From my Mustang to an AC Cobra, a build thread.

[Shlbyntro]

prepping for some low humidity weather....

 

[Shlbyntro]

Some warm dry weather scheduled for next week.

 

[Bugginout]

Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Yoshiro]

That's how I painted mine too. Then I set the deck lids on to lay out the stripes, then took them off and shot them.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Ok so not sweating onto the fresh paint is a real challenge. it's not like you can wipe your brow while wearing a respirator with a paint gun in your hand. all in all she looks pretty good. I found a couple spots while spraying that could use a little touch up on the body work. then Ill give her a light sanding and put another coat of primer down. Fucking stoked!

Not too shabby for a first timer if I do say so myself

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Ok so not sweating onto the fresh paint is a real challenge. it's not like you can wipe your brow while wearing a respirator with a paint gun in your hand. all in all she looks pretty good. I found a couple spots while spraying that could use a little touch up on the body work. then Ill give her a light sanding and put another coat of primer down. Fucking stoked! View attachment 1299988 View attachment 1299989 View attachment 1299990


Not too shabby for a first timer if I do say so myself

Let the fun begin..... just keep body flowing smoothly and remember; knees bent and its all in the wrist and then just keep gun moving at proper distance to substrate.... Mozart playing if you really wanna get in mood painting fine art like a Cobra

 

[poncho]

Ok so not sweating onto the fresh paint is a real challenge. it's not like you can wipe your brow while wearing a respirator with a paint gun in your hand. all in all she looks pretty good. I found a couple spots while spraying that could use a little touch up on the body work. then Ill give her a light sanding and put another coat of primer down. Fucking stoked! View attachment 1299988 View attachment 1299989 View attachment 1299990


Not too shabby for a first timer if I do say so myself

Right on, looking forward to seeing you and the Kid out getting some wind therapy.

 

[Shlbyntro]

A LOT of wet sanding over the past several weeks, I have been working on it, Its just really hard to show progress when it comes to sanding. Bliss got her first bath today! 75 and sunny in the Lonestar State. Time to bring her back inside to fix a couple small blemishes that weren't noticeable until I got her down to one color.

There's more "booth time" in our near future!

 

[Eliminator21vdrive]

Loooooooong board!

 

[Taboma]

I have to comment on that interesting looking fence or more like fortress wall in the background of your cobra progress pics.
I've seen walls made from huge stacked blocks of concrete, but never ones with an interesting design texture and color.
Are these indeed large cast blocks that are stacked in a slightly offset pattern ? Cooling looking and should last unlike some future Indiana Jones unearths them.

 

[4Waters]

I have to comment on that interesting looking fence or more like fortress wall in the background of your cobra progress pics.
I've seen walls made from huge stacked blocks of concrete, but never ones with an interesting design texture and color.
Are these indeed large cast blocks that are stacked in a slightly offset pattern ? Cooling looking and should last unlike some future Indiana Jones unearths them.

That's the texas state plant, it grows everywhere .

It's limestone, they cut the blocks bigger than you see in his pics.

Chopped Austin White Stone

Austin Chop Stone. Austin White. Austin Chopped. Stone quarried right from the Hill Country. White Stone to Shades of Rust. This stone is Sawed Top and Bottom. Coarse heights are 4", 6", 8"

bellstone.rocks

 

[Shlbyntro]

I have to comment on that interesting looking fence or more like fortress wall in the background of your cobra progress pics.
I've seen walls made from huge stacked blocks of concrete, but never ones with an interesting design texture and color.
Are these indeed large cast blocks that are stacked in a slightly offset pattern ? Cooling looking and should last unlike some future Indiana Jones unearths them.

My landlord owns a rock quarry and they are considered the trash blocks that nobody will buy that they have to cut out to get to the nice stuff that he sells. so he finds uses for them lol. some of them even have fossils.

 

[Taboma]

My landlord owns a rock quarry and they are considered the trash blocks that nobody will buy that they have to cut out to get to the nice stuff that he sells. so he finds uses for them lol. some of them even have fossils. View attachment 1314350 View attachment 1314351

Well that's just cool as shit. Does he then sell these "Trash Blocks" to build similar walls, because I'd think they'd be a popular item as a "Forever Fence"
Damn, those are seriously cool, now I'm really curious what he sells that these are left as by product trash. Around here in San Diego you pay a mint for boulders and very few if any are that damned cool. I've had a few large examples craned in and it's friggin expensive, but they don't require watering or any trimming, so basically other than accumulating bird shit, they're light maintenance.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Well that's just cool as shit. Does he then sell these "Trash Blocks" to build similar walls, because I'd think they'd be a popular item as a "Forever Fence"
Damn, those are seriously cool, now I'm really curious what he sells that these are left as by product trash. Around here in San Diego you pay a mint for boulders and very few if any are that damned cool. I've had a few large examples craned in and it's friggin expensive, but they don't require watering or any trimming, so basically other than accumulating bird shit, they're light maintenance.

if you look up a product called "Austin Stone" he pretty much provides that in large slabs and blocks. The blocks at my place are flakey and crumbly

 

[Taboma]

if you look up a product called "Austin Stone" he pretty provides that in large slabs and blocks. The blocks at my place are flakey and crumbly

I see, flakey and crumbly, bad, but the fossils are sure cool. Thanks I'll look that up.

 

[SLT Kota]

So that explains the guy with all the cool toys... I was beginning to think you had a suggar daddy

There is no dirt in Austin, only different degrees of crumbled limestone

 

[monkeyswrench]

So that explains the guy with all the cool toys... I was beginning to think you had a suggar daddy

Hey, I'm not going to judge...

 

[SLT Kota]

Hey, I'm not going to judge...

Not judging, I was going to ask if he had any openings...

 

[Shlbyntro]

Ok, so about a dozen spots needed touching up and I decided to fill in the seams on the doors rather than have a slight recess there. All in all pretty good I think!

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

Saw this fox today super clean View attachment 923225 View attachment 923226 View attachment 923227 View attachment 923229

I have an '89 black with grey interior. Looking for someone to replace the head gaskets. Anyone around the South Bay-Torrance area? Thanks

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

Ok, so about a dozen spots needed touching up and I decided to fill in the seams on the doors rather than have a slight recess there. All in all pretty good I think!

View attachment 1314985 View attachment 1314986 View attachment 1314987 View attachment 1314988 View attachment 1314989 View attachment 1314990 View attachment 1314991 View attachment 1314992 View attachment 1314993

Friend of mine.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Friend of mine.

Oh boy ... is that one of those real magillas from factory?

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

Friend of mine.

Okay Ford Shelby experts and I just was informed myself from another friend that's restoring one. See the 2 slashes across the bottom line under his last named? Do you know what they mean? I'll wait.

 

[JJ McClure]

The owner of the car had to pay Ol Shel double the going rate for the autograph?

 

[4Waters]

It dates the autograph

 

[monkeyswrench]

Heart transplant and kidney....slash one and two...

 

[SBMech]

Friend of mine.

Nice Continuation 427, was it a real frame #car or a build from various pieces?

 

[Riverbottom]

Okay Ford Shelby experts and I just was informed myself from another friend that's restoring one. See the 2 slashes across the bottom line under his last named? Do you know what they mean? I'll wait.

The underline and slashes are to represent an " H " for his middle name Hall.

 

[PlanB]

He signed my glovebox and the hood of a Cobra model that I have. All the signatures I have seen of his have the line with the slashes.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

This is looking like one of our 'Go be poor elsewhere" threads

 

[PlanB]

 

[monkeyswrench]

@Shlbyntro , I need to snap a pic of something I found snooping around town here. It appears to be an older "kit" Cobra. Red with white maybe, on flat tires and covered in dust...sitting under a car port in the trailerhood. I pass it at least once a week when I'm taking my son to appointments. Although I'd love to offer them money for it, really, I want to know how it ended up there and for how long. It's just so surreal seeing it there.

