Factory 5 Cobra Kit Cars

[LargeOrangeFont]

Honestly i was semi surprised by how it felt stock. It's no where near being quick but like you said should be a blast on a tight auto cross track. I feel like 200/200 wheel would make it about perfectly balanced and a hoot to play around with.

I will teach my kid to drive a manual shortly on it and i want a car my wife can throw around that doesn't want to kill her like the other stuff...haha

No way am i spending 5k on a turbo kit on a $300 car so over time i will try and build/piece it together.

Those are the wheels i am looking at. Weight is everything with these.

Coilover recomendations that arent crazy pricey? say sub 1k?

Thoughts on lightened flywheels? I'm going to be putting in a new clutch and i have read that perhaps they don't like aluminum flywheels?

The light flywheel will make it harder/less forgiving to get going from a stop. Might not be the best for someone learning stick, but a lighter steel option may be a good balance. I don't think I've specifically driven one with an aluminium flywheel personally.

I like BC, or Fortune for coilovers. The BCs are right at 1K shipped, Fortune 500s are over $1K.

If you do the roll bar, aftermarket seats are a pain with Miatas, go with an aluminium seat like Kirkey, or Ultrasheild. They are cheap, they fit, give the most head room, and you can add padding if needed. You can swap the seat (s) back and forth easily for street or AutoX duty anyway, If you do clip in harnesses with the roll bar, you can have the car back to stock seats and belts in a few minutes.

 

[oldschool]

I would really like to find some kind of Cobra replica/kit less power and slip this Holman Moody 427 in it.

 

[SKIDMARC]

Love these threads as 60s Fords/Cobras were my father's way of life for many years. Me too! I get to show off all my father's amazing work and hardware throughout the years. He never had enough money to have more than a few cars at a time, so he was always selling stuff to buy stuff. He has nothing now. Super sad as he had some beautiful cars that he built from the ground up.

My father did a lot of track events with Lynn. Super nice guy with a collection that has to be worth 10 to 25 million!

@SKIDMARC if you ever have any questions about a build always feel free to shoot me a message. My father has done it all in the Shelby world from aluminum race cars to GT350Rs .

@Wheeler Gonna give you a shout in the near future when it gets cooler. We still want to meet Ted! I bet all you guys (old farts) will have some great stories to share.


My father building a 289FIA car (replica) Hip-hop 289 machined by Valley Head Service who did most of the high end engine work for Shelby in the 60s. 48 IDA Webers, real Pindrive FIA wheels, toploader 4sp. This was the first and only replica he ever built as he just wasnt a big fan of replica cars. He focused mostly on restoration of 65-66 Shelby Mustangs and vintage Muatang and Falcon race car builds and prep. He was a dealer for Shelby (Kirkham built aluminum cars) for a few years too.
View attachment 913495

He turned some fast times at Willow in the 80s and early 90s in his vintage cars

View attachment 913498

His GT350R tribute that Shelby American used in a photo shoot.

View attachment 913499

View attachment 913508

View attachment 913509

Vintage suspension, vintage body roll!
View attachment 913510

My father did it all from welding, body work, paint, engines, and suspension. There wasn't one aspect he would farm out except machine work.
View attachment 913512


64 Falcon he built for open track. Real 8" wide Mini Lites like the Pan American cars ran.
View attachment 913513


Me at about 18 or 19 at Willow Springs in the early 90s. My father's 65 GT350 and an aluminum Shelby he sold and built for a customer. Also his 87 Ford F250 that had over 200,000 miles on it without even ever taking a head off when he sold it.
View attachment 913514

Super cool!!!!

 

[monkeyswrench]

I always thought it would be fun to find an abandoned project kit Cobra, put a nasty sounding 302 and a 5spd. Not a nasty motor, just one that sounded cool, iron head, autolite carb...basic. Just a fool around toy. Paint the fiberglass body to look patina, fake some dents and crappy seat covers...
Came real close some years back. Somehow I had ended up with a body that was some electronics store display. Don't know what happened to it...the guy I shared my shop with took it (along with a ton of other stuff) when I was in the hospital after my wreck. Oh well, just another project I didn't need anyway.

