Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake - 3/13 Update - Finshed

[Speedfreak]

Looks great JC, what's next?

[afx]

Looks great JC, what's next?

Build the dash top tach.  Something along these lines.

Edited February 18, 2016 by afx

[rbarlow1]

Beautiful. I'm learning as much about cars as i do about models here - never actually seen a Cobra with a convertible hardtop before, and yours looks great! The dash looks incredible. 

[250 Testa Rossa]

Build the dash top tach.  Something along these lines.

I think some of the Sebring Cobras also had this tach. 

[afx]

AC fit Smith instruments at the factory and as such most of the early Cobras were delivered with these.  Occasionally a Rotunda Tach slipped into a car.  Shelby preferred Stewart Warner instruments and began installing them around chassis CSX2201. 

Your correct Maxx a lot of the race cars had Sun Tachs installed which is the tach pictured.  They were installed in the dash on the road race cars in lieu of the exterior mount of the Dragonsnakes.   Ken Miles swore by Jaeger instrument and always had them installed in his cars.  

So correct instrumentation is a bit of a moving target.

Edited February 19, 2016 by afx

[afx]

Scratch built Sun Tach.  I'm pleased with the overall shape but the gauge face is not as detailed as I would wish.  The decal I had on hand just wasn't very crisp but it will have to.  

[cobraman]

I think it looks great !

[Speedfreak]

I see what you're saying JC, but , I think it looks fine. How did you make it?  

[crazyrichard]

looking goood !

[afx]

I see what you're saying JC, but , I think it looks fine. How did you make it?  

Thanks Gene.  The main body is 4mm Evergreen tubing with the back edge shaped into which I inserted solid rod to create the back cover.  The face is flat stock cut with a circle punch and the bezel is thin silver wire.  After placing the gauge decal I centered the bezel and placed a drop of Future floor polish in the center and let it flow out to the edges.  When dry the Future effectively glues the bezel in place and creates the gauge lenses.

I painted (with silver Sharpie) the bottom section of the gauge decal and added the black dot in an effort to more closely replicate the Sun tach.

[Speedfreak]

I have one I think from Detail Master, yours looks just as effective.

[afx]

I have been bringing all my in progress Cobra builds to our model club meeting for a while now.  So today another member thought he would bring a few of his 16(!!) built Cobras and show me a real Cobra collection.

 

[cobraman]

So nice to see others collecting Cobra's.

[Speedfreak]

That's a lot of Cobra's, I've yet to begin my first! 

[Randy D]

Hi JC,

    The instrument panel looks terrific  and I really like the tach.

 

  Randy

[afx]

Thanks Randy.

Here is the first "El Cid" style top out of the molds.  Wheels/tires aren't fit properly but this will give you an idea of what it will look like.

[Mark IV]

El Cid was local here and Hans was a cousin of a friend of mine. El Cid was often street driven to a certain watering hole where "rides" would ensue until the local constabulary would arrive and suggest that fast drag cars and beer were not a real good combination.

[Len Woodruff]

When will the roof be available to purchase?

Thanks Randy.

Here is the first "El Cid" style top out of the molds.  Wheels/tires aren't fit properly but this will give you an idea of what it will look like.

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by Len Woodruff

[afx]

When will the roof be available to purchase?

 

I would suspect very soon Len.  I know HRM is doing a lot of casting at the moment trying to catch up on vendor orders and getting ready for NNL East.

[afx]

El Cid was local here and Hans was a cousin of a friend of mine. El Cid was often street driven to a certain watering hole where "rides" would ensue until the local constabulary would arrive and suggest that fast drag cars and beer were not a real good combination.

 

Great story and yeah probably not the best combination.

[Mark IV]

It would be nice if someone would make a proper scale windshield frame for the AMT/Sunny kits. The kit unit is way too thick and not shaped correctly (squared ends on the top, etc.). A nice metal cast unit that could be polished to chrome appearance and use a cutout acrylic windshield would be a treat! And a PE emblem/handle set would be welcome as well.

[afx]

Yes a more accurate windscreen would be nice.  From my experience a white metal frame would be far too soft to standup to any sort of polishing without deforming.  Casting the frame and windscreen as a single piece of clear resin then applying BMF to the frame might work better.  Any takers on fabricating one?

[Mark IV]

Casting the frame and windscreen as a single piece of clear resin then applying BMF to the frame might work better.  Any takers on fabricating one?

Like Monogram did on the 1/43rd Cobra. A metal frame done in a hard metal might work.

[Len Woodruff]

Thanks for the update JC.

 

 

[250 Testa Rossa]

That mockup of El Cid looks awesome!! Hopefully you are still doing that car. Keep up the great work!