DuPuis Family Cobra Build

[Sac Arrow]

I drove a Freightliner from Virginia to SLC, Utah with a clutch that wouldn't disengage. You try to push the pedal and it would nearly break your leg it kicked back so hard. That clutch came out in several pieces.

I used to train drivers, that clutch was abused, but covered under warranty. The mechanic drove it through the parking lot without a trailer and said it felt fine. I told him if he pulled it and it was fine I'd pay the labor, it obviously wasn't. The mechanic had no idea how I drove it that far. I didn't use it, I parked where I could roll away and slip it in gear, I always had shifted without it anyway.

I was on a field exercise at Ft. Irwin, CA, which is basically a huge desert expanse where infantry and armor units go once a year for OPFOR training. I spent most of the time driving the S3's Jeep. The clutch cable snapped when we were on a convoy, and no parts were readily available as the mechanics were all geared up to service Humvees, not Jeeps. As long as I was able to stop just after the crest of a hill, I could pop it out of gear and stop, and then pop it in gear after it started rolling again, but sometimes I had no choice but to turn out on the side of the trail and do circles until the convoy started moving again.

 

[tmyers]

Would love to see video of Sac doing turns about a point in a Jeep

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Ted]

Laurie's back off to work today for another week. That said, I'm not not sure I'll actually do much on the Cobra this week. I've got to fix a few things on the tractors and I really need to get moving on Cloud Nine's 2018 taxes (which are due in 2 months).

By now I've realized that I'm not going to get the car legal to drive in time for Ford v. Ferrari. It's two months to go and the amount of effort I'd need to put in to get all the details done in that timeline won't work with the other things I want and need to do. So I'm taking that and I'm moving the desired timeline timeline for first start/drive out to Spring. I expect I should be able to get it driving before that and hopefully even have the body on it by then, but we all know how these things go.

I also decoded the engine and found it's a 1989 truck engine, so that's a good thing.

 

[flyingbrit]

I was on a field exercise at Ft. Irwin, CA, which is basically a huge desert expanse where infantry and armor units go once a year for OPFOR training. I spent most of the time driving the S3's Jeep. The clutch cable snapped when we were on a convoy, and no parts were readily available as the mechanics were all geared up to service Humvees, not Jeeps. As long as I was able to stop just after the crest of a hill, I could pop it out of gear and stop, and then pop it in gear after it started rolling again, but sometimes I had no choice but to turn out on the side of the trail and do circles until the convoy started moving again.

That's one way to drive a vehicle with a a failed clutch but here's an easier method: start the engine with the vehicle in low gear. No hill needed, no need to do circles.

 

[Bill]

That's one way to drive a vehicle with a a failed clutch but here's an easier method: start the engine with the vehicle in low gear. No hill needed, no need to do circles.

Drove an old Mk1 Jetta like that for two or three days until I had time to pull the transaxle, the pressure plate push rod button broke. With a warm engine, it started right up in 1st gear no issues. In the morning, I'd start it in neutral and let it idle until warm. Stop the engine, 1st gear, start, and you're on your way.

 

[flyingbrit]

My late uncle, a small town Volkswagen dealer, would suggest this to his customers if they wanted to avoid a towing bill.

 

[Ted]

Drove an old Mk1 Jetta like that for two or three days until I had time to pull the transaxle, the pressure plate push rod button broke. With a warm engine, it started right up in 1st gear no issues. In the morning, I'd start it in neutral and let it idle until warm. Stop the engine, 1st gear, start, and you're on your way.

Something like 6 years ago a Mercedes 240D was donated to Cloud Nine. I drove it home (to Cincinnati) from Dallas (that was slow). On the drive the clutch failed in Oklahoma and the exhaust fell off in Missouri. @tonycondon probably remembers when I stopped in Kansas with it, and we drove to his friend's hangar to see if it was possible to bleed the clutch to fix it, but it was a slave cylinder issue. I was flooring it and he thought I was just accelerating slowly because I wasn't in a hurry, then I said "I've been flooring it for the past mile."

