My dream car has always been an AC Cobra, and I have always dreamed about riding, driving, owning one ever since I was........... well a very very long time ago !
I sat in one once and thought it was fantastic, the driver took me for a little ride and the sound, power and acceleration had me hooked!!
Alas when I got into the drivers seat .... I found a major problem ..... I am too tall !
My feet rested beyond the pedals and I couldn’t get me knees behind the steering wheel !
Looks like my dream had been shattered
However a few years later self indulgent trip to the Pilgrim factory in Small Dole, had sparked my interest once more ...... I explained my plight and the salesman suggested I sit in the demonstrator, to my surprise ... I fit .... just !
It had a lowered pan AND a seat mod ... could this be the way forward?
Fast forward many many years ....
I spotted a BMW Z3 Cobra lookalike kit in a magazine Mmmm. Looks interesting !
Watched several YouTube videos and followed several builds on the web... this sparked my interest once more
The deciding factor was the Mrs when she said you should get yourself a hobby ...why don’t you build a car like you have wanted to do for years?
Didn’t need telling twice .... I didn’t really have the time or the finances for a full on build AC Cobra .... AND all the technicalities involved !
So the BMW Z3 route was my way forward...
I tried a couple of Z3’s for size and although a squeeze I can fit !!
So I searched the local adverts and bought one which needed a hell of a lot of work .... In hindsight ... too much work as it had been rear ended at some point, bodged and put back on the road with quite a few faults and shouldn’t have ever passed a MOT ..... so much so I ended up selling it to a breaker and I broke even !
Next one was a well sorted 3.0 which looked excellent and had all the major underside suspension and brake overhaul work completed already .... It is so good it would be a shame to strip it ..... But I’m wanting an AC Cobra kit not a z3 sports car ...
The Z3 advantages over a self build kit car is that million £££ have been spent on R and D already, everything works as it should including A/C, heating, electric moving and heated seats, the roof is waterproof and the doors close properly
Not to mention parts are relatively cheap and easy to get hold of !
Kit ordered and sourcing the other parts (delivery companies have been busy at my house recently!)
The kit is basically 5 panels which bolt on using all the bolt holes from the panels you have bolted off on the Z3 (so simple!), a few simple tasks of wiring lights and routing cables and the job is done ... almost !!
The kit is available from Classic Coachworks and is a Kobra (Can’t use Cobra as it’s trademarked ?)
It’s close to the genuine car, styling wise BUT purists will hate it .. !
It’s going to be a long build .... almost as long as this post ?? ....
I sat in one once and thought it was fantastic, the driver took me for a little ride and the sound, power and acceleration had me hooked!!
Alas when I got into the drivers seat .... I found a major problem ..... I am too tall !
My feet rested beyond the pedals and I couldn’t get me knees behind the steering wheel !
Looks like my dream had been shattered
However a few years later self indulgent trip to the Pilgrim factory in Small Dole, had sparked my interest once more ...... I explained my plight and the salesman suggested I sit in the demonstrator, to my surprise ... I fit .... just !
It had a lowered pan AND a seat mod ... could this be the way forward?
Fast forward many many years ....
I spotted a BMW Z3 Cobra lookalike kit in a magazine Mmmm. Looks interesting !
Watched several YouTube videos and followed several builds on the web... this sparked my interest once more
The deciding factor was the Mrs when she said you should get yourself a hobby ...why don’t you build a car like you have wanted to do for years?
Didn’t need telling twice .... I didn’t really have the time or the finances for a full on build AC Cobra .... AND all the technicalities involved !
So the BMW Z3 route was my way forward...
I tried a couple of Z3’s for size and although a squeeze I can fit !!
So I searched the local adverts and bought one which needed a hell of a lot of work .... In hindsight ... too much work as it had been rear ended at some point, bodged and put back on the road with quite a few faults and shouldn’t have ever passed a MOT ..... so much so I ended up selling it to a breaker and I broke even !
Next one was a well sorted 3.0 which looked excellent and had all the major underside suspension and brake overhaul work completed already .... It is so good it would be a shame to strip it ..... But I’m wanting an AC Cobra kit not a z3 sports car ...
The Z3 advantages over a self build kit car is that million £££ have been spent on R and D already, everything works as it should including A/C, heating, electric moving and heated seats, the roof is waterproof and the doors close properly
Not to mention parts are relatively cheap and easy to get hold of !
Kit ordered and sourcing the other parts (delivery companies have been busy at my house recently!)
The kit is basically 5 panels which bolt on using all the bolt holes from the panels you have bolted off on the Z3 (so simple!), a few simple tasks of wiring lights and routing cables and the job is done ... almost !!
The kit is available from Classic Coachworks and is a Kobra (Can’t use Cobra as it’s trademarked ?)
It’s close to the genuine car, styling wise BUT purists will hate it .. !
It’s going to be a long build .... almost as long as this post ?? ....
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