Owner built on a budget;

[onefastmustang]

Well if Ray don't buy it I might. Although a Kirkham is now on the menu too. :>)

[Hray]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/...9144a229_b.jpg


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/...198eb60d_b.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/...650c5425_b.jpg


First place in our category. The competition just did not have a chance to catch up with me. Then again a person could say that I came in second to last place.

I was the only car in the category of handbuilt sports cars. So by default we got first. I guess a first is a first, is a first.

mainly the car was really appreciated by tons of spectators and thier nods of approval and listening to thier comments makes it worth it.

It was not about the end, but about the journey, the journey has just began since I now get to drive it and share it with others.

again thanks so much to everyone that provide support and suggestions on the build, it has been a group effort. I know many of you were here in spirit.

I will continue the thread as we make improvements, attend cruises and shows and the journey will continue.

[James Stern]

Ray, The way the boss was holding the trophy next to the quilt she made got me thinking that she felt the quilt was the real winner in all of this. Congratulations on a well deserved first place. You would have recieved the trophy if there were 10 handbuilt sports cars. Well done in your first competition.

Jim

[*13*]

She's holding that thing up with one hand! I wouldn't want to mess with her!!! Nice job!

[rustyBob]

Way to go Ray ......we told you so.......and yas "a first is a first"

[MaSnaka]

Bravo!! Ray, Thanks for sharing your journey with us. It is fun to check in and watch the progress.

As far as 3 CR owners in one place...I think that's great. I participate with a group (informal club) called the Tri-County Cobras where the organizer has a CR as well, so that makes two of us with our cars at one place. After one of our get togethers (usually 20-30 various model Cobras) a guy called me asking about my car and said he was there but parked away from the group for whatever reason but said he had just purchased his CR. There coulda been three. Oh well.

John

[Hray]

Hey Folks; thanks for all the cudos,,,,,

i just got my neighbors pics she took at auto rama, gonna try to find a place to upload and then link them.

DV: I am working real hard to come up with the total cash to get your car. I currently have part, a guy chatted a couple days ago about purchasing my 27 track T roadester, if it goes thru that will be the rest of the cash with enough to come get it.

However, we both know that deals fall through, so I do not want to leave you hanging. So if you get another deal or offer go ahead and take it. the only reason I am selling the 27 would be to buy your car and before I take the guys money I will call you to see if still available. the guy understands that if your car is sold before he comes up with cash then our deal of off.

I know you would hold it for me, but who knows if this guy is blowing smoke or what, lots of tire kickers out there. So if your car is still available when I get the cash I will take it but if gone then that is just fine.

PS; now I am really tired, been doing yard work all day and really feel it, I would rather be building cobras.

[Hray]

I purchased this book at autorama on the AC shelby american cobra. Now I am confused. What do I call my car. Is it a Shelby Cobra kit, is it a 427 cobra kit, is it an AC Cobra Kit,

I thought it was a 427 body style, AC Cobra. meaning it was the cobra race car from england and not a cobra mustang made by Ford.

Maybe I should just call it a 427 Classic Roadester. But when I register it for shows and they want the make and model info what would I put. I do not want people thinking I am trying to represent it as something that it is not.

PS: I am having build update withdrawl, a few minutes ago I was cleaning shop and bringing back in my upholstery machines and it dawned on me that I do not have to post anything, and it felt strange. After 5 months of almost nitely providing updates it seems strange to not have that responsibility. Maybe this is what people feel like when they retire and all of a sudden they realize they do not have to get up and go to work. sort of lost.

maybe I will work on my facebook page and make my non cobra diary entries there until I get accustomed to this new life.

anyway please help on what I call this car.

[James Stern]

Ray, In the few shows that I have been to; I have listed my car as:

Manufacturer: CRII
Model: Cobra
Year: 1965

Hope that helps you. I understand withdrawal issues. I haven't been able to drive my Cobra for 4 weeks. You might want to take yours for a drive. Wheel time is where it's at for me.

Jim

[Hray]

jim: thanks for the suggestion:

Maybe when I had my sign made I subconscientiously knew what to say.

here is the link to my facebook photo page or at least I hope it is the link.
these are the photos my neighbor took. the flickr photo page said I ran out of space so I had to find another place to put photos. there is a close up of the sign I made. I did not use the word cobra at all I figured that people would know it was a cobra when looking at it.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...p?sk=myuploads

I clicked on the link so I guess it works. later

[Double Venom]

Ray, All I get is my own facebook page???

[onetrackrider]

Ray
If you get really bored I could send my car out your way & let you finish it, I'm sure your body work skills are better than mine. Very impressed...
Matt

[Hray]

Greetings Folks:

Went to CHP this morning to get the assigned vin applied to the car. i was a little worried since I did not have a mco or mso from CRL. I only had a bill of sale from the person I got the kit from. But, I did have most all the pull tags and little documents that were placed on or in bags of stuff from CRL. I was just hoping all this would show where it all started from. And it did, the officer did not question any aspect of that at all.

I then began to sweat bullets when he asked about receipts for motor and the motor id number. But after short discussion we fired up my laptop, and came to this build thread and fortunately enough way back I posted the casting numbers and the block id number on this thread. he took that info from this thread and went in the office to run the theft report. It all came back clean and he assigned the tag on firewall and signed off all the documents he needed to. He was satisfied that all my statements of fact were ok and he really liked me having this build thread. I also had the assembly manual and he looked at some of my photos on this thread and compared them to the photos in the manual and felt comfortable with the approval.

