Hi everyone! My name is Joanne. I am a 53-year-old, mother of two petrol-head with a love for fast, cool looking cars. My husband is into restoring old British classic motorcars, but I prefer something with a little more power 😊. So, for my 50th Birthday present my husband promised to help me build a Factory Five Mk4 AC Cobra replica! I want the AC Cobra replica to be a reliable daily drive, not just a track day or Sunday drive, so plan is to use a Mustang 5.0l Coyote engine/transmission as the power/drive unit for this kit as apposed to a more traditional engine choice. The purists are going to hate me for this, but I really want something that is going to be both fun to drive and easier to maintain. We have therefore acquired a written off 2013 Mustang GT which we are currently stripping for it's engine and transmission. As a novice, I am keen for any advice regarding what other parts would be of use to keep alongside the engine. Moreover, if you know anyone interested in the remaining parts, please feel free to contact me.
welcome to the forums. there's a ton of great minds and info shared on this (and the other) forum. a coyote is a very popular engine choice for its power and drivability. I personally went w/ an old school push rod motor but there are plenty on here who elected to go with a more modern engine. good luck on your build and consider starting a build blog detailing your progress and choices.
Welcome to the madness! I admire your project and powertrain choices, and have a few thoughts that may be relevant to your build.
First, have you reviewed the local regulations applying to non-factory built vehicles? IIRC, there was a builder in the Netherlands who completed a '33 Hot Rod and then fought with the Government for 3 years trying to get it licensed. The builder finally gave up and moved the project to England, where the car was duly licensed and registered. Local regulations can impact many of your equipment choices. Some jurisdictions regulate every design aspect from indicator lights, to roll bar height and bracing, to windshield wipers, to bumpers, etc. Environmental protection regulations can also be a major factor. Doing your research early can reduce the effort needed later to get your car on the road legally.
As far as reliability / drivability, it appears you are on a good track. I would suggest using a modern engine management system with fuel injection on the Coyote. (This automatically adjusts for altitude, fuel quality, and temperature.) Also, I am a fan of the 2015 Mustang IRS option for use in daily drivers. That, and softer springs with adjustable rate shock absorbers, makes driving on rough, twisty roads much more enjoyable.
One final thought: Be meticulous with your wiring. Most reliability issues I see discussed on the Forum trace back to wiring problems, eventually. Every connection needs to be flawless and all insulation needs to be intact. Wherever possible, protect the wiring with grommets when it passes through a panel - both sheet metal and fiberglass. These cars vibrate a lot, and worn insulation rapidly leads to short circuits or broken wires.
Above all, have fun building your dream! Building and driving a car you assembled yourself is a wonderful experience. Feel free to post any questions you have on the Forum. There are good build threads to look at for inspiration (edwardb, for example), and many helpful builders who may have dealt with your particular problem before.
welcome to the forums. there's a ton of great minds and info shared on this (and the other) forum. a coyote is a very popular engine choice for its power and drivability. I personally went w/ an old school push rod motor but there are plenty on here who elected to go with a more modern engine. good luck on your build and consider starting a build blog detailing your progress and choices.
Thank you for your reply and welcome. Super new to all this lol!
Thank you so much for all the helpful information, I will definitely check out the good build threads you recommended.
There are big restrictions in Belgium, but we are hoping to start the build once we are back in Portugal next summer. We are only in a rental here so not much space in the garage.
My husband is looking to build a dedicated workshop space for car projects including the Cobra. It's very exciting. I have been told that I need to keep a complete photographic record of every stage and part for compliance issues. We may need to take it back to the UK for registration even then.
We are just at the Mustang stripping stage at the moment, there are so many good parts to be salvaged. I am trying my hand at Ebay but not having much luck at the moment selling anything. Think I may need to explore other avenues like dedicated car fairs.
Thanks again
Joanne
We had a busy weekend pulling the engine out of the mustang! Luckily my husband's friend was over from the UK as 3 pairs of hands and strength were invaluable! It was quite a beast to get out. We didn't have enough height on the car to drop the engine out below, so had to pull it out the front. We had to cut the front out of the mustang as the hoist didn't have enough height to get over it. The cats proved a bit problematic but once we managed to free the manifolds there was a lot of jiggling and brute force then it was free!
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Originally Posted by egchewy79
