Hello from the Newbie

[mccubbinsjl]

Hey there Im Jimmy. Im currently in Afghanistan soon to be home in Sep to Houston, but was born in Al and own property in Cali. Really dont have the slightest clue where I am going to settle down yet with the family.

Im a govt contractor currently and I have talked my wife into building a MkIV with me but im worried that it might be above my mechanical skill level but you can learn anything off the internet and YouTube if nothing else helps.

Im sure ill be asking loads of questions in the near future.

[65 Cobra Dude]

Welcome to the madness Jimmy. There is lots of help right here from knowledgeable people willing to help out by answering questions on the forum to coming to your house and helping out. Have a safe trip back to CONUS.

Henry

[Kalstar]

Hey there Im Jimmy. Im currently in Afghanistan soon to be home in Sep to Houston, but was born in Al and own property in Cali. Really dont have the slightest clue where I am going to settle down yet with the family.

Im a govt contractor currently and I have talked my wife into building a MkIV with me but im worried that it might be above my mechanical skill level but you can learn anything off the internet and YouTube if nothing else helps.

Im sure ill be asking loads of questions in the near future.

Welcome aboard.

Don't worry about being above your mechanical limits, where there is a will, and an Internet connection, there is a way. The Coupe is the most refined of the F5R offerings and the most built of their kits, you will have more then enough builders that came before you willing to give advise. Search out the "other website" as well, seems the Coupe guys have been slow in making the translation to this site.

Good luck on your journey (I am a GTM guy so my advise would be limited for the coupe).

[WIS89]

Jimmy-

I also welcome you to the forum and the awesome group of people you will find here. I will also point you to a few resources to help you along. First of all, there is a book by Brian Smith, where he and his father build a MK IV together and point out some great ideas and tips along the way. It has lots of pictures (which is what I use because I can't read ;-o) ), and really helps. You can buy the book from Factory Five at their parts website (I am pretty certain), and Amazon. The book is called "How to Build Cobra Kit Cars + Buying Used."

Also, Factory Five has started a set of videos that walk you through the build process. They are working on it as we speak, and they should stay ahead of you in your build, so you should have their expertise to walk you through the build in video version by the people who know the car best.

Another resource is this website: http://mk4build.com/manual/doku.php?id=start On this site, they essentially walk you through the various elements to building your MK IV. It is a great deal of help.

Of course, you probably know about the build school at Mott Community College in Michigan. They build a MK IV in 3 days with the folks enrolled in the class. I know that if you went to the class, you will KNOW without a doubt whether or not you can build this car--- you will be able to! There is a link, as well as a description of the school on the Factory Five website. If you are unsure of the value of this class, just ask the forum, and you will get your answer in a hurry!!

Well, that should help you get started. I have left the best resource for last, which is this forum!! There are so many great people here that can help you with every single step, and there are great answers already here simply by searching. But I assure you that you could ask almost any question, and the folks here will help you with whatever you are facing. It really is an extraordinary community!

Best of luck with your build. Thank you for your hard work over in the big sandbox. Keep your head down and stay safe, and best of luck getting started. I hope I have helped.

Regards,

Steve

[Someday I Suppose]

Jimmy, welcome to the fun!

On building the car, I took the build school route to give myself an idea of what I was in for and if I felt I could handle the mechanics of building the car. That said and not to repeat the FFR line, but if you don't need to be a mechanic to build one of these. I do think having some DIY / mechanical knowledge is a huge help though, knowing a nut from a bolt, understanding what a rivit is and how they work, basic electrical goes a long long way. The best part of course is with FFR you get 6000 or so new friends on the forums who are pretty much available to help you every step of the way, and more then willing to help you spend more money should you want someone to tell you its perfectly reasonable to upgrade everything and anything you can think of on the car. :-)

Scott

[Cobradavid]

Jimmy,

Welcome to the family!

Roadster owners that live nearby are another source of information, help, and encouragement. Where in Houston will you be? I'm in League City (Clear Lake/Friendswood area) and there are several FFR guys in this area.

Stay safe over there!

David

[68GT500MAN]

Welcome to the forum and back to the states. No matter where you end up living there will be a group of builders willing and able to help you along on this adventure.
Doug

[mccubbinsjl]

Thanks for the tips and warm welcome. I thought about the school and might just go that route.
My wife wanted to build the GTM but I have always wanted a Cobra ever since I was a child... well that and a Lamborghini Diablo... Those were the cars on my wall posters.