The $11,990 kit (2003) included:
Frame, body, windshield, and associated hardware
Front and rear suspension components and hardware
Wiring harness
Engine compartment, trunk, dash, and interior aluminum panels
Side exhaust and assembly
Steering wheel
Seats
Interior trim
Quick jacks and one rollbar hoop
Lighting and associated hardware assemblies
Roller gas cap, chrome door latches and handles
Chrome side and rearview mirrors
Shifter with boot and trim ring
Radiator fan and assembly
Simpson seat harness
Interior carpeting
Assorted fasteners, dash buttons, ignition, and other required switches
Fuel and brake lines
Weatherstripping
Oil filter relocator
Battery tray and cable
Assembly manual
Options (approximately $3,500):
IRS with pin drive width assembly (rear suspension upgrade) Pin drive width IFS brackets
Passenger side rollbar
Four-into-four ceramic coated tubular headers
Leather interior upgrades
Polyurethane motor and transmission mounts
Parts the owner supplied or modified (since he didn't go the donor Mustang route):
All new drivetrain-engine, transmission, clutch assembly, flywheel, bellhousing, and driveshaft
Powdercoated the frame
Billet serpentine pullies and brackets
Flaming River steering rack
Turn signal
Braided stainless steel fuel hoses with AN fittings
Chrome alternator
Starter
Battery
Gas tank
Fuel pump and regulator
Auto Meter vintage gauges
High-performance radiator
Master cylinder
Brakes, calipers, and rotors
Pre-bent brake lines
Stainless steel flexible front and rear brake lines
Pedal box, gas pedal, and custom pedal covers
Lokar e-brake handle and custom trim ring
Tires and wheels
MSD ignition components
Custom fresh air vents
Heater
Upgraded loop carpet, weather stripping, and dash switches
Custom made polished aluminum radiator shroud, cowl, and surrounding panels
Custom door panels
Throttle cable and custom-made throttle bracket
Polished aluminum coolant de-gas and a polished stainless overflow tank
Chrome corrugated radiator and heater hoses
Chromed the rollbars
Replaced the glass packs in the side pipes with Lobaks, re-welded and chromed
Chrome over-riders to replace the quick jacks
Wind wings and sun visors
Weather connectors
Bodywork and paint
And much more small stuff
The only donor parts were:
Donor rearend (1987 - 1992 Thunderbird Super Coupe with 8.8" ring gear, 3.27 gears and traction lock)-rebuilt
Donor spindles front-SN95, rear-stock Thunderbird Super Coupe-re-drilled for 4.50" pattern to match bolt patter on the SN95 spindles up front
Curtis and his son, Chris, primarily worked on the roadster in the evenings and on weekends. Chris especially helped with riveting, assembling suspension components, bleeding the brakes, putting tools and car parts back where they belonged, and keeping his dad company in the garage. Curtis shared that the toughest task in the build was wiring the vehicle, followed by learning how to best tune the EFI stack.
By January of 2006, the FFR 427SC roadster was finished. Curtis' total monetary investment in the project was just under $50,000. Aside from getting married and raising two great kids, he believes that building the Cobra is the biggest accomplishment of his life to date. With little mechanical experience, but a wealth of planning and perseverance, Curtis and his clan were able to build the FFR that won Best in Class at Knotts' in '06 among 80 other roadsters, and two other Best in Class awards for 2006.
What we haven't revealed about the rookie's replica build is that Curtis befriended Russ Thompson shortly after returning from Hot August Nights in '03. Russ let Curtis drive his supercharged FFR roadster. We imagine that was the moment when Curtis opted for stacked EFI over carburetion. It's probably also when Curtis realized he couldn't resist making his Cobra dreams a reality.
Without the support of his wife and family, the help of technical experts on the FFR Web forum, and the advice and assistance from Russ Thompson, Curtis' roadster would have remained a dream. As would the memory of the build, the father-son bonding, the many awards won, and the 3,000 miles logged with Chris riding shotgun and manning the laptop (to monitor the EFI's fuel and air mix). And to think it all started with a visit to Hot August Nights, and piloting a blown FFR with Russ' consent to open up the throttle and let her gallop. Giddy up!
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 Topped with a Verycoolparts.com...  Topped with a Verycoolparts.com stacked electronic fuel injection system, the Keith Craft Racing balanced and blueprinted 408ci Ford Windsor-based stroker engine offers plenty of torque and horsepower. The engine's rated at 500 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. A Tremec 3550 five-speed backs it. When Curtis and his son, Chris, first lowered the engine/trans within the engine bay, Curtis' wife, Mary, and his 19-year-old daughter, Lauren, made sure no engine bay aluminum panels were hit. |
 The Moto-Lita black leather-wrapped...  The Moto-Lita black leather-wrapped steering wheel fits the Cobra's heritage to a tee. Craftsmen build Moto-Lita wheels in Great Britain. The owner used an American Autowire harness for the Cobra and to wire in the Auto Meter Vintage gauges. |
 Curtis installed the leather...  Curtis installed the leather Factory Five Racing Street Performers seats, which include Simpson safety harnesses. |
 Without a spare tire taking...  Without a spare tire taking up most of the space, Cobra trunks offer a fair bit of storage capacity. The owner lined the trunk with black wool carpet. |
 Lobaks side pipes/mufflers...  Lobaks side pipes/mufflers look almost as sweet as they sound. |
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