 

[monkeyswrench]

@Shlbyntro , I need to snap a pic of something I found snooping around town here. It appears to be an older "kit" Cobra. Red with white maybe, on flat tires and covered in dust...sitting under a car port in the trailerhood. I pass it at least once a week when I'm taking my son to appointments. Although I'd love to offer them money for it, really, I want to know how it ended up there and for how long. It's just so surreal seeing it there.

A couple people have marked this as sad. There are different ways to look at it though. Someone still keeps it, so it means something to them. The facts are that life and circumstances change. That's why I'm so curious.

One of the best "real" Cobra stories I've heard is the legend of the one that was chained to a tree in Cypress CA...may have been Gardena? Anyhow, it was chained to a tree, and covered with a tarp every year or so. I know at least one other inmate that has seen the car since it was "rescued". It is a driver now, and unrestored. It is pretty badass. The guy who ownes it has some really nice cars in his collection, but he'd kept that one with "patina". It's a trip!

 

[4Waters]

A couple people have marked this as sad. There are different ways to look at it though. Someone still keeps it, so it means something to them. The facts are that life and circumstances change. That's why I'm so curious.

One of the best "real" Cobra stories I've heard is the legend of the one that was chained to a tree in Cypress CA...may have been Gardena? Anyhow, it was chained to a tree, and covered with a tarp every year or so. I know at least one other inmate that has seen the car since it was "rescued". It is a driver now, and unrestored. It is pretty badass. The guy who ownes it has some really nice cars in his collection, but he'd kept that one with "patina". It's a trip!

There's a guy that goes to Bob's Toluca lake that has 2 original 427 Cobras. One was a factory built racecar and he drives them there, no trailer queens.

 

[monkeyswrench]

There's a guy that goes to Bob's Toluca lake that has 2 original 427 Cobras. One was a factory built racecar and he drives them there, no trailer queens.

Very well could be the same guy...that's where I met him the first time 20ish years ago. Found the article on his repop "beater", but it mentions and had a pic or two of his actual unrestored one, "Dirtbag".

https://www.motortrend.com/features/1703-lynn-parks-cobra-lying-son-of-a-dirt-bag/

 

[mjc]

A couple people have marked this as sad. There are different ways to look at it though. Someone still keeps it, so it means something to them. The facts are that life and circumstances change. That's why I'm so curious.

One of the best "real" Cobra stories I've heard is the legend of the one that was chained to a tree in Cypress CA...may have been Gardena? Anyhow, it was chained to a tree, and covered with a tarp every year or so. I know at least one other inmate that has seen the car since it was "rescued". It is a driver now, and unrestored. It is pretty badass. The guy who ownes it has some really nice cars in his collection, but he'd kept that one with "patina". It's a trip!

Another one, I know a friend of a friend that bought a Cobra that he thought was a kit for somewhere around 35k. He then started researching it and found out it was a special car that Shelby had build 3 of that were never supposed to be sold publicly. Now Shelby America wants it back but he won't sell it to them. Don't really know what the deal is but he could make a lot of money on it and won't at this time.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Another one, I know a friend of a friend that bought a Cobra that he thought was a kit for somewhere around 35k. He then started researching it and found out it was a special car that Shelby had build 3 of that were never supposed to be sold publicly. Now Shelby America wants it back but he won't sell it to them. Don't really know what the deal is but he could make a lot of money on it and won't at this time.

I've mentioned this before, an older guy up here owns the earliest Ferrari imported into the US. He bought it in the 60s, knowing it was old, but didn't know it was "special". The amount of money he's been offered by the factory is staggering. He's not a billionaire, but he's pretty well off. He won't sell it. When I asked about it, I liked his answer.
"I don't need the money anymore, but I really like having the car. When I die, my son can sell it."

 

[4Waters]

Very well could be the same guy...that's where I met him the first time 20ish years ago. Found the article on his repop "beater", but it mentions and had a pic or two of his actual unrestored one, "Dirtbag".

https://www.motortrend.com/features/1703-lynn-parks-cobra-lying-son-of-a-dirt-bag/

I don't think so, this guy only had 2, I've only seen the racecar though

 

[PlanB]

Speaking of originals... Here are six original Cobras that were at a local cruise night years ago. It's rare to see even one original but six parked next to each other is unheard of.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Had an appointment for my son today, so snapped a pic while rolling by...didn't want to be too creepy, yet.

