Not exactly classic - Dax Cobra

[ignatzcatz]

I bought this about thirty years ago mainly because I was peeded off with my V8 Pop street rod. It had full chrome front and rear suspension and even if you went out for a half hour drive in the beast you would have to spend the next half day just cleaning it. I admit I'm a bit anal when it comes to having clean cars, anyway I wanted V8 power but without the hassle so I bought this half built Dax Cobra. It had a 3.5 litre Rover and auto box which I threw away immediately and the wiring was a fire waiting to happen so that all got ripped out. Then my boss sent me off to New Jersey as Cargo Station Manager at EWR. Whilst that was quite good for getting lots of stuff for the car, all I could do was stockpile parts. After a year I was back in the UK and my boss said I had to be nearer to LHR, I lived at Brighton at the time, so I moved house to be closer to work and the Cobra also got moved up to my pals workshop in Wisbech where he was going to do some work for me. I got involved with other interests and the time past and here we are. 

I'm currently having a third garage built so the Cobra will be coming back home to share garage with my 356. I have a nice 302 small block Ford and Tremec 5 speed box for it and it will be all systems go very soon. I shall post up some pics as I proceed with the build.   

[Rustybum]

Fantastic!

Always wanted to build one of these!

One day.......................

Russ

[ignatzcatz]

Quick pic of the small block Ford going into the Cobra. Block was deburred inside and out, the crank was micropolished and rods were re-sized and fitted with ARP rod bolts. Bearings are Clevite 777. It's got TRW 10.5 : 1 forged pistons, and TRW circle track cam .521 lift in inlet .547 exhaust and 289/299 in/ex duration (this may well be a bit too wild). The heads are iron but they are GT40's with Moroso Chevy 1.94/1.6 valves pushed by Ford Motorsport roller rockers. The timing gear is a Summit straight cut gear drive assy. There is a Melling hi-vol oil pump and MSD distributor, coil and CD unit. I'm a bit unsure about engine overall height so the intake is going to be either Edelbrock Torker I or II or even my old Performer. Holley carb on top a 650cfm double pumper. I haven't had it dyno'd but knowledgeable parties estimate around 400bhp and calculating this with weight of car should make it about 11 seconds for the quarter mile, that's 2 seconds quicker than a 930.   

[World Citizen]

^^^this is mega^^^ 😍 the mix and match build approach, please keep the updates coming

cast iron heads, do you fit those using an engine crane 🤔

[MarkJ]

Do love a Cobra

 

[ignatzcatz]

Yeah those iron heads must go 25/30k a piece. If the dollar was better and If there wasn't restrictions on movement I would jump on one of our dreamliners and go buy a pair of aluminium heads. Edelbrocks would do fine with the 2.02 intakes. I will get some sooner or later. 

[8bucksagallon]

@ignatzcatz

Nice purchase, lots of fun to come. If you need any help with it, Dave Brookes at v8cobra.co.uk, used to build these for customers, and may be a great resource. He has moved onto other (cobra) related things, but i know he still has these in from time to time. No affiliation, I'm just a customer.

[anglophone1]

Covid is really keeping you busy Graham- yet another cool ride!!

[ignatzcatz]

