Body Installation and Exterior Trim Once the engine and transmission have been installed on the chassis and the body has been painted, the final stages of assembly may begin. These will include re-installing the body on the chassis and installing (or, in some cases, re-installing) accessories. Following is a summary of some of the final steps in the assembly process. This summary is not comprehensive, however, and should not be regarded as a replacement for the assembly instructions that come with you kit. Read and follow your assembly manual carefully for full instructions on finalizing your vehicle. Keep in mind that, since many of these parts were removed earlier, reinstalling them will be easier since the builder will have some familiarity with the parts and procedures. In our demonstration, the wiring harness, interior carpet, tonneau snaps, fuel-filler cap, roll-bar, deck-lid and rear-bumper assembly had all been installed. The next step is to install the seats. When the painted body has had time for the paint to cure, the body is carefully lifted off of the roll-around body dolly and lowered onto the chassis. Because of the size of the fiberglass, and to ensure that the new paint-job doesn't get scratched or scuffed, it's best to enlist the help of five or six friends to help lift the body and slowly lower it onto the chassis (figure A). The body is not overly heavy, but it is cumbersome and awkward. Be certain that the mounting points on the frame are correctly aligned with the corresponding ones on the body. With the body installed, and the replica back in the garage, the body elements that were removed in the earlier pallet-kit phase (see episode 102 of DIY's Build a Kit Car) can be re-installed. This includes mounting the painted doors, hood and trunk-lid. All of these components have mounting plates, so their installation is fairly straightforward. Once each door is installed, close it very gently on the first try to ensure that it's aligned properly. Take similar precautions with the hood and deck-lid. Tip: When installing the doors, use shop rags to protect the door jambs and body exterior from being scratched. The rags may be taped to the exterior at contact points using masking tape.
Once installed, and after the car has been driven, the doors may settle on their hinges a bit. After the vehicle has been driven a hundred miles or so, check the alignment on both doors. If necessary, the alignment can be adjusted at the door-hinges.
The seats are held in place with bolts that extend down through the body floor-pan and frame, and are fastened from underneath the vehicle. Holes must be drilled through the body and frame to facilitate the bolts. Since this is a permanent fixture and does not allow for adjustability, the owner/driver of the replica should test-fit the seats and decide on the optimum positioning before drilling for the bolts.
Note: Some kits feature adjustable seats that mount on tracks, or at least offer that as an optional accessory.
Each seat has four studs pre-installed. Carefully measure the positioning of the bolts, and drill the holes for installation making certain that they extend down into the frame and using caution so that you do not damage any critical components when drilling. In our case, we also installed a metal spacer beneath the front portion of the seat (figure B) to provide a more comfortable driving position.
Once the holes have been drilled in the floor and the spacer, use a screwdriver to ensure that the holes line up properly (figure C). With the holes aligned properly, drop the seat into position and secure it from below with washers and lock nuts (figure D). Repeat the process for the passenger seat. Next, re-install the headlamp assemblies and turn signals. With the wiring for the headlights already in place, the headlamp assembly installs easily into the pre-cut hole in the fender (figure E). The holes for the headlamp-mounting screws are already factory pre-drilled in the fiberglass. Securing the assembly is merely a matter of inserting it in the opening (figure F), tightening down the screws. The decorative trim-ring is also simple to install and is held in place with a single screw (figure G). The turn-signal body (figure H) is held in place with two screws. Once the body is installed, the lens and trim-ring simply turn and snap into place (figure I). With both turn-signals installed, the front-bumper assembly can be put into place. Its securing arms slide into pre-cut openings in the lower portion of the fender, and align with the bumper-bracket that's mounted to the frame for stability. Because the assembly must be held in place while the arms are attached to the mount, this is another job that requires two people (figure J). Insert the tubular ends of the arms over the bolts using the spacers provided (figure K), and then tighten the bolts down. Special thanks for this episode of DIY's Build a Kit Car Unique Motorcars
Gadsden, AL Mid-South Gear Specialists
Knoxville, TN Curt Scott
Crown Communications, Inc.
Santa Clarita, CA Moe & Curly's Rod and Custom
Claxton, TN Ted King
Knoxville, TN Dan and Sarah Fowler
Knoxville, TN Tony Lewis
Knoxville, TN B.J. Auto
Knoxville, TN Ralph Scott
Knoxville, TN
RESOURCES :
cobracountry.com
Premiere online resource for all things related to CobraB. reproductions. Established by enthusiast Curt Scott, and maintained by Crown Communications of Santa Clarita, CA, the site contains news, articles archives, a directory of Cobra-replica specialists and manufacturers, aftermarket sources, announcements of upcoming shows and rallies, listings of Cobra clubs, links to other Cobra sites, and more.
Cobra Country
Website: www.cobracountry.com
Unique Motorcars
Unique Motorcars
(Unique Cobra Specialists)
Manufacturers of high-quality Cobra® replicas since 1977, Unique Motorcars also maintains an informational and well-illustrated web site providing information about their Cobra reproductions and related products. Assembly manuals for their kits (including the one used in DIY's Build A Kit Car workshop) are available on their site.
230 E. Broad Street
Gadsden, AL 35903
Phone: 256-546-3708
Web site: www.uniquecobrareplicas.com
Information also available at:
www.cobracountry.com/unique
The Cobra Story: A Man, His Dream and His Automobile
Author: Carroll Shelby and John Bentley
1965, Trident Press
Carroll Shelby website
Shelby Cobra: The Shelby American Original Color Archives 1962-1965
Model: 0879387572
Author: Dave Friedman
(1994)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Essential AC Cobra : The Cars and Their Story 1962-67
Model: 1870979850
Author: Rinsley Mills
(1997)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Shelby Cobra Gold Portfolio, 1962-69
Model: 1855200236
Author: R.M. Clarke
(1990)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra
Model: 0850454573
Author: Dave Friedman and John Christy
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs
Model: 0879380454
Author: Wallace A. Wyss
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
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