Newbie, about to take the plunge...

[auscobra]

Hi all,
I am a newbie that has lurked around this forum for a little while now, but time has come to ask some questions.
I have been dreaming/thinking of building a cobra for over 15 years now, now finally got the finances, the garage and the wife prepared ready to start.(urgh!)
I am looking at purchasing a kit later this year, most likely G-Force, but in the meantime I plan to get the engine and gearbox sorted out.

My initial thoughts are:
I want a daily driver, so a 302 should work nicely.
To meet emmissions - EFI or LPG (I'm in perth).
Anyone have any thoughts on sourcing all this from a wrecked mid-90's 5.0L fairlane? I thought this would be a good cheap option as it would come with all the efi and bits, and I'm going to do a rebuild, possibly replace with GT40 heads etc.

I want a manual gearbox. A few people seem to have supra gearboxes. What's the advantage here over tremec etc?

I also need to find out more about getting RTA (transport authority) approval before starting. I have searched the RTA site only to find that I need approval, but no further info. It would be good to hear from someone who has done this recently as I would like to know of any pitfalls beforehand.

Cheers,
Auscobra

[Aussie Mike]

Welcome to the Forum,

The G-Force is probably your best option living in WA. It'll be nice to deal with a local manufacturer and the new G-Force body looks excellent.

Think carefully about your engine choice before shelling out the $$$. My advice would be to buy the kit first and the engine later. That way if the emissions laws change you aren't stuck with a non compliant motor.

Make sure you pass your idea by an engineer before buying too. The 302 may not be emissions legal in your state and LPG might be a problem too. It is in the other states any way.

The advantage of the supra box is it's cheap but I reckon you would be better off with the T5 behind the 302. It's a much simpler and tidier installation with no need for custom bell housings etc.

Have a talk to "Plums" on this forum. He's in Perth and has just bought a G-Force kit.

Cheers

[LoBelly]

Welcome to the party,

I got my kit from Perth, an RMC, there are a few of us floating around - may be worth a look and will at least provide a basis for comparison.

The first thing you should find is the rules that operate in your state and the second is an engineer. Plan first or pay more later.

I can tell you that the build process is a lot of fun - so much fun that people do it for years.

LoBelly

[Aussie Mike]

I have to agree with the "Anti Mike".

The build process is a lot of fun. I think I'll be a bit sad when it's done.

Cheers