In the end, drove it the whole way home by clutchless shifting/revmatching/floating gears (whatever you want to call it) and starting it in first gear when I had to come to a stop.

 

[Bill]

Mercedes 240D

I have a strange burning desire to own a W123 240D stick shift. Weird, eh?

 

[Ted]

I have a strange burning desire to own a W123 240D stick shift. Weird, eh?

You missed your opportunity! I sold it to VanDy, who drove it for a couple years and then eventually it went to the scrap yard. It was a one-owner car and had been taken good care of, but by the time I got it it needed a full restoration to really live up to its potential.

It was an enjoyable car in its own way, AC even worked. However a 300D would've been a lot more enjoyable. The 240D was just anemic and the engine was screaming all the time to do, well, anything.

 

[Bill]

You missed your opportunity! I sold it to VanDy, who drove it for a couple years and then eventually it went to the scrap yard. It was a one-owner car and had been taken good care of, but by the time I got it it needed a full restoration to really live up to its potential.

It was an enjoyable car in its own way, AC even worked. However a 300D would've been a lot more enjoyable. The 240D was just anemic and the engine was screaming all the time to do, well, anything.

Yes, the 300D or even TD are better engines, but all of the American versions are automatic. Thus the desire for the 240D manual.

 

[Ted]

Yes, the 300D or even TD are better engines, but all of the American versions are automatic. Thus the desire for the 240D manual.

Two solutions:

1) 240D with a manual, swap in a 300TD engine
2) Any of the above, and swap in a 12-valve Cummins

 

[Bill]

Two solutions:

1) 240D with a manual, swap in a 300TD engine
2) Any of the above, and swap in a 12-valve Cummins

Oh damn, #2 would make a hell of a sleeper. If it fits, that is...

 

[Ted]

Oh damn, #2 would make a hell of a sleeper. If it fits, that is...

I think making it fit mostly has to do with how much sorcery and torching you wanted to do. That said the motor is pretty tall and that would likely create issues. It would take a lot of custom fab work.

As far as "sleeper" goes... I think that would depend on how big of a muffler you put in the thing.

 

[Bill]

I think making it fit mostly has to do with how much sorcery and torching you wanted to do. That said the motor is pretty tall and that would likely create issues. It would take a lot of custom fab work.

As far as "sleeper" goes... I think that would depend on how big of a muffler you put in the thing.

Of course the proper way to go nuts would be to figure out how to drop an LS2 or later in there...

 

[Ted]

Of course the proper way to go nuts would be to figure out how to drop an LS2 or later in there...

That'd be the common thing these days, although to me it sort of defeats the purpose or interest of using a W123, since everyone is putting an LS in everything these days. Sure, you get all of the performance, they sound good, and there's lots of parts available for them. No arguments on any of that, and whatever floats your boat. But if you're doing a 240D/300D, I'd be much more interested in what sort of diesel you can put in for fun.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

Cummins

Doesn't this board have a puking emoji? Of course, I have no offering for a car so.....

 

[Ted]

Doesn't this board have a puking emoji? Of course, I have no offering for a car so.....

Actually, I do think that Cat motors sound better than Cummins and would prefer a Cat. Listen to videos of semis with a 3406 (or even better, 3408) vs. a Cummins Big Cam 400 and the Cat wins hands down. I laugh though when I see people who put a "CAT" front plate on their Cummins Rams.

A few years ago I thought about buying a GMC Top Kick (or was it Chevy Top Kick? I forget which one was the Top Kick and which one was the Kodiak) because it had the Cat 3116 in it, having never owned a Caterpillar engine. That would potentially be an engine that could be used.

So when are we building a custom vehicle for you powered by a 3412?

 

[Skip Miller]

Doesn't this board have a puking emoji? Of course, I have no offering for a car so.....

I had a friend who bought new a Mercedes 240D, back in the early 1980s. The first really hot day, the man’s wife said she needed A/C in the car. The service manager all but refused, saying, “do you know what you’d get if you put aftermarket A/C in this car? You would have a refrigerator on wheels.”