 

[Wheeler]

Miata is evidently always the answer...lol

And people call Grads gay.

@GRADS

 

[Wheeler]

Just go find a Sunbeam Tiger and be ahead of the curve! These are all fun and you can build anything to the level that you want depending on budget! I say buy something or build something mild and low buck, then have fun and upgrade it as a driver. If you can't drive it it is a waste, having a budget low powered car that drives will motivate you to make more power!

Or a V-8 Austin Healy.

"Most V8 Healey guys know that Carroll Shelby approached Donald Healey with a plan to install a small block Chevrolet motor into the Healey. The proposal was nixed by British Motor Corporation and Chevrolet and after being shut down there CS turned to Ford and AC to give birth to the Cobra.
Austin-Healey 100S historian Ken Freese was reading John Morton's book,"Inside Shelby American: Wrenching and Racing with Carroll Shelby in the 1960s" and found the Healey played a part in the history of the 427 Cobra as well. According to Morton, Phil Remington gave Ted Sutton the job of installing the 427 into the Cobra because he was impressed with the job Sutton had done installing a small block Ford in his Austin-Healey. Sutton said the task of fitting the 427 into the Cobra was very similar to installing the 289 into the Healey."
Apparently the Sutton Healey still survives. Here's the story: 2011 Coastal Swap Meet Tradex Abbotsford

 

[GRADS]

And people call Grads gay.



View attachment 913585
@GRADS

Miata's are sooo ! And if I say they're you know they are super duper .

 

[Wheeler]

Love these threads as 60s Fords/Cobras were my father's way of life for many years. Me too! I get to show off all my father's amazing work and hardware throughout the years. He never had enough money to have more than a few cars at a time, so he was always selling stuff to buy stuff. He has nothing now. Super sad as he had some beautiful cars that he built from the ground up.

My father did a lot of track events with Lynn. Super nice guy with a collection that has to be worth 10 to 25 million!

@SKIDMARC if you ever have any questions about a build always feel free to shoot me a message. My father has done it all in the Shelby world from aluminum race cars to GT350Rs .

@Wheeler Gonna give you a shout in the near future when it gets cooler. We still want to meet Ted! I bet all you guys (old farts) will have some great stories to share.


My father building a 289FIA car (replica) Hip-hop 289 machined by Valley Head Service who did most of the high end engine work for Shelby in the 60s. 48 IDA Webers, real Pindrive FIA wheels, toploader 4sp. This was the first and only replica he ever built as he just wasnt a big fan of replica cars. He focused mostly on restoration of 65-66 Shelby Mustangs and vintage Muatang and Falcon race car builds and prep. He was a dealer for Shelby (Kirkham built aluminum cars) for a few years too.
View attachment 913495

He turned some fast times at Willow in the 80s and early 90s in his vintage cars

View attachment 913498

His GT350R tribute that Shelby American used in a photo shoot.

View attachment 913499

View attachment 913508

View attachment 913509

Vintage suspension, vintage body roll!
View attachment 913510

My father did it all from welding, body work, paint, engines, and suspension. There wasn't one aspect he would farm out except machine work.
View attachment 913512


64 Falcon he built for open track. Real 8" wide Mini Lites like the Pan American cars ran.
View attachment 913513


Me at about 18 or 19 at Willow Springs in the early 90s. My father's 65 GT350 and an aluminum Shelby he sold and built for a customer. Also his 87 Ford F250 that had over 200,000 miles on it without even ever taking a head off when he sold it.
View attachment 913514

I showed Ted this post of yours and he looks forward to meeting you and your father. Maybe after this Covid shit is behind us and the car shows start up again we can all get together.

