Messages

https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=323464767&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=6200&pageNumber=1&scopeId=C&sfmr=false&action=eyeCatcher&searchId=3f7b5e37-a9f1-a400-242e-66a6e4a3c3ba

Regarding the exhaust gas flow I'm satisfied with 2,5" pipes.
The other reason not to go for a 3" pipe was the routing through the wheel arches in the rear.
My exhaust builder told me, that bending the stainless steel pipes for that area is difficult because of the bigger diameter.

Regarding the starter I see that the FE has a total different position.
With my engine the problem is not the starter itself, the critical area (arrow) is where the bellhousing flange meets the frame.

First photo shows the improved cooling for the 460 Cobra Jet engine.
2-stage fan with shroud, now on the backside of the radiator....far better than before.

Photo 2 and 3:
I have "long term cobra-project" in progress with an aluminum body and an original MkIII suspension.
I started this to create a "light as possible" car, however I keep the original parts as iron-Jag.-diff and Girling brakes in place....different from the drive train.
The drivetrain already arrived: An all aluminum 302 (aluminum Dart block) stroked to 347 cui (450 hp @ 400 ft/lbs) combined with a TKO 600 (0.64 OD)......

............and I will see where I will end up one day with this crazy, overpowered, ultimately uncontrollable driving machine - hopefully before they stop selling fuel :-)

Hi AC Ventura!
Your concept  demounting the gearbox without pulling the engine is perfect.....I would wish to have it with my cars.
With the 460 in the engine bay I have to demount the gearbox from inside (out of the cockpit) and pull out the engine together with the bellhousing – no other way to do, even not pulling out engine and gearbox as one unit :-(.
The engine is close to the (front) cross member that in any case the pulley on the crank has to be removed to pull out the engine.

The complete underfloor exhaust is custom made from stainless steel.
The headers are made of 2" pipes slipping in a 4in1-piece followed by 2,5" pipes.
In the rear the pipes are routed through the wheel arch as with the original MkIV but no dampers there.
The most extended dampers which fits under the floor have been installed, a small one for high frequences and a big one for the low frequencies on each side.
As a result I could reduce the loudness dramatically (50% compared with sidepipes) and the flow of the exhaust gas is excellent.
Cruising is quite comfortable now and conversation with your co-driver is possible, if you put the pedal to the metal the lion is really roaring :-).
The ground clearance is the same as before.
There is the opportunity to install a O2-Senor on both sides (temporarily) to adjust the carburetor exactly.
I'm out of my home and have only a few photos available on my notebook
( I hate to storage docs and photos in any third-party cloud :-) )

An overdrive is for cruising not acceleration. With the TKO 500/600 the 4 th gear is direct drive (1:1) and very strong, 5th gear is weaker.
Regarding the overdrive with the TKO we have a different situation here in Germany. Cruising on the highway (if you have to do) here is best with 100 mph @ 3000 rpm, a comfortable speed for an open roadster on the one hand and a moderate rpm for the engine.......and still the option to shift into 4th gear and accelerate as there is no tomorrow. 
However best is open winding road beside the highway and nearly no need for the overdrive at all.

did it wrong :-(

There is another "hero" here in Germany:
"AK 1073" heavily modified by a professional shop and the pre-owner decades ago with an 550 hp iron 460 Cobra Jet SVO engine (550 hp) and an even bigger 6-gear Richmond (internal release bearing) installed......moreover with sidepipes..

............and you are right:
All and everything had to be modified: GRP footwells – both sides, chassis crossmembers, engine and gear box mounts...........clearance between starter/bellhousing and frame is 0,001" -  also after cutting off a part of the bellhousing. Meanwhile the cooling has been also improved by a new fan with shroud on the backside of the radiator.

I bought the car as it was some years ago – because of the car itself not the drive train.
Repair and maintanence is quite difficult, because engine compartment is totally filled with the engine and components and everything is really very tight and often you wish to have child's hands.
Currently the car is in a repair shop because the gear box is damaged and acquiring spare parts for the Richmond is a night mare for many, many month.
However there is a light at the horizon and hopefully the car will be back on the road this year with a repaired gearbox......moreover improved with overdrives 5th & 6th gear instead of sixth gear 1:1.

............and the day will come that I will convert this all the way back to a nice (aluminum?) Small Block combined with a TKO (0.64 OD).
(The sidepipes are already replaced by a nice underfloor exhaust with big silencers  :-)  )

There is another ,,Lightweight" on the German website ,,mobile.de" and yes quite expensive: https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=247093314&ambitCountry=DE&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&export=NO_EXPORT&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=6200&pageNumber=1&scopeId=C&sortOption.sortBy=searchNetGrossPrice&sortOption.sortOrder=DESCENDING
   
   However this car is equipped with all features a "Lightweight" should have. (incl. very, very old Pirelli P7 tyres :-)  )
   "Should have" in a general term.
   I have meanwhile learned, that in the end of the MkIV-production in the 90th customer could order all features they wanted and could get any mix of features.
   As a consequence it seems that there are Lightweights with and without "AKL"-Chassis numbers.
   There are Standard MkIVs with all the features of a Lightweight carrying an AK-number.
   There are Lightweights with all features of an Standard-MkIV with exception of a flat dashboard carrying a AKL-number(like the US-car on ebay).
   