Thrashing away at the fake snake, The stainless headers are all done and I'm starting on the pedal assy. Ages ago I bought a WIlwood brake and clutch set up which was to be floor mounted as I wasn't sure how firm I could make the firewall also I wanted it to be movable back and forth for drivers of differing heights. I'm a little short arrrr5e of 5' 6 and a half so most everybody is going to be bigger than me. However I've just seen a really neat little pedal assembly in the Car Builders Solution catalogue, it's only a couple of ton so I reckon I'll have this in and flog off the Wilwood at the next NSRA swap meet, that is if there ever is one again. Also in my dream mode I bought a Moon full foot pedal like you get in a gasser drag car, this is definitely a no no, it's also going into the swap meet pile and fairly certain I shall use the throttle pedal from our dear friend auntie Morris Minor. Yeah bit sad but the thing is perfect, bent rod, pedal on one end cable attachment ont'other and two sweet little location brackets. Simple is best. The hydraulic hand brake is sorted, it goes to a little Susuki motorcyle caliper which grips a little disc which goes between the diff and the propshaft. I have left the old E type handbrake clamp affairs by the internal discs just because I may have some grief with Mr MOT man with my propshaft handbrake. I don't think I will but it's no prob just leaving them on.  Done the individual roll bars for driver and passenger, the original one was a one piece but the bends were much too casual for my liking so, you guessed it - swap meet pile. The body is off because I've been mucking about with a rear body mount which is a work in progress but it has given me room to locate the seat mounts.  My seats are not the standard Cobra wraparound buckets, I've never liked these, I think they look like something out of a '30's Silverstone Riley or similar. I have just a couple of regular aftermarket bucket seats, the sort you would find in a '70's Anglia or Cortina. These are not cast in stone as I have seen some early Ferrari seats I would just Lurrv but of course they may well cost much more than the car, could sell the 911 though?? 

Sorry I've not any pics because I swapped them to Flikr or rather my pal did and between us we've lost them but I'm sure it's a temporary glitch as basically we are both neanderthal and all these compootahs, well Oi reely don't know how them things go. Here's a nice pic you can be getting on or off with.    

[ignatzcatz]

I have really been neglecting my Cobra build up due to my 356 very nearly getting into its finishing stride plus I have been doing all sorts of work at home completing all the masses of work in order to complete the build of a big summerhouse and equally large recreation room in my back yard, like 230 square meters of painting, 24 square meters of patio, I had to re-do one of the roofs blah, boring blah. Anyway Cobra, and one small thing I have managed to do is get the title of the car to be changed to Ford Cobra. That is what is now shown on my V5. OK it's a fibreglass kit car but it's not a MG special because quite a few cars have MGB suspension - very sad, nor is it a Jaguar special because a lot have XJ front and rear suspension - also sad but less so - my car. However I'm not going to tell you how I did it even if you ask me, I have vague thoughts of getting hold of one of those Czech aluminium bodies and call it a Cobra revocation. Yeah - borrocks. Here are a couple of piccys, the body is off again just to make work so much easier and there are the two individual roll over hoops, much nicer than the single piece, Nice close up of the stainless headers twisting around the MGB V8 steering column. Actually the stainless steel isn't the overpriced stuff you can get from Car Builders Solution or Demon Tweeeks, it's high grade stuff used in the milking industry, so there. The hoop is the basis for the firewall plus a mount for the door hinges and my mufferless side pipes and the rebuilt Tremec T5 trans. If you skwint you can just see the bracket that takes the caliper for the handbrake on the prop. I mentioned Car Builders earlier but I think I shall be getting one of their Cobra rads because they do look perfect for the car. 300 sovs though but hey ho it's only money.   

 

[ignatzcatz]

Got a few bits done on the Cobra last week. Pulled the engine and trans out mainly to get within the chassis to make a start on the door hinges which are only tacked on at the moment but they seem to work fine so no more mods will re required here. A fairly major task was to position the Wilwood brake and clutch pedals and the Demon Tweeks throttle pedal. Like many Cobras the driving seat will be fixed so the pedals will have to be able to be moved. This got sorted by copiously drilling the base plate and I shall be having flexible pipework feeding the master cylinders from remote canisters to enable this movement.  My pal got some front body mounts punched out of stainless and these sit perfectly on the front chassis and hold the body really firmly. One small hiccup was after the pedals were mounted I clambered into the driving seat and realised the steering wheel was too far over to the right so we are going to have to slice the column mount and re-weld it about 5 cms to port. I did have thoughts of tearing the car all down to have the chassis with the newly fabricated centre console steelwork powder-coated, but this seems unnecessary work. The only part of the chassis that will be seen will be a minor section in the engine bay, the chassis itself has absolutely nil rust, it's in very good shape so I'm very sorry but it's just going to get a thick coating of coach enamel and that will be it. It's not something I'm too happy about it but it's not a show car however, I will bling up the engine to make amends OK