 

[nameisbond]

A friend in elementary and high school. His grand father was a GM dealer. Someone in the late 1960's traded a 427 Cobra in on a Corvette. The Cobra wasn't worth much back then, it was just a used car. The grand father gave it to my friends dad as a dental school graduation present. He still has it. I rode in it once.

I was helping another friend run his families repair shop while his dad was recovering from a heart attack. His dad was known for old Mercedes mostly, but also known for tuning carbs on old cars. A customer had a Sunbeam Tiger with a 289. That was fun to drive, scary, but fun.

I want a Superformance but replicas are hard to import into Canada if they are built.

 

[Wheeler]

@Wheeler , Park fits in to those cars nicely...you and I on the otherhand...

I don't know how FF floors and firewalls are, but the "Old Kits", and even the originals, were not comfortable for me. My big feet found the pedals to be in the wrong places. Ok for cruising around town, but pretty sure it wouldn't have ended well if I were to have tried going Speed Racer.

When you say the "Old kits'' you must be speaking of Steve Arntz?

We bought a couple of kits from Arntz back in '78 or so.

 

[Taboma]

Or a V-8 Austin Healy.

"Most V8 Healey guys know that Carroll Shelby approached Donald Healey with a plan to install a small block Chevrolet motor into the Healey. The proposal was nixed by British Motor Corporation and Chevrolet and after being shut down there CS turned to Ford and AC to give birth to the Cobra.
Austin-Healey 100S historian Ken Freese was reading John Morton's book,"Inside Shelby American: Wrenching and Racing with Carroll Shelby in the 1960s" and found the Healey played a part in the history of the 427 Cobra as well. According to Morton, Phil Remington gave Ted Sutton the job of installing the 427 into the Cobra because he was impressed with the job Sutton had done installing a small block Ford in his Austin-Healey. Sutton said the task of fitting the 427 into the Cobra was very similar to installing the 289 into the Healey."
Apparently the Sutton Healey still survives. Here's the story: 2011 Coastal Swap Meet Tradex Abbotsford

View attachment 913586 View attachment 913587

My buddy and I installed a 327 in his Healy in our senior year of high school, 66', with a powerglide. Dead of winter, no heater required and you could run with the top down.

 

[beaverretriever]

I showed Ted this post of yours and he looks forward to meeting you and your father. Maybe after this Covid shit is behind us and the car shows start up again we can all get together.

Absolutely!!!

 

[monkeyswrench]

When you say the "Old kits'' you must be speaking of Steve Arntz?

We bought a couple of kits from Arntz back in '78 or so.

There seemed to be several molds splashed during the 80's, some of varying quality. Some had cartoonish road race flairs, others had no floors, but all would have been good for my purpose...a "beater" that makes people shake their head

 

[Wheeler]

There seemed to be several molds splashed during the 80's, some of varying quality. Some had cartoonish road race flairs, others had no floors, but all would have been good for my purpose...a "beater" that makes people shake their head

I don't recall anyone other than Steve Arntz. His cars were the first I heard of by reading an ad in Hot Rod magazine in '76 or there about.

 

[CLdrinker]

Stumbled upon this.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

A friend retired as a professor at Pepperdine back around 2002, was bored so took on one of these Cobra kit projects. He ahd no mechanical expertise and I watched him through the process for a full year to completion. He was in his garage like it was a job each day... he loved it. He used a late 80s Mustang donor car, sent the motor out to get stroked to around 400 hp. I drove it when done and it was fun. Just a beach Sunday cruiser for the grey hairs. I remember in Irvine there was a group called Super Performance for folks that wanted to buy already built units. My buddy kept it a few years and then started talking about building a kit airplane in his garage... I think wife put kibosh on that one.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I don't recall anyone other than Steve Arntz. His cars were the first I heard of by reading an ad in Hot Rod magazine in '76 or there about.

