Building
his own hot rod has always been David's dream. Finding a reasonably priced,
well designed and constructed quality kit to start with was the problem.
It was not until David discovered Factory Five' s 1965 Cobra Roadster
kit did he realize he had found his perfect project car.
Factory
Five's kit has the classic good looks, light weight body & structural
chassis strength of the original Cobra roadster and combines it with today's
hottest performance technology, our
Late Model 5.0 Mustang !
What
makes the Factory Five kit so unique is that it uses the 5.0 Mustang as
it's only donor car to supply all of the parts right down to the complete
drivetrain, mechanical, electrical, gauges, cooling, steering, brakes,
wheels and suspension components.
As
David points out, his car is basically a 5.0 high performance Mustang
mounted to a well constructed chassis & wrapped in a lightweight
classic design, the Cobra Roadster.
The
results are impressive ! Imagine your mustang with a total vehicle
weight of 1985 lbs, a curb weight of just 2145 lbs, a weight distribution
factor of 48.2/51.8% (front/rear) and a solid high quality, well constructed
chassis to strap your horsepower to. David best describes it in
his own words:
"Larry
Lessie, a San Diegan (Encinitas) gave me a ride in his Cobra in late 1998.
I was impressed by the big smile on his face, and by the rock-solid feeling
of the car on the road. No cowl shake, no rattles, just smooth G-forces
building on my body. I ordered my car as soon as Factory Five opened
that Monday."
Within
no time, David purchased a damaged 5.0 Mustang and his project was under
way.
David's
Late Model Mustang/Vintage Cobra Roadster is currently 100% stock, right
down to the 4 bolt Mustang wheels. Not wanting to change the character
of his car, David is hesitate in making any modifications since it is
already such a sweet running reliable machine. However a set of
GT40P heads, 24 lb injectors, 65 MM throttle body, Motorsport Mass Air,
Cobra intakes, 1.6 roller rockers, 155 lph pump, adjustable regulator,
fuel pressure gauge, E303 cam and a new roller timing chain, is not out
of the question.
As
David has come to learn, people love the Cobra Roadster for its looks,
power, and history. The Cobra is the only American car to beat the
world in international racing. In 1965 Shelby beat Ferrari for the
international championship. This was done with a special version
of the Cobra, that was created to solve aerodynamic problems. Peter Brock
designed a coupe to fit on the Cobra chassis. Five cars were built,
and the championship was won.
Whether
David's hot rod is more classic Cobra Roadster or more Late Model Ford
Mustang, one thing is for sure, it is one hell of a sports car and a total
blast to drive !
If
you would like to pass along your comments or inquire further about his
Factory Five Roadster, email David directly at
daveellis_39@yahoo.com
or visit the Factory Five's website at www.factoryfive.com.
V8 Mustangs will be posting a detailed feature on Factory Five's Cobra
Roadster Kit Car in the upcoming months, so stay tuned and check it out.
