PDA

View Full Version : Cobra Replica



Breecher_7
04-23-2007, 06:29 PM
So Im getting the chance to spend someone elses money here. A close friend of mine owns a mortgage brokerage and he wants me to build him a Cobra Replica. Have any of you looked into this ever? I know there are quite a few companies that make kits out there.

So far this is the sketch pad:

Cobra Replica Kit (frame, body and so on)
LS7 Crate Engine
T-56 or Richmond 6 speed
9" rear

Looking to start this project in january of next year.

Starting out with 30K cash up front, im not charging him to build it as I will be able to use it when I want and I just really enjoy this kind of stuff.

Any input?

u_say_go
04-24-2007, 09:30 PM
contact Tom Hekkers over at Wednesday Night Classics. He runs the car show at Pistol Pete's. Super cool guy, and knows his schit when it comes to Cobras.
www.wednesdaynightclassics.com

tell him I sent ya

Jason

SLOWC5
04-25-2007, 01:26 PM
I built one with my dad. was a slow 4 year project that we still make changes on. I dont think I'd build another one. The car is very uncomfortable to drive, not alot of leg room. Ours is a MIDSTATES brand, Jaguar independant rear-end with 3.50 gears, inbound disc brakes, carrera coil overs. Has a RAMJET 350 with a 700r4 trans. fun car. Head turner.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/kssinbooth/Cobra/DSCF0023_INTERNET.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/kssinbooth/Cobra/DSCF0020_INTERNET.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/kssinbooth/Cobra/SMALL_COBRA.jpg


JEFF

Breecher_7
04-25-2007, 01:48 PM
nice, PM sent

2SLOW
04-25-2007, 05:21 PM
wow is all i can say:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :wooo

Poncho
04-25-2007, 05:42 PM
ls7 would be half the cost.

ls1/ls2/ls6 would be alot cheaper to obtain.

LS2 would be the best of the three, since it's a larger bore, you can bolt on off the shelf ls7 based heads and intake for immediate power gains.

SLOWC5
04-25-2007, 06:01 PM
do the LS7, with 2000lbs of car you'll never get traction

JEFF

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 08:52 AM
Actually im trying to talk him into a LS1 for cost issues. I think a LS1 with a Head and cam combo along with mabey a little spray coudl be alot more fun at a fraction of the cost.

SLOWC5
04-26-2007, 09:03 AM
do you plan on racing this car? Whats the purpose of the car? auto-x, drag racing. nice weather cruising? I'd answer that question before you plan on strapping 550rwhp to a 2000 lb car.

Mine only has 350 rwhp and I cant get traction til mid of 2nd gear with 295 BDG G-force KD's.

JEFF

Poncho
04-26-2007, 09:14 AM
shoot, a stock LS1 will be plenty of car. Jeff is right, you don't need alot of HP w/ those cars.

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 09:18 AM
I dont think it would ever be raced by him. I would probably take it and try to run it though. I think its mostly going to be just for cruising. Im thinking LS1/LS6 with H/C combo is truely the answer. Oh, midstates quoted me 22K for a complete roller, id imagine thats without paint, engine, and trans. Not to shabby. Granted its not my money.

Poncho
04-26-2007, 09:30 AM
ls1 w/ 243 heads, ls6 intake and mild cam would be the cats ass.

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 09:32 AM
Why not LS2? What kind of power are we talking? Im thinking he is going to want the sound of a nasty cam though.

SLOWC5
04-26-2007, 09:44 AM
just do an ls1 and a tsp 233/239 cam, 400 rwhp, nasty cam lope and sound.savemoney and dont put heads on it.

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 09:46 AM
400 rwhp out of a LS1 with just a cam?

SLOWC5
04-26-2007, 09:52 AM
yeah with headers and a tune. would be close enough. Biggest thing to remember is the weight of this vehicle. You dont need 5-600 rwhp to make the car scary.

