LS1 Powered AC Cobra

[LS1 Cobra]

The Cobra had it's first run on the week end. I've been building it for the past 5 years and I finally took it to Winton for a track day our club had organised. Before this I'd only driven the car up and down the drive way.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/medium/2007shelbyfest_012.jpg

Loud doesn't describe it and it was poo your pants scary fast.

The paintwork is just a coat of satin black to make it all one colour. I'll finish the body work and paint it properly over winter.

Cheers

Michael

[HSV Listy]

That is awesome. Nice combination. What sort of times were you doing or was it just a bit of a test. It looks like it would do some sweet times.

[PSI 364]

I love it, its absolute madness!!! Man that thing must be a handful, be sure to post a soundfile of the big girl tearing down the track !! :yahoo:

[WazaSSLS1]

that is very nice mate. can only imagine how quick it would be.:drool:
what colour you going to paint it?

[mmciau]

Great effort - well done indeed.

Have you any idea at the gross weight of the car?


Mike

[LS1 Cobra]

I went to the event mainly to give it a shake down but it was running mid field with all the other Cobras, Mustangs and GT40s there. I was lapping 1:47 but I'm still learning how to drive the thing. The brakes need adjustment and better pads and the springs are no good. It's a real handfull but it was still great fun to drive. I think I made most of my time up in the straights. With more practice and setup I expect to be in the low 1:40s or even high 1:30s

I think it weighs around 1000KG all up.

Paint will probably be Rosso Corsa Red with Black Cobra stripes.

Cheers

Michael

Here's a shot of the engine bay:

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Manifold4.jpg

Cheers

Michael

[NickS]

Ohhhh yeahhhhhh ... :drool:

That is awesome, congrats. on such a great result ... how about some vids.

:thumbsup:

[CV860L]

Congratulations. Well Done !!!
I think the satin black paintwork looks fantastic...........wouldn't change a thing. :bravo:

[holdenute]

DAMN!!!!!!

Thats Sexy!!!!!

[Red CV8 R]

What an awesome car! I look forward to seeing it when it is finished. My favourite Cobra paint scheme is the metallic blue with white stripes but no matter what you do this is one hell of a car! :yahoo:

[vpcptr]

looks good and fun:driving: mate well done:thumbsup:

[spank]

forget those gay elfin cars, hsv should build these, awhile ago before i bought the vk brock i was thinking about building one of these with a stroked out holden 5.0 engine, if you dont mind me asking how much has it cost to get this far?
i still have a spare 355 stroker sitting in the garage looking for a new home

[chev]

Ah. Good to see an LS1 in one of these. I have tuned many of Laurie,s cars with Ford engines in them. Haven't dynoed an ls1 yet. Good job

[ls1seduction]

very nice bud , just wondering what manifold and throttle body ur useing on ur setup? and how do you find it? cheers scott...

[Mungrel]

That'd be awesome to drive i reckon! Love the exhaust (or lack of!)
The Corsa red paintwork would look fantastic i reckon
Great job!

[Tonner]

Great Job,:) Dont mind the look of the blue one there too.:drool:

[Delft Maloo]

that there is what ive dreamed about building for a few years now. absollute power, minimal weight and one of the greatest classic bodystyles of all time.
great progress and good luck with the completion:thumbsup: .

[Malik]

geez if I had the money I would definately be building one of them...

always loved the cobra's.... hot little cars.

[LS1 Cobra]

It's getting harder and more expensive to build one of these cars. The problem is that they are registered as an ICV (Individually constructed vehicle) and are considered to be a new car and must therefore comply with all the current ADRs. This isn't so bad untill you get to the motor which has to meet the current emissions rules. This rules out putting a Ford 5.0 motor or any of the traditional power plants (that 355 is definitely out). You have to run a Euro 3 compliant engine so the choices are limited and a lot more expensive.

Here's some video from the Motokana on Sunday. I completely bolloxed it up and had no front end grip so had to resort to trying to steer with the throttle. I'm still learning to drive this thing so it's pretty messy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TWq_QcXmKU

Cheers

Michael

[Tonner]

Sounds alright too,:demon:

[v8e30]

Good to see there's another car with an acceptable weight here :)

[VE SSV XCLER8]

OOOOoooohhhh So Thats what a LS1 is supposed to sound like!!!!

:kneel: :6bow:


Love it!
Cheers and thanks for the tease :love:

L8ter :wave:

[Dug]

Congratulations. Well Done !!!
I think the satin black paintwork looks fantastic...........wouldn't change a thing. :bravo:

I agree, although a set of Gloss White cobra stripes up and over would look pretty sweet....

[BLAZEY]

this thing is out of contol


love it

[02vxss]

that is friggin awesome mate, really well done.

