Cobra replicas in Australia

[Rebel1]

Now now Mike......my body is not floppy....well...not all of it anyways

Not had a lot of time lately...but had good run a while back....doin body stuff now and let me tell ya....RMC takes a bit.

All wiring redone with new painless fuse box...all works even.

New dash moulded and all gauges fitted

New tremec 600 RR box now fitted behind the 351W block..... so doin mounts for that soon. That block is brand new and not even got an engine number.

Have cut the RMC scoop out of bonnet and have to reglass the two skins of the bonnet together. More original scoop will be riveted on.

After that I'll refit the 302 and T5 and then blow a coloured epoxy primer for rego.

After that..it's build the 393 ...stamp it with the 302 engine number and blow the final finish.

Daughter just got married and that has consumed a pile of my disposable foldin stuff.

Easy hey, all I need is more time and folding stuff? ..just wait till ya daughter gets married and you'll soon find out what expense is all about.

[David Hodgson]

[quote]Originally posted by Rebel1

After that I'll refit the 302 and T5 and then blow a coloured epoxy primer for rego.


Les

Is it a requirement up there to have your body painted for rego or is it just your preference to do this?

Down here theres no requirement, though most guys assume there is.

[Rebel1]

Dave..I suspect the same applies here.

That is....it's assumed to be required because a color is requested on a rego form.

However, I can't see why one couldn't register in one color then change colors later....Just advise the department of the color change.

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

Sounds like you are making good progress Les. I'm not a big fan of the body work myself. I think I'll leave that to a pro.

I picked up a Painless style wiring loom the other day too. I looked at making my own but for the price of the loom I don't think you could have bought all the different wire colours and fuse box.

Have you got a clutch and flywheel for your Tremec setup? How your tailshaft gona' look? Don't skimp on the Unis with that stroker motor in there either. Peter Duncan had a fairly catistrophic uni failure at the nationals and it's not something you want happening next to you.

Cheers

Mike

[Bathrone]

Originally posted by Ralph_C


A DeType was registered in the ACT two months ago with working side pipes (see the photo shoot from the Nationals - Blue - 2nd from left on front row). Engineer successfully argued the pipes would not fit under the car.

I am (obviously) lining up the same engineer for my build (when it starts)

Authorised engineering signatories cant issue certificates worth anything that goes beyond the state and national requirements. Im having the same problem with my current vehicle, as its engineered but it is not legal.

Amongst other things would be the exhaust exit point requirements....but then there is the tricky "catchall" type rules that talk about inherent level of safety etcetc.

[Rebel1]

Mike....I used a 12 circuit Painless harness and frankly.....I was blown away by both the price and the quality. Excellent hitemp insulation and easy to follow instructions.

It went in easy...looks great...and surprise surprise...every thing works.......leastwise whilst running off the battery charger.

I've got the bellhousing, external slave cylinder, TO bearing lever , and yoke from Castlemaine Rod shop . Did not use a steel bellhousing as I dont intend revving hard and I'm using a billet flywheel. I'm told most problems with explosions are due to cast flywheels. The clutch will be a ermm...chev 11" shhhhhhhhh!!

The flywheel and balancer I'm leaving to engine builder as I may well use an internal balanced crank. I'm very aware of the uni probs Mike......thats why I'm waiting for some extra heavy duty ones and I have welded in some driveshaft loops just in case.

the car will be registered with the 302 and the T5 then change to the stroker and tremec immediately after

I eventually got the Tremec 600 with the .82 overdrive. Seems those on CC who have em and have my diff ratio are really pleased with them. Excellent usable first and a good OD for the freeways.

My only concern is getting more time to work on the thing.

Cheers Mate

[NASSTY]

Les,
Sounds like you're making some good progress.
I've been working on my boot and doors. Boot now swings and I've been extending the skins on the doors so as to make the panel gaps smaller. I'm etting very close to sandwiching both inner and outer door skins together. Will post some pics soon.

Cheers

[Rebel1]

Al, the skins on my doors and boot lid come bonded together but, as you mention, the gaps are less than perfect.

I did however, cut the RMC scoop out of the bonnet as the hood scoop was one of the areas that RMC detracted from original in an attempt to save their butts should a copyright issue arise.

I wanted a more original looking scoop

Here is a handy hint to get your gaps near perfect.

Obtain some 25mm X 3mm soft rubber. I got some from Clarke Rubber.

Tape each side with some packing tape.

Jamb this rubber in the gap between the panels but let it sit high. This provides a fence to fill/glass against and provides a two sided parting line. I did two opposite sides of a panel at the same time so the panel would be even.

The end result is that you end up with an exact 3mm gap which may be too small but at least it is uniform and is then easy to sand to a final gap.

Cheers

[NASSTY]

Originally posted by Rebel1


Here is a handy hint to get your gaps near perfect.

Obtain some 25mm X 3mm soft rubber. I got some from Clarke Rubber.

Tape each side with some packing tape.

Jamb this rubber in the gap between the panels but let it sit high. This provides a fence to fill/glass against and provides a two sided parting line. I did two opposite sides of a panel at the same time so the panel would be even.

The end result is that you end up with an exact 3mm gap which may be too small but at least it is uniform and is then easy to sand to a final gap.

Cheers

That's a good hint Les

I haven't worked with glass before and at first, found it to be a bit daunting (like how much catalyst to use) but now I'm comfortable using it.

