Which original Cobra was used to splash your replica?

[TButtrick]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

The process of digitizing and scanning in the 3035 body would have been very straight-forward using today's technology. As to why FFR chose to not to reproduce the 3035 is anybody's guess. I could not get any of the body lines to match up between 3035 and the new car. The nose is different, as are the door lines/openings as well as the rear fenders. Maybe they are saving the scan it for a Dick Smith tribute car or something.

"Splashing" a body the old-fashioned way, especially off of a fragile aluminum car is tedious but not rocket science. The story I was told about when the Hurricane car was copied was that it took all of a day to take the molds from the body. But they did it while the CSX car was assembled, and they did it in pieces. So the hard part was then to get it all back together into a unified body mold.

I think FFR "morphed" the digitized version of 3035 rather than splashing it. Most likely an economic choice to keep the existing frame (for the most part) and morphed the body to the existing frame and changing the shape in the process. An improvement but still worlds apart from a "splash" of 3035.

[Scufty]

I dont know that I completely understand this "splashing" but I do know that Ron Butler bought the original cobra tooling from Shelby prior to manufacturing just over 100 Replicas

[CobraEd]

It seems to me that splashing a car is very easy although a little time consuming. Why would FF do it the hard way only to end up with a non-accurate car. Seems very odd.

My Classic Roadsters is longer and wider than an original. I wonder how they did that one given that it can't be taken from an original by splashing or digitally. Maybe DV knows.


.

[TButtrick]

Originally Posted by CobraEd

It seems to me that splashing a car is very easy although a little time consuming. Why would FF do it the hard way only to end up with a non-accurate car. Seems very odd.

My Classic Roadsters is longer and wider than an original. I wonder how they did that one given that it can't be taken from an original by splashing or digitally. Maybe DV knows.


.

I think "the hard way", from FFRs perspective, would have been to splash 3035 or exactingly digitize it and then redesign, retool, remanufacture a new frame to fit to a dimensionally new body. When FFR fit a Kirkham body to their existing frame, it was a whole lot more than they had anticipated. Not even a close fit but it was the data they needed to do what they did with the MKIV.

[SunDude]

OK guys, as I'm getting most of this information second hand, let's see what we can all agree on regarding FFR's MkIV bodies.

Everyone seems to agree that FFR digitally scanned CSX3035 but did not splash the car in the traditional sense, right?

Everyone also seems to agree that FFR made significant modifications to its digital rendering so that the final design varies considerably from CSX3035, right?

So, if this is the case, then it's fair to say that CSX3035 was the basis for FFR's MkIV cars regardless of the fact that the finished product is different, right? In other words, the MkIV was not based on a different car, was it?

***********

As for the Classic Roadsters, Elegant Motors and Stallion-style Cobras, I would imagine these were original designs inspired by the Cobra. Does anyone know their true origins?

[PaulProe]

SunDude,
To provide correct information to your statements, FFR personnel working the SEMA show this fall gave me this information:

The rear trunk and fenders came from the scans of Smith’s car(3035). The cockpit is from the Mark III except they rolled the edges. The hood and front end came from the molds they had on the Contemporary car.

It is really a hybrid. Some of the lines came from an original but the Mk IV car as a whole did not

Paul

[SunDude]

I see. So that would make it the bastard child of CSX3035 and CSX3045.

[Scufty]

Originally Posted by SunDude

I see. So that would make it the bastard child of CSX3035 and CSX3045.

HAHAHAH

I guess that it would

[Pman1961]

How about Superformance?

[Silverback51]

Here is a link to the ATOS 3 system that we use.

http://www.capture3d.com/products-ATOS.html

It's a white light system that provides millions of data points per scan. From that you can develop surfaces that can be downloaded for N/C machining of tools or molds.

I have been a tool engineer for over 30 years and know both methods, splashes and digital for doing this type of work. Taking a splash is much more time consuming and not as accurate as the digital methods.

[TButtrick]

Originally Posted by Pman1961

How about Superformance?

Yeah... what about Superformance? Never knew that story.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Scufty

... I do know that Ron Butler bought the original cobra tooling from Shelby prior to manufacturing just over 100 Replicas

With respect to the body of the Cobra, the "cobra tooling" was not in Shelby's hands to sell.

[Dwight]

I thought the aluminum bodies (& frames) were hand made in England and shipped to Shelby. No tooling in California.

Dwight

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by SunDude

I see. So that would make it the bastard child of CSX3035 and CSX3045.

Nope, rather its a test tube baby. Born in the lab by mad scientists: LOL:

[LMH]

Did you guys ever confirm that 3235 was the car used for what eventually became Hurricane? I never knew the out come of the search.
Larry

[Scufty]

Originally Posted by computerworks

With respect to the body of the Cobra, the "cobra tooling" was not in Shelby's hands to sell.

So all the articles that I have read regarding Ron Butler are in fact incorrect when this is stated? Interesting...guess you can believe anything now days.
Maybe when this is quoted they are referring to something "other" than the body?

[Mark IV]

Ron Butler worked for Shelby back when, but the "tooling" he bought was the Arntz Cobra stuff. He got no tooling from Shelby....Shelby never built Chevy powered, Jag suspended, plastic cars.

[SunDude]

Rick, do you know the origins of the Superformance MkIII mold?

I read somewhere that the body mold was originally produced by Richard W. de Beer, of Rich Industries in Port Elizabeth, and was acquired by Jimmy Price of Hi-Tech Automotive. Do you happen to know what CSX car he modeled the car from?

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by SunDude

Rick, do you know the origins of the Superformance MkIII mold?

I read somewhere that the body mold was originally produced by Richard W. de Beer, of Rich Industries in Port Elizabeth, and was acquired by Jimmy Price of Hi-Tech Automotive. Do you happen to know what CSX car he modeled the car from?

In short, no, I don't, but I will ask.

[B.M.B.C]

I don't think SPF was slashed from any given CSX car. I reckon it's a made up shape.