[R0568]

Man you could have some fun in that, bet you cant wait for the weekends.

[phunky_monkey]

Looking, and sounding, really good mate, congrats!

[heartbeatracing]

Nice Ride LS1Cobra,What Rearend do you run in it?As im interested in your veiw on the LS1`s(family) charactoristics when changing Axle config(IRS to Live Axle) as iv`e just finished a Lj Torana installation and am amazed at how different throttle both partial and accelerating is comparered to IRS set ups.
Also had some input into Len Catlins HISSS Cobra(Robnell) and was gob smacked at its performance:flamin:

Here`s the Thread about the Lj(hope you like)

h**p://MMM.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=64468

[LS1 Cobra]

The rear end in mine is a bit of a hybrid. I'm running AU Falcon IRS arms and uprights but I've got a Holden VU GTS Hydratrak 3.9 diff center and Holden axles. I made my own flanges for the Falcon uprights to suit the Holden axles.

I think it's more the light weight of the vehicle that would be the biggest noticable difference IRS or Live Axle. The LJ will be heaps lighter than a Commodore. I'm a bit of a fan of the LC and LJ toranas. I built an LC XU1 replica years ago.

The Cobra accelerates like warp drive with a standard LS1 and that's mainly because it only weighs 1000KG. It'll be poo your pants fast when the cam and other bits go in.

Cheers

[RAVENLS1]

nice car!!!

[heartbeatracing]

The rear end in mine is a bit of a hybrid. I'm running AU Falcon IRS arms and uprights but I've got a Holden VU GTS Hydratrak 3.9 diff center and Holden axles. I made my own flanges for the Falcon uprights to suit the Holden axles.

I think it's more the light weight of the vehicle that would be the biggest noticable difference IRS or Live Axle. The LJ will be heaps lighter than a Commodore. I'm a bit of a fan of the LC and LJ toranas. I built an LC XU1 replica years ago.

The Cobra accelerates like warp drive with a standard LS1 and that's mainly because it only weighs 1000KG. It'll be poo your pants fast when the cam and other bits go in.

Cheers


Just put a real nice stick in the Lj and Hi-Stall,wakes em` up.
Mafless tune all done aswell.Atm has maybe 275 rwkw,kept blowin` the tyres off it on the chassis dyno and i dont trust chassis dynos that much either,too easy to "hotclock"

Here`s the youtube link of it just after it came off the dyno

h**p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BIA1fRh-P8

[Djron]

Nice engine bay. looks real nice

[LS1 Cobra]

Here's a few updated pics. The engine has seen a few changes made. I picked up a set of GMPP rocker covers from the US and then machined and welded in a proper fill cap. They look better than the polished originals in my opinion. I'm tempted to paint them and just leave the lettering polished.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/LS1b.jpg

Made a bunch of changes to the breather setup and cooling system. I'd already modified the water pump to make it spin the other way but I wanted to tidy things up a bit more. I machined up a neck and welded it to the top of the pump. The pressure cap is on the motor now and the tank in front of the motor is an overflow.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Filler_cap2.jpg

The engine breather system got a bit of a redesign too. I've sealed the rocker covers and now take 2x AN#10 lines off the valley plate into a catch can. There's an oil seperator in there that does a pretty good job of pulling the vapour out out the air. The catch can breathes to atmosphere and collected oil drains directly back to the sump via an AN#6 line with a one way check valve in it. Even though it's not the standard emissions setup I reckon it's got to be cleaner than the stock setup. Better to collect that oil and put it back into the sump than to suck it through the motor and burn it.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Filler_cap1.jpg

I'm currently building a new rear suspension system for it. There were a few things in the geometry I didn't like so I designed a new setup. The arms are 4130 tubular and weigh significantly less than the AU XR8 IRS that the chassis was designed for. I've also narrowed the rear end 2" each side to get a bit more dish on the rear wheels and further reduce un sprung weight.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Control_Arms_7.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Calipers_1.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Rear_Wheels_3.JPG

I've also been working on a better brake package. I picked up these Hi-Spec billet 4 piston calipers for the rear. They are matched to 328x26mm rotors. I machined up the radial mounts and they've turned out nice.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Caliper_bracket_3.JPG

The fronts are next. The rotors are 343x32mm DBA5000 units. I machined up my own hubs to suit the Jag spindles. The calipers are Hi-Spec 6 Piston and are huge. I can't wait to try them out, this thing should dig furrows in the tarmac when you put the brakes on.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Front_Caliper.jpg

(that's 2 regular sized soft drink cans next to them.)

Cheers

Michael

[hq_kid]

With brakes like that you're going to feel like those novelty glasses where the eyes dangle out from the lenses!
Where do you start building one of these things?
It looks awesome and just the thing for a cruise on a nice sunny day. A very spirited cruise by the looks of yours!