   I'm the happy owner of two MkIVs.....both produced for the European (German) market.
   AKL 1411 left the factory indeed with all lightweight-features,...and due to Emmission regulation with a 5.0 HO EFI-engine.
   AK 1073 also left the factory with exact all the "should have"-lightweight-features however carrying an AK-chassis number.
   
   So whatever you own for a MkIV, it is a fantastic car anyway.
   I would not spend any extra-amount of money only to have an "AKL"-chassis-number in the engine bay.

Yes, I took them. O.K. not cheap.
   However I operate two MkIVs with 15"-wheels and I think it is worth to have some spare wheels in stock, especially as the risk to damage the front wheel is higher.
   
   If someone is selling original 15" "autokraft" rear wheels.....welcome :-)
   
   For those who are interested in 16" wheels, there is a used set on ebay (UK):
   http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-Autokraft-MK-IV-Cobra-Wheels-with-Tyres-/332275750698?hash=item4d5d2d972a:g:UB4AAOSw-3FZMsJw

180 km south of Cologne:
   
   http://www.heavy-dutys.de/
   
   Very experienced, accurate and worth every penny.

Here you can see how the fan shroud was made.
   Three piece arangement made from aluminum, fixed to the radiator without any welding or drilling just use the existing fix-points on top and bottom.
   It does not vibrate or rattle.
   
   

I agree Kenlowe is delivering a good solution for high performance fans.
   
   I used the high performance Kenlowe fans twice – in both cases the two speed fans with external adjustable electronic control box (and easy to install temp.-sensor)
   Both cars had heat problems: a replica with a 502 cui Chevy and my AK 1073 powered by a 460 Super Cobra Jet engine.
   
   In both cases the fan is behind the radiator combined with a shroud. In both cases the second speed finally has been never used.
   
   The fan even sucks air out of the corner, as there is enough space between the fan and the radiator.
   Did a test with cigarette smoke :-)) in front of the radiator.
   
   Here the radiator installation for my AK 1073
   

I'm personally not against in a financial support to the ACOC-Forum in what form ever (temporary membership, sponsoring etc.) if the forum costs (as estimated above) is THE issue.....which I do not believe  As mentioned I do sponsoring for our German forum.
   The two Jeep-forum, sailing forum, clubcobra etc. even do not ask for sponsorship, same with the forums mentioned below.
   
   The world is big enough, if you exclude AC enthusiasts they have a free choice and I believe the traffic on the ACOC-Forum will decrease significant and without them the ACOC-Forum would be less attractive.
   (In the past I have seen a Cobra-forum simple dying as the flow went to a "competitor" when the question of a "members-only" forum occurs)
   
   http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/shelby-american-inc/
   http://www.the289register.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=4
   http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/ac-mkiv/
   http://www.cobra-forum.de/forum.php
   
   Me and my AKL 1411:
   http://www.cobra-forum.de/showthread.php?11602-Back-on-the-road-))&p=124011#post124011

Dear all,
   
   a friend of mine gave attention to me about the ongoing discussion.
   Taking notice of this discussion I would like to express my personal opinion:
   As owner of two MkIV (AKL 1411, AK 1073) I am happy to participate in the open forum.
   Yes, I have been ACOC-member also for a while. However difficulties in the payment for membership renewal and difficulties in having access to the ACOC members area (password) frustrated me and finally I ended up automatically as a non-ACOC-member.
   For me it is o.k. so far as the forum for me is the most important feature.
   
   Sitting on the continent  – lack of time and because of distance to UK -  in any case I can not participate in most of (social) ACOC events which – by nature – are focused to the UK.
   So what really than is the advantage? Yes, access to the registry is a real value, the Action-publication is nice, but what else is left? For me personally little.
   
   I am also participant in other open forums as well (Cobra-Germany and Sailing)
   Looking to the costs of a non-commercial forum in general with such a traffic on a lower level, we are taking about cost of 50 – max. 300 pound a year to operate a forum ............not too much and shouldn't be a real issue.
   The sailing forum is established by a few enthusiasts and they do not ask for any financing, the German Cobra forum is also free of charge, however you can provide donations (4 to 40 pounds a year) on a volunteer basis – and from time to time I do so.
   Out of my view forum-financing is not a criteria to create a closed shop or not.
   
   However, if you create a closed forum what will be the effect?
   You loose much more traffic – which currently isn't high anyway.
   You loose tipps, tricks, generell interesting informations like supply sources for sought parts and market informations from a wider community of experienced AC owners/enthusiasts which are – for what reason ever – non ACOC members.
   Out of my view a closed Forum for ACOC-members only will be simply much poorer than an open (minded) forum.
   Last not least:
   You loose a marketing instrument to attract AC-enthusiasts to enter in an ACOC membership.
   
   Just my 5 ct.
   
   Martin

Yes, on ebay,  as several times before and ended always with ,,reserve not meet"
   The car is located at a dealer in Texas, he is asking $110.000.
   The reserve on ebay for sure will be only slightly below offer-price.
   
   http://texasclassiccarsofdallas.com/Showroom.htm
   
   The auction car is a bit nicer with its 15" wheels and colour-combo black on black.
   However I like the Texas car too - it is very clear without any scoop and roll bar

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?Order=runorder&feature=&collection=&grouping=&category=&SaleCode=AF16&ID=r0127
   
   Add buyers premium of 10% on purchase price.
   Shipping, insurance and import duty add another 8-10 %.
   In these days still a very,very attractive purchase.
   I know the buyer (not me) - car will go to GER