This confirms the legal aspect that diaries and log entries can be considered as legal evidence as long as they are a consistent pattern. With my 5 months of enties that showed a consistent pattern and believeable.

Next stop the BAR, then brake and lamp, then to DMV. I know it aint over but maybe on downhill side of the registration title process.

[onefastmustang]

It's interesting that he put the little blue tag on the firewall. They were very insistent at my CHP that it had to go on the frame of the car and have two rivets popped into it.

[James Stern]

Ray, You are either the luckiest or the best prepared person in the world. either way, Congratulations!!!! Driving these things are a helluva lot more fun than showing them. Drivng them to shows might be the funnest thing.

Jim

[Hray]

OFM: he did give me the choice to place the tag on the firewall, or door jamb, or the frame. I decided the firewall since I think that is where they will place the sb100 sticker next to the vin plate. He did add the rivets to finalize the install.

JAMES. Today was partly being prepared, and also a stroke of luck that I have the laptop with me, or I would have been going back for another appointment most likely.

Either way it was a win, and I will take a win anyway I can.

Ray

[Hray]

Progress report update:

yesterday morning had about 15 cobras sitting in my driveway. sure was a sight to see. they got me inspired again.

I took car for pretty much first real drive yesterday. discovered the rear shocks were bottoming out. Tried to find shorter ones, but all were too short. So this morning I made a bracket to attache to frame at top, extended the shock mounting up almost 2 inches. Reinstalled the KYB gas-a-matics which were for the other cobra. Took for a 8 mile test drive. Seems to be just about perfect now. running about 1300 rpm at 50mph. The ride is very very acceptable now, soft but not too soft. I could have screwed down the threaded rods but did not want to raise the ride heighth so I raised the shock mounting location.

Gonna try to get to the BAR this week, or else get to dmv for temp sticker.

Also noticed the upper radiator hoses were colapsing, so took them off and installed the coil spring stuff inside hoses to prevent collapsing. Seems to be just fine now.

FYI the monroe shock number that OFM gave me was 32207, in my shock catalogue I was possibly looking at 555002 as an alternate shock, or 5752

Here are the measurements and uses just in case someone else is looking
all monroe numbers below.
5752 shock travel is 8.625 to 12.727 and came off of many early 50.s cars
555003 shock and the travel is exactly same as 5752 and is for travel trailers
32207 shock travel is 11.25 to 17.8 and fits about 100 different cars from many years. seems to be identical as the 5876 that was delivered with my car in 1991.

I wanted something about 10.5 to 16.5 but that would have been special order. So raising the top meant I could use one of the most common shocks made therefore usually a little cheaper since they make thousands of these.

FYI: Monroe makes a shock cataloge that specifies the mounting ends, and then lengths. then you can cross reference the shock number to see all the types of vehicles that uses that shock. This is invaluable booklet when fabing up suspension for street rods.

later, gotta go fix a small gas line leak on the cobra, and mow the law, take down christmas lights, (wife does not think we will need them for easter, just do not know why).

laterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Ray

[MaSnaka]

Ray, Can you post a photo of the adaptors you made to extend the rear shock mounts? Also is this someting you could see working with coil over shocks?

Thanks John

[Hray]

John: Not sure a photo is really necessary, but next time I remove rear tire I will tak pix and post it.

Here is what I did. I took a quarter inch thick piece of flat bar and cut it 3 inches by four inches. then drilled a hole in it at the top about one inch down to the center of the hole for shock mount to bolt into. then measured down just almost 2 more inches and drilled another hole for the flat bar to be bolted into the original hole where shock mount would have attached. then trial fit the shock. My down tube was in the way of the top. so I cantered the top of the flat bar out towards the tire about 3/4 inch. This allowed the shock to miss the down tube. I then drilled near bottom of flat bar a quarter inch hole thru new bar and thru frame. Installed a grade 8 quarterr inch bolt to prevent the bar from moving.

I decided not to weld it yet just in case I wanted to change it later. But for just the shock only not sure welding is needed.

If I went to coil over shocks I would most likely beef up with welds both the top and bottom of this system. Mainly because I think the 1/8 inch plate that CR used to bolt shocks up is just a little light to handle the weight of the vehicle. For just shock absorbtion it is fine.

I do think that I could find a coil over shock that would fit within the needed lengths for this. It also depends on how light or heavy the spring is that a person will be using. With stiffer spring the car will not travel that much up and down. I have a rather light spring and wanted as much travel as possible because my country roads are like wash boards around here.

If I were going to make a upgrade now I would just purchase 8 way adjustable shocks (which would adjust both compression and rebound) and use the current coil springs not coil overs. This way I could soften up the ride on the trip to reno, and then when at the track turn up the dial and make a stiff ride out of it.

For me I am now built for more comfort than speed both me and the car.

So if you find you want to do some changes to yours and welding and fab work is needed just get your shocks drive over spend the day and we can get you upgraded to suit your style.

Ray

[MaSnaka]

Thanks Ray.

I'm a good long days drive from you. But I'll keep your offer in mind. I am due to get to Redding some time, although I have no idea when, and I wont likely have my car. But I will give you a shout and atleast wave as I'm passing through Sac.

John