Definitely not what you'd expect to see though. I have a habit of looking through neighborhoods looking for old cars and trucks. On this street alone there are 3 C10's, an old F250 highboy and a super clean early 60's bug. This one caught me off guard though.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Had an appointment for my son today, so snapped a pic while rolling by...didn't want to be too creepy, yet. View attachment 1316604
Definitely not what you'd expect to see though. I have a habit of looking through neighborhoods looking for old cars and trucks. On this street alone there are 3 C10's, an old F250 highboy and a super clean early 60's bug. This one caught me off guard though.

What in hell is that doing sitting out there? CMon Man

 

[monkeyswrench]

What in hell is that doing sitting out there? CMon Man

Well, no garage is my first guess? In the carport is a golf cart, what looks to be a late model Gullwing type cruiser and a later model (20-teens?) Mercedes two door. My guess is retired, divorced and remarried?

Since it looks neglected and or unfinished, it could be a blast! The only "paint jobs" I'm really good at are "barn crusted". Put a real high compression 347 in it, but flakey gold tin valve covers and a carb setup with the old fuel stains still on the float bowls, back it with a 5spd...and show the local tuner crowd how drifting should sound

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Well, no garage is my first guess? In the carport is a golf cart, what looks to be a late model Gullwing type cruiser and a later model (20-teens?) Mercedes two door. My guess is retired, divorced and remarried?

Since it looks neglected and or unfinished, it could be a blast! The only "paint jobs" I'm really good at are "barn crusted". Put a real high compression 347 in it, but flakey gold tin valve covers and a carb setup with the old fuel stains still on the float bowls, back it with a 5spd...and show the local tuner crowd how drifting should sound

Man you start talking dirty like that and I get stirred up... of course it went right passed me but I get the message

 

[DrunkenSailor]

I have never sat in one just admired them from afar. How is the pedal placement? Does a six foot guy fit in one?

 

[monkeyswrench]

I have never sat in one just admired them from afar. How is the pedal placement? Does a six foot guy fit in one?

Pedal placement leaves some to be desired...more from angle than distance to me. I'm 5'10ish on a good day. To me, comparable to a Viper but not as "cushy".

 

[Shlbyntro]

I have never sat in one just admired them from afar. How is the pedal placement? Does a six foot guy fit in one?

might hit your head on the roof

but on a more serious note, I'm about 6 ft and there's plenty of leg room. The pedals are on the tight side tho. I wear a size 10.5 shoe and will probably need to buy some driving shoes for this car so my foot doesn't get hung up on the gas/brake pedals. I've read of some people taking a torch to the pedals to spread them out some but they lose the dead pedal space to the left of the clutch

 

[monkeyswrench]

might hit your head on the roof

but on a more serious note, I'm about 6 ft and there's plenty of leg room. The pedals are on the tight side tho. I wear a size 10.5 shoe and will probably need to buy some driving shoes for this car so my foot doesn't get hung up on the gas/brake pedals. I've read of some people taking a torch to the pedals to spread them out some but they lose the deaf pedal base to the left of the clutch

Yes, size 12 steel toes don't work well. Vans do though

 

[Cole Trickle]

My ex step dad and his father bought a 65 289 Cobra in the eighties for 30k. I rode in it couple times and from what I remember it was pretty quick for the time anfd extremely raw.

Last I heard they repainted it and I believe it sold for close to 300k a couple years back.

Cool car..Step dad was a royal prick.

 

[Yoshiro]

I wear a size 13 shoe and had to use the most compact shoes I had to drive the FFR cobra. It wasn't comfortable but was a blast for short rides.

 

[PlanB]

You get used to the pedals. They are at an awkward angle for sure. 6' is no problem at all. Superformance has done some builds for really big guys by modifying the driver's seat.