Resurrecting my 65 Shelby Cobra roadster ..

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

This is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off topic but I'm excited about this .. The story - after I got into Spyders ( in 09 ) two years later I fogged the engine and put it up on blocks …. Sooooooooooooooo last week a Car guy drives into my yard, and starts talking about My Cobra, He's impressed with it annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd My Daytona Coupe. …. after 1/2hr. He asks if they are for sale ;) … my standard comment to that is - everything is for sale for a price..... He says HowMuch ??? … I won't give Him an Answer because it hasn't been driven in 8 yrs. :gaah: … so I tell Him - I have to get it out and check it for drivability !! …. OK , He says call me … He gives me His card ….. turns out He owns Lamoille Valley Ford :clap: … So now I have to get it out …. I put a spare battery in, add some 93 octane ( no ethyl ) gas with StarTron added …. cross my fingers, look to heaven, and turn the key !!!!!! , well 20 seconds of cranking while pumping the peddle annnnnnnnnnnnd She starts :cheers::yes:.... the engine is a 5 litre HO Ford engine making only 220 HP and after about one minute of feathering the gas, She idles down and just starts to purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …. well not really, it has a completion exhaust. which is almost straight pipes, so it's more like a Low Roar ….. I let it warm up, and back it out. …. Brakes are scrapping like all-get-out, but they are rusty ( un-like great Spyder Disc's )…. I decide to drive around my house on the lawn ( no wife :thumbup:) in first gear and lightly apply the brakes ….. after 5 laps around, I stop and check the disc's, they don't look too bad, so I decide to take it out on the road for just a very short ride :lecturef_smilie: .. :shemademe_smilie: :roflblack::roflblack:.... well I turn onto the pavement, get Her straightened out annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd it !! :yikes: …. She has an 8.8 posi rear with a tall ratio, not a set-up for drag racing but hot damn, the tires start spinning hard and I'm pushed back into the seat. After 8 yrs. I completely forgot how fast this thing was ( only 200 lbs. ). When I built it I was on a very tight budget, so I kept the power rack, but didn't have a pump so it was 2 1/2 turns L to L …. very hard to steer …. I later bought a manual rack ( 4 1/2 turns L to L ) which will make the steering slower ( actually a good thing but lots easier ( I am now swapping the racks ) …. I also had the original radiator will had a very small leak ( I bought a new one and am now swapping them also ) …. One of the things that was a problem with it being a " roadster " was no convertible top … so this would limit my use …. Factory Five Racing now has an excellent rag top for it, but costs $3,000 :banghead:.... so if I don't sell it, I've decided to make a removeable top from fiberglass, that will fold in half so it will fit in the very small trunk …. my car has twin roll bars that I'll be able to attach a 1/4in. thick piece of Lexan to, and then be able to attach the top to the windshield and the Lexan … I think this is very doable ….. wish me luck :ohyea: ……. Mike …...….. there are pics in post #5 below ...thanks Gene :clap:

[ARtraveler]

Way to go. Can't wait to hear more. :yes:

[LeftCoast]

Well this is a pics or it didn’t happen thread if ever there was one! :yes:

[Chupaca]

174771 174772 that should do the trick....don't have any with the roof and don't know when these were taken but I may have the Daytona somewhere too...But what of the 917..??? :dontknow:

[Peter Aawen]

..... snip.....
... I think this is very doable ….. wish me luck :ohyea: ……. Mike

Good Luck! :thumbup:

Sounds like a lot of fun, whichever way you go! :ohyea:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

174771 174772 that should do the trick....don't have any with the roof and don't know when these were taken but I may have the Daytona somewhere too...But what of the 917..??? :dontknow:

Thanks Gene, I thought I had sent you pics but of course I couldn't remember :banghead: … getting OLD ...suc*s … please keep looking for the Daytona pics if I sent the Cobra I sent the Daytona also :thumbup: ……………. Mike :ohyea:

[trikermutha]

That's sharp..No top needed

[Arion]

A Daytona Coupe as well as a Cobra?!?! Jeez, my envy meter just went into the red zone and pegged.:bowdown:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

That's sharp..No top needed

:roflblack: … If the interior didn't have full carpeting, I wouldn't mind the rain to much ..... I ride my RT in the rain, but it's a motorcycle and that comes with the territory. With a car you expect to stay dry All the time.... The Kit maker " FFR " does have an excellent canvass convertible top designed for the car, but at $ 3,000 +/-, that's a bit steep for me...…There is also an after-market Hard-top ( from APE ) in the $3500.00 +/- range, but it's something that you put on in your garage and leave it there until you return from a day of driving, and you need another person to help you get it on, or a hoist….. I'm pretty sure my design for a re-movable and storable ( in the trunk ) hard top, would be approx. $350.00 +/- range. … I got the idea from what Porsche & BMW have for their roadsters , it is plastic wind screen that attaches to optional roll bar/s … it is used to prevent or lessen the back-flow of air that comes over the windshield …. I have been a car that had one and it's pretty effective at accomplishing that purpose. … I have one mocked up that I will take some pics of, and post …… thanks …. Mike :ohyea:

[stmike 1800]

WOW that is very nice,always dreamed of building one.

[Jeriatric]

That's sharp..No top needed

:agree:

[Jeriatric]

Nice ride, Mike!

Once owned a very rare(in the US at least) '61 Austin Healey 3000 with a factory hardtop. Had a hoist system for it and it worked great. Good luck, whatever you decide.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Nice ride, Mike!

