XC Cobra #140

[Dodge]

luv ur work, just a question, why didnt u paint ur diff punkin red oxide, everything else looks new but that?

[shed dweller]

Yeah great photos great build love ya work!!

[Paull]

Originally Posted by Dodge

luv ur work, just a question, why didnt u paint ur diff punkin red oxide, everything else looks new but that?

Fair question. I was going to paint it red oxide but as the original 'spots & dots' (inspection dawbs) were still there, I have left it as is. Might not look as nice but at least it shows some original markings.

[74xbkoop]

The build is coming along very well. Looks great. Keep up the good work. Did you get the correct shape glass or are they all incorrect? Looking forward to seeing more.

[Paull]

Originally Posted by 74xbkoop

The build is coming along very well. Looks great. Keep up the good work. Did you get the correct shape glass or are they all incorrect? Looking forward to seeing more.

The drivers side are good and the rear passenger side is good. It is only the front passenger side glass that is not quite right.

Will try and get some more work done this week but no promises.

[Dodge]

fair enough, i had my gt tailshaft balanced and it came back painted gloss black , all the factory markings were painted over...

[darren327]

Originally Posted by Paull

Darren,
The pics posted so far are but only a fraction of the ones that I have taken. If you need anymore, let me know. I can either post them up or email them to you. I tried to take as many prior to dis-assembly as possible and then a whole heap as I go putting the car back together again.

Hey Paul, thanks for the offer on the pics mate, much appreciated. I'll sing out when I get a bit further down the track and start scratching my head! I also took stacks of pics but my coupe's not complete, so some parts I'm only guessing how it's assembled. Your detail pic of your diff and brakes as well as the window regs are very helpful.

Originally Posted by Paull

Black.

I have gone chrome so as to maintain the 'side chrome look'. That is, the gutter moulds are chrome, the door top moulds are chrome as are the C pillar moulds. To me, although it seperates the windows, it just looks a bit dis-jointed having all of the window surround in chrome with a black centre piece.

With respect to the front and rear window surrounds, they will be black as per standard.

And thanks for the nice words.

Yeah, the chrome look is more consistant isn't it. I'm still not sure if I'll go chrome or black on mine.

Cheers
--
Darren

[xcmat666]

mmm cobra. i get very moist when i see cobra's. love your work dude

[wayne cqld]

Wow Paull, said it before - great job! Keep up the good work, not long now.
Pics have helped me heaps.
Cheers
Wayne

[74xbkoop]

Hi Paull,

Had any more progress?? Any more photos??? Keen to see more

[Mad Maxine]

What an absolute joy to read! Paul, you have obviously got an eye for detail and a desire to do everything as best you can, and that is both awesome and highly valued. Great job so far. I have a soft spot for the Cobras (well, all XCs in general, actually) and watching this one come together is just fantastic.

Thanks for posting so many great and descriptive photos of her progress

Shazz

[Paull]

Originally Posted by 74xbkoop

Hi Paull,

Had any more progress?? Any more photos??? Keen to see more

No, not as such. Am currently on leave and hope to get some work done, will just have to see if time permits.

[Paull]

Not much of an update, more of some small progress or more to the point, lots of stuffing around and not really achieving too much.

A while back I removed the steel backing frame from the dash as it was all rusty



This has now been stripped back, painted and re-assembled





I have also had the dash centre vent for a while but after chroming, there was always something that was bugging me. As the whole vent had been chromed and then painted (where required), the small pins that fit into the housing had 'grown' too big and therefore, would not properly fit into the housing and the plastic plates that the pins are attached too, were sticking out





I then removed both vents from the housing, very carefully so as not to break them, tried to file down the OD of the pins, with little success, so I then got the right sized drill and drilled out the housing holes. Upon re-assembly, all is now good.



I have also fitted a new glove box lock and in doing so, I had to remove the old one.



