GTSparkplugs

Well this is the separate start of the Flog story of the VSE Cobra. This story starts in a place far far away a long long time ago. In an era where gas was less then 2 dollars.

Itching for a project after selling my 1969 Chevelle SS 396 (Had a 427 in it) and having a job out of college I decided to start looking for a car project. Having income helped. I was lucky to be in the fast paced field of computers (sounds like a Devry add) and was working as a software developer. In my quest for a light car, I came across a Kit Car magazine. In looking caught some review of various Cobra Kits. One that was especially hot was the Herb Adams VSE Cobra monocoque chassis. At the time I was not a huge fan of the Cobra but it was starting to grow on me, so I ordered a steel backbone chassis, with the intention of collecting and paying for the parts as I went along. AND besides that Herb was an old GM guy and I loved the Big Block Chevy and had an aluminum block stashed away from a few years of horse trading (Ends up might be a Chevy Can-Am block, hard to say). Likely could get the car down into the 2200 lb mark with a Rat motor. The math sounded good.

About a week after ordering the chassis I get a call from Herb and Matt (his son) they they had an all aluminum version of the chassis that the customer didn’t like the look of the welding. The customer was very particular since it was to be used at the Pebble Beach concourse for the Aluminum manufacturing consortium so it had to be perfect. I understand that they ended up flying in a ringer to weld up one for the show. So for a bit more scratch I stretched for it, got a good deal and it was already done. What did I care I was living with my aunt in a rented room so I could afford it! So well on my way for the collecting the parts. I had a few weeks to gather the needed funds and It would be mine.

A couple of weeks later Me, my friend Richard, and our ‘Old Ladies’ made a trip up to San Fransisco then on the way back stopped in Monterey to pick it up. At the time VSE was being run out of Herbs home in his super larger workshop. We popped the the entire chassis on the top of my friends work truck and we were on our way. It was pretty light as I recall… but that could have been because we were young and in shape!

Back to the garage at my parents house, and close the garage door.

See you next time for more of the VSE Cobra story

Goto www.gtsparkplugs.com and you will find more about the VSE Cobra

Well not much new. Have to go and yank the motor out in the next week (VSE Cobra). BUMMED about that screw job. The next thing is to get the tiger under way. Hopefully no FLOG shit will happen with this job. I have gathered a bunch of parts already for the Tiger transformation. Got the word that the pistons are ready from Ross, and they are on their way. Have a David Kee top loader under construction, picked up the bell housing. Just waiting on the new Dana ring and pinion and Dana Truetrac (really a Torsen I think). Dale at Dale’s restoration has also some tips on fixing up the Dana 44 to support real axles instead of the 2 piece that the Tiger’s have. Waiting on the Tiger pan from Armondo’s racing Pans and lastly the cam selection. The cam selection (Solid Roller) is the tricky part. Heads should be good to 7500, but not sure that I want to hammer the Tiger motor that hard. Looking line one of the Comp-Cams ‘Street Rollers’. I hate the sound of that already. The 2 that I’m looking at are the 35-771 and 35-772 for 351W motors. They look either will get the work done, just at what point in the RPM range. The 772 looks good on desktop dyno to about 7200 and the 771 about 7k. so both are pretty close but the 771’s area under the curve looks actually better. Maybe smaller is better?

I will move this over from the static FLOG that is on the www.gtsparkplugs.com site. Just need more time

The Ripper