AfghaniBob
Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2007
- Messages
- 130
- Reaction score
- 20
Well, I thought that it is about time that I put together a build story of my own. (may move to the turbocharger board when it is time)
A little background, I am working in Afghanistan and have been for the last two plus years. The only time that I get to work on the car is during my R&R’s and I only get 3, 16 day trips home a year. So I have to make the most of my time. While I am in Afghanistan I read, plan, plot and order all my parts .
On to the car, I bought the car from a Corral member (Sancho Panza) last July. I could not have been any happier with the purchase, the price, the condition of the car, the ease of the deal with the seller. Everything worked out just as planned using only emails. In fact the car made it to my house in Texas from the seller in Ohio just two days prior to me making it home. The car is a 1995 Cobra convertible, black body, perfect saddle colored leather interior and a black top. I bought the car 100% bone stock with only a hair over 31,000 miles and in near perfect shape. I purchased the car with the plans to making a few changes but I wanted to start with a clean pallet. Since buying the car and driving it less than a thousand miles in the last year here is the list of the modifications. (So I have deviated from a few changes and I have enough parts lying around to build another car)
The car how it started
Suspension, Exhaust and Brakes were first on my list of things to do along with some odds and ends. So we went with a complete Maximum Motorsports system completed with Baer brakes, Bassani and a few FRPP parts to name a few.
• Bilstien struts/shocks
• MM coil over system f/r with Hypercoil springs
• MM K-member, control arms, rack bushings, bump steer kit, sway bar end links and bushings
• MM rear lower control arms, Panhard Rod, Torque Arm
• MM full length subframe connectors
• Bassani off road X, Cat back system (later on the fitment of the tail pipes with the PHB)
• Ford aluminum drive shaft (didn’t stay in long though)
• Ford 10th anniversary powder coated red calipers f/r
• MM stainless steel brake lines
• Baer two piece rotors f/r
• MM steel braided brake lines
• MSD cap, rotor, coil
• FRPP plug wires
• Fluidyne radiator
• Canton 7 qrt T sump pan and pick up
• Pro 5.0 shifter (same like the driveshaft, didn’t stay long)
• Completely Dynamat’d the doors, floor pan and trunk
Shot of the rear underneath
Front end shots
All the above parts were installed at the same time and while I had the interior out for the welding of the subs I Dynamated any exposed metal. We pulled the door panels, moister barrier and did them along with the trunk as well. It is safe to say that the doors sound like my mother’s Lexus LS400 when they shut, nice and solid. The trunk is the same way. For a convertible with coil overs, PHB and TA (everyone said was noisy) I don’t hear a thing. Wait, let me back up after all the exhaust and rear PHB and TA were done there were some noise issues to deal with. The exhaust and the suspension could not work well together and required the tail pipes to be ditched except the tips for some custom bent pipes to clear the rear end, frame and PHB mounts. Not to forget massaging the joints to clear the TA bracket up front. So after that, everything was great. The car handles like a high end European and trust me I have driven more than my share of them, all of the Porsche line except the GT (I did ride in it though), BMW’s, Audi etc. The extra oil capacity coupled with the new radiator keep the engine temps nice and cool even in the Texas, August heat with the A/c on and me driving it rather spiritedly. I got to enjoy the car for all of a few days before it was time to put her back into storage and for me to take my happy ars back to work in Afghanistan.
Tailpipe and PHB fitment
Interior work
While the car sat in storage and I was busy at work and I put my next stage of modifications into motion. I ordered up a D&D Viper spec T56 6 speed with a QuickTime steel bell housing, and a Zoom twin disc clutch kit. Of course the 6spd kit came with all the hardware (sort of), new drive shaft (hence the FRPP one came out after being in for less than 200 miles). While I was going to be under the car and doing the trans we made the necessary modifications to the rear end. I ordered up the FRPP parts and we waited for me to come home again.
Second stage mods read like this.
