It's Graduation Time! #8195

[lastdime]

My complete kits was delivered on December 10, 2013 and I got started on the build in January of 2014. Lots of delays, headaches, questions, occasional answers and tons of fun. My official finish date is June 29, 2017 at 3:30 am (although I have quite a list of things to do over the winter). By 8:30 that morning I was on the road with fellow Cobra owners on a cruise from Salt Lake City through southwestern Colorado. After a detour to Denver to see my son, I returned to Utah with 1800 miles on the odometer and no breakdowns. It was the drive of a lifetime. Added another 500 miles or so after that. Now it's time to put her to bed for the winter.

Here are a few of the custom extras and fabrications I incorporated into the build.

• 460 Super Cobra Jet Engine by Ford Racing[LIST]
o 550 HP and 545 ft. /lbs. of torque
o Super Cobra Jet Aluminum Heads
o Hydraulic flat tappet camshaft, Duration .050 Intake and .614 Exhaust, Lift .588/.614
o Speed Pro Forged Aluminum Pistons
o Balanced and Block and Heads Surfaced by C & T Machine, Orem, Utah
o Edelbrock Torker II Low Profile Intake Manifold
o Quick Fuel SS-830 Carburetor
• TKO 600 5 Speed Transmission
• Independent Rear Suspension 3:55 Gear Ratio
• Halibrand Style Cobra Wheels 18” X 8” Fronts/18” X 10” Rears
• Falken Tires: Front 255/35 ZR18, Rear 315/30R18
• Wilwood Disc Brakes: 12.88 Six-Piston Fronts, 12.19 Single-Piston Rears
• Paint: Customs by Miguel, Santee, CA, BMW Mineral Grey and Fire Orange
• XPEL Clear Bra by Pro Tint
• Custom Interior by Mark Jesperson
o Vintage Instruments including a custom GPS Speedometer by Speedhut, Orem, Utah (see their SEMA catalog for a featured story on my Cobra)
o Tablet with GPS Antenna
o Heated Seats
o USB Ports
o Cup Holders
o Self-Cancelling Turn Signals
o Shaped Seats by Scat Procar
o Custom Fabricated Glove Box
• Custom Trunk
o Battery Box Under Upper Floor
o External Battery Terminals
o Cut-off Switch
o Fully Carpeted
o Custom Under Floor Storage Compartment

[tisserda]

Absolutely gourgeous build!!!
You beat me by a couple of years. I’m getting close, but I started in 2009...

[Gatorguy]

Congratulations!! Beautiful build. Love the color combination.

[GoDadGo]

Very Cool!

[Al_C]

Looks great. Love the seats and the color!

[Itchief]

Great job she looks beautiful

I love the color


Where did you get the seats with the head rest I really like them

Rick

[cgundermann]

Very very nice!

[scottiec]

Looks awesome!! Congrats

[frankb]

Nice work! I assume you built the engine based on your highlights...rewarding, isn't it?

Frank B

[WIS89]

Congratulations on finishing up a terrific build! She turned out beautiful! I really like the interior work as well as the pain job.

I would love to see pics of the engine too.

She turned out beautiful, and I wish you the best of luck with her! Well done!

Regards,

Steve

[Straversi]

If your username implies that you spent your "last dime" on this car, I'd say it was money well spent. Congratulations. Hopefully you saved a few pennies for gas. Enjoy!
-Steve

[Yama-Bro]

awesome!

[mach'er]

Congratulations! Love the touch of the striped gauge, really looks great.

[lastdime]

It is really satisfying to read the comments about my build. There were times when I thought it would never get finished, but just kept moving forward. I am still in awe of the incredible builds I see posted on the forum. You guys were my inspiration and the reason I believed I could actually do it. Thanks for your determination that helped make mine possible.

Now to answer a few questions:

Rick – I got the seats from Procar by SCAT Enterprises. I needed a seat that could recline just a little and I wanted a headrest. I then had them shaped or contoured to let me sink in a little. The problem with the seats is that they barely fit and don’t go back all the way like the FFR seats. I’m only 5’8” so it works for me but I’m going to see if more of the width on the back can be trimmed so they can go back a little further.

Frank B – I bought the standard Ford Racing 460 Super Cobra Jet and then did a little modifying of my own. It wasn’t balanced well; the block needed to be fitted better to the aluminum heads; I wanted forged aluminum pistons……., etc. After some machine shop time, new parts and $2,200, it was ready to put back together. It runs beautifully. People hang around when I stop and at car shows just to hear me start it up.

Chapel Hill Steve – The engine isn’t a show engine but it is about right for me. See some photos below.

Palos Verdes Steve – You are basically right about "last dime". I stopped counting at around $45,000. After that, if I had the money it was spent, if not I waited. That’s part of the reason for the long build time. However, it may have been my last dime, but I don’t owe a penny on it. Now I just save money for gas. My license plate appropriately reads "MI401K".

Let me finish up by saying it has all been more than worth it. There is no sensation like driving down a winding road; hearing the engine roar and feeling the tires grip as you go around a 45 MPH corner at 70 MPH and you aren’t even pushing it. I can’t get gas or stop anywhere without people coming up to ask questions, take photos or just give me a thumbs up as they drive by. Thanks Dave Smith for fulfilling your dream and making my dream possible.

[TexasAviator]

Nice work. The color combo and little touches really shoe the detail of your build. What colors, base, and clear did you choose?

Nevermind, just saw it.

[TexasAviator]

BMW mineral gray was on my short list of colors. Glad to see it on our car. Wonderful choice.

[FLPBFoot]

Awesome. Beautiful. I too love the colors. Unique.

[jmccabe]

Beautiful.....love the color combo !

[chrisarella]

Seriously nice build. Congratulations!