I used laminex as a backing to mould to the shape of the outer door skin, ground the outside leading edge of the skin so that the edge formed a point, put a layer of glass between the skin and laminex, made sure the resign soaked under the edge of the skin (easy to see b/c the gelcoat as been ground off) and then layered two more layers on top. After it went off, peeled off the laminex and hey presto the door's extended. Placed the door back on the cobra, used a flood light inside the car and let the light shine into the door sills so to mark out on the outside of the door skin where the edge of the door sill is.

Next step is to cut off the excess, hopefully tonight. I'm happy with the shape of the door sill so I wanted to keep the sill the constant and vary the door to suit.

Plus the bonus after using glass is that you fell a sense of wellbeing and being at peace with the world

[BMK]

Les

Re an original type scoop.

Check my scoop. That mould is in the hands of Doug Pearce if its of any value to you. He will take one out of the mould for you.

Bernie

[BMK]

Mike

Talking about floppy bodies in Queensland..

You are obviously not expecting any accomodation or hospitality up there in the short term..

Bernie

[David Hodgson]

Since we're on glassing and doors, my door skins are sucked in (concave and not flat). Whats the best way to fill? I thought layers of glass, is there a better way?

[NASSTY]

Originally posted by David Hodgson


Since we're on glassing and doors, my door skins are sucked in (concave and not flat). Whats the best way to fill? I thought layers of glass, is there a better way?

G'day David.

I'm assuming your outer skins are already bonded to the door frame?

If so, I've been told to sand and bog up the cavity then block back flat. Bog is resign with powder instead of glass so if the surface is prep'd properly it will never fall out.

When I glassed my outer skin to the door frame, I packed some cardboard along the middle of the frame, in three places, to help reduce the concavity of the door. (The cardboard absorbs the resin and becomes solid) This worked well but there is still some concavity there which I will fix as described above.

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

You could try filling the door cavities with expanding foam. It would also make them feel a lot more solid without adding much weight.

The foam should push the door skin out as it goes off.

Cheers

[BMK]

Mike

I'm about to spray some down my jocks..

Seriously thats a good idea. I have a rattle in the boot and I will drill a small hole up out of sight and use some...

Bernie

[PCC]

Bern,

I thought you built a Cobra not a Rattle Snake

Mind you, I've think I've got the same rattle - loose washer in the boot skin.

[NASSTY]

Originally posted by Bernie Knight


Mike

I'm about to spray some down my jocks..

ROFLMAO

Originally posted by Aussie Mike


You could try filling the door cavities with expanding foam. It would also make them feel a lot more solid without adding much weight.

The foam should push the door skin out as it goes off.

With my doors this wouldn't work as the door is glassed to the frame in the middle of the door and to metal ribs that help to shape the outerskin. Using foam filler would probably only push the inner skin inwards. Good idea though.

Cheers

[Rebel1]

Bernie....re scoop...I got one from Don Pilling...thanks for info tho.

Mike....re floppy bodies ... Have you been peeking or swopping stories with my wife?

David Hodgson...G-Force and RMC's are very similiar bodies...I suspect they come from the same mould.

The RMC suffers from sunken panels in the doors and the area immediately in front of the door jamb..between the side vents and the door jamb. The reason is that:

1: they pull the bodies from the mould while they are still green
( not properly cured)

2: The inner tub is glassed in with the body is OUT of the mould and the glass used to bond the tub to the body shrinks and pulls the panel in.

Frankly, depending on the extent of the hollow, I really don't like the use of straight bog. If the hollow is minor...say less than 2mm, then bog would be ok. However, one of my panels took had a hollow of nearly 5mm. The amount of bog to fill this is quite heavy and reliant of a secondary polyester bond.

I know of an RMC cobra, beautiful expensive paint job....crossed a railway crossing at speed and the bog fell from the door. NO GOOD!!!!

Deep hollows should be ground back to the glass...cross hatched...and chopped strand mat/resin applied to fill the void to just below desired surface. Then bog to final finish.

In my case..I went to the extent of using epoxy resin with unbound glass because of the much greater secondary bond and that epoxy laminate is somewhat more flexible than polyester so the added laminate would move with the original panel.

FOAM in the doors...make sure you provide a strong dam around ya latches to isolate any foam intrusion to the latches.

You might find you'll have to step over to get in...not easy when you wear big red shoes like bernie.

[Bathrone]

Bondo isnt all deserving of its "bog" reputation. Modern examples wont crack and it wont wreck the pain provided its used in the manner intended.

More than a few show sprayjobs have bog in it.

[vettestr]

Rebel1 has given some great advice, same method I would use to repair a low area that is greater than 2mm. Bondo or bog tends to crack or keep shrinking under the paint for about a year or less. Some resins that are lower in the food chain have the same problems. All repairs or modifications at my shop use Vinylester resin. Rather than Bondo for those small low spots a mixture made from resin, fumed silica and micro bubbles can be mixed to the same working characteristics of Bondo/bog. This mixture I call (spooge) sands a little more difficult but is far superior in every way to Bondo. Spooge is cost effective, will not cause printing, shrink or crack and bonds surface if surface is prep'd correctly. Good bodywork of repair will only need glazing putty or a filling primer at most. Bondo is only used to mock up plugs or mold filler at my place. Spooge can be pre mixed and if kept covered until ready to catalyze for use.