 

[Fiveslide]

Actually, I do think that Cat motors sound better than Cummins and would prefer a Cat. Listen to videos of semis with a 3406 (or even better, 3408) vs. a Cummins Big Cam 400 and the Cat wins hands down. I laugh though when I see people who put a "CAT" front plate on their Cummins Rams.

A few years ago I thought about buying a GMC Top Kick (or was it Chevy Top Kick? I forget which one was the Top Kick and which one was the Kodiak) because it had the Cat 3116 in it, having never owned a Caterpillar engine. That would potentially be an engine that could be used.

So when are we building a custom vehicle for you powered by a 3412?

My N14 Cummins had an awesome exhaust note. I don't know what brand or type of mufflers were on it but it had a low RPM growl that was as impressive as its higher RPM notes. On a Freightliner classic XL, so it looked cool too.

 

[kyleb]

Yes, the 300D or even TD are better engines, but all of the American versions are automatic. Thus the desire for the 240D manual.

My Mom had a 300D and later, a 300TD. Once you got them up to speed, those were nice cars. Plenty of glass, good dynamics for the era, etc. But they had the absolute worst tip-in I've ever experienced. You'd press the accelerator and someone would have to individually wake the mice or whatever lived under the hood. Pulling out into moving traffic in either of those was a real adventure.

And then, you had the awholes who thought it was fun to steal the hood emblems. 60 year old retired teachers don't find that funny at all.

 

[Ted]

My N14 Cummins had an awesome exhaust note. I don't know what brand or type of mufflers were on it but it had a low RPM growl that was as impressive as its higher RPM notes. On a Freightliner classic XL, so it looked cool too.

I’m not saying the Cummins sounds bad, I’m just saying the Cat sounds better.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

Actually, I do think that Cat motors sound better than Cummins and would prefer a Cat. Listen to videos of semis with a 3406 (or even better, 3408) vs. a Cummins Big Cam 400 and the Cat wins hands down. I laugh though when I see people who put a "CAT" front plate on their Cummins Rams.

A few years ago I thought about buying a GMC Top Kick (or was it Chevy Top Kick? I forget which one was the Top Kick and which one was the Kodiak) because it had the Cat 3116 in it, having never owned a Caterpillar engine. That would potentially be an engine that could be used.

So when are we building a custom vehicle for you powered by a 3412?

If I’m going to do what I think I might still do, there won’t be any dough. If I don’t, then maybe in 5 years. We could even go watch the thing roll off the assembly line.

 

[Ted]

If I’m going to do what I think I might still do, there won’t be any dough. If I don’t, then maybe in 5 years. We could even go watch the thing roll off the assembly line.

It's interesting to me how expensive 3412s are compared to 3406s or 3408s. So yeah employee discount would help.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Caterpilla...248997?hash=item3d91ceb865:g:6QUAAOSwwJVdXuZx

We could build something like this to put it in:

(I really like that concept although the Allison automatic doesn't do it for me)

 

[Ted]

Now how about this for a ridiculous idea... Jaguar XJ13 replica with a Cat 3412 in it:

 

[Ted]

Here's another video, this shows some of the transmission related issues I ran into. All resolved now, I may do a video showing the driveshaft, oil pan, and a few other things.

 

[Ted]

Did another video update that I recorded mid last week and finally got around to uploading:

As usual it's unedited and then I get a bit long-winded. But enjoy.

 

[Ted]

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, and I'll admit I've done precisely nothing on the Cobra. Zero, zilch, nada. I'm still needing to do the fuel lines before I make progress anywhere else and between other things going on in life and not wanting to do those, it hasn't gotten done.

But today is a milestone - it's one year since the Cobra was delivered. The reality is that the start of the project went a month or two before that, when I ordered the kit right after sitting in one at Oshkosh, and then getting the first parts car. But it's been one year of having the car on my property.