[phunky_monkey]

Looking better and better mate. Absolutley love it, great stuff.

What made you go for the Hi Spec brakes over any local offerings or your AP/Alcon/Brembo, out of curiosity?

Dane

[Da Burb]

Awesome car.
I have a 75 celica which I had the roof cut off.
The 'Robnell' factory was right next to the convertible place in Bayswater in Vic. (it was a Robnell cobra in that old Ampol ad....about 20 years ago).
Robnell made ground up cobra replica's.
Got a question on the catch can setup. Been discussing the 'feed back into the sump' idea with some mates in the US and they suggested it would feed condensation back into the motor....as the oil is cooled inside the catch can.
What are yours..or anyone else's thoughts on that?
Thanks

Howard

[LS1 Cobra]

I was traveling back from overseas and stopped in London. I went to their factory and picked them up directly. They were very helpful and set the calipers up to suit the disc thicknesses I was using.

There are probably better calipers out there but I liked the design of the Hi specs. I figured being machined from billet and then hard anodised they would be hard wearing and built to close tollerances. They also run dust seals which many of the aftermarket race calipers don't. They also have a low profile option which I needed for the rear as the distance from the disc to the wheel spokes is tight. They are a very nice caliper in the flesh and the pics don't do them justice.

As for the catch can I don't reckon condensation will be much of a problem. Once the car gets running the can gets quite hot from the radiated engine and exhaust heat. I'll do some testing with the can drain back disconnected and see how much water I get out of it when I drain the oil.

Robnell went under a few years back. I'd been to their factory a few times and a couple of friends run Robnells. They have recently been bought and resurected by MOTEC. The Robnell Cobra will be a nice stable mate to the Daytona replicas they have been involved with. I'm going to their new facility with the Cobra club in a couple of weeks. :)

Cheers

Michael

[phunky_monkey]

I'll be interested to see how you like them mate. There's so much choice on the market, it can be very hard to decide which is the best way to go, especially as a lot af them are similarly priced and specc'd.

Cheers

Dane

[bwhinnen]

Always loved the AC Cobra, this is a great example. Is going to be awesome when you complete the next round of modifications!

[S2VYSS]

Those pipes make me happy in the pants

Looks amazing and sounds tough as

[LS1 Cobra]

Haven't posted an update for a while. I haven't had much time to work on the car lately with work and family comitments.

I finished my custome rear suspension and it turned out a treat. All that's left to do is put some sway bar mounts on the chassis but that can come later. Cobra's handle pretty good with no away bars and many of them run this way.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Rear_Suspension_1.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Rear_Suspension_2.jpg

I'm doing the front brakes now. I've just about got all the bracketry made and I've machined up some new billet aluminum hubs to suit the DBA5000 rotors. This thing should dig trenches in the tarmac when you put the brakes on.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Hub_20.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Hub_19.jpg

We've got a big Cobra race meeting at the end of September that I'm trying hard to get the car ready for. It should be a blast.

Cheers

Michael

[mmciau]

Great workmanship indeed. A credit to you for sure.

Mike

[maRGas]

Lol, do your brake hose ends and actual hose itself say "BrakeQuip" on it?

[LS1 Cobra]

Lol, do your brake hose ends and actual hose itself say "BrakeQuip" on it?

I don't think they say BrakeQuip but I can check. I think they just have the ADR compliance number. The guys at my local ABS store made them up for me. I just told them the lenths I wanted and the style of ends And they were ready the next day. Prices were pretty good too.

Why is it funny and why it significant?:confused:

Cheers

Michael

[TUFGN3]

leave it satin black mate, she looks tough as!

[maRGas]

I don't think they say BrakeQuip but I can check. I think they just have the ADR compliance number. The guys at my local ABS store made them up for me. I just told them the lenths I wanted and the style of ends And they were ready the next day. Prices were pretty good too.

Why is it funny and why it significant?:confused:

Cheers

Michael
I work for brakequip. pretty sure they are our hoses. what abs did you get them from? if they made them for you the next day im tipping it was one of our customers.

sweet car by the way.. we have one of those at home. its a silver one :)

[LS1 Cobra]

I got them through ABS in Airport West (Victoria). I've been buying bits and pieces of them for a few years now. They've always been most helpful.

I'll check what the ends say tonight and get back to you.

Who's kit is the Silver Cobra?

Cheers

Michael

[maRGas]

I got them through ABS in Airport West (Victoria). I've been buying bits and pieces of them for a few years now. They've always been most helpful.

I'll check what the ends say tonight and get back to you.

Who's kit is the Silver Cobra?

