Field Trip

On Saturday I travelled to Winton Raceway with the Victoria Cobra Car Club to check out ShelbyFest 2011.

I was lucky enough to score a ride up and back with one of the committee members in his Dax Cobra - fantastic!

JB dropped me at home, and was kind enough to give my son a short ride. He loved it!

It also gave us a chance to see what a Cobra looks like in my driveway! Guess what - it looks GREAT!

Step 1 - The Roll-A-Door

My first step was to clear the area of the overgrowth (already done).

Secondly, before I modify anything behind the fence (including removing the gate) I need to put a roll-a-door in so I can secure the back yard - otherwise the dogs would run away!

So this was done - and I went with the indoor remote motorised version, hence the temporary roofing to protect it from the weather until the proper roof is done.

The door width is 2.5m, which is a good width, however I am a little concerned about manoeuvrability (being able to drive the finished vehicle in and out easily may be a problem).

One solution is to have the back of the shed open or open-able to allow for multi-point turns inside. Need to check this out more...

The Wanna-Be Garage

So, to my initial problem. Where to build the Cobra?

I considered renting space nearby, but a big part of my motivation is to spend time with my son (and I don't want to totally alienate the rest of my family), so it would be  heaps better if I could work on it at home.

We have a double carport, but our local planning caveats prevent me closing it in, and anyway I like the carport how it is, plus I don't want to lose the existing car spaces!

I measured out the space behind my front fence (an 8' brick wall) and to the side of my carport. There is a good area that, once cleared and modified, would measure about 5.5m by 3.5m, so that is where I am focussing.

 To do this I need to add a roll-a-door, remove the smaller existing woodshed, remove some oft he existing brick fence and gate, relocate the gas meter and water tap, level and concrete the ground, place a roof over the top, wire it up (for power!) and build one side wall.

Welcome to my first blog!

I've long had an ambition to build my own Shelby Cobra replica. Creating this blog, I think, will help make sure I turn this dream into reality.

What is a Shelby Cobra you ask? Click here to see the Wiki entry...

It actually started at a picnic one day with my friend David (your fault!), who was hankering after a small project for himself - a motorbike rebuild like an old Norton or something - and the conversation led to cars and inevitably to the Cobra.

That was nearly 10 years ago.

My first problem is that I have nowhere to build it at home. And with two teenagers, life is pretty busy. Plus of-course there is the issue of cost!

Things change, and as my son approached his teenage years, I thought rather than leave it as a retirement project, it would be good to share this with him now. So onto the blog to map out the story...