The reality is, this is a car that can be built in a few months by someone who is dedicated and does a "by the book" build with minimal customization and buying many of the major components (such as the engine, transmission, and rear axle) out of the box and built by someone else, or buying a good donor car where you can just pull the items out and put them in. Of course I didn't do that, but my build has a lot of unique items that go with it.

At this point, in reality I could have the car driving within a month or two if I was working on it consistently and making continuous, good progress on it. Originally I'd hoped to have it go karting by this past Spring. That would've been possible, but life happens so I was working on other projects. I made great progress over the summer, largely because with the kids not having to wake up so early in the morning for school I was able to go to bed a bit later and wake up a bit later. Of course, they also helped me with items. My modified goal, which I think is attainable and realistic (we'll see how that actually goes) is to have it driving with the gel coat body on by the Spring, and then drive it like that over next season. But we'll see. I have a lot of other things I'm also trying to do.

I've taken a look at spend thus far as well. Not surprisingly, I exceeded my budget significantly. A lot of that was because the more I got into it, the more I decided that, for me, I wanted to build it once and build it the way I wanted it the first time. Thus far I'm in it for about $29k total, and looks like somewhere in the low 30s is where I'm going to end up. For that price, I could have bought a Viper, but the reality is the car that I end up with is going to meet my wants and needs better all around.

Any regrets at this point? That's hard to say since the car's not built yet and not driving. There are a few things that come to mind as things that I might regret once it's done:

- Going with a 351 over a 302-based engine
- Going with a TKO over a T-5
- Going with the solid rear axle instead of independent rear

The first two more than anything are about making the car lighter, as those would've saved about 80 lbs combined, which is significant on the car, but would've added further to the cost.

The independent rear suspension would've added further to the cost, and between all three I think would've pushed the car closer towards the $40k range. With the 3-link rear I supposedly have a good middle ground, but the unsprung weight with it still remains significantly higher (not to mention the wheels not being able to move independently) vs. an independent rear. I think I'll be happy at the end of the day, though.

 

[Matthew]

Wow. It's been a year since we moved it off your trailer? I kinda hoped we'd be tooling around in that thing like the parking garage attendants in Ferris Bueller by now.

edit:

OK, I had a cool gif but it doesn't show up properly.

 

[Ted]

Wow. It's been a year since we moved it off your trailer? I kinda hoped we'd be tooling around in that thing like the parking garage attendants in Ferris Bueller by now.

edit:

OK, I had a cool gif but it doesn't show up properly.

Yeah, I was hoping for that as well. One of the things that I said going into this was that I didn't want to give myself hard deadlines or rush it given everything else I have going on. I've stuck to that thus far.

 

[Bill]

I said going into this was that I didn't want to give myself hard deadlines or rush it given everything else I have going on. I've stuck to that thus far.

It’s good to have goals!

 

[Ted]

It’s good to have goals!

Yeah, but my primary goals are around being a husband and a dad. Anything else (like the Cobra) is secondary.

 

[Matthew]

I found a new Mustang parts car for you today. You could probably salvage the fat tires, decals, and parachute.

 

[Ted]

I found a new Mustang parts car for you today. You could probably salvage the fat tires, decals, and parachute.


View attachment 78400

But it’s a Cobra, not a Cirrus!

 

[Zeldman]

But still, when things go bad, you can still pull the 'chute....

 

[Matthew]

Many years ago, a team set up one of their funny cars in a parking lot of one of their sponsors. It was a couple days before an NHRA event at Heartland Park in Topeka. I can't remember who it was, but it was a big name team and driver and I happened to be there when they were set up. I walked over, and stuck my head in. The body was lifted up so you could check out everything normally hidden underneath. And there, right next to the brakes, was a bumper sticker that said, "Don't brake until you see God!"

 

[geezer]

The chute is to conceal the tag!

 

[Matthew]

The chute is to conceal the tag!

It said, "CIRRUS".

No it didn't. That's not a custom tag, I can tell by the color.

