Hi from Botswana

[Mark S]

Hello everyone,



Well I am now happy to be part of the Cobra Club , having just purchased my first AC Cobra replica, which is even more awesome than I thought.



I got it through an estate, it had been neglected for the last 3 years in the Cape Town damp so there is a bit of corrosion but it’s not too bad. All the vehicle needs is a lot of TLC.



It was parked in a garage with a concrete roof, which leaked the water dripped onto the body work – leaving some substance that leeched out of the concrete. I have tried acid and alkaline based solvents to get it off but with no luck – any ideas.



I will eventually repaint the car and need ideas for a paint scheme – preferably not a dark colour as the sun is very strong here in summer. Is there anywhere on the net I can go to get ideas?



I drove the car up from Cape Town to Gaborone (1600km) last week and enjoyed most of the drive, but the sun was a killer especially through Karroo. It handles well on a good surface but some of the roads are traveled by heavy trucks that leave longituninal ruts in the road, this caused the car to be very skittish at speeds above 120kph, is there something in the setup that would reduce this? It has the Jag rear suspension but I have no idea what is in the front.



The indicators and hooter also do not work – I took it to an auto electrician before I left and was informed that the whole switching mechanism was broken and needed to be replaced, but he was not sure from what vehicle it came – to me it looks like a Ford Cortina or some other British Ford design – anyone know?



Can one purchase a soft top for the car?



Any advice would be appreciated.



Regards



Mark

[CD427JAG]

Welcome to the club Mark
When I was in Capetown last year I hired a Shamrock Cobra for a few days, I dont remember the guys name but his cell no. is 0833219193. He might be able to identify the make and help source the parts you need. Cant help with the body but a paint job seems the answer.

Best of luck
Charlie:thumb:

[nbracken]

Mark welcome and congratulations - hope you found the site helpful. If you have not already joined the UK CRC as a member then I would urge you to do so - well worth the money just for the great magazine that you get every couple of months or so.

Re your questions, I think you would ind it hepful if you posted a few pictures of your car here so that fellow members can help identify what it is - the other questions you have will be so much easier to answer once that is established. Also identifying things like the indicator switch will also be easier.

If your car has Jag rear suspension then the front will also probably be the same - again a few pics would help. Regarding the tendancy to follow ruts made by the trucks, that is a fact of life in any car with good grip and big tyres however it would be worth checking your suspension set up for all the basics (camber/castor/alignment). first step for that is to iddentify what it is. If it is Jag based then something close to teh Jaguar factory settings would not be a bad place to start. Also check tyre pressures - there are plenty of other posts on this subject on the forum so do a search and have a good read - similarly on suspensiopn set up.

Look forward to seeing the pics. Attached is my car that I recently shipped to Japan from Geremany that I built 10 years ago in the UK - they kind of get addictive!


It is easy to get a hood made in the UK but I assume that trimmers familiar with the Cobra in Botswana are not so common. Again if you know what type of kit it is it would be much easier to get one made to fit in the UK and shipped out to you.

[Bowtie]

Originally Posted by Mark S

Hello everyone,
I will eventually repaint the car and need ideas for a paint scheme – preferably not a dark colour as the sun is very strong here in summer. Is there anywhere on the net I can go to get ideas?

Light colour, got to be silver! :thumb:

[Mark S]

That is magnificent:thumb:

Thanks

Mark

[the rock doc]

Mark,

"It was parked in a garage with a concrete roof, which leaked the water dripped onto the body work – leaving some substance that leeched out of the concrete. I have tried acid and alkaline based solvents to get it off but with no luck – any ideas".


Just saw the following advert on US TV which might help::thumb:

http://flitz.com

PASTE METAL POLISH, FIBERGLASS & PAINT RESTORER
Flitz Paste Metal Polish is a concentrated cream that is unequaled in its ability to Clean, Polish, Deoxidize and Protect Brass, Copper, Silverplate, Sterling, Chrome, Stainless Steel, Nickel, Bronze, Solid Gold, Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Beryllium, Magnesium, Platinum, Pewter, Factory Hot GunBluing, Painted Surfaces, Glass, Plexiglas®, Fiberglass® and Armatel®.

Removes: Tarnish, Rust, Water Stains, Chalking, Lime Deposits, Heat Discoloration, Lead and Powder Residue, Oxidation, Bugs, Tar, Oil, Fingerprints, Tree Sap, Bird Droppings, Graffiti, Dyes and Black Streaks. Provides Tough, Durable Protection up to 6 Months in Fresh Water and up to 3 Months in Salt Water. Non-Abrasive Formula. Non-Toxic and Non-Flammable. USDA Authorized.


Cheers.

The Rock Doc

[Mark S]

Thanks everyone for all the info - nice to know that there are so many helpfull people out there:thumb: .

I have attached some pictures of the cobra as well as the wiper and light console - maybe someone can identify it? As I said in my previous post I think it is a British Ford part but no idea which.

Cheers for now

mark

[Miket]

Hi Mark and welcome, its a Ford Sierra column switch

Be carefull which you order as there are 2 types and the wiring is different, there is the type you have got with the square hazard switch on top and there is one with a round hazard switch.

[Mark S]

Thanks Mike,

That was quick, any idea what year?

I need to know as ordering parts from here can be a serious headache

Rgds

mark

[Miket]

Mark

!982/83 I would think.

I had a sierra donar vehicle which was 1985 and it had the newer round hazard switch on.

I'm sure that some of the Sumo builders on here will be able confirm if I am correct or not. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: