What things about your Cobra would you have done differently?

[Michael C Henry]

If you were to build your Car again, If you hadn't allready made the decisions, hadn't allready spent your wadd, What things about your Cobra would you have done differently and why? Allmost everything can be done to different degrees - mild to wild. I know there are things about my car I now would have done differently. Bigger brakes, different steering ratio or power steering, hard to park. More supportive seats (less traditional) at least an appropreate competition seat or seats. Dual rollbars, Windsheild at the standard angle, so I could get a convertable top and side curtains installed. I think I would have gone with a large single four barrel carb and intake manifold or EFI multi port fuel enjection. I think I would have kept the combustion ratio around 10.5 to 1. Perhaps I would like a six speed transmission with overdrive(s), now that $3 a gallon is the norm.
I get a kick when someone asks "what do you do once the car is finished?'They are never finished.
Now I'm trying to change some of the aspects of my car that I can change without the big expenses. Like the intake manifold. and heads are matched up. Inline dual fours and tall intake manifolds are hard to fit under under a hood with a decent aircleaner. Who would be interested in a used intake manifold that has been milled to match and fit my heads? I've allready stuck $600 in covering my traditional seats in leather. I can't see installing the passenger side rollbar without taking my car all appart.
A lower 180° intake manifold and milder cam would better fit my monthly drives to the doctors office and parking garage, It's hard on the clutch. Remember these cars are replicas of old cars. they were discontinued. Shelby used the phrase "Historically warranted modifications".
When at work after a weekend someone will ask if I worked on my Cobra Replica this weekend. I usually reply" no, it's running fine". I get rediculed by my wife that when it's summer time and the driving season and I've got the car apart. When my car was built the original builder (in an effort to get the desired balance) located the engine 3/4" off center to the right on a narrowed frame to keep the suspension geometry. My Scattersheild actually is notched around the right frame tub. Changing the clutch is an exact proscess. Things in order or it won't fit. I could never afford to have someone do this stuff for me. Also it's a good thing there isn't any small children or a swear jar arround.