JEFF

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 10:06 AM
I guess that makes sense

Poncho
04-26-2007, 11:17 AM
ls2 initial cost would be alot more, but you'd have to change to an aftermarket intake or change to a ls6 intake, that just adds to the cost as well.

Feature Pony
04-26-2007, 11:18 AM
why not a 03-04 cobra motor with a pulley and the 6 speed that would be a easy 10 sec car. You throw a Kenne Bell on it and 9's here we come!!

SLOWC5
04-26-2007, 11:23 AM
why not a 03-04 cobra motor with a pulley and the 6 speed that would be a easy 10 sec car. You throw a Kenne Bell on it and 9's here we come!!

I shouldn't even have to answer this question for you.

400RWHP LS1 in a 2000 lb car. is a 10.5 second car NA!

JEFF

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 11:52 AM
hehehe, i think there is enough said there. Wondering if I should start seaching Ebay or just buy a new one......

Breecher_7
04-26-2007, 12:13 PM
Well i guess were going to be going with "the complete" from mid state classics. Seems like the logical choice unless i find somthing better in the mean time. Thanks Jeff, im sure im going to have a TON of questiosn in the near future.

BOSS LX
04-26-2007, 10:12 PM
Imo, the factory five kit is the ONLY way to go.

MurphysLaw88GT
04-26-2007, 10:45 PM
Imo, the factory five kit is the ONLY way to go.

i have heard this as well

Breecher_7
04-27-2007, 05:01 AM
i will look into this as well, Thanks guys!

SLOWC5
04-27-2007, 06:59 AM
If you want the best you will buy the Superformance kit! They were sued by carroll shelby some years back as their kit was too close to the original cobra design.

Arigmaster
04-28-2007, 09:20 AM
I should have paid closer attention a few years ago when Excalibur shut down.

I was leasing the front portion of the building from Yenz Gutlinger (Owner at the time) while they were building the motorcycle trailers. In the rear area, he had a complete set of molds for building a Cobra replica and there were 3 or four bodys that were at various stages of completion. There was one that was completed. (prototype)

Anyway, I was told that the project was abandoned for the same reason that most of these companies stopped producing neo-classics and other such cars. It was because of government crash testing requirements. Each manufacturer had to surrender X amount of cars for safety testing each year before the cars could be produced and sold on the market. Well, when you are talking about hand built cars that have limited production capability it pretty much killed the entire market.

I moved my operation downtown when I merged with another company (Coakley) and a short time later I learned that Yenz had left the country leaving his family behind with a pile of judgements, and screwed his employees as well. Excalibur was gone.

Allied had bought the building and property from the bank but all the stuff inside the shop/plant area became the property of a woman who I believe used to work for Excalibur years ago. She told me that she had bought it all as a "LOT" from the bank or someone at auction. I think I remember saying that she was shipping everything to her place down near Racine and her plans were eventually either sell the molds, or have them produced overseas and sell the them as kit cars to avoid the crash testing requirements. I lost touch with her from there.

There were three old rail road cars along side the building and every mezanine space in the building was filled with production molds for every Excalibur car ever built, the Cobra project, some sort of car top carrier, and parts for the trailers they were building. I don't know what ever came of it all but if they are still in the lady's posession, I bet the kits could be built locally if someone really wanted to venture into it. The hard part would be finding the lady again...

07ROUSHSTG3
05-01-2007, 03:10 PM
Imo, the factory five kit is the ONLY way to go.

i will second that. the only bad part is finding a good donor car. a good buddy put one together last year using factory fives kit. for the motor they put a 331 stroker in it. dynoed the motor at 453 horsepower, that car MOVES!! he was going to do another one this year but i bought his donor car from him,LOL. i might have some pics, i will post if i find it. i was thinking of doing one so i may even have the instruction booklet laying around somewhere.

Moparjim
05-06-2007, 08:45 PM
I vote Factory Five as well. I have been tempted many times...

That Greg guy built one a few years back, that thing was AWESOME.

BOSS LX
05-06-2007, 11:30 PM
I thought about it to, but they say they get real loose above 140 mph.