Economies of Scale - Building a Cobra

[Ezra]

What if I built two at the same time? I could sell one and then I would have offset the costs you 've mentioned. Any comments


Other: You guys made a very good point that by the time I paid for the tools, building a Cobra will cost more then making one......but this might be a way around that........

Or, I can buy a chassis, and then copy it and make my own from that.....as a template

[xracerbob]

I think selling a one off (or two off in this case) is a very difficult proposition. I understand the desire to build it your way, but with the quality and variety of kits out there, it would seem to me to be an awful lot of reinventing the wheel.

[Ezra]

I would keep one, the one I made

[mickmate]

If you want to build your own chassis or two I can provide you with a complete kit of all the bracketry, sheet metal and parts for a 427 chassis all precut. You can even bend them yourself and weld it all together...............While you're making one might as well make two, if you got the space and capital. I've found building a car takes at least three bays. The body, chassis and a place to work on parts. We get pretty creative with storing, stacking and hanging parts!

[Ezra]

Mike,
Can you tell me more about this kit. My shop is 12x30. Im interested in your offer. Do blueprints/plans/dimensions come with it? regarding welding, does it have to be TIG, or can arc/stick suffice?
Do you have a website?
What company's body does the frame match?

Thanks

[john chesnut]

Hi Ezra, I am just finishing the build of my scratch built Cobra. Talk about alot of work!!! And money!!!! My wife pulled me aside yesterday to tell me that for what I have spent on this project one of my kids could have gone to an Ivy league school.
Seriously it is extremely rewarding to design and build your own car. But figure that it will take 2 to 3 times as long and 2 to 3 times as much money to build it.
I started by having a massive jig base welded up on a NASCAR flat plate. I designed a tubular space frame chassis for the Cobra. I built 32 scale models of the chassis. I have built 3 full size prototypes before I got everything right. I am using all new Corvette drivetrain. The Vette suspension mountin locations are very complicated as nothing is in a single plane. The Vette has a wider track so I had to have a new steering rack designed and built to maintain proper geometry. I had to have new rear axles made. The Vette uses a transaxle which would have made the trans tunnel too wide. So, I had designed a conversion for the Vette diff so that it will accept a driveshaft.
I used a Mid States body shell which I think is one of the best shapes on the market. I made aluminum panels to skin the chassis. I then made molds for a trunk, door jambs, rear bulk head, and dash. I built an aluminum insert that mounts to the chassis and then mounts to the return edge of the hood opening to support the front of the body. I had custom headers made. The list goes on and on. I started fabricating full time in March and the project will be finished the end of Sept. I am racing it at Run n Gun in Oct.
This project is alot of fun. I like the challenge of figuring every little detail out. But, since I put my self under a tight time schedule it has been stressful too. As soon as I get off the forum I am going into the garage to keep working.
I do have 2 extra Cobra bodies if you end up needing one. The first is a Mid States. The trunk, hood, and doors have inner skins. I have a FF body. The trunk, hood, and doors are skins and do not have a finished inner surface.
Good luck! John

[mickmate]

I based it on the Cobra restorers blueprints available from them for $200. http://www.parts123.com/PartFrame.as...obra_Restorers
I can tell you the suspension is the expensive part of the project as you're stuck with pretty much one supplier for the original style frame but you could make some of it. Alternatively ou could use Mustang II type aftermarket stuff instead but you'd be reengineering that side of it on your time/cost. Can you stick weld 16 Ga 3/4" tubes together? If you can I'd say go for it as stick gives good penetration. If not think about a 110V Mig to do lighter stuff. As far as a body you've had an offer already. I know another guy using a Midstates body on a Contemporary chassis. A lot of bodies will work but probably the best would be the shell only type to fit the birdcage. Again the alternative is something like a CCX or Midstates with the cockpit all moulded in and just build a flat chassis to put it on. You can click on my gallery and check us out at http://www.actoncustom.com
There are a lot more photos and recent parts that aren't on the website so just ask any specific questions. John that sounds like a fantastic project! Put some pictures in your gallery so we can see some of your work.

[John reason]

Is there some way that i can get the blueprints for an ac contemporary cobra?

[Dangerous Doug]

For the materials you will need to buy, and any parts you will need to have fabricated, I doubt any vendor will give you a volume discount on "two". I suspect most of the Cobra manufacturers (FFR aside...) do not manage to get a volume discount on their relatively moderate volumes.

I think if you want to scratch build, you almost have to do it out of the sheer personal pleasure, rather than economics---scratch building will cost more in money or time.

DD

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by john chesnut

But figure that it will take 2 to 3 times as long and 2 to 3 times as much money to build it.

John

It depends who is building the car...right?

[LMH]

The problem with selling a frame as I see it is its not worth the time it takes to build it unless you have a name for yourself. Not saying your work isn't good, I bet it is but the fact is that people have to trust what you've built in order to sell it for any significant amount of money. An amount to justify the cost to build it.
That's how I see it anyway.
Larry

[Rickd]

I would purchase a chassis from ERA, Unique, Factory Five, JBL but I personally wouldn't consider buying a chassis from someone - totally unknown with no engineering references. The wheel has already been invented. And if it's my butt going down the turnkpike at 90 MPH, or on a track in traffic - I want the secure feeling that my chassis wasn't built by someone who was asking "what kind of weld do I have to use"?

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

First off, forget about building two. A Cobra is going to cost a lot of money, and if you had a lot of money, you wouldn't be asking these questions. Buy or find a nice kit (there are plenty out there) and take some time to build your own Cobra. Realize, though, that you will spend more building your own than buying a nice used one. Every option under the sun must be considered, but you always can save by using a (somewhat) stock Ford engine, at least for the short term. As for welding up your own, I say leave that to the pros, it's what they do for a living and you get a Certificate of Origin, which will be required to register it when it's done. Lots of info here on kits, so do some homework and visit as many manufacturers as you can. I would (I did) try to buy one somewhat close to home, to keep shipping and visiting costs down. Good luck.

[mr bruce]

build your own cobra from scratch?, naaa, can't be done, don't even try it, look at the date of this original post boys,2008, last post by ezra, 2010, you either scared him off or he just moved on, or maybe he did build himself a coupla cobras

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

I didn't realize the original posting date was almost three years ago. The guy probably bought some other make car...forgot about the Cobra when he realized the cost involved. These cars, however, never get out of your system.

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by ZOERA-SC7XX

I didn't realize the original posting date was almost three years ago. The guy probably bought some other make car...forgot about the Cobra when he realized the cost involved. These cars, however, never get out of your system.

No, he is still around, his last activity was in march this year, & he has been asking Q's about various projects, You might score a buck him from yet Mr Bruce!!.
FWIW to anyone contemplating doing a two for one deal, try to do them as original as possible, ie leaf spring or coil spring as per the originals, at the end of the day your car will appeal to more buyers this way than if you use a whole heap of donor cars that might not be as available for spares etc by the time you finish it and if you do it right you will feel much better about the finished result.. its taken me about 30 years to get this into my own head..