Cheers

Michael
Yeah ABS Airport West is one of our customers! The hose will say brakequip on the jacket of the the braid and also on the red rubber inserts.

The silver cobra is a Robnel. A very classy piece of work. Old man had some professional pics taken about 2 yrs ago, ill try and find one and upload it tomorrow :)

[LS1 Cobra]

Cool, I've got a couple of friends with Robnels. Both running Big Block Fords. One is running a 514 and the other has a 429. There's a bloke in the club who runs one with a 4.6 quad cam and he's seriously quick on the track.

Cheers


leave it satin black mate, she looks tough as!


The more I think about it the more I like the idea of repainting it satin black. I got a lot of comments from people who liked it's rat rod looks. It's something a bit different from the normal shiney paint and stripes you see on these cars. I've rubbed it back to gel coat at the moment while I straighten out al the seams etc. It looks pretty ugly with the seams showing through the black paint. I'll prime it and block it and then I think I'll hit it with the satin black again. Should look heaps better over nice panels.

Cheers

[Leatherman]

Any updates on this???? Just interested to see how it turned out after getting painted, etc.

Cheers,

Leatherman

[LS1 Cobra]

Progress has been pretty slow lately. I've been traveling a lot with work.

I'm still rubbing it back and getting it straight, ready for paint. There's a fair bit of work in a fiberglass body as they shrink and move as they cure so you have to do a fair bit of filling and blocking.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Bodywork_1.jpg

I've added some extra side impact protection by welding a beam between the dash hoop and the door lock pillar.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_sill.jpg

I've then glassed this in and formed a proper door sill under the door. This will stiffen up the chassis as well as stabilize the door hinges and lock area. The doors close with more of a solid clunk now than before.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_sill_3.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_sill_7.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_sill_8.jpg

There was also a lot of work needed getting door gaps looking reasonable. Out of the mold the gaps varied quite a lot with 1/2" gap in some spots. Getting the door aligned and the gaps even took a lot of patience for someone with not a lot of bodywork experience. It's looking good now with an even 1/8" gap all round and door that fits flush and smooth. The drivers door was the worst. The passengers door is proving easier to sort out.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_Gap2.jpg

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/Door_Gap1.jpg

Bodywork has to be about the most boring part of the whole build. I'm looking forward to having the whole thing sprayed in polyester soon. Then I can just concentrate on blocking it smooth.

[MJR-57T]

Wow, you certainly know what your doing.

Wish i had all the skills to go from suspension components, to machining hubs then to fiberglassing.

Ill have to say keep it mat black, its a classic car that need a classic colour

[NIXON]

Thats thing is mental, awesome work mate, its one unique car

[11SLI]

What a great build up...

Ill try and get the pics of a blue and white Cobra up here in Brissy that was at POWERCRUISE... LS1 engine with a huge Vortec blower as well...:bow::bow:

[11SLI]

Found one, i cant find the engine bay pics, but u can just make out the LS1 and the pipework for the blower..
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/11SLI/cobra.jpg

[LS1 Cobra]

A big HP motor in a Cobra is a novelty. I've driven a couple of monster motored cobras. They are truly frightening but in reality you just can't use that power.

On track days the fastest cobras are the ones with well set up chassis, braking and tyres. The supercharged and turbo cars are usually will down the score board on the lap times. They are just to difficult to drive fast. In reality 400HP at the wheels is about as much as you can use.

I had a supercharger setup I was putting together for this motor. I even built a set of turbo exhaust manifolds when I was considering that option. In the end though after thinking about it carefully I decided on a N/A setup with a few mods more aimed at keeping the motor alive would be best.

My main efforts have gone into sorting the suspension and brakes. Making it drivable is the key. This will make it easier to drive fast on the track and more pleasurable to cruise on the street.

Cheers

Michael

[LS1 Cobra]

Wow, you certainly know what your doing.

Wish i had all the skills to go from suspension components, to machining hubs then to fiberglassing.

Ill have to say keep it mat black, its a classic car that need a classic colour

Working out how to do things as you go is half the fun of building a Cobra. I've learned so much as I've tackled each job. This is probably part of the reason it's taken me so long. I'm having too much fun working on it.

I've thought about the matt black option. There are a range of flattened paints available now that give a clean weather proof and UV proof flat finish. I'll give it more thought as I get it rubbed back.

Cheers

[aussie_1968]

hey Michael,

i have read the post and it sounds great.
unfortunately i can not view any pictures because of the min 20 post limitation.

i also have a cobra which i am currently replacing the standard 350 with an L76.
have you got any tips on the engine mounts ?
did you buy them, or make them ?
could you send me some pictures of your mounts ? i guess an LS1 is similar to L76, right ?
my email is aussie_1968 AT yahoo DOT com

cheers
Martin