Embark on a journey through the meticulous creation of my Cobra kit car.
This site chronicles every step, from initial concept to the roaring engine, all documented with passion and precision.
Join me as I bring this automotive dream to life.
Introduction
I've made this, my Gardner Douglas (GD) Cobra build website, to illustrate my progress during my sessions in the garage, and I’m pleased to say the build was a pleasantly challenging and rewarding experience. The WoW factor comes after the research, the sourcing, the measuring, the remeasuring, the drilling and cutting, and doing things that were not within my comfort zone.
The build also caused me, by choice, to revive my dormant woodwork, metalwork and tech-drawing skills, and I had to get to grips with the vagaries of GRP manipulation, compounding and finishing; and this is where a cursory knowledge of meteorology was useful too.
The straightforward intricacies of the Dremel were something I hadn't realised would be such a useful skill to get to grips with either, and last but not least, the varied and decidedly nebulous world of electrical jiggery-pokery was something that [to me] was a very important topic of understanding. I do like to know and understand what's going on, and the 'why' is important to me. And within those themes, I am very pleased that my build went as planned and I [the car] got through the IVA the first time.
Loads of research were enough to focus me to get the build right and done properly, and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a whiz-bang mechanic to get the job done... Getting oily is a personal option — or not, as the case might be.
But... If you want a quick look at everything before you dive in, get yourself a coffee and take a look at this:
My Build in 15 Minutes... Click on the photo (If you dare..!)
But First... The Prologue!
My project is the culmination of many, many months of thought and consideration, not least the thought of it ending up as an unfinished extravagant indulgence. But doubts aside, I've worked through the process and concluded it is doable.
Website Structure
- The Pre-Build link takes you to the pages containing my shenanigans up to the point of me taking delivery
- The build articles link takes you to the interesting stuff, i.e. what went on in the garage
- There are additional build photos for most articles in the Photo Gallery
- I've also set up a Facebook page where we can collaborate. Please send me a request to join
- I've also put together a YouTube page for my build videos
There's also a section for National Shows I've attended.
And Last but not least... The "Videos & Cobra Information" link has videos, information, and illustrations of why and what we get up to.
My Mechanical Meanderings: The high point of my mechanical meanderings was changing a clutch on a Vauxhall Firenza..... Prop' shaft off, gearbox off, old clutch off, new clutch on, tap it with a hammer, gearbox on, adjust the cable until it felt right, prop' shaft on, quick test drive, then down the NAAFI for a couple of pints of McEwan's Export and a cheese & onion toastie..... No torque wrench or clutch alignment tool to complicate matters, just sheer ignorance, enthusiasm and a shiny new socket set that needed to be oiled up.
My other less-adventurous meanderings consist of: timing; points and plugs; brakes (discs, pads and shoes); adjusting the tappets; exhaust (changing a section when it started blowing); changing the oil and filter; and changing a wheel bearing..... Tap off the cover, take out the split-pin (taking care not to snap it), undo the big nut, remove the bits and put them in a line on a piece of clean cardboard, check the new bearing for dust (basically just blow on it sagely), put the bits back in reverse order, tighten the big nut until the wheel can't move, back it off ¼ of a turn, insert the split-pin, tap on the dust cover -and don't forget the grease.
I did once consider changing a timing belt, but I came to my senses and wimped out when I realised how fiddly it could be. And let's face it, timing belts never needed changing in those days.
Perception: I had, and I speculate most non-kit'ers have the impression that a kit car is not a real car. The production-line family runabout, perpetually evolving and perpetually advertised as having increased reliability and greater mpg (or km/l if you've gone metric), has the carbon footprint of a weasel and is the most comfortable and exciting away-from-home experience you can have. But as a kit car can be as technologically retarded and as uncomfortable or as costly as the builder wants, the perception is in the eye of the beholder.
Question: Is a kit car built or assembled? Hmmm... An interesting question, and I know many a discussion has taken place on driveways, in garages, at kit-car shows, and in every imbibing emporium up and down the land; the outcome being relative with little unequivocal evidence to support or contradict the conclusions.
We could even discuss the dubiousness of the term "kit car"... From what I've discovered, and in my humble opinion, the vast majority of kit cars don't come in kit form. They come in modules or compilations of carefully and lovingly selected components. I guess the more correct term is "Component-Car."