Cobra replicas

Plus an LSx will do nicely to piss off Ford guys.

Keith wrote: Locosts typically cost around $8k or so. There are some that cost more and some that cost less, but that's about where they land.

Yep, mine was just over $7K in parts/materials, plus about 1000 hours strtched out over 3 years.

If cost is a big concern, you're going to have a tough time building a complete Cobra for even twice the price to build a Locost.

If time is more valuable than money, The Cobra kit will get you on the road much sooner.

Mark

http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/

Aluminum. Beautiful.

96DXCivic wrote: How do you figure it will cost more?

This reminded me of when my wife wanted to finish the basement. We were both working and had a newborn. I posed the question - do you want a finished basement, or do you want a project? Neither is wrong. If you want a project, then do it from scratch. More time, more cost in doing all of the engineering and redoing what didn't work the first time. The journey is more important than actually being able to drive the completed car. If you want a Cobra, buy the kit and save the time, hassle, and yes, even cost as much of the thinking has been done. Don't worry - even with a kit there will be plenty to do and plenty of opportunities to creatively modify along the way.

Well I have the tools (ie software) to begin the design but no money. And it gives me something fun to work on while I have no money.

96DXCivic wrote: Plus an LSx will do nicely to piss off Ford guys.

For some reason an LSx in an RX7 seems less of a travesty than in a Cobra

I prefer the LSx to any of the Ford V8s with an aluminum block. Although part of me thinks it would be awesome to put a rotary in a Cobra but I am trying to keep that part quite.

Folks,

speaking of kit cars/locosts/home fab....

Indulge my crappy memory....

Has the guy in SoCal that built the "Kimimi" ...(?)

and is building a mid-engine locost posted recently?

Any progress reported?

Rog

Greg Voth wrote: http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/ Aluminum. Beautiful.

I saw those at Carlisle. "Beautiful" is not a strong enough word. They also offer a "289" version of the car that is sans the fat rear flares. For some reason, I like that version better.

There were a couple of Cobras with SBC's at Carlisle. The Ford-purists might whine, but in the grand scheme, I don't think anyone would care - it's a kit-car... does the engine really matter? The lo-buck Cobras as well as many of the spec-race cars, IIRC, use bone stock, EFI 5.0 motors.

The only concern I'd have about going nuts with the design process now is doing so without really knowing where the attachment points on the body are. Makes it kinda tough, I would think...

Of course, you could build the entire car in Solid Works, use that to creat patterns for a form, get an English wheel, a crap-load of sheet metal and really go the DIY-route.

I dunno... a 20B in a Cobra seems less offensive to me than an LSx.

Though, I admit, I have dreams of picking up a '64 or '65 Malibu and putting a 429 in it, so I guess I don't have much of a leg to stand on.

emodspitfire wrote: Folks, speaking of kit cars/locosts/home fab.... Indulge my crappy memory.... Has the guy in SoCal that built the "Kimimi" ...(?) and is building a mid-engine locost posted recently? Any progress reported? Rog

You mean Kurt. His current project is Midlana http://www.midlana.com/index.html

+1 more for FFR. I went through their place a few years back and was very impressed.

Ian F wrote: There were a couple of Cobras with SBC's at Carlisle. The Ford-purists might whine, but in the grand scheme, I don't think anyone would care - it's a kit-car... does the engine really matter?

I agree, and if you got "Cobra" or "Powered by Ford" valve covers for the SBC, 90% of the people looking at the car probably wouldn't even realize it was not a Ford engine.

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but their is a great forum for Factory Fives here:

FFR Forums

Bob

Schmidlap wrote: blockquote>Ian F wrote: There were a couple of Cobras with SBC's at Carlisle. The Ford-purists might whine, but in the grand scheme, I don't think anyone would care - it's a kit-car... does the engine really matter? I agree, and if you got "Cobra" or "Powered by Ford" valve covers for the SBC, 90% of the people looking at the car probably wouldn't even realize it was not a Ford engine. I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but their is a great forum for Factory Fives here: FFR Forums< Bob

Not only would 90% of people not realize it's a SBC, 99% wouldn't even realize the car isn't real. My FFR had distinct differences in looks from the real Cobra, most notably in the rear end....FFRs have "perky" butts. But almost everyone would come up to me and ask "Is it real?"

Kirkhams are nice, but be prepared to pay through the nose.

Whatever you budget to build the car, add $10k to it. It's just how it works out. Hell, I bought my car already built, as I don't have remotely near the skills needed to build one. I still spent a fortune modifying and changing the car as I went along....from 302 to 351, rear end gears, steering rack (twice), radiator, etc.....

ReverendDexter wrote: I dunno... a 20B in a Cobra seems less offensive to me than an LSx.

I keep wondering about the new 5.0 in one. By the time my wife and I can afford the FF coupe kit, the motor should be reasonably available. And had considered going LSx. I have other plans for a rotary, so that particular combination doesn't interest me.

How hard is it to make body panels out of sheet steel or aluminum? Especially if I buy the hood, doors and trunk lid.

I found these dimensions online. Are they correct? Overall length of 14.583 feet (4.445 m), overall width of 5.583 ft (1.702 m), height (with its removable top in place) of 4.250 ft (1.295 m), wheelbase of 8.00 feet (2.438 m), front track of 4.50 ft (1.372 m) and rear track of 4.417 ft (1.346 m). Also does the overall length include the little bumper things?

96DXCivic wrote: How hard is it to make body panels out of sheet steel or aluminum? Especially if I buy the hood, doors and trunk lid.

I have no experience with it, but I've read enough about it to know it's equal parts art and practiced skill. What I described in the previous post is pretty much it. You create a form, then piece-meal the sheet metal over it, tack-welding as you go. Then seam-weld it together. Hundreds of hours of work. Once completed, you probably won't let the car out of your sight.

carguy123 wrote: Let me put it this way, ones who try to emulate the set up and suspension of yesteryear or do the builds like the book are not great handlers. There have been a couple of Cobra manufacturers who have tried to improve the breed, and been shunned by the Cobra afficienados. It's a light car that feels very heavy and uses heavy bits in all the wrong places if you build it like the book. You can improve anything, but Cobra guys think it's a sacrilige to do so.

I like this guy, he seems to speak truth to power.

Spinout007 wrote: FF cobra all the way, I recently got to watch a few of em tear up a track.. I wanted one badly that day.

Very, very nice. I hate cobra replicas with modern looking wheels, looks wrong to me. This one, this one is nice. Did I mention it looks nice?

96DXCivic wrote:

amg_rx7 wrote: I wouldn't invest that much time and energy unless I was happily married to said girl.

Oh I won't plan on it but I have been dating this girl for about 4 and half years now.

I tested mine for 7 so you still have time.

Here is how I used to piss of the purists. In fact I was NOT invited to some of the get together. Car was not a dragger but setup for open track use.

My opinoin FFR is the hands down best kit car to deal with of ayn I have seen (And I have built and seen a lot of kitcars)

Aluminum body = Kirkham in Utah Kind of cool actually. They use old Polish airplane factory machinery to build the bodies. They're not cheap though.

In reply to wearymicrobe:

I don't know about the SBC but Convo-Pro's are cool. No side pipes is cooler yet. Commendable.

emodspitfire,

Haha, yes I'm here, don't post must though. Between work, home, writing the new book, and building the car, there isn't much time left over. The new one's coming along well and should be on the road by the end of the year. As was posted, it's a mid-engine "Seven" (can't call it a Locost) http://www.midlana.com/