I don't know any names really. I believe there was a guy in the Vegas area, and another back east. Only reason I even saw any of the differences was a shop in Orange had multiple cars, from multiple kits. It was a shop that built and worked on Cobra kits. Small shop, but lots of Cobras could fit.

 

[Wheeler]

My buddy and I installed a 327 in his Healy in our senior year of high school, 66', with a powerglide. Dead of winter, no heater required and you could run with the top down.

Have you any photos? Would love to see 'em.

 

[Wheeler]

Just go find a Sunbeam Tiger

If ain't nobody else gonna do it ....

 

[Taboma]

Have you any photos? Would love to see 'em.

No, other than modern digital images stored on a computer, lost all film pics and movies in the fire. Hell, I don't even have a picture of my dad, one of my mom. Fire Bad.

I've posted pics of my SC 5 liter in a Miata, but that's gay. Drove a brand new Sunbeam Tiger on a dealers lot in about 65', but could never afford a real thing Cobra.
So for me the V-8 Miata was the Cobra I never owned, with real perks, like AC and a nice Stereo (Well, you really couldn't hear the stereo over the engine ), but it was a nice thought. Besides after riding in my buddy's Healy during the summer and my balls soaking wet and my shoe soles melting, decided AC would be a nice touch.

 

[Wheeler]

No, other than modern digital images stored on a computer, lost all film pics and movies in the fire. Hell, I don't even have a picture of my dad, one of my mom. Fire Bad.

I've posted pics of my SC 5 liter in a Miata, but that's gay. Drove a brand new Sunbeam Tiger on a dealers lot in about 65', but could never afford a real thing Cobra.
So for me the V-8 Miata was the Cobra I never owned, with real perks, like AC and a nice Stereo (Well, you really couldn't hear the stereo over the engine ), but it was a nice thought. Besides after riding in my buddy's Healy during the summer and my balls soaking wet and my shoe soles melting, decided AC would be a nice touch.

Sad deal on the fire.

Did you buy the Tiger or just drive it on the lot? Tigers sure are expensive nowadays. I should have bought a couple in the 70's while looking at 'em.

I might have to settle for something like this.

 

[spectras only]

And people call Grads gay.



View attachment 913585
@GRADS

Wheeler, I would be happy to take you out in my gay Miata at Are27 to change your mind about gay Miatas. I could also take you out in my gay Viper if you won;t like the Miata,haha

 

[BONER]

Wheeler, I would be happy to take you out in my gay Miata at Are27 to change your mind about gay Miatas. I could also take you out in my gay Viper if you won;t like the Miata,haha

The understeer of a Viper definitely scares me. I'm sure it'd scare him too.

 

[GRADS]

Wheeler, I would be happy to take you out in my gay Miata at Are27 to change your mind about gay Miatas. I could also take you out in my gay Viper if you won;t like the Miata,haha

I've owned a Viper. To even think that you would take a Miata out over a Viper screams...

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I've owned a Viper. To even think that you would take a Miata out over a Viper screams...

I’ve seen some vipers get raped on the track by miatas. Sad but true, it happens.

Speaking of Vipers I think I’m going for a drive in my friend’s Viper ACR Extreme on Thursday.

 

[rivermobster]

So I have been thinking about one of these. Anyone ever build or own one? Can a guy with average mechanical know how build one in the garage minus motor,trans, rear end and paint?

I have doing some pricing and I can most likely build one for around 45k with a Blue Print 307 Fuel Injected motor. The motor is 15k by itself. But the car would be completely brand new. Not bad for a nice hot rod. But I would need to build the car excluding the motor,trans, rear end and paint.

Or I could buy one used for around 30-35k with mustang fox body parts and motor. Of course I could spend around 45-50k+depending on build quality.

Just wondering if anyone has done this before and how it worked out. I also wonder how much a shop would charge me to build one? Maybe @bonesfab could chime in on that.

