all contributors: D. Brian Smith
Due diligence is a fancy way to say research. Having strong investigative skills is very beneficial in business and in personal pursuits. Cobra aficionado Ron Gin of San Francisco, California, is an associate vice president, financial advisor, and a retirement planning specialist for a large, well-respected investment corporation. When the time came to turn dreams of Cobra ownership into reality, his planning and due diligence skills came into play. He investigated several Cobra manufacturers and selected a Cutting Edge Replicas kit for five compelling reasons
1. He liked the billet suspension and components.
2. The company is local to him (90 miles away from San Francisco, in Manteca).
3. Cutting Edge let him build his car at their shop, allowed him to use their tools, and helped him when needed.
4. Price comparisons to other kits were favorable, after researching and adding upgrades to other kits.
5. The company is comprised of good people.
Working about one day a week, Ron assembled his Cutting Edge Cobra in 14 months. He would spend a Saturday or Sunday and wrench away between four and 12 hours at a time. This being his first attempt at a handcrafted vehicle, Ron's past customizing efforts were limited. He installed headers, carbs, and an Accel turbocharger on a '75 Chevy back in the day. He told us, "The kit is fairly simple to put together, but requires lots of planning. Expect that there will be delays, putting things on backward/upside down, and doing a lot of things twice!" Sound familiar?
 | 
Color Glo trimmed the seats in black leather. Ford Racing safety harnesses keep occupants where they need to be at speed. | 
Wired in by Autotrend EFI, the dashboard is filled with Auto Meter Cobra gauges, Auto Meter angled bezels, and Auto Meter toggle switches. |
The trunk's fit and finish are every bit as nice as the Cobra's exterior. Notice the Le Mans stripes adorning the trunk's underbelly. Ken's Custom Auto Body performed the creative and first-class body and paintwork on the roadster. | 
Ron wanted a polished stainless and billet aluminum racing theme as opposed to the bling bling of chrome. Check out the Aldan Eagle coilover shocks attached to the cantilever billet control arms. | |
Facts Box
Ron Gin
San Francisco, California
Cutting Edge Replicas Cobra
| CHASSIS |
| Frame: | 4" round main tubes built by Cutting Edge Replicas |
| Wheelbase: | 90" |
| Rearend: | 8.8-inch Ford, 3.73 gears |
| Rear Suspension: | independent, cantilever, billet aluminum, Aldan Eagle coilover dual adjustable shocks |
| Rear Brakes: | Wilwood, 4-piston, drilled & slotted 11 21/32" rotors, stainless hoses |
| Front Suspension: | cantilever, billet aluminum, Aldan Eagle coilover dual adjustable shocks |
| Front Brakes: | Wilwood, 4-piston, drilled & slotted 13" rotors, stainless hoses, Wilwood triple pedal assembly (front, rear, clutch) |
| Steering: | Woodward rack-and-pinion |
| Front Wheel Make & Size: | Pin Drive, polished PS Engineering 17x9" |
| Rear Wheel Make & Size: | Pin Drive, Polished PS Engineering 17x12" |
| Front Tire Make & Size: | 265x40ZRx17, Pirelli P-Zero |
| Rear Tire Make & Size: | 335x35ZRx17 Pirelli P-Zero |
| ENGINE & TRANS |
| Make: | Ford 351Windsor stroked to 408 cid, Comp Eliminator by Ford Performance Solutions, Aviaid 8 qt. Cobra oil pan |
| Alternator: | Chrome GM, March serpentine pulleys |
| Heads: | Aluminum fabricated valve covers with breather catch can set up |
| Induction: | polished TWM fuel injection, center fuel rails wired and tuned by Autotrend EFI, Diamond Springs, CA |
| Air Cleaner: | Homemade screens inserted between radius horns and throttle body |
| Ignition: | Accel, wired by Autotrend EFI |
| Headers: | CermaKrome ceramic coated |
| Mufflers: | polished Stainless steel |
| Transmission: | TKO, 5-speed with .82 final drive |
| Shifter: | Pro 5.0 midshift kit, custom shifter arm, "8" ball because the serial number is 008 |
| Trans Mods: | Stainless steel fuel lines, AN fittings, dual fuel filters, small Rock Racing Battery |
| BODY |
| Manufacturer: | Cutting Edge Replicas, www.cuttingedgereplicas.com |
| Body Mods: | none |
| Bodywork: | Ken's Custom Auto Body |
| Paint Type: | Nissan Midnight Navy Blue/GM White stripes/BMW Red pinstripes |
| Painter: | Ken's Custom Auto Body, Yuba City, CA |
| Custom features: | Polished stainless 1 1/2" roll bar, Billet door hinges, polished stainless steel quick jacks, Polished stainless steel tri-wing nuts, Lucas Tri-bar-style headlights with clear turn signals, 20 gal. fuel tank |
| INTERIOR |
| Gauges: | Auto Meter Cobra gauges, plus clock, Auto Meter angled bezels, Auto Meter toggle switches |
| Wiring: | Painless/custom (done by Autotrend EFI) |
| Steering Wheel: | 14" Moto-Lita leather |
| Seating: | mid-back, both on sliders |
| Upholsterer: | Color Glo, Manteca, California |
| Material: | leather seats, heat insulation around footbox, sound insulation, black Mercedes carpet |
| Custom features: | Santana billet cup holders, heated seats, retractable Schroth racing harnesses with cutout switch, Painless GM courtesy lights under the dash (very cool at night when your girlfriend can't see) substitute as a map light, Secret Audio
10-CD radio (can be operated by RF remote) with JL Audio speakers, extra 12v outlet for cell phone charging, Cobra Earl's vent kit, Hotronics battery cutoff switch |