This is my Shelby Cobra Replica hand assembled with obsessive care using all new or remanufactured parts and components. There was no donor vehicle used as I made the decision early on that I wanted the car to be reliable and drivable. The car features a rebuilt 302 by P&G Engines in Rialto using a 1966 engine block and 5.0L reciprocating assembly and cylinder heads, the hydraulic flat tappet cam is a stock replacement. The rest of the engine has an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap manifold and a Barry Grant Speed Demon 650 cfm carb to top it off. Despite the carb having such a large flow rating for a motor like this the throttle response is still snappy and there aren’t any drivability issues associated with similar miss matches. That’s a testament to the carbs design, as well as the three hours of dyno tuning the car received with wide-band AFR monitoring performed by the best tuner in the area, Steve Rideout of Powertrain Dynamics. The motor also has an MSD Pro-Billet distributor, 6AL Ignition Box, and BBK short tube headers. For the transmission the car runs a Rebuilt Cobra T5 and a King Cobra Clutch with an adjustable quadrant. The Differential is a re-clutched Ford 8.8 with Posi 3.73 gears and 28 Spline racing axles. The car runs a properly matched Lincoln 4 wheel disc brake setup that offers stellar performance on a car this light. The advantage in serviceability and low temp functionality out-weights the advantages true racing brakes provide, and as with everything else on the car I felt it was more important the total package should match. The suspension runs Bilstein racing coilover shocks in front with KYB monotube shocks in the rear. I upgraded the 4 link suspension in the rear with low bind tubular steel upper and lower control arms. The ride is incredible smooth and surprisingly comfortable considering the pedigree of the components used, but still, there is definitely a massive performance envelope available. The last thing I wanted to do was pull an old, crusty, God knows what gremlins I’ll have to fight, harness from a junked out 20 year old car so I decided to undergo the painstaking process of designing and building the electrical system from scratch using a Painless Wiring 12 circuit fuse block and associated components. The car passed the CA required brake and light inspection without trouble and above all I expect the electrical system to offer decades of reliable performance without any service required. Now here comes to the most expensive and wild part of the build, the body and wheels. The car features one of the best paint schemes and craftsmanship of any FFR Cobra I’ve seen. All the body work (which is extensive for a fiberglass car of this kind) was performed by Chuck of Murrieta Auto Collision, a custom car fiberglass specialist whose shop sees more Vettes, Vipers, Lambos, and Ferraris that I’ve seen in one place. The body was hand cut sanded and primered 6 times, there isn’t a single pin hole on the entire car with no visible panel wave, which is amazing considering the massive expanses of wave inducing shapes on this car. The car was painted with a three stage PPG Candy Apple Red with Pearl White racing stripes, the car received 5 total coats of paint, and 5 coats of clear. The car is literally breath taking to see in person in the sun. I’m not capable of taking a picture that can do the paint justice. To complete the cosmetic package I ran Centerline FORGED Billet wheels that weigh 11lbs apiece that really take the visual package to another level. To sum up the build I didn’t feel the need to go hog wild with power upgrades as the car tips the scales at about 2000 lbs and is plenty fast with its current setup. But as you can see I didn’t skimp on any supporting parts, in my experience the overall quality of the build lies in the details, and I made sure those details offered the highest level of reliability. I used only the best components available to build my “masterpiece” and utilized as many factory parts as possible to ensure proper compatibility, serviceability, and reliability. I intend for this car to be with me a very long time and built the car accordingly. Overall I’m very proud of it.

Check Out My Videos of this car also.