The making of a 427 Narrow Hip Cobra starts now!!

[Metal-morphous]

Time to start adding some bling to Eddies hood and trunk.
As most may already know, we can metal plate just about any subsurface with our metal plating process . Our process takes heated metal, in this case aluminum and as it's in liquid state it's atomized and then flash cooled to protect the subsurface.
Here's a couple of photos of my ERA hood and Fred's hood.
Eddies hood will look REAL nice since there's no hood scoop hole.

[66gtk]

Fantastic work. What a great Cobra this will be.

[Metal-morphous]

Yesterday I applied a thermal mask to Eddies hood and trunk then set them up in our plating equipment and applied aluminum.


The first photo is what it looks like after our plating process. The grey color is just oxidation created during the process. The oxidation is removed with steel wool but first we mask off any painted areas to protect them from the steelwool and polisher.
Tomorrow we will bring up the shine

[LMH]

Does the aluminum plate have to be coated with a clear of some kind? Could it be left like bare unfinished aluminum?
Larry

[Metal-morphous]

I personally don't like to clear coat it but just like its solid counterpart it will tarnish with time. In New England it will need to be polished once a year to keep its shine.
Clear coats do make it maintenance free but I don't like the plastic look it leaves on the metal. I'd rather spend 15 minutes with a polisher to keep it looking like new.
The photo of the blue hood was taking a few months ago but I plated that hood 20 years ago, every time I polish it out it get brighter !!

[Metal-morphous]

This should add to the narrow hips WOW factor!!

[DanEC]

Curious - have you ever finished an entire fiberglass body with that process to resemble and unpainted aluminum body?

[jolsen42]

WOW!!!

John O

[Metal-morphous]

Dan it's funny you should mention that!!
I will be starting a new thread in a couple of weeks that not only will answer that question but I think you'll find very interesting!!

Johnny O. Now don't let the cat out of the bag :-)

[jolsen42]

Ron, never happen. I won't even tell "He whose name we dare not speak"

John O

Originally Posted by Metal-morphous

Johnny O. Now don't let the cat out of the bag :-)

[Metal-morphous]

Tomorrow is the big day!! The body is finally being mounted to the chassis
More photos to follow.

[ERA Chas]

Ron-tell your owner to lose those BFG's (which we stopped using in the '80's)-under that magnificent body.
All black Avons in narrower sizes would compliment the period look AND work like a charm.

[mickmate]

Agreed we don't want to see that beautiful body get buggered up from a lack of traction.

[krausewich]

Fun post. Love watching the transformation in its entirety.
Have two questions..

Is the 'narrow hip' 427 officially the AC 289 series... as
confusing as that is?? and never a stateside 427 variant.

Also, what was the purpose of the tape on the body during the mold casting?

Can't wait to see the finished car!
Mike.

[RockBit]

This is a great thread, and the quality of the work is spectacular. My question is, though, aren't ERAs usually bonded to the frame before painting? I was under the impression they weren't built go-cart style.

[ACademic]

Originally Posted by RockBit

...the quality of the work is spectacular.

+2

I've yet to see any of this work in person, but everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, that I've seen posted online from this shop has been at the highest level.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by krausewich

Is the 'narrow hip' 427 officially the AC 289 series... as
confusing as that is?? and never a stateside 427 variant.

Mike.

After the initial run of competition/SC 427 bodies/cars, Shelby turned his attention more to a street version and after a group of wide hip street cars, they brought out the narrow hip 427 street car in the US market. And then I think there were again some produced with the S/C fender and flare.

Originally Posted by RockBit

This is a great thread, and the quality of the work is spectacular. My question is, though, aren't ERAs usually bonded to the frame before painting? I was under the impression they weren't built go-cart style.

The ERA body does bond with adhesives and rivets to the frame structure. It's usually done prior to body and paint work. The only things I know of that complicate painting it first and then installing are that 1) the rockers curves under the frame quite a bit requiring some careful spreading during installation, and 2) ERA uses a row a rivets through the rocker bottom to the outrigger tubing on the frame which would then be painted over. I'm curious to see what Metal-morphis is planning to do at the rocker panel to secure it myself - I suspect just rivet through the paint. Original cars had rivets all over so not much different. I'm sure they have something figured out.

[Metal-morphous]

Since we modified the lower rockers a line of rivets would not look very good so I'm going to use a rivet 2 inches back from the front outrigger tube and another one 2 inches from the rear, then bond the rest of the tube with epoxy.


Chris and Academic
The photos really don't do this justice, you should see it in person,, so if your in my area in the next couple of days feel free to stop in and see it !! After that Eddie will have it back at his place in MA.

[Ant]

The slight belly enhances the shape and its a shame to hide it with side pipes, I have added the belly into straight sill cars I have built.

Originally Posted by Metal-morphous

"One of the areas overlooked by replica manufacturers is the rocker panels, which tend to be straight lines, which would be hidden by side pipes." On Eddie's car we are constructing the slight belly that is apparent on the originals.

[P-51 Cobra]

I have seen this car in person and it truely is a work of art!