Shelby Cobra - Pro-Touring style

[JRDean]

I had owned a Cobra replica that was very true to the original. It even had a period correct 427 side oiler, and the 4 speed top-loader tranny. Even though these cars are still among the fastest production cars ever sold, the 60s suspension and brakes were not up to what is available today. This time I wanted a car that would be true to the theme of the original, but with improvements in braking and handling, plus the ability to cruise all day comfortably, but still perform at the track.....Pro-Touring stuff. Another goal was a meaner, cooler look (if at all possible). A lower and wider stance would acheive this.

So this car has actually been on the road for while now. I started it in 2009, but I just finished building the interior for the trunk.

Some of the specs are:

1. Engine - Ford SBF 418 stroker, Dart aluminum heads, roller rockers, roller cam, forged crank and pistons, Air Gap intake, 750 double pumper, custom headers, 517 hp.
2. TKO 600 tranny, 5 speed with .64 overdrive, Quicktime bellhousing, lightweight flywheel, Tilton hydro throw out bearing.
3. IRS - based on Thunderbird uprights, 8.8 pumpkin with 3.27 gears, Torsen Tru-Trac differential.
4. QA1 double adjustable coilovers all corners.
5. Brakes - 14' six piston Wilwoods on front, 12" Mustang Cobra rotors on rear with t-bird calipers. Wilwood pedals and brake/clutch cylinders.
6. Wheels - BRM GT 40 style pin drives from Vintage Wheels, 17x9.5 front, 17x11.5 rear (custom width added by Weldcraft)
7. Tires - 255/40 front, 315/35 rear Sumitomo HTR Z
8. Mezeire electric water pump, aluminum 4 core radiator with custom shroud.
9. HDI headlights
10. Sube Cobra SS seats.
11. Revolution gauges from Speedhut. Wideband AFR gauge.

Here is the finished car:

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To get the wider, longer look for the Cobra body, it was spliced lengthwise and sectioned across the doors. This is better for track behavior and adds more cockpit room.

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So my body is derived from this version of the fiberglass mold, but updated with wider rear fender flares. It was then smoothed, blocked and primered.

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I picked popping version of Porshe Guards Red with black stripes, with meatballs painted on for numbers.

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Next thread is the chassis section.

[JRDean]

The body and chassis I have are revised versions of the JBL Cobra. At the time I was looking for a good base to start with, JBL had the body and chassis that fit what I wanted, but due to the economy, they were out of business at the time. Fortunately for me, one of the founders/designers still had the patterns, mold and jigs and agreed to create the body and chassis for me. He is Larry Goins. He still builds a few per year to order. The chassis and suspension were designed by Richard Hudgins. The chassis is known as a semi-monocoque design. It is very rigid with 4500 lbs per degree of deflection. Fairly thick steel panels cover the frame, giving more strength and safety. Footwells are all enclosed steel too. You can also see in the rear that the gas tank has protection from being fully enclosed in steel. You might think all of this would make for a heavy car. Not so as the completed car only weights 2487 pounds. This chassis design puts the engine way back in the car. Weight distribution front/rear is 49/51.

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[JRDean]

While the body was at the shop being painted, put the in the engine/tranny.
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[JRDean]

While the body was at the shop being painted, put the in the engine/tranny.
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[JRDean]

Next is the suspension, wheels, gas tank etc.

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[JRDean]

6475764758647596476064761647626476364764Steering, dash and basically getting to the go-kart stage.

[JRDean]

Here the finished interior along with the mock up before it was finished.

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[JRDean]

Here are videos of the go-kart running around. All ready for the body, windshield, roll bars etc.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGoNqbD0CWc&feature=share&list=ULRGoNqbD0CWc

http://youtu.be/FboRgUEgoeM

[JRDean]

64770647716477264773OK so that's about 3 years worth in a few minutes. Here are more picks of the finished car......but you can tell it is lower and wider than the original type dimensions. The purists HATE that!