• Viper spec T56 and conversion kit (note: kit came with wrong fork, pivot ball and no harness for the reverse lock out. It took several days of overnight deliveries and phone calls from Afghanistan to get the problems sorted out all the while the car tied up a rack with no transmission)
• Zoom Twin disc clutch kit
• Pro 5.0 shifter
• Quick Time bell housing
• FRPP 31 spline axles
• FRPP/Auborn pro differential
• FRPP 3.27 gears (future calls for a turbo)
• FRPP rear end girdle
• ARP wheel studs f/r
• Royal Purple fluids
• Adjustable cable, firewall adjuster and quadrant
• Shortened D&D aluminum drive shaft
Before going in
Ran into a few issues this install, but fewer than expected once the transmission was in. I drove the car to the muffler shop down the street to have the Bassani X pipe modified, it wouldn’t clear the transmission. While driving the car felt extremely bouncy and lacked suspension travel. It was late Friday, raining like cats and dogs and probably the first time the car has ever seen water short of a water hose. I got the car back on the lift and noticed the PHB bracket had bound up on the rear end girdle. The PHB and girdle had the body stuck in the downward stroke of the travel. With the car in the air we were able to let the rear end down and we had to repeat a: grind the girdle, spray with black paint to check for marks, lower the car, bounce on the back end to simulate road conditions and suspension travel, raise the car, grind more where we saw scratch marks in the paint……repeat until full travel gained back. It took us repeating that process a dozen times but it took care of the problem. Full suspension travel returned, the car rode like it had last R&R except this time I had a more solid plant in the rear due to the Auborn and 6 gears to row thru. The Zoom clutch felt like a King Cobra clutch kit and had I not better I would have sworn it was. I cannot say enough about how streetable this clutch is. The transmission shifts like a dream, reverse was a little tricky as the reverse lock out solenoid is still on the transmission but I love the gear ratios combined with the 3.27s out back. 70mph down the road and in 6th gear the RPMs are only 1700. I find myself debating on shifting into 6th until after we hit 80mph. Transmission is super quite, smooth and shifts like the original. Of course it and the rear end are loaded with Royal Purple’s fluids.
Stage three of the progress has been met with a setback but only because of my procrastination, I waited too late to contract the engine build. The good thing about not having the new motor in the driveway for an install, just meant that I got to drive the car for 2 weeks while I was home. Taking it out only on nice Texas days with the top down, the girlfriend and I still managed to put 200 miles on her. As a matter of fact the top stayed down the entire time it was out of storage. I was very pleased so far with the mods done and made every excuse to drive it and I hate to park the Cobra in any parking lot unless I take up a few spots way in the back.
• Back to the motor, I am currently having Brian at AD Performance build a
• Dart 347ci, 4.125 bored
• AFR 185s heads
• ARP head studs
• Cometic head gaaskets
• Comp Cams titanium retainers
• Comp Pro Magnum rockers
• Smith Bros custom push rods
• Cross bar Comp Cam lifters
• Ed Curtis custom grind camshaft and a set of his valve springs
• Billet timing chain
• The final compression ratio came out to a boost friendly 8.8:1
Only block pic I got, more to follow
And some heads
I am patiently waiting till August for next R&R and the install.
Since I don’t want to cannibalize my factory Cobra low mileage motor, I went to the Corral EE and Ebay for some used parts to take the original’s spot. I found a Cobra upper and lower used and sent them off to TMOSS for some of his magic. I bought a used timing chain cover, okay I bought two of them. While searching I found some accessory brackets and some other odds and ends on EBAY. I took all my spare items to my powder coater and had him make them look new again. The upper and lower, 1 timing chain cover, a set of steel valve covers (all though they may not clear the rockers), and a few other items were coated in a thermal barrier. Now it’s time to send the lower and chain cover to AD Performance to have them installed also. I need to see if the valve covers are going to clear too. If they don’t I may put them up on the EE and bite the bullet on the Moroso fabricated aluminum ones.
Stack of parts from the coater
Close up of the upper
It is going to be hard not to use these, they look so good
I also picked up a like new Anderson PMS for the 94-95 complete with MAP, software and data log. I can’t wait to start tuning with it once it is installed. I also bought a junk Acer laptop and had to do some work but got it up to speed to handle the software.
PMS
A little software
For the future mod’s and if I can muster the money I will be doing them at the time of the engine install.
Complete Aeromotive fuel system and sumped tank without their fittings and hose. I am going to use all Earls Ano-Tuff fittings and the Pro-Lite 350 hose for an all black look. That and it is just hard to beat Earls’ quality and ease of assembly. Of course there will be some tasteful Autometer gauges for boost, fuel pressure, and good air fuel ratio gauge the usual T/B, injectors, MAF, pulleys, etc to round everything out. Then hopefull off to see Brooks, or TurboStang for his turbo system fabrication skills.
The end goal of the car is to be a streetable 650bhp, 6spd transmission, MM suspension’d, stock appearing, fun car to drive around. I am thinking of trying to get into the King Of The Street competition but I know that even with 650 I might be coming up short. I guess we may have to turn up the boost.
Now, I need to settle on some wheels. I am leaning towards some Fiske FM10s in 18x9 and 18x10.5 or some plain Jane Cobra’s and having the rear’s widened. Wheels are last on my list.
Anyways thanks for looking. I put in as many pics as I could find of the progress. I will update in August when the next round of work begins. Look for the engine to be swapped and some tune work on the PMS to offset cam specs. I would like to have the little odds and ends done and the fuel system completed also. I only have a few weeks you know and the girlfriend is going to demand some of my time.
