King Cobra Build in Oregon

[79PaceKar]

Now for happier news. I found a 78 with a T-Top. Going to look it over tomorrow. It is a roller, no engine or trans. Has a solid body and lots of extra parts. But I have mine. Just need to swap parts and paint body. I really do like the T-Tops model best. Will post results later. Larry

 

[IICrew]

It is amazing to me what appears to be surface damage totals cars now days. I know they are designed to crumple to protect passengers. That just does not look totaled. Back when I was young that is a doghouse, maybe yank the left frame rail back into shape. Spray out the interior to get rid of the blood. Replace the windshield to get rid of the hair imbedded in the cracks. Then sell it to a new owner as the previous one didn't make it. Back then the car survived. You may or may not. Now days I have seen some crashes where you are certain they are severely injured if they survived at all. Yet they walk away with minor scratches.

Good to hear another t top may be resurrected! The cowl shake sucks but the holes in the roof are awesome!

 

[LILCBRA]

I agree, I wouldn't think that that would be totalled. Wonder if the adjuster just wanted to get his hands on it.... lol

 

[85GTStangGuy]

I think one can request a copy of the insurance estimate to see the numbers they came up with to determine it was totaled.

 

[2Blue2]

I agree
Not a lot of damage for a total loss

 

[79PaceKar]

Went I went over the ensure I had gotten all the stuff out of the Challenger, the show manager showed my an area not visible unless you pull the fender. Shows the radiator core support had been pushed when bent it. I also pushed to the left and, well lots of internal damage.. I asked, because my wife loved that car, if we bought the car and payed to have it ......back in a minute Sorry someone looking to buy my truck knocking on the window. So i asked about paying and the shop said they would not do the work after having the insurance total it. Seems they would be lots of liability. So we went looking for another one. No deal. found a 2009 at the Ford dealer where our friend works. She test drove a Mustang. Got to take a ride in the E-Mustang. Would not buy one because THEY DONT MAKE ANY NOISE!!!!!!. So she ordered an new 2024 Mustang !! Surprised me and the salesman (salesperson)(salesrepresentative).... Ordered a yellow one. found out Ford has not offered Yellow Mustang for several years.....True yellow that is. Arrives in Sept or Oct. Happy wife; happy life

 

[Enzio]

? What

 

[79PaceKar]

Went to inspect the T-Top It;s a 77 Cobra, no power train but has everything else except the dash. Lots of rust in the engine compartment but all surface except the battery area which is not to bad. The radiator support was cut at the top so who ever could remove the engine. But I have a really good one in my black spare parts 75. Made an offer less then asking, but he said since I will be restoring the Mustang he took to offer. Then showed me boxes and boxes of spare parts along with a spare door, hood and back hatch. Also has a spare cowling. Going up Friday to pick it up. The only thing I saw missing was the supports that go from the fire wall to each shock tower. I guess they did not put these on a 4 cyl car. Has a spare set of T-top glass......Then showed why he is getting out of doing cars and racing. Has an addition 2 that he races.. Showed us a 40 boat!!! Thinking about having the body sand blasted. Was thinking about having it dipped, but that is a lot of work prepping and how do I get a car body only there. That's it for now. Larry

 

[IICrew]

I am sure it is totaled. I was just comparing back then to now days. They fold on purpose now. Air bags are ridiculously expensive as well. If they deploy the cost sky rockets. Back then you could straighten a frame. Now days they are all unibody and even a front left hit can damage the right rear of the cars structure. Resulting in rigidity lost. Then if there is another wreck after repairs you can rest assured it will not crumple predictably. thus insurance says totaled on a lot of things that could have been fixed in years gone by.

From my understanding all t top cars came with the strut bars and the torque boxes. I know for sure the v6 did as well as the v8. Check for torque boxes. If it does not have either I suspect the t tops were added later. If your installing a v8, or even a souped up 4 cylinder you need to get or make the torque boxes and strut bars. I have them as well as frame ties on mine and the cowl still shakes a lot more then even the convertible '85 I used to drive.

As an aside check the metal trim around the t top. It is basically aluminum L shaped metal around the opening. It is what you see with the t tops in place. The 78 v6 I have they are one piece and the tops lign up pretty flush with the roof line. On Christine they are 3 pieces and the drivers side t top sticks up more then I would like. I think the difference is made in house or made by the aftermarket place. Yours being a 77 I suspect they will be 3 pieces but am curious.

 

[79PaceKar]

Thanks for the input. I did not see the supports, but they could be one of many boxes of parts. The trim around the T-Tops looked like one piece but I did not inspect all that closely. They are factory installed. i will post photo of them when I pick the Mustang up.

The radiator support was cut. I have my 75 V6 parts car with a good support. Hoping this will work??? Old school rims, but are 13 inch. found some 13 tires at Tire Rack on line. Not as expensive as I though.

The only real rust is in the engine compartment. I am thinking of have this sand blased. Checked into having the body dipped but that is expensive and I would need to strip the body.

Selling the 48 Ford pickup truck to make space here. Had two people they would come by to look this weekend, but no one showed up. Putting it on Facebox/Ebay in the morning.

 

[IICrew]

I love those hurricane wheels. Wish we could still get 225/60/13's. They fit the rear of my old II in the 80's and looked great.

