Fiberglass is Fiberglass The title is mis-leading. Yes, fiberglass is fiberglass but is it poly, vinyl or epoxy? And within a family, are various brands compatible? Fortunately, building two fiberglass cobras prior to tackling the GT40, I had some fiberglass experience. The good part is the GT40 was originally fiberglassContinue Reading
I’ve heard horror stories about registering a kit car. Wanting to head them off at the pass, I visited Troop C in Chesterfield, MO to discuss the requirements. I’ve learned so far: Note: these steps apply to a ground-up build. There are shortcuts available to those using a donorContinue Reading
Spindle Replacement The tapered joints of the balljoint are pulled into the spindle with 100 ft/lbs of torque. These joints are tight! To remove or replace parts, some recommend putting a pickle fork tool between the ball joint and hit it with the biggest hammer you can find. I wasContinue Reading
Wheel alignment “Stringing” a car is the way racer’s do wheel alignment. You don’t need a fancy (expensive) computer aligner if you are willing to do some setup and understand basic measurements. Setup: Prior to starting the alignment process, you need to determine the desired ride height of the vehicle.Continue Reading
FE References As I searched for info on my build, I have come across a number of articles and references for the FE afficianado. I have taken the liberty to combine some of the pages into one downloadable PDF, giving credit where due. Did this, just in case the webserversContinue Reading
How long and do I need a shop? I know people who have assembled a kit in as short as four months while working a normal 8-5 job. It can be done. My build took me three years to complete but I took my time and made a lot ofContinue Reading
When I began the initial investigation into building a replica, I quickly learned the market fell into four tiers; Entry Level / builds that emulate the cobra appearance Mid Tier / builds that replicate the original very faithfully Kirkhams Shelby Continuation series And I was given very astute advice – lookContinue Reading
A young college student picks up a brochure from a nearby car dealership in Champaign, IL. A 1966 Ford Cobra. Man, do I want one of these. But then life surrounds you and the dream gets stored away in the “Book of Don’t Forgets”. The racing and car bug slowlyContinue Reading
Sources for the Cobra research are many and varied. Hopefully, one of these will help you find the detail you are seeking: Pictorial References CobraCars.be The site was shut down sometime around 2017, but if you know how to use Google’s Wayback Machine, take a look at the earlyContinue Reading
Choosing a kit supplierThis is probably the 2nd hardest thing to do in building your dream. (First is selecting a color). It is wise to do a little belly button gazing and determine what you are trying to accomplish. Different kits are designed to fulfill different objectives. Got lots ofContinue Reading