The complete Cobra build will be documented, as I was able to start taking pics of it as soon as it showed up.  Again, the build will take quite awhile, but as it happens, it will be featured here.  There are still things that I am somewhat undecided on as for the build goes, but overall I have a pretty good idea of what it will be. 

Here you can see the 9" Ford rear end.  The rear end was shortened and is of the 4-link variety- set up somewhat like Nascar.  Also included was new shortened Moser axles.  I am currently waiting for the rear disc brakes, as they come with a spacer that has to be pressed onto the axle before the axle bearings, then I can mount the axles and brakes.  The coil over shocks are adjustable, which should make setting the ride height much easier. 

Here you can see the tubular upper and lower control arms and the front coil overs.  Front springs are 450# to support the Ford FE engine.  Also barely visible is a new rack and pinion and spindles.  The front end is based off a Mustang II, but utilizes 11" Granada rotors. 

Here you can see the polished aluminum radius rods with the coil overs.  I was at first planning on a little steeper gear, but found the rear end has 3.45's already in it.  The more I thought about it, especially with such a light car, I think the 3.45's will do just fine.  When completed, if it's not what I was looking for, I can always change ratios then.

I did not want to post a pic for each component, but before this stage- and basically the first thing I did was to dis assemble the front suspension and paint everything.  The steering rack was polished in the center, and the ends painted with POR-15's Sterling Silver before being clearcoated with Glisten PC.  The center of the rotors, the caliper adapter plates, and spindles were painted with POR-15 black.  Sterling silver was also used on the calipers before they were clear coated.  Everything was then reassembled.  After that, I polished all the brake lines, sprayed them with POR-15 Metal-Prep (which somehow allows the clear coat to adhere to a polished surface) then clear coated them as well.  The lines were ran, but I was somewhat leary of the brakeline so close to the header.  I ended up covering the brake line with a piece of fuel hose, then covered it in corrugated tubing to make it a little easier on the eyes.  Same for the front where it runs underneath the crossmember.  I was also concerned with the brake line where it ran through a gusset or something, so I covered those areas with vacuum hose which is not reinforced like the fuel hose and then covered the hose with heat shrink.  It looks better, it holds the piece of hose in place, and I now do not have to worry about a line rubbing against the steel brackets or gussets.  If given enough time to rub, only one thing could eventually happen.

This is a 390 out of a 66' Fairlane GT.  It has been in a 1976 F100 truck for awhile, but the truck is getting a rebuilt 351W.  The engine was just pulled here as you can see by the antifreeze in the lifter valley and in the water jackets.  The block, heads, and crank will go to the machine shop for some time in the hot tank and whatever machine work needs to be done.  It will be somewhat of a mild build, but even at a conservative 335 horsepower rating in stock form, it should already be fun in a 2600# car- with a 90" wheelbase.  It of course is not a 427, but it IS an "FE" engine, so it will look authentic to the un-trained eye...and it will still have that big block sound!

Here is the factory bellhousing after wire brushing and grinding it to clean it up and smooth it out.  It was then painted dark Ford blue and the inside painted with POR-15 to keep the rust away.  I am still undecided on exactly what I am going to use and what will be replaced, so I am cleaning everything up and painting it.  For example, I plan to go with Edelbrock aluminum heads, but if I do, the original heads will be complete and ready for something else.  Also undecided is scatter shield and aftermarket oil pan.  There are many things that would look great, but sometimes functionality is the deciding factor.

Heres a few more things cleaned up and painted.  I am not sure if I will use the stock oil pan, or even the stock bellhousing, but I am just cleaning everything up to be painted as if it's not used on the Cobra, they will be put on the shelf in the garage for something else.  Heres the oil pan, coil bracket, dip stick, alternator brackets, crankshaft collar, etc., after being painted.  After the paint cured, they were then all clearcoated.  I am now in the process of polishing the timing cover which will be clear coated as well.