Post SEMA update ...

It's been too long since I've updated what's going on --- and while it's been a bit slower than I had planned, there is progress to share.

As (possibly) a "temporary" help to the build, I ordered up and received a portable hydraulic scissors lift to replace the chassis dolly.  The scissors lift will allow me to adjust the height of the chassis ... making it easier for me to work on various areas including the underside of the chassis WITHOUT putting too much stress on my poor old knees. 

Hydraulic scissors jack will help make the build go easier ...

I've finished installation of the rear axle, rear suspension (3-link), Koni coil-over shocks and rear disc brakes (13 inch), and fuel tank.

Great big 13-inch "stoppers"!

Front suspension (tubular upper control arms, 13 inch disc brakes and Koni coil-overs) installation is in process and should be completed in a day or so.

Front suspension in process

We (Carol & I) also spent a lot of time sorting out colors - esp for powder coating of the aluminum panels that'll be visible in the engine compartment - firewall, footboxes, and etc.  The chassis is powder coated "silver" and we wanted something compatible.  We ended up picking "sparkle silver" and it can be seen in the "F-panels" behind the front suspension in photo just above.  We think it'll look GREAT! Most all of the other aluminum panels will be covered with carpet .... so no powder coat for them.

Lots of planning (and "thinking out") of some modifications is also underway.  Planned is a heater and a glove-box (nope - the kit doesn't come with either) - which means the firewall will need to be be moved forward a couple of inches ... which means the drivers-side "footbox" aluminum panels need to be changed, and so on ...... (the "ripple effect" is alive and well)

And using some custom made panels, I'm planning to enlarge the passenger-side footbox to give Carol some additional room.  Carol & I are visiting a local custom shop tomorrow to have them get started on fabrication of the new aluminum panels.

The local custom shop (SKJ Customs) built a couple of FFR cars (a Cobra roaster and a GTM ... you'll need to look it up - LOL) that were in the SEMA show this year and last year.  They do great work and are a great bunch of guys.  I'm so pleased they are so local to me and have been very very helpful and friendly thus far.

Roadster built for SEMA last year by SKJ Customs ....

 Speaking of SEMA - which was last week in Las Vegas, I took a week off to go to the show, which is by far the largest car and car parts convention/show in the country.  4 days of walking exhibits and looking at cars, and parts, and related stuff.  It's almost impossible to see everything .... literally one "over-the-top" car after another, and more cool car stuff than can be imagined!!

And as a special treat - and build inspiration - the ORIGINAL Carol Shelby Cobra prototype  .... the car that started it all .... was one display in the Ford booth at SEMA!

Car that started it all ...

Wear and tear  .... aka "patina" on a car like this

And the original "DagonSnake" Cobra drag car from back in the day was in another display.

Oh yeah - just before SEMA, I picked up a "donor" Mustang that I'm gonna pull the engine and trans out of for the roadster - a semi-running (LOL) 1989 Mustang GT convertible, 5 liter V8 & 5-speed trans, with about 80,000 miles (if you believe what the odometer says --- and I don't).  The engine will be gone through and cleaned up, "warmed up" with a stronger cam, new better breathing heads, and an after market fuel injection unit. 

I'm targeting for the 325 - 350 hp range which should be plenty for a 2,200 lb car!!

Ready to have it's "heart" removed .....

Hopefully we'll get the engine and trans out this weekend and I can then sell of the rest of the carcass (interior, rear axle, dash, instruments, etc etc) and recoup some of the $700 purchase price (if I'm lucky)

So that's it for now.   More later ......

Delivery Day! .... and inventory

The kit finally arrived last Friday!!

FFR #7591 - Red Rocks Roadster

The big Stewart truck

Peeking out into the light ... finally!

Bill, the Stewart driver had a couple of mechanical problems with the Stewart truck and it took few days longer than anticipated ... but it's here and now the fun begins.  Gave me a bit of time to get the shop really clean (nervous energy resulted in several sweepings and a lot of dust mop time!) - and since someone asked, yes the chassis dolly is color coded to the shop (left over wall paint)

Bill (the Stewart driver) and his son TJ

 We started getting all the boxes off and transferred to the shop and then moved the car and chassis down the drive to the shop as well.

1st load of boxes

Onto the Stewart dolly and ready to be delivered

Down the driveway to the shop

Once the body was on the chassis dolly and all of the boxes were put into the shop, it was time for some vroom, vroom sounds and inspection of all the stuff.

Onto the chassis dolly

Vroom,vroom, ... where's my steering wheel!

Petey gave it a quick "cat scan"

And loves the powder coated frame - in 15th Anniversary silver!

My son Jared came up for the weekend and helped with the "ooh's and awe's" and inventory of all the boxes.

Inventory time .... 26 boxes worth

Lots of cool stuff ... just like Christmas!

And lots of packing papers ..... I think there's a chassis under there somewhere!

The body is on the body buck (big thanks to Doug Meldrum in Salt Lake City for sharing his body buck .... and for the ride in his car.... my jaw was still hurting the next morning from smiling so much!!!)

Body on the buck, patiently waiting.......

So - since there were NO BACK ORDERS FROM FFR and everything is here, it's time to get to work.  Hoping for a rolling chassis by Thanksgiving, and "go-carting" by early January.

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A bit about me and the "why"

I grew up in Southern California, and graduated high school there in 1965.  And like most high school boys - was way into cars, and I was especially captured by the birth of the Cobra's, and Shelby/American, and Ford going to Europe ... and them kicking Ferrari's butt all around the tracks, winning LeMans and so on.

A Cobra soon became THE car for me - but $6000 was a LOT of money in those days, especially to a kid with a paper route and an after school janitorial job.

So I "survived vicariously" and made do with magazine articles and dreams.  I especially remember the August 1964 issue of Car Life magazine where in doing a "Cobra vs. Corvette - Road Test & Comparison", the comment was made that they selected " the Corvette's most powerful engine .... and brake ..... options to give the Sting Ray an even chance."

Who would NOT want a Cobra after reading that?

I've still got the magazines!

There's a couple of old record albums that fueled the dream as well  Who can forget Bill Cosby's ode to his 427 Cobra ("200 MPH") and the classic "Hey Little Cobra" from The Ripcords?

So life went on and I got married, raised a family, worked hard to support them and all was well until I "discovered" Factory Five and the potential to build/recreate my high school dream car.

I retired in July 2010 and we moved to the gorgeous red rock area of southern Utah.  As part of remodeling and enlarging of our new home, I started getting the shop ready.  That's all done now.

And I went to FFR Build School at Mott College in February 2011.  A great experience and absolutely worth the cost and effort to get there.  It helped cement in my mind that I could do it - build my dream car.  Took a lot of pictures and lot of notes.

Mott College is near "Howell MI". No relation - but an interesting coincidence.

Then in July 2011 there was a note on Facebook that one of the FFR 15th Anniversary Specials - long after they were "sold out" - had suddenly become available.

So I jumped on it and placed my order.

A BIG THANKS to my wife Carol for her support and encouragement on this project!   Without it, it wouldn't be happening - and the allowable build budget would be much tighter.  LOL. 

The Hallibrand wheels and the silver powder coated Moser 8.8. Ford Axle arrived earlier this week.

And the car will be here soon!

Petey (shop cat and build supervisor) wants to know .....

Dude - where's my car???