1955 Aceca/Cobra restomod

[grybrd123]

It seems better to start a new thread to continue describing the rebuilding of my Aceca, rather than continue with the "Original Cobra coolant tank?" thread which is a bit misleading. Instead of repeating the info on that earlier thread I just refer the reader to it for the project description. I will be posting new pix here from time to time. Any questions or observations are welcome!

[LMH]

Very cool! Great thread to follow!

Larry

[t walgamuth]

Very cool project! Thanks very much!

[1795]

Thanks for posting. Looking forward to following the rebuild. Good luck.

Jim

[Ivygreen65]

Thanks for starting this thread. I look forward to following it.

[Chicagowil]

When I was in college in LA one of my Professors had one of these as his daily driver

So cool a body style! Will like seeing this build!

Thom

[Alfa02]

A friend of mine, has owned this Cobraized/Aceca since the late 60's when the conversion was done, also Supercharged. I was allowed to drive it to Pacific Raceways and back to Redmond, a true thrill to drive, good luck on your project, and keep the post's coming. Cheers TommyRot.

[xb-60]

Looking forward to following the rebuild. Looks like some serious work going on there!

Several questions...
Are you retaining the original engine?
If so, which engine, the AC 2.0-6 or the Bristol 2.6?
Not changing to a SBF, I assume?
Last question..."grybrd" - do you have anything easier to pronounce.... or is that Welsh

Cheers!
Glen

[1985 CCX]

Great going on the new thread!
Will watch it as its very interesting.

[MAStuart]

grybrd123 Is there any chance you could take a shot of the rear spring tower from the bottom side? I am scratch building and my rear spring tower is constructed a little different than yours shown here . Not saying mine is right because I have found many mistakes in my plans. Where mine looks different is on the side view mine has 2 small holes at the bottom of the side plate. Yours has one. Also mine has a weld across the side plate at the top. This is where the side and top plate meet. The side plate also wraps around about 135*to the inside and is also welded into the 2 spuds that the bolts go thru to hold the rear end in. I have seen other make this part the same way yours is made. This makes me wonder what way is correct? Were original Cobras made both ways? If you need a picture I can snap one to make it more clear what I am asking about.

Thanks Mark

[grybrd123]

To everyone who's posted so far, thank you! A short version of the story about this rebuild is in the thread I referred to at the beginning of this one.

Tommyrot: very nice conversion, I'd love to see detail photos showing what was done. If you have any, PM me and I'll send you my e-mail address.

Glen: there's a saying about Acecas that goes something like this: they cost twice as much to restore as an Ace and are worth half as much when done. Acecas were coach built, that is they had a partially wooden frame, unlike Aces and Cobras. That makes it much more difficult to restore them. Therefore this is not a "restoration", it will be a restomod with a fuel injected Ford 302 and a TKO road race 5 speed, with a strengthened and modified frame and other bits (like A/C) to make it a comfortable, fast, reliable GT. To me, the genuine Cobra stuff that's in it is the icing on the cake and makes for a much stronger drive train, suspension, and brakes than the Aceca parts they replace. I bought the car (or what was left of it) totally gutted, knowing it would not be worth restoring to stock condition. I've attached some photos of it as it was when I got it.

MAStuart: send me a PM showing what you need a photo of and I’ll see what I can do.

[tkb289]

grybrd123

What a great project to take what was an interesting build, but poorly executed & abandoned, then take the bits and pieces and do the whole restoration / modification properly. Bringing the car back to the correct 90” wheelbase, strengthening the chassis and reusing & enhancing the original parts will provide a solid platform for the build.

Thanks for posting the ‘before’ photos, interesting to see how much wood was used and where they used it. Will you use wood in the restoration as well?

Sounds like your goal is a road car capable of running on the track. That will no doubt dictate the choices with the drivetrain, chassis, interior, instrumentation and all the other bits and pieces that are involved. Like the others here, I am looking froward to following your project.

- Tim

[grybrd123]

To answer your question: yes, we will use wood again. Original cars were really very nicely done, with walnut veneers on the dash, door tops and other places, and oak and ash framing. We will try to duplicate it as much as we can. The idea is to have a modern car that is based on an old one to the maximum extent reasonably possible. One thing I have learned since beginning this project is that no matter how cars like this look on the outside (and of course this one was a mess, but still had secrets!), their true condition is unknowable without a complete tear down.

[twobjshelbys]

Cool. Keep us up to date on progress! How long have you been working on it and how long do you think before it's done?

[incoming]

That's a thing of beauty. she even has outboard brakes.

[grybrd123]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Cool. Keep us up to date on progress! How long have you been working on it and how long do you think before it's done?

Got it 14 months ago and I'll be gratified if it's done by this time next year! I'll post periodically when there's significant progress.

[HealeyRick]

Sounds like you have an excellent vision for your restomod. I think the Aceca is a beautiful design and by keeping it factory-looking on the exterior while upgrading it otherwise seems to me the best of both worlds. The addition of a functional heat/ac/demisting system in a closed coupe would really turn it into a comfortable GT. Will be interested to see your progress.

[grybrd123]

Some news! When I bought the car it came with two sets of front A arms. I've attached a photo of both in the Gallery AC section. For some unknown reason I could not attach the photo here. We think the larger set is from the Cobra that "donated" the rear end, brakes, and suspension. Can anyone verify that the large arm is from a Cobra?
Thanks!

[Chicagowil]

Originally Posted by Alfa02

A friend of mine, has owned this Cobraized/Aceca since the late 60's when the conversion was done, also Supercharged. I was allowed to drive it to Pacific Raceways and back to Redmond, a true thrill to drive, good luck on your project, and keep the post's coming. Cheers TommyRot.

If any one is interested in adding a Paton Supercharger (like the original style in the photo from Alfa) I have one freshly rebuilt and converted to a serpentine belt. I have just the supercharger- not the mount

Thom

[LMH]

Originally Posted by grybrd123

Some news! When I bought the car it came with two sets of front A arms. I've attached a photo of both in the Gallery AC section. For some unknown reason I could not attach the photo here. We think the larger set is from the Cobra that "donated" the rear end, brakes, and suspension. Can anyone verify that the large arm is from a Cobra?
Thanks!

Neither front A arm in your photo looks like a Cobra. Cobra arms come to a point and have a ball joint that attaches to the bottom of the upright. I'm not
sure what Ace looks like but I know the upright is different than Cobra. At least, the mid and later Cobras. Not too sure about the very early ones.

Cobra:


Larry