I have seen a few with the core support cut and just cannot see why. I can drop a 302 and trans with headers and belts installed into and out of there without any issues. Just have to remove the fan. Plug the trans output. I usually use a rubber glove and duct tape but they make plugs for it. The glove and tape method protects the tunnel a little as it tends to rub there. Leave the headers loose so they can move around. Jack the assend up so the nose tilts down. Installing, I jack the front end up as the trans clears the tunnel. Removal I drop it down as the trans clears the tunnel. Last couple times I used a tilt thingy on the engine hoist which makes it sooooo much easier than standing on the output housing of the trans. They fit like a glove. A kids glove being stretched onto a giants hand but still. One brand of headers is a pain ( hedmans, I lay the passenger header in the bay first) but the other two brands (blackjack and hookers) fit fine going in as an assembly. Just leave them loose until the engine is in place.

That engine bay is barren. Looks like it's actually in really good shape though. The battery tray is gone but looks like it is solid underneath the tray. Christine was rotted all the way through there. Down to the seam at the frame rail. Only place on it that rusted through. The battery probably leaked some acid on her. I had to cut about 12 x 8 area of metal out it was so swiss cheesed. One reason the battery is in the spare tire well now.

Hopefully the t top parts are there. If not they will be easy to make. I can get you detailed pics and measurements if you cannot find them.

Check behind the front wheels for the torque boxes. The pics below are what the torque boxes look like. I have seen 1 car where they were only welded. May have been added later on that car. Christine has them welded to the subframe and bolted to the wheel well/floor board. The weld was very poor from the factory and broke or just didn't stick on the passenger side at the rail. I had to re-weld it there. So double check their welds.

Anywhere the brackets or boxes penetrate the body have another strip of metal as a backer to samich the sheet metal between the steel.

Ignore the rust. These were taken before I treated and painted the chassis.

 

[LILCBRA]

Looks like the core support was damaged, so they probably cut it to get the engine out. Otherwise, from the few pics you've shared, it looks like it could be a good project candidate.

I also has a set of those wheels years ago. Put them on a car I threw together for my sister so she could sell it. Seems like I shared a pic of that car somewhere here in the forums, but I don't remember if it had those wheels on it in the pic. But they really added a little something to it compared to the stock hubcaps it had on it to begin with.

 

[LILCBRA]

Didn't take long to find it.

I'm on a "vacation" of sorts due to the Corona and visiting friends and family in Iowa. I'm staying with my sister and she breaks out an old photo album and says if there's anything in it that I want to go through it and help myself. In going through it I found a pic of an old II that I swapped the 2.3 4 speed for a 302 4 speed and added a set of wheels and tires I had. It was my sister's car that she got because someone owed her money, so technically it wasn't one of mine, but I did the swap with parts I had laying around. She ended up selling it and making more than what was owed. She tells me every once in a while that she should've kept it. But in the pic is my brother in law and 2 of my nieces, both of whom now have babies of their own. It's really too bad I can't find more pics of this one, it was pretty nice!

 

[79PaceKar]

I found some 225/60R/13 at tire rack. Drag and off road but lots of other sizes.

One of the extra day instrument display has a 160MPH speedo. Were these used on the export model only? Didn't look close enough to see if it was MPH or KPH. Will post photo Saturday.

 

[extra_stout]

KPH has 220... at least mine.

 

[79PaceKar]

Got the T-top Mustang home. The speedo I mention is a 120 MPH. Will not be using this so will put it on ebay to see if someone can use it. comes with three other displays to ensure there are extra parts.

The body has a lot more rust on the undercarriage then I had thought, but looks good. Found the support brackets mentioned above. No supports in the engine compartment. Will call Phil to see if he has set.

I have a thought. So those with a weak heart may want to stop here. considering cost I am looking into the option of taking the T-top section and cutting this off and putting this on my yellow Mustang. Just wondering if anyone has know of or seen this being done? Just wondering.

 

[LILCBRA]

I have a thought. So those with a weak heart may want to stop here. considering cost I am looking into the option of taking the T-top section and cutting this off and putting this on my yellow Mustang. Just wondering if anyone has know of or seen this being done? Just wondering.

I don't recall seeing anyone do it, but I've thought about doing this to my car - if I found a suitable donor. I think it might be pretty straightforward if you had the whole car (which you fortunately do....). Would love to see what's involved beyond the obvious and what I already know. I'm all for it if you go that route!!

 

[2Blue2]

I am looking into the option of taking the T-top section and cutting this off and putting this on my yellow Mustang.

What are the benefits of this approach?

 

[LILCBRA]

What are the benefits of this approach?

My opinion, it would most likely be less metal work in the long run since his car is more or less in the reassembly phase. You'd know what you have to work with vs starting over on an unknown body.

For my case, it would depend on how solid the other car appears to be. I've already had my car completely stripped down and know what it still needs plus what has popped up over the 20+ years since I had it apart. Would still love to have a T-top car!

I actually could've had the chance to have done this about 20 years ago - shortly after I started reassembling mine. But I didn't have the space nor some of the tools I would've needed at the time. I unfortunately had to let the T-top car go to scrap.

 

[IICrew]

If I was a better fabricator that would happen to the orange t top car I have and the Mach I. Mach I roof is all mangled. The car flew dukes of hazard style and cracked all the factory welds on the pillars. Roof itself is buckled and warped. The TTop car is a basic v6. The floor rotted away and the right subframe is rotted through causing the car to sag at the fender/door seam. I may tackle it at some point but I don't think I could do them justice. Maybe when that rich uncle gets out of the poorhouse I can afford to pay someone to do it.

The factory welded the roof on so it is doable. One of the posts here had t tops added. Iirc he bought it with t tops but it did not have any of the reinforcements and he stated the car had been hit pretty hard in its previous life. I think he said they cut the car almost in half repairing the damage. I posted about the torque boxes and monte carlo bar in his thread so it should be easy to find. Not that it helps you but it would be proof it is doable.

Here is his thread. https://stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/1976-cobra-build.914621/