Cobra Buildup, Part 1

Similar to that on the original, FFR's bare chassis is made of 4-inch round-tube steel with plenty of 3/4-inch square-tube supports and framework. All brackets and mounting points are in place and ready for bolt-on installation.

Here are the complete front suspension assembly pieces, including the donor spindle and lower control arm. The kit is supplied with Carrera adjustable shocks, chromed coilover springs, upper ball joints, tubular upper A-arms, and ball-joint mounts.

Attach the ball-joint mount to the spindle with the stock strut mounting bolts from the donor. These OEM fasteners are stronger than almost anything a homebuilder can buy. The stock ball joint on '84-'93 Fox-body cars is an ultralow-friction piece with improved inner bushings. The Ford Motorsport part number is M-3075-A.

Included with the Carrera coilover shocks are ties and clips to secure the top hat on the assembly, which keeps everything together during installation. The shocks also have urethane bushings. Position the shock on the lower control arm and upper shock mount and bolt in place.

Using Grade 8 bolts and nylock nuts, bolt the tubular A-arm in place. Tighten the bolts lightly at this stage, since final alignment will need to be done once the car is together.

This is one side of the completed front suspension assembly once the disc-brake rotors and hubs are installed. The brake calipers and brake lines come later.

The Mustang steering rack bolts on to brackets on the front crossmember. Factory Five prefers the 15:1-ratio Mustang rack (some early Fox-based cars used an 18:1), which the company converts to manual duty by removing the tubes and lines for the power assist. These Ford units don't rely on power-steering fluid for lubrication, which allows them to be utilized manually. If power steering is desired, you will need the power-steering bracket from a non-A/C 5.0 motor. Nonair-conditioned cars locate the pump higher, and this allows the pump to clear the steering shaft.

The track of the FFR replica is 3/4-inch narrower than the donor's per side so that the wheels will have an original look. When the tie rods are installed, they need to be shortened by 3/4 inch on each side so that the wheels point straight ahead. The tie rod is mounted to the spindle with a castle nut and cotter pin.

Mount the tires and wheels, and this is what the completed frontend assembly should look like. Now you're ready to move on to the rear suspension setup.

Here are the rear antiroll bar and stock lower control arms.

A rear lower control-arm bracket is included with the kit to lower the mounting point. This preserves the factory geometry while allowing for the lower frame mounting point with the round-tube chassis. Without the bracket, severe squatting would occur. With these brackets, the car has a lower ride height even with a live axle.

Bolt on the stock upper control arms, and the 8.8-inch rearend is ready to install on the chassis.

Slide the rearend assembly under the chassis and bolt the control arms to the brackets. When installing the rear springs, it is important that the spring not move in the seat. Cut a slit in the stock rubber gasket to insert it in the seat. Ride height of the rear is adjustable by turning the coil spring in its seat to either raise or lower the car. The rearend is installed and waiting. Once the engine and transmission are in place, the driveshaft has to be shortened by 10-1/2 inches.

The rolling chassis is now ready for routing and connection of the brake lines.

The stock pedal-box assembly easily slides into position on its bracket and is bolted into place.

Spread a bead of silicone on the upper tubes in the rear of the engine compartment to add strength and keep the aluminum firewall panel from vibrating or producing air leaks. The panel should be riveted in place starting from the middle and working toward the outside.

The stock gas tank and tank straps are used for a simple bolt-in installation.

After the engine and transmission are cleaned up, the whole package is lowered into place on the chassis, where it is bolted to the pre-positioned motor mounts.

We're ready to roll on to the next stage. This is the virtually complete chassis, with the exception of items such as plumbing, wiring, the radiator install, and the rest of the aluminum inner panels. KC

This is how the Factory Five Racing kit is shipped to your door. There is a $350 crating charge, and shipping charges depend on how far from the factory the crate has to travel. Shipping will never exceed $1,200.

Factory Five Racing began its business with a relatively simple vision, that of putting a Cobra in the hands of every person who has the skills to build one. To realize that vision, certain criteria had to be established, the most important being affordability. Based on considerable study of the Cobra-replica business, Factory Five set the target for well under $20,000 to build a complete replica, then went about establishing procedures that would allow it to hit that goal. One major key to the Factory Five program is the use of a single donor car that supplies more than just the engine and drivetrain. The natural donor was the 5.0 Mustang, the performance-car bargain of the last decade.

The donor parts needed to build an FFR Cobra replica include the complete engine, transmission, driveshaft, and 8.8-inch rearend assembly with coil springs and quad shocks; the front and rear brake assemblies, master cylinder, emergency-brake handle, and pedal box; front spindles and lower control arms; the radiator and cooling-fan shroud; the fuel tank with integral pump, cap, mounting straps, and fuel filter; the steering rack, shaft, and upper steering column with ignition switch and stalk switches; the gauge cluster; and the computer module and wiring harness for the engine, dash, lights, and fuel tank. You can also utilize the wheels and tires, though you may want to purchase more authentic Cobra fare. Most of the rest of what you need comes with the kit, which sells for $9,900.

Over the next several issues we will be publishing a series of articles on the complete buildup of a Factory Five Cobra replica. We will concentrate on all the details of building a car at home, from putting together a rolling chassis and powertrain installation to the body and interior assembly--in short, everything it takes to get one of these cars on the open road.

This first installment concerns putting the suspension, drivetrain, pedal assembly, gas tank, and some initial aluminum inner panels in place. Rather than give you some lengthy copy to read, we will show you installation photos with brief descriptions of each step. Keep in mind that you may want to modify or change some of the components as you go along, and the kit has that kind of flexibility. However, the FFR kit was designed to use as many parts as possible from the Mustang donor.