bennet cobra kit

[boyd henderson]

I am still trying to find any info about bennet cobras in hayward ca.,i bought a rolling chassis project that needs a body and want to find out what body he was using on his kits.any one who knows any one who worked there or can suggest a body to look at would be a big help.I have contacted several companies that say their body will not work. e-mail me at my70lt1@aol.com thanks boyd h.

[Jamo]

He usually worked on Arntz-Butlers, which nobody makes anymore, but he may have worked on other makes.

Post a pic.

[Ozgur_Tan]

i thought that it would be better to take a look bennet's web site @ http://www.hotrodbuilders.com/

[Jamo]

Well, nice music and it shows what hot rods and a current Cobra kit he's finishing up now...

But a pic from the thread starter would still allow us (or Bennet) a good shot at identifying the make.

[Ozgur_Tan]

from History:Cobra section of the website

Bob Bennett has been involved with Cobras since the mid 70’s. First restoring CSX 3003 (one of the first 5 full comp 427 Cobras) to 100 point condition and then working as the in-house R&D engineer for Arntz Engineering of San Francisco, the first company to replicate the awesome 427 Cobra. As of 10/03 BENNETT COACHWORKS has produced 40 Cobra replicas in house, as well as being responsible for the Arntz Cobras and the Cobra produced by Excalibur. Bob worked as an independent contractor for Excalibur. Designing the prototype, building the prototype, constructing the fixtures and tooling and personally building the first 10 chassis for Excalibur.

[Jamo]

So, with a pic, we can readily assertain whether it is an Arntz/Butler or an Excaliber or even something else (note the current one he shows is finishing up a kit that the owner didn't finish).

I had Butler No. 5, built in 82 (which Freddie Douglass now owns)...Bennett did a major refresh on it and installed a five-speed in the early 90s.

Now, if the thread-starter would simply come back on instead of leaving this like a Floridian hanging chad, we can get down to business.

[jmarsey]

I visited the shop several times in the early 90’s and was my choice of cobra. The business started heading south at that time and they could not commit to building a chassis for me. I still have pictures and brochures from completed cars. Their chassis is very trick to say the least.

[CobraDan]

I resent that as each and every time now we Floridians go to the polls we have a new voting system to try out all with no chads.

[razerwire]

If you are looking for info on car Paul Bennett built, he built box frame first and then built a true space frame with push rod suspension. I have the push rod car. He bought the mold for butler car and glassed the body only to the frame. Inner panels are aluim. Some one asked for a hood long time ago and I still have. Butler car had 91" wheelbase unknown to paul until first body put on, as you know cobra is 90". Most frames were fixed you can measure yours I'm in Modesto if that helps

[Rick Parker]

They were one of if not THE first to use a Ford 9" center section in an IRS set up. The rear suspension was well engineered.

[venum14]

Boyd,
I started my Bennett car in 1992 and still have it. The body was Butler based and Paul was a partner on the mold. The first body I picked up at the fiberglass house, which was in Hayward, Ca had excessive shrinkage. Paul’s bodies were almost twice as thick as others were at that time. Later, I returned it for another, which I kept. Due to the partnership issues no other molds were made. The hood, trunk and doors came from another supplier in L.A.

Anyway, Paul designed his space frame chassis to fit in the "standard" Cobra body. Since the frame utilizes 2" main tubes you sit two inches lower in the car, this makes the body short on the sides. I made some 'glass skirts to extend the body downward (between the wheell wells) to wrap around and under the outer frame rails.

I would not be afraid to try the most universal body you can find out there, after all, it is 'glass cut or add to it as needed. The frame design dictates aluminum inner panels throughout. Let me know if you need more info.

Jeff

[razerwire]

Reading post about buying Butler cobra reminds me that I still have hood that I was going to GIVE to person that needed it to finish car. No reply after hood was built?

[venum14]

Razerwire- Sent you a PM...