Building your own Shelby Cobra kit is a project that may require hours upon hours of work, and may leave you frustrated from time to time, sometimes even to the point of wanting to give up. However, your Shelby Cobra kit car will be one of the best things you’ve ever done in your lifetime.
Owning the performance driving or muscle car of your dreams is something any car enthusiast can only wish for. Building it yourself piece by piece gives you an extra sense of pride that is unmatched by any other experience in life. Not to mention, while the original is pretty limited on aftermarket upgrades it can be retrofitted with, your Shelby Cobra kit car can have any upgrade parts that you want for it, incorporated into the original build. For example, in 1965, when Shelby Cobras were in their hay day, there was no such thing as a touch screen. Now, adding it into your car’s build is not much more than the cost of a tablet.
If you are interested in building your own Shelby Cobra kit car, we have a list of tips that will help you process go seamlessly:
- Do your research!
Not all car kits are created equally. Some kids include everything except the fluids that you add when you are ready to get on the road. Other kids require that you source parts or even have them custom fabricated. It’s a crying shame when you get off to a great start, only to realize that you need a specific part that will cost you big bucks and will take months to track down. Knowing exactly what you need going in is important for having a successful Shelby Cobra car kit journey. - Don’t build yourself into a corner.
Although you start with a pile of parts, don’t forget you have a completed a car in the end. You would be surprised how many people drag their parts into the garage and put them on a platform for a easy building, only to realize that they cannot get it off of the platform. Creating a set up that is convenient for you to build your vehicle is important, but it is also incredibly important that once you’ve completed your vehicle, you’re able to get it out of that setup and onto the road! - Enjoy the journey.
One of the greatest attributes to building a Shelby Cobra kit car (in addition to that huge money savings) is the experience of building your own car from scratch. Don’t let yourself get in such a hurry to get it done within a week or two that you rush; enjoy the process of putting it together and appreciate every nut and bolt that you screw in. Giving yourself tight deadlines will make you rush, and makes you more prone for mistakes. - Beef up your work area.
You are definitely going to be spending hours upon hours in your work area, getting your kit car together. While it is possible to do it in the dark and cold corner of your garage, by having a bright and clean place to work, you will enjoy the process much more.
As an added tip, we cannot stress how valuable it is to have access to internet in your work space. This is important for hitting up kit car forums when you come to a roadblock, and also so that you can play some sweet jams while you work. - Record the process
With each step that you complete, make sure to snap a picture with your phone before moving on to the next step. The more record you take along the way, the easier it will be to go back and look at pictures of your progress to identify something that you need to change. Sometimes, one little misplaced wire could prevent the whole thing from running properly.Also, when you get into the throes of things, it is easy to overlook a nut or bolt that needs torquing. Some experts use a sharpie to mark the bolt after it’s been torqued, so you can easily identify what still needs tightening.
Do you have any other great tips for building your own kit car? Please share you wisdom in the comments!