Club Cobra - Hood struts

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I originally used gas charged hood struts instead of Shell Valley supplied hi tech prop rod. I thought it was putting too much strain on my hood and was afraid the hood was going to eventually start to bow. I went to my local marine store and found some polished stainless hatch cover struts. These are not gas charged and rely on a mechanical thumb screw you tighten once the hood is lifted. I put one on each side and they look and work great.

I was searching the forum archives and ran across an old thread regarding rating the Cobra replica kits. One or more of the posters said that the best ones were the ones in their garage. I think just the opposite. I don't know what I was expecting when I purchased my kit but I was sorely disappointed in the quality of my parts as delivered. In discussing this topic with my painter and a couple of other knowledgable folks I have come to the conclussion that all the kits are just a similar starting point and it's up to each crafter to make of it what they will. I threw a lot of my supplied parts in the trash and disregarded much of the assembly manual in building my Cobra. -Bob

Quote:

Originally posted by bremillard

I originally used gas charged hood struts instead of Shell Valley supplied hi tech prop rod. I thought it was putting too much strain on my hood and was afraid the hood was going to eventually start to bow. I went to my local marine store and found some polished stainless hatch cover struts. These are not gas charged and rely on a mechanical thumb screw you tighten once the hood is lifted. I put one on each side and they look and work great.

I was searching the forum archives and ran across an old thread regarding rating the Cobra replica kits. One or more of the posters said that the best ones were the ones in their garage. I think just the opposite. I don't know what I was expecting when I purchased my kit but I was sorely disappointed in the quality of my parts as delivered. In discussing this topic with my painter and a couple of other knowledgable folks I have come to the conclussion that all the kits are just a similar starting point and it's up to each crafter to make of it what they will. I threw a lot of my supplied parts in the trash and disregarded much of the assembly manual in building my Cobra. -Bob

I rarely make comments on an observation like this but,

You get what you pay for!

Bob,

Was it a shock to find out you had to rework parts or replace Shell Valley with better ones? Yup, for me too. But I did enjoy the build process, so it was all part of the deal.

To mount the hood struts I think you need to attach them to the hood as close as possible to the hinge so there's minimum stress on the hood. That may mean relocating the other end of the strut. You could also make a steel plate that would extend the attachment point farther back if so desired.

I made a set of hinges that work like the new FFR hinges. I just use the rod that came with the kit.

If you'd like yo compare notes, my cell phone is 310-488-7536. I live in Brea; work in Chino.

Dave

Dave,

We are practically neighbors. I live in Ontario just south of Riverside Dr. between Archibald and Haven. My home ph.# is 909-947-4013. We really have to get together soon. I also enjoyed the build. In fact, it was almost too easy. What I didn't enjoy was throwing parts away that I paid for. Call me when you get a chance. I am usually home after 5 pm. -Bob

Sorry - I should have edited your post like this:

"... I have come to the conclussion that all the kits are just a similar starting point and it's up to each crafter to make of it what they will. I threw a lot of my supplied parts in the trash and disregarded much of the assembly manual in building my Cobra. -Bob"

Please don't generalize onto kits that you have no experience with.