Once owned a very rare(in the US at least) '61 Austin Healey 3000 with a factory hardtop. Had a hoist system for it and it worked great. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Those were the days, I remember them well …. pretty decent power compared to the Triumph ….. however when Jag came out with the XKE even Ferrari got jealous :roflblack: ……….. My very first - bought with my own money car - was a 63 roadster …. lt. metallic blue, with dk. blue ( real ) leather seats and canvass top …… the previous owner had installed the triple Weber carb set-up - which upped the HP to almost 300 :gaah: ...wish I still had it ….. Mike :ohyea:

[Jeriatric]

Those were the days, I remember them well …. pretty decent power compared to the Triumph ….. however when Jag came out with the XKE even Ferrari got jealous :roflblack: ……….. My very first - bought with my own money car - was a 63 roadster …. lt. metallic blue, with dk. blue ( real ) leather seats and canvass top …… the previous owner had installed the triple Weber carb set-up - which upped the HP to almost 300 :gaah: ...wish I still had it ….. Mike :ohyea:

I'm reminded of Jim Croce's - "Photographs and Memories"

Collect all you can my friend!

[cptjam]

Factory Five Racing? Sweet kit. I’m liking the new pickup kit, too! What year did you build it? I remember the ads: $9995 and a donor 5.0 mustang, and you get this!!

[jcthorne]

Very cool. I had the pleasure of driving a small block AC Cobra for a few laps at speed on Hallet Motor Racing Circuit a few years back. Lot of fun to drive even if I did not fit in it well.

[blacklightning]

That is very nice! I would love to have one of those to toy around on. In fact, I would send the spyder out to pastor for one of those right now. I can only imagine the fun that can be, even with the stock 302, at 225 hp. I would love to have one with a stroked 331 engine in it.
I see you stated that it had the 302, did you keep it fuel injected (assuming it is an 86 and up roller engine), or go with a carb? Being a ford guy, I am very interested. I just picked up me a mustang vert this past week.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

That is very nice! I would love to have one of those to toy around on. In fact, I would send the spyder out to pastor for one of those right now. I can only imagine the fun that can be, even with the stock 302, at 225 hp. I would love to have one with a stroked 331 engine in it.
I see you stated that it had the 302, did you keep it fuel injected (assuming it is an 86 and up roller engine), or go with a carb? Being a ford guy, I am very interested. I just picked up me a mustang vert this past week.

Yes even the lower HP is quite potent.... mine ( from a 93 Mustang ) has the OEM Fuel Inj. If I was to go with a 331 the better option would be a 347 ……. The newest version that FFR is promoting is the all alum. " coyote " eng. w/ all alumin. trans … 400+ HP from a stock 5 lit. WOW …. that combo saves about 150-175 lbs …… very nice in a 2000lb car ……. I also have ( still in the box ) a " new style " F.A.S.T. " fuel inj. system that looks like a carb set-up...… this company was the first to have this ….. now Holley, Fitech, Edelbrock, Edelbrock. even Summit racing makes them ……. Mike :ohyea:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Very cool. I had the pleasure of driving a small block AC Cobra for a few laps at speed on Hallet Motor Racing Circuit a few years back. Lot of fun to drive even if I did not fit in it well.

When you come to Vermont you can test drive mine :thumbup::thumbup: ...Back when I was a teenager, one of my friends Uncles, had a 289 powered ORIGINAL Cobra ….. didn't get to drive it :gaah: but was given a ride and this got me interested in them …… see you on the 27th +/- …… Mike :ohyea:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Factory Five Racing? Sweet kit. I’m liking the new pickup kit, too! What year did you build it? I remember the ads: $9995 and a donor 5.0 mustang, and you get this!!

1998-9 ……. Mike :ohyea:

[Joerolwing]

You might try using a frame with window screen rather than plexiglass.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You might try using a frame with window screen rather than plexiglass.

I gave that some consideration ……. the problem is finding a Frame that matches the body contour ….. I could make one from 3/4 plywood , but a " window screen ", I want this to be waterproof and sturdy enough to handle highway ( + ) speeds …… Mike :ohyea:

[blacklightning]

Yes even the lower HP is quite potent.... mine ( from a 93 Mustang ) has the OEM Fuel Inj. If I was to go with a 331 the better option would be a 347 ……. The newest version that FFR is promoting is the all alum. " coyote " eng. w/ all alumin. trans … 400+ HP from a stock 5 lit. WOW …. that combo saves about 150-175 lbs …… very nice in a 2000lb car ……. I also have ( still in the box ) a " new style " F.A.S.T. " fuel inj. system that looks like a carb set-up...… this company was the first to have this ….. now Holley, Fitech, Edelbrock, Edelbrock. even Summit racing makes them ……. Mike :ohyea:
Yep, you are correct, with the lighter weight, even a stock 225 hp roller engine from a fox body will be great. I only mentioned a 331 over a 347 due to some of the 347 kits using oil in the early days. I am sure they have gotten better, but I have been out of the game for a while.
And yes, the new 302 coyote engines are quite potent. I just got back into those last week. I plan on this one being a keeper (just like my lightning). Mods seem to be more expensive. In order to add a cold air kit and exhaust, you are needing a tune, and that puts you at the $2k mark. I am going to just wait a couple of years and then go with a blower and get that 700+ rwhp mark.