Below is what it could look like

View attachment 913191 for a nicer one

A factory 5 won't look like that...

I've worked on both the Factory 5 and Superformance.

My friend had to put spacers on the real wheels of his 5 to get the rear tires to even come close to the edge of body. It still didn't look quite right, and his wheels had way more offset than the ones I see in your pic. The whole body/suspension set up never did look quite right.

My other friends Superformance car looks good. Nice stance, and everything fits properly.

If you start looking at used prices, you'll see the Superformance cars are priced way higher than a factory 5.

Probably a good reason for that. I'd go with Superformance if it was me.

 

[Wheeler]

Wheeler, I would be happy to take you out in my gay Miata at Are27 to change your mind about gay Miatas. I could also take you out in my gay Viper if you won;t like the Miata,haha

That's a very kind offer but that's a very long distance to travel for something I'm not really into. Maybe Ritchey would be willing to give it a go.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

That's a very kind offer but that's a very long distance to travel for something I'm not really into. Maybe Ritchey would be willing to give it a go.

You can meet me at Willow Springs and I’ll take you for a ride in my V8 RX7, and we will drive right out of viper owners lives in it.

If there is a modern interpretation of a Cobra, it is a V8 RX7. Light weight, modern suspension geometry, great balance, no driving aids at all, and it’s trying to kill you the entire time.

 

[Wheeler]

Might as well get the real deal.

AC Cars is once again making V-8 Cobras

AC Cars has stuffed an LSA supercharged V-8 into the tiny Cobra sports car. Fireworks should ensue.

www.motorauthority.com

 

[Wheeler]

You can meet me at Willow Springs and I’ll take you for a ride in my V8 RX7, and we will drive right out of viper owners lives in it.

If there is a modern interpretation of a Cobra, it is a V8 RX7. Light weight, modern suspension geometry, great balance, no driving aids at all, and it’s trying to kill you the entire time.

Sounds like a good time to me! Do I get to wear a driving suit and those little booties?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Might as well get the real deal.

AC Cars is once again making V-8 Cobras

AC Cars has stuffed an LSA supercharged V-8 into the tiny Cobra sports car. Fireworks should ensue.

www.motorauthority.com

$170k for a replica Cobra with a supercharged Camaro engine in it. Solid.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Sounds like a good time to me! Do I get to wear a driving suit and those little booties?

Yes and I’ll even let you wear the goggles.. even though it’s a hard top.

It is fun pissing off the Viper guys.

 

[GRADS]

I’ve seen some vipers get raped on the track by miatas. Sad but true, it happens.

And people pick up chicks in a Miata...said no one.

 

[Wheeler]

$170k for a replica Cobra with a supercharged Camaro engine in it. Solid.

Depending on the production run there could be tons of room for it to appreciate in value. Just look at Ford GT prices.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

And people pick up chicks in a Miata...said no one.

You ain’t getting road head in a Viper though.

 

[GRADS]

You ain’t getting road head in a Viper though.

Honestly come to think of it, I'm not sure if I did or not.

Now that I think about it, the center console/e-brake probably would have gotten in the way

 

[Wheeler]

And people pick up chicks in a Miata...said no one.

So say's the owner of a Smart Car.

 

[Wheeler]

You ain’t getting road head in a Viper though.

White man problems.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Depending on the production run there could be tons of room for it to appreciate in value. Just look at Ford GT prices.

Yea it will be interesting so see where the prices of those types of cars go in another couple decades.

I think the Ford GT is where it is because at the time there was no successor, It was a 2 year only run, and it was a crazy bargain for what it was at the time.

What “hurts” them is that 99% of them just sit. So while it was a limited run car, there are lots of museum quality examples laid up in storage. They have appreciated well though.

 

[Wheeler]

And people pick up chicks in a Miata...said no one.

This is kinda like making fun of jet bote's ...only better!

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Honestly come to think of it, I'm not sure if I did or not.