Had to put a smiley in once:lol:
A little background, I am working in Afghanistan and have been for the last two plus years. The only time that I get to work on the car is during my R&R’s and I only get 3, 16 day trips home a year. So I have to make the most of my time. While I am in Afghanistan I read, plan, plot and order all my parts .
On to the car, I bought the car from a Corral member (Sancho Panza) last July. I could not have been any happier with the purchase, the price, the condition of the car, the ease of the deal with the seller. Everything worked out just as planned using only emails. In fact the car made it to my house in Texas from the seller in Ohio just two days prior to me making it home. The car is a 1995 Cobra convertible, black body, perfect saddle colored leather interior and a black top. I bought the car 100% bone stock with only a hair over 31,000 miles and in near perfect shape. I purchased the car with the plans to making a few changes but I wanted to start with a clean pallet. Since buying the car and driving it less than a thousand miles in the last year here is the list of the modifications. (So I have deviated from a few changes and I have enough parts lying around to build another car)
The car how it started
Suspension, Exhaust and Brakes were first on my list of things to do along with some odds and ends. So we went with a complete Maximum Motorsports system completed with Baer brakes, Bassani and a few FRPP parts to name a few.
• Bilstien struts/shocks
• MM coil over system f/r with Hypercoil springs
• MM K-member, control arms, rack bushings, bump steer kit, sway bar end links and bushings
• MM rear lower control arms, Panhard Rod, Torque Arm
• MM full length subframe connectors
• Bassani off road X, Cat back system (later on the fitment of the tail pipes with the PHB)
• Ford aluminum drive shaft (didn’t stay in long though)
• Ford 10th anniversary powder coated red calipers f/r
• MM stainless steel brake lines
• Baer two piece rotors f/r
• MM steel braided brake lines
• MSD cap, rotor, coil
• FRPP plug wires
• Fluidyne radiator
• Canton 7 qrt T sump pan and pick up
• Pro 5.0 shifter (same like the driveshaft, didn’t stay long)
• Completely Dynamat’d the doors, floor pan and trunk
Shot of the rear underneath
Front end shots
All the above parts were installed at the same time and while I had the interior out for the welding of the subs I Dynamated any exposed metal. We pulled the door panels, moister barrier and did them along with the trunk as well. It is safe to say that the doors sound like my mother’s Lexus LS400 when they shut, nice and solid. The trunk is the same way. For a convertible with coil overs, PHB and TA (everyone said was noisy) I don’t hear a thing. Wait, let me back up after all the exhaust and rear PHB and TA were done there were some noise issues to deal with. The exhaust and the suspension could not work well together and required the tail pipes to be ditched except the tips for some custom bent pipes to clear the rear end, frame and PHB mounts. Not to forget massaging the joints to clear the TA bracket up front. So after that, everything was great. The car handles like a high end European and trust me I have driven more than my share of them, all of the Porsche line except the GT (I did ride in it though), BMW’s, Audi etc. The extra oil capacity coupled with the new radiator keep the engine temps nice and cool even in the Texas, August heat with the A/c on and me driving it rather spiritedly. I got to enjoy the car for all of a few days before it was time to put her back into storage and for me to take my happy ars back to work in Afghanistan.
Tailpipe and PHB fitment
Interior work
While the car sat in storage and I was busy at work and I put my next stage of modifications into motion. I ordered up a D&D Viper spec T56 6 speed with a QuickTime steel bell housing, and a Zoom twin disc clutch kit. Of course the 6spd kit came with all the hardware (sort of), new drive shaft (hence the FRPP one came out after being in for less than 200 miles). While I was going to be under the car and doing the trans we made the necessary modifications to the rear end. I ordered up the FRPP parts and we waited for me to come home again.
Second stage mods read like this.