Having looked in the XC Falcon/Fairmont workshop manual and the ZH Fairlane/Marquis workshop manual, no instructions were shown as to how to remove it. The parts manual shows an exploded view, as does the P6 LTD workshop manual (shows what appears to be a screw retaining it all and am thinking that this is simply the Key for the lock), so I grabbed a spare P6 glove box, got a little bit 'scientific' and found that it is simply a spring locking ring.



So all is now good.



I also fitted a new glove box light as well.



Lastly, I had gotten all of the anodized nuts, bolts and fittings back, some of which were for the hand-brake mechanism. However, upon assembly I realised that I was missing the two small nuts that hold on the 'hand-brake switch' to the hand brake, they must have either been lost in the plating tank or simply eaten up??? At any rate, another 2 were bought and the hand brake is now ready to go.

[Paull]

After I had as much done on the Dash as I could, I then moved onto the Grille, what I thought would be a straight forward job, not quite





To begin with, the recently 'overhauled' driving lights, one of them had grown a crack in the lense (original one in mint condition), so I changed both over to the later versions, but still original Hella lenses.





Upon fitting into the brackets, one went nicley but the other, the whole lense is offset, so I am either going to have to try and straighten the bracket or get another one, so this is as far as I can go for now.



I then started on the indicator lenses and quickly found that I did not have any gaskets, but seeing that I had heaps of cork gasket material, I'll simply make two and that should suffice.



And they were cut out and fitted reasonably well



Only thing was though, after going through all of the stuff that I have bought (and completely forgotten about) over the years, I found these



I also have had the head light buckets for a while too, only problem is, I am still waiting one getting new headlights, a feat proving to be quite difficult.



I have a new Grille centre badge and holder as well, but as with the above, I cannot find the retaining plates (new ones) so old ones will have to be painted today



So in effect, this is as far as I can go for now

[Paull]

Another job that is proving to be quite difficult is that of the HVAC unit. I had initially given the complete unit to a friend of a friend (AC specialist). He then tested the Evaporator and it held vacuum for a few days so all was good there. He also replaced all vacuum hoses, especially the ones going into the engine bay as the old ones had perished. Only problem was with the heater core.

He had the first one dis-assembled and it was found that the insides had corroded



So I then gave him another complete unit, of which he pulled it apart, removed the heater core, only to find that this one had also corroded.

To cut a long story short, I then dis-assembled another unit and got the heater core out of this one





However, I have now taken all heater cores to this company http://www.corradiators.com.au/

They are making up new cores and then soldering in the original tanks. In effect a new heater core for $185 + GST. Am also getting a few spares made up as well. I will post up pics when I get them back, hopefully in a few days. Once back, I can then pass onto the AC man, and he can then re-assemble the HVAC unit.

Today's jobs
This stuff needs to be stripped back and then painted



And then the really crappy job, painting the floor pan with body deadener

[Paull]

Originally Posted by Mad Maxine

What an absolute joy to read! Paul, you have obviously got an eye for detail and a desire to do everything as best you can, and that is both awesome and highly valued. Great job so far. I have a soft spot for the Cobras (well, all XCs in general, actually) and watching this one come together is just fantastic.

Thanks for posting so many great and descriptive photos of her progress

Shazz

Thanks for that. Speaking of detail, wonder when we will see Wayne's car (wayne cqld), now that is a good one!

[wayne cqld]

Great work Paull, keep the good work up. I don't want your to hijack your thread mate i'm learning heaps here! On holidays in Vic at the moment, also catching up with a few Cobra guys, catching up and researching.
http://s930.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/Cobra%20175/
Got a few things to change, Paull thanks for your help.

Cheers
wayne

[memphis2k]

Originally Posted by Paull

Hi Paul,

You wouldnt be willing to sell the leftover parts from this second AC would you? I am also refurbing one and need a bunch of parts (Plastic casing and some misc parts)

Cheers
Russ

[74xbkoop]

Hi Paull,

Good to see you have made some more progress. Just hoping I could trouble you for a photo of the other side of the heater box you have pictured. I am looking for a shot of the plate that goes over the fan drum (cabin side) if possible. I cant upload shots of area due to camera problems at the moment.

Regards
Anthony

[Cabbage]

I missed this build in the Coupe Club section. Pretty impressive effort Paull, attention to detail awesome. I like seeing a detailed build like this, sometimes I feel in my own build I'm going to far with it and I should maybe cut a few corners. Your build shows what you can do, the level that you can take it to and I should keep trying to get as much right on my own build as I can. I don't think I'll get it to your level Paull but it does provide great inspiration.

[LimeGlaze]

I have a few XC Driving light brackets, will put them aside. What brand headlights are you chasing?

[J DaWg]

geez this has gone a long way any updates??

[Giant Cranium]

i hate these threads where i think ill see a finished car and all i get is let down.

great cobra and i cant wait to see more

[GT-GTF]

Originally Posted by Paull

Another job that is proving to be quite difficult is that of the HVAC unit. I had initially given the complete unit to a friend of a friend (AC specialist). He then tested the Evaporator and it held vacuum for a few days so all was good there. He also replaced all vacuum hoses, especially the ones going into the engine bay as the old ones had perished. Only problem was with the heater core.

He had the first one dis-assembled and it was found that the insides had corroded



So I then gave him another complete unit, of which he pulled it apart, removed the heater core, only to find that this one had also corroded.

To cut a long story short, I then dis-assembled another unit and got the heater core out of this one





However, I have now taken all heater cores to this company http://www.corradiators.com.au/

They are making up new cores and then soldering in the original tanks. In effect a new heater core for $185 + GST. Am also getting a few spares made up as well. I will post up pics when I get them back, hopefully in a few days. Once back, I can then pass onto the AC man, and he can then re-assemble the HVAC unit.

Today's jobs
This stuff needs to be stripped back and then painted



And then the really crappy job, painting the floor pan with body deadener

Hi Paul

Has this been done?

Any more been done?

Pics please.

cheers
George

[Paull]

The heater core has been done and I must say, an absolutely excellent job indeed! It has been installed back into the HVAC unit and is awaiting fitment into the car.

With respect to the rest of the work, well, not much has happened. I have painted the sound deadener onto the floor and that's about it.

In effect, I have been busy with work as well as being OS for 4 weeks as well as family stuff. I have been meaning to get onto it but there have been just too many other things happening.

In short, there wont be much happening until ...... hmmm, pass. Maybe sometime late next year :o((((((

[Paull]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

i hate these threads where i think ill see a finished car and all i get is let down.

great cobra and i cant wait to see more

mmm, sorry about that. It just kind of sits at the back of the shed feeling very un-loved.

[Paull]

Originally Posted by J DaWg

geez this has gone a long way any updates??

No, sorry. All quiet on the western front.

Well, I have had a few smaller parts painted namely the wiper arms and a few other parts.

[Paull]

Originally Posted by LimeGlaze

I have a few XC Driving light brackets, will put them aside. What brand headlights are you chasing?

Clint, I have been going through all of my stuff for the XD (XD is now home along with all of the doors, boot and bonnet) and I found that I actually have two NOS ones, so all is good here, thanks buddy.

And yes, I know, I still have those measurements to get for you. Will be done when I have time, apolgies for that.

[Paull]

Originally Posted by Cabbage

I missed this build in the Coupe Club section. Pretty impressive effort Paull, attention to detail awesome. I like seeing a detailed build like this, sometimes I feel in my own build I'm going to far with it and I should maybe cut a few corners. Your build shows what you can do, the level that you can take it to and I should keep trying to get as much right on my own build as I can. I don't think I'll get it to your level Paull but it does provide great inspiration.

Thanks Clint. You should take a look at Wanye's car, very impressive indeed!

[Paull]

Originally Posted by 74xbkoop

Hi Paull,

Good to see you have made some more progress. Just hoping I could trouble you for a photo of the other side of the heater box you have pictured. I am looking for a shot of the plate that goes over the fan drum (cabin side) if possible. I cant upload shots of area due to camera problems at the moment.

Regards
Anthony

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I don't have access to my photo's at the moment, do you still require this?