Now that I think about it, the center console/e-brake probably would have gotten in the way

See. In a Miata with your boyfriend there is no bulky console to contend with.

 

[Wheeler]

Yea it will be interesting so see where the prices of those types of cars go in another couple decades.

I think the Ford GT is where it is because at the time there was no successor, It was a 2 year only run, and it was a crazy bargain for what it was at the time.

What “hurts” them is that 99% of them just sit. So while it was a limited run car, there are lots of museum quality examples laid up in storage. They have appreciated well though.

One of the guys in Parker sold off his ZR-1 Vette that he had hoped would appreciate in value and purchased a Ford GT.
The Vette went to a 17 year old.

I sold my '67 L-71 Roadster so I could buy a Arntz Cobra kit car ...boy was I stupid.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

One of the guys in Parker sold off his ZR-1 Vette that he had hoped would appreciate in value and purchased a Ford GT.
The Vette went to a 17 year old.

I sold my '67 L-71 Roadster so I could buy a Arntz Cobra kit car ...boy was I stupid.

My dad actually owned a ‘67 L88 vette. He had no idea it would appreciate like that and said it was too hardcore for a daily driver. He sold it for a 68 vette roadster. Whoops.

 

[Wheeler]

My dad actually owned a ‘67 L88 vette. He had no idea it would appreciate like that and said it was too hardcore for a daily driver. He sold it for a 68 vette roadster. Whoops.

I feel much better now. Thanks!

 

[Taboma]

Sad deal on the fire.

Did you buy the Tiger or just drive it on the lot? Tigers sure are expensive nowadays. I should have bought a couple in the 70's while looking at 'em.

I might have to settle for something like this.

View attachment 913640

Didn't buy the Tiger, just test drive. It was a 260 CI version, with plenty of gitty-up, but marginal stopping ability. That Bug-eye is nuts, another high school buddy had a stock one. Thing was a hoot to drive, like a friggin go cart. After a rain and you'd drive through a puddle, the through part was literal, when it would hit the puddle it would splash clear up over the windshield.

 

[Wheeler]

Hate to tell you but thats NOT an original. Still fun. Yes it was a replica and a very good one but not a AC bristol cobra. I know to much about those cars to tell.

Here are a few more pix I found on an old memory card.

The Miata guys should appreciate these.

 

[KevinR]

Great pics!

I ran with the Shelby Club at Willow a couple different times years back.

Nice to see Mr. Lynn Park in those shots. I remember him sitting at the registration table in the morning, welcoming each person and letting you know the program.

 

[KevinR]

Yea it will be interesting so see where the prices of those types of cars go in another couple decades.

I think the Ford GT is where it is because at the time there was no successor, It was a 2 year only run, and it was a crazy bargain for what it was at the time.

What “hurts” them is that 99% of them just sit. So while it was a limited run car, there are lots of museum quality examples laid up in storage. They have appreciated well though.

I sold my Ford GT in May. Original owner, 26,000 miles over the 15 years. Nice to enjoy a car for that period of time and then make some $$$ on the sale.

We had a large group of SoCal owners that enjoyed them on the road and a handful of us went to many track days. We would organize a Saturday or Sunday drive 3-4 times a year that would take all day and cover 250-300 miles. Usually get a dozen or so cars, but at times we would have 20 GTs snaking around in the various mountain roads to the North, East and South of LA and Orange County.

 

[spectras only]

I've owned a Viper. To even think that you would take a Miata out over a Viper screams...

It's because you probably never driven either one of those on a real race track. I put about 4K miles on the Miata at the track just from April this year and gone through two sets of tires already. It would have been more tires and $$$ with the Viper.

 

[clarence]

...there's no need to have 500 plus HP for track use.

Needs got nothing to do with it.

Besides: There is never enough horsepower... just not enough traction.

Whats the hot ticket for these deals?

Nice find.

Check out: miata.net for all the tickets.