• Viper spec T56 and conversion kit (note: kit came with wrong fork, pivot ball and no harness for the reverse lock out. It took several days of overnight deliveries and phone calls from Afghanistan to get the problems sorted out all the while the car tied up a rack with no transmission)
• Zoom Twin disc clutch kit
• Pro 5.0 shifter
• Quick Time bell housing
• FRPP 31 spline axles
• FRPP/Auborn pro differential
• FRPP 3.27 gears (future calls for a turbo)
• FRPP rear end girdle
• ARP wheel studs f/r
• Royal Purple fluids
• Adjustable cable, firewall adjuster and quadrant
• Shortened D&D aluminum drive shaft
Before going in
Ran into a few issues this install, but fewer than expected once the transmission was in. I drove the car to the muffler shop down the street to have the Bassani X pipe modified, it wouldn’t clear the transmission. While driving the car felt extremely bouncy and lacked suspension travel. It was late Friday, raining like cats and dogs and probably the first time the car has ever seen water short of a water hose. I got the car back on the lift and noticed the PHB bracket had bound up on the rear end girdle. The PHB and girdle had the body stuck in the downward stroke of the travel. With the car in the air we were able to let the rear end down and we had to repeat a: grind the girdle, spray with black paint to check for marks, lower the car, bounce on the back end to simulate road conditions and suspension travel, raise the car, grind more where we saw scratch marks in the paint……repeat until full travel gained back. It took us repeating that process a dozen times but it took care of the problem. Full suspension travel returned, the car rode like it had last R&R except this time I had a more solid plant in the rear due to the Auborn and 6 gears to row thru. The Zoom clutch felt like a King Cobra clutch kit and had I not better I would have sworn it was. I cannot say enough about how streetable this clutch is. The transmission shifts like a dream, reverse was a little tricky as the reverse lock out solenoid is still on the transmission but I love the gear ratios combined with the 3.27s out back. 70mph down the road and in 6th gear the RPMs are only 1700. I find myself debating on shifting into 6th until after we hit 80mph. Transmission is super quite, smooth and shifts like the original. Of course it and the rear end are loaded with Royal Purple’s fluids.
Stage three of the progress has been met with a setback but only because of my procrastination, I waited too late to contract the engine build. The good thing about not having the new motor in the driveway for an install, just meant that I got to drive the car for 2 weeks while I was home. Taking it out only on nice Texas days with the top down, the girlfriend and I still managed to put 200 miles on her. As a matter of fact the top stayed down the entire time it was out of storage. I was very pleased so far with the mods done and made every excuse to drive it and I hate to park the Cobra in any parking lot unless I take up a few spots way in the back.
• Back to the motor, I am currently having Brian at AD Performance build a
• Dart 347ci, 4.125 bored
• AFR 185s heads
• ARP head studs
• Cometic head gaaskets
• Comp Cams titanium retainers
• Comp Pro Magnum rockers
• Smith Bros custom push rods
• Cross bar Comp Cam lifters
• Ed Curtis custom grind camshaft and a set of his valve springs
• Billet timing chain
• The final compression ratio came out to a boost friendly 8.8:1
Only block pic I got, more to follow
And some heads
I am patiently waiting till August for next R&R and the install.
Since I don’t want to cannibalize my factory Cobra low mileage motor, I went to the Corral EE and Ebay for some used parts to take the original’s spot. I found a Cobra upper and lower used and sent them off to TMOSS for some of his magic. I bought a used timing chain cover, okay I bought two of them. While searching I found some accessory brackets and some other odds and ends on EBAY. I took all my spare items to my powder coater and had him make them look new again. The upper and lower, 1 timing chain cover, a set of steel valve covers (all though they may not clear the rockers), and a few other items were coated in a thermal barrier. Now it’s time to send the lower and chain cover to AD Performance to have them installed also. I need to see if the valve covers are going to clear too. If they don’t I may put them up on the EE and bite the bullet on the Moroso fabricated aluminum ones.
Stack of parts from the coater
Close up of the upper
It is going to be hard not to use these, they look so good
I also picked up a like new Anderson PMS for the 94-95 complete with MAP, software and data log. I can’t wait to start tuning with it once it is installed. I also bought a junk Acer laptop and had to do some work but got it up to speed to handle the software.
PMS
A little software
For the future mod’s and if I can muster the money I will be doing them at the time of the engine install.
Complete Aeromotive fuel system and sumped tank without their fittings and hose. I am going to use all Earls Ano-Tuff fittings and the Pro-Lite 350 hose for an all black look. That and it is just hard to beat Earls’ quality and ease of assembly. Of course there will be some tasteful Autometer gauges for boost, fuel pressure, and good air fuel ratio gauge the usual T/B, injectors, MAF, pulleys, etc to round everything out. Then hopefull off to see Brooks, or TurboStang for his turbo system fabrication skills.
The end goal of the car is to be a streetable 650bhp, 6spd transmission, MM suspension’d, stock appearing, fun car to drive around. I am thinking of trying to get into the King Of The Street competition but I know that even with 650 I might be coming up short. I guess we may have to turn up the boost.
Now, I need to settle on some wheels. I am leaning towards some Fiske FM10s in 18x9 and 18x10.5 or some plain Jane Cobra’s and having the rear’s widened. Wheels are last on my list.
Anyways thanks for looking. I put in as many pics as I could find of the progress. I will update in August when the next round of work begins. Look for the engine to be swapped and some tune work on the PMS to offset cam specs. I would like to have the little odds and ends done and the fuel system completed also. I only have a few weeks you know and the girlfriend is going to demand some of my time.
Had to put a smiley in once:lol:
