Newbie from Hermitage, PA

[NMyGT500]

Isn't it such a great feeling when your dreams as a kid start to come true. I am the new owner of a 2020 Shelby GT500. I just wish it wasn't so darn cold outside . Loving all things Shelby I am looking forward to fulfilling my next childhood dream of building a Shelby Cobra replica. I have been to this forum many times before, but it's time to get serious. I gotta figure out how I'm gonna do this, and I know I've come to the right place. I am looking forward to this adventure.

[ggunter]

Welcome, I was in your position about nine months ago when I ordered my MKIV Cobra. It was and has been a dream come true for me since I was a little kid. Deciide what and how you want to use your car and build it for you. There are many people on this site who have a vast knowledge of these cars and will help you spend your money. Me included. If you are a mechanical guy the chassis build is very enjoyable as these cars are very well thought out and go together very easily. If you can go to FFR and visit and let them give you the tour. I see your from Pa so its not that far, probably five hours or so.I was very pleased with how these cars are manufactured and bought one on the spot. I had been following FFR for about five years before I pulled the trigger and bought one. I always had apprehension about a kit car. They have a stigma about them and it was put to rest when I went to FFR. If you buy one good luck and enjoy the ride.

[ggunter]

I just looked up Hermatige and its a lot longer than five hours but make the trip if you can you won't regret it.

[Jacob McCrea]

Welcome. If you want to check out a Type 65 that is mostly finished, and get a perspective on the build process, shoot me an email (jcm250b at juno dot com and come on down to Pittsburgh. My shop is in the city and easy to find.

[NMyGT500]

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement. I don't have a ton of experience with doing something on this scale, but I'm pretty mechanical, love to learn and love to get my hands dirty. I am a little intimidated by the scope of work, but my son is almost 15 and I would just love for us to build some memories along with a really cool car. At this point my head is spinning with which car, which engine, vintage or modern, which rear end, where am I going to put this thing while building. I know I have a ton of research do to before the first part is even ordered.

Thanks for the offer Jacob. I just may take you up on it. I love the Type 65 and would love to see it. I'll shoot you an email when I figure out a good time to get down there.

[niceguy]

Welcome to the group. I'm the captain of the Cobra Owners of Western Pa. We do driving cruises and Welcome you to join us sometime. Message me with your email address and I will give you the details. Looking forward to cruising with you.

[niceguy]

Welcome. If you want to check out a Type 65 that is mostly finished, and get a perspective on the build process, shoot me an email (jcm250b at juno dot com and come on down to Pittsburgh. My shop is in the city and easy to find.

Jacob i meet you a few years ago in front of the Westin Hotel, my buddy and I where there with our Cobras.

[Jacob McCrea]

I remember that, 2013 I think! I forget whether my wife or I spotted the Cobras but we had to check them out. It's embarrassing to admit but I am still working on the Type 65; struggling to find the time to wet-sand and polish the paint, make some interior panels and finish the assembly. But in due time I will finish it and reach out to the club!

[niceguy]

Understand. It was Junev2012, you gave me your phone number.

[NMyGT500]

Welcome to the group. I'm the captain of the Cobra Owners of Western Pa. We do driving cruises and Welcome you to join us sometime. Message me with your email address and I will give you the details. Looking forward to cruising with you.

PM Sent

[NukeGT]

Nice to have another somewhat nearby FFR fan!
I have a Gen 1 coupe you can check out and get a ride.

[hineas]

Welcome to the forum! I ordered my kit in October and have put about 70 hours on the kit. I was a little apprehensive about building an entire car, but now that I have done a bit of work I realized I had nothing to worry about.

I own a Jeep that is modified for moderate rock crawling, so I do a decent amount of mechanic work such as replacing u-joints, water pump, installed bumpers, installed skid plates and sliders, replaced the entire cooling system, etc. I have never torn an engine apart though, never dropped a transmission, never pulled an engine, or other big jobs. Honestly, though, that type of work on the Jeep can be pretty miserable. I don't like dealing with rust, I hate the dirt dropping in my eyes, etc. Installing the rear bumper took me 3 days because nothing fit, I had to drill out broken bolts, I had to cut the stock bumper mounts because the bolts were so rusted I couldn't get them off, etc. Absolutely miserable, but I am proud of my work.

Working on the roadster, on the other hand, is an absolute dream. Not dealing with rust and muck is amazing. Things actually fit! It is a shear pleasure to work on and I enjoy every minute (well, almost every minute). Also, you put things together in a way that you usually have room to work which also makes things so much better.

The whole point of my rambling at 4:00 am (oh the joys of working night shift) is that you shouldn't feel intimidated by the magnitude of the build. It is a lot of work, but most of it is enjoyable and there are so many friendly people on the forum to help you out when you get stuck.

Lastly, I am building the car with my brother and his son. His son just turned 16 and it has been such a great experience for him. He is old enough that he is actually a huge help and makes the work better. I think doing it now is a great age for your son and what a great father-son project. He will also learn quite a few skills that will benefit him the rest of his life. I hope you are able to make it work out so you can build one with him!

[NMyGT500]

Well it took me all Summer but I got up the nerve to order a Mk4 Roadster. Delivery is set for March 26, 2022. I am kinda glad the lead times are so long. It gives me a chance to try an figure out what I have gotten myself into. Right now I am debating about doing the body work. I watched the FF5 videos on youtube on how to gap the the doors and what not, and they make it seem like it's not too bad. After searching the forum, it seems a lot of people say "leave it to the pros". Any suggestions from someone who's been through? Anyone know of good body shops in Pittsburgh?

[Jacob McCrea]

I'd leave it to the pros unless you have to take on debt to pay the bill. That's what I'd do if I had to do it over again, especially with a roadster. I say this despite being pretty decent at the work and having all tools and a large commercial garage for personal use. The Type 65 was a staggering amount of work and finding the time to do a solid job was challenging, with real opportunity costs, and detracted from my enjoyment of the build process. I did enjoy the savings but it sucked up a staggering amount of time, despite being pretty well set up to do the work.

Can't say I know of any good shops in the greater Pittsburgh area but I'm sure they exist. Honestly, if I didn't have a good recommendation, I'd trailer the thing to Indiana or California to have Jeff K. or Jeff M. do the work before rolling the dice on anyone local.

[cob427sc]

The coupe is the most time consuming of all the models I've done the body work on. (4 roadsters, coupe, GTM and 33HR). If you have the initiative the body work isn't as bad as some make out. It can become time consuming and taxes your senses but it can also be quite rewarding when completed. There are many cars finished by guys that look as good as the high priced pro jobs. I've lost count over the years the number of cars I have completed and some I did the body and paint, some I had a shop do. I think I liked my own better.

[NMyGT500]

Thanks for the input. I am leaning toward having someone do the body for me. I am kind of a perfectionist. If I screwed something up with the body, I would notice it every time I looked at the car and it would probably drive me crazy. Jeff K. is within a days drive from me. I think I will reach out to him to see about having him do it.