I drive that street 2x/day, and that's the first time I've seen that car. No exhaust out the back, I don't know where it was routed. It was a growler. I wish I had been able to get a better look at it from the front or sides. I couldn't grab my phone quickly enough to get a better picture.

 

[Ted]

I've actually made some progress over the past week or two, albeit very little - I stared work on the fuel lines! And did the harder part that goes with that - the bunch of bends going from the fuel tank to the main frame rail. Now I just need a few fittings, drill and rivet the clamps in place, and those will be done.

I had originally decided to put the fuel filter above the rear differential but decided instead that I would take advantage of the line lengths that Factory Five sent and put the filter on the frame rail just forward of the passenger side lower control arm. This ends up being a reasonably protected location and much better access, so I think it ends up being a good spot.

I'm missing some fittings at this point so I need to order those, maybe if I can get an order in to Summit tomorrow I can have them by the weekend to finish that up.

I also did a dry test fit of the intake manifold and decided that it doesn't need any machining work to put on, but I'll probably do one more check just to confirm. However, there are a few holes on the back of the HVAC box that I think have hoses go through them. If hoses come out of those, they will hit the throttle body for the rear-most cylinder on the passenger side. So before I get too invovled in those, I think I want to understand a bit better what those are for and what modifications I will need to make to that kit to fit with this intake. At least that's what I'm thinking at the moment - I'll probably change my mind and just put in the intake on after doing one more check as there's good enough access that I can drill holes where needed.

Upon test fitting the fuel injectors, I found out that the injectors I'm using (Ford) are longer than the ones the brackets are designed for (I'm assuming GM). Not a big deal, but it does mean I need to fab up some new brackets and will aim to do that this week.

Laurie heads back to work tomorrow, so I think the plans for the next week will be modest - get the timing cover and water pump on, probably put on the intake, finish up the fuel lines, do the brackets for the fuel rails and get all of those on. Then I'll need to do some more ordering up of parts and fittings (as well as a fuel pressure regulator) to finish up the system. If I can get the fuel system finished up, then I'll put on the starter (I'm just going to use the one that I have) and the oil pan.

When those items are completed, the physical engine will be "ready to run" so to speak. I could also install the radiator at that time and I'm going to think about whether I want to do that sooner (and throw out yet another box) or wait a bit longer. Waiting would be smarter until I get some more work done on the wiring harness, etc., but sometimes I like to just get boxes thrown away.

Once that's done, the real work I'll need to do to make the engine run will be the electrical system. However I may take a break from that path (did I mention I don't like electrical?) to work on the HVAC, specifically the AC since I'm planning on doing the rear-mount electric compressor. I'll have to think about that some more, but I'm a ways away from that.

 

[Ted]

Another video where I talk too much.

But shows some of what I've done on the fuel lines. Like I said in an earlier post, cost wise I'm up to $29,000 spent so far and expect total to be at around $35k.

Basically the only things I'm second guessing at this point are the drivetrain choices - specifically 351 vs. 302 (+50 lbs for the 351), TKO vs. a T5 (+30 lbs for the TKO), and solid rear vs. IRS (handling/ride penalty). But really, once I start driving the thing is when I'll know for sure.

 

[FormerHangie]

Another video where I talk too much.

But shows some of what I've done on the fuel lines. Like I said in an earlier post, cost wise I'm up to $29,000 spent so far and expect total to be at around $35k.

Basically the only things I'm second guessing at this point are the drivetrain choices - specifically 351 vs. 302 (+50 lbs for the 351), TKO vs. a T5 (+30 lbs for the TKO), and solid rear vs. IRS (handling/ride penalty). But really, once I start driving the thing is when I'll know for sure.

Remember this thread? https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/cheap-kit-car.112444/

So let's say that I want to build a kit car. Not something that I put on the body of a Fiero or a VW Bug. Let's say it's actually building something. Want it to be fairly easy and inexpensive, let's say I want to be in it for $10k or less. Preference is not a 4-cylinder for a powerplant. V8 is ideal.

It's better to spend the money and get something you like.