the prototype so I used faux carbon fiber on it. As you can see it looks very real. Here is the link where you can get the FCF if you decide to go that route, I think it would look saaweeet!: Sign Supplies and Equipment: Avery Carbon Fiber - 15 inch x 10 yds Perf - Black - Low Price Guarantee

[fasterpatrick]

Alright I'm only typing this reply once and posting it around, so here's the answers.

Never even thought about the womanly shape, weird. Yes the large gauges are angled slightly toward the driver. Not really a big fan of the carbon fiber look, would love to stretch some fine leather over it. but will probably just cover with something to coordinate with the seats when the are redone. The mold will be three pieces and will have to be done in the car. The plug is built up on the chassis so it will be destroyed after I have molded one from the molds( when I have made the final piece I would like to see if it would fit other cobras as well).

Here's a pic with the fake gauges and seats in the car there is not a lot of space for access so the seats will pop out and the whole piece will lift out and unplug for maintenance.

Patrick

[RedBarchetta]

Is there a provision (room) for a parking brake handle? Looks tight.

Any thoughts to more symmetry with the smaller gauges (i.e. 4 in-line and below the tach/speedo and centered). Or were you looking for something a little different? Where are you planning to mount the ignition and toggle switches for cooling fans, heater/defroster blower, nitrous arming, line lock (maybe that answers the previous parking brake question) or whatever needs a switch? Any warning lights planned for the dash (i.e. alternator, brakes, etc.)?

I've been giving you "A" scores so far, but the more I look at that dash layout I start to write down "B-".

[fasterpatrick]

Parking brake is center between seats(see photos in gallery, ignition is in the column, indicator lights will all be LED type above column, light switch will be to left of column, other switches will be below the gauges, don't need many, power outlet(ie lighter socket with billet cap) will be to right of small gauges. may try to fit in a I-Pod dock on passenger side. Sorry there is not going to be a lot of do-dads added to this car, I've always liked the minimalist approach, although machine guns in the air ducts would be useful.
Patrick

[Madmiles442]

Or the ejector passenger seat so the FIRST time she whines about the ride being rough or the car being smelly,
WWWOOOOOOOOSSSSHHH!!! See ya later!!

[CHANMADD]

Patrick I will bet that ,that guage by your knee is going to bug the sh!!!t out of you once you are using the car. Its going to be in the way of your knee? Great thread.

[fasterpatrick]

Well, I don't know if it will be worth the effort I put in to it, but I have finally finished that crazy dash of mine. lets see eight weeks, 2 gal. of bondo, six cans of foam, countless hours of sanding, about 1.5 gal of resin, Oh and let's not forget two surgeries and a short hospital stay. but it is done for now, and it fits. Laid up two layers of glass over the plug and pulled it off and the laid three layers from the underside then trimmed.




Well, off to work on something else. Hey any Ideas on what to use to bond the hood, trunk, and doors to the metal frames. I'm thinking that goo they use to bond car panels together what is it called. Patrick

[oldboy001]

Patrick:

You may want to look at a product called Fusor. Send me an Email (oldboy001@charter.net) and I'll send to product information. A little expensive, but well worth it.

Scott

If you get a chance could you put a picture or two of your tube bender in your gallery?