April build update 2

Back again for another update had rather a productive month, after altering the body to suit the new vents i have been working on the engine bay so that i can fit the vents in properly. i am in the very fortunate position that i have access to an original cobra from time to time so i am able to take plenty of pictures and just make sure I'm being as correct as possible unfortunately the car is a MK 1 with a Ford 289 but still has many of the same features as the later 427 that I'm trying to recreate.
 As you can see from the picture below the top of a cobra foot well is white and is made of fibreglass my next job in the engine bay was to recreate this.  

Real Cobra Engine bay

Unfortunately the dax footwell is not sloped as it is in the real thing but i can at least get the right look with in reason, the gel coat on my body was in no way good enough to just paint white so i had to make some aluminium panels to go on to the top and then give them a lick of paint.

The panels in primer

The finished items





Hopfully as the engine bay progresses with the aluminium cladding as it were, they should begin to look as close as possible to the picture above of the real thing, I even intend to fit a reproduction chassis plate.

 The next stage was to make 2 cover plates to go over some extensions in the side of the footwell pod the reason they are there is so the top of the foot well can be angled to give a little room for the headers i think but anyway another of those really tricky jobs but i think the out come will be really nice when the panels are fitted over the top and riveted into place .

The panels ready to go in the car

The finished item

 As you can see a small amount of welding was required on these panels but most of the rest will be riveted just as an original would have been.

 Time to get started with the main panels in the front of the engine bay now this will be a long process as i will have to make templates for all the panels as I'm going along then cut the aluminium then fold it shape it glue it with tiger seal and then finally rivet the panels together.

Template being made

The first of the panels gos in to the car

The finished passenger side

The finished drivers side

 I think so far this looks really great a huge amount of effort to make all these panels,you can buy them from dax but 1 they are stainless so not correct cobras were aluminium and 2 they cost £560 plus vat. so far i have bought 2 8x4 sheets of 16 gauge aluminum delivered with the vat was only £117 quite a difference and i think the effect of the rivets is awesome .

 i plan to get more panel work done this Friday so i will try and get another update done asap