[JRDean]

Some pics of the trunk, before and after. Just finished it two weeks ago. Lots of work making about a dozen different pieces, since there was nothing there at all before. The battery is under the floor panel on the right.


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[JRDean]

Video of the car idling.

http://youtu.be/026Ui1qiaJs

[87camaroZ28]

Beautiful car! A lot of great ideas went into making the car comfortable to drive. I have a love for these cars inherited from my Dad who has a Cobra built by Ted Thomas, The Riddler Award winner. While not quite as radical in the frame it has some other things like a removable hard top, side windows, AC and a stereo. AT 67 he wanted his dream car to be comfortable.


Greg

[wellis77]

Great looking Cobra. You've done some things there that I have in mind for a Cobra later in life, particularly lengthening, widening, and lowering... Very nice work.

[Vicinity]

Outstanding. Simply outstanding.

[Sneke_Eyez]

Beautiful. I love it! Looks outstanding, great stance, great lines, you name it!
Ahh the purists... gotta love (read: hate) them.
You'd figure Ol' Carroll Shelby himself would probably appreciate one made a little wider and better in the handling department. After all, I recently read that he rarely drove his own Cobras and preferred his Mustangs and some of the Chrysler turbo cars because they gave him more room!

[ChevelleNV]

Love the wider body, looks more aggressive then the other one's. great job....

[Tig]

That looks great.
I like the idea of having everything steel and welded. That must be a joy to drive.
Do you have any video of it in action?

[rohrt]

That is very cool. What a mountain of work!

How did you determin how much to widen the body? Was the plan to widen the body to match the frame or was the frame dimension already planed and the body was matched.

Once the body was widened how did you make the windshield?

How did you fill in the gaps of the door and body? I wouldn't think you could just use fiberglass matt? Did you have some donner body parts?

[JRDean]

rohrt,

The body that was cut in the pictures was to make the mold that the body was pulled from. Here are pics of making the mold. The body and frame were a joint design project between Richard Hudgins (frame and suspension) and Larry Goins and others back in the late 90's in the San Diego area when they started the JBL business. Richard has done a lot of work in designing racing suspension geometry. The windshield is standard dimensions, and can be bought as an aftermarket part.

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[aps63]

Without a doubt, one of the meanest looking cars ever made.
Great project!!!!!!

[gsxrken]

rohrt,

The body that was cut in the pictures was to make the mold that the body was pulled from. Here are pics of making the mold. The body and frame were a joint design project between Richard Hudgins (frame and suspension) and Larry Goins and others back in the late 90's in the San Diego area when they started the JBL business. Richard has done a lot of work in designing racing suspension geometry. The windshield is standard dimensions, and can be bought as an aftermarket part.



Fantastic concept and execution here. Are you implying in the quote above that the body and frame are templated now and could be available to order? PM me with some contacts if that is the case. I've been lurking around the Cobra "kit car" space for years and there are alot of real backyard engineered hack jobs with filthy Mustang takeoff parts. I think too many guys get in over their head talent or $$ wise and the things are either sold mid-stream or get thrown together on a rapidly decreasing budget.

Your car is spectacular. I'd like to hear more about the oil cooler set up too. I don't see it on the block pictures, but the cooler does appear in the mouth of the grill.

[JRDean]

Ken,

Thanks for the compliments. I don't have the oil cooler actually hooked up right now. Earl's and others have adapters that sandwich between the the oil filter and where is screws into the block. Mostly they are for racing, not really good to run on the street since it cools the oil too much unless it is operated by a thermostat, which some adapters have built in.

Yes Larry Goins is near Tulsa, and he has all of the molds, jigs, patterns etc. to build the body, chassis and suspension. He also operates a collision business and can paint it. He painted mine. Larry makes a few of these per year to order. The rest of the parts list can be purchased new from aftermarket suppliers. I will PM you his info today. Attached is a pick of creating a new mold for my body that has added rear fender width added, and then a couple of the body of my car still in the mold.65127Ken,