Grassroots priced Cobra Body?

I may be able to get a cobra chasis really cheap or free. It doesn't have a body and will need some work to fit any body so I'm not too concerned about which model. I'm trying to find a body that is cheaper than the 5k I see some of the kit companies list them for. It will be for a race car, so price is more important than being in mint condition. Do any grm'ers know of source or where to look for a reasonably priced body.

I don't have any links handy but I've stumbled across off- brand builders sites that had them new for $3500 and I've regularly seen bodies on ebay for $600-800.

eBay, Look for the shell valley bodies. Avoid the CMC ones like the plague.

The Shell Valley bodies that were made without chassis were built for putting onto old MG's and the like so the doors are glassed in and they are exceedingly strong as they were not built for supported tube frames. This reduces the number of braces that you will have to make to fit the body enormously.

Also if you are going to do this keeping the doors glassed in place like the old kits gives the body a lot of stability.

Thanks for the tips. Having the doors glassed in would be a great. I guess I'll keep looking on ebay.

Bodies? We got no bodies. We don't need no stinking bodies!

That wouldn't be in the Locost category, would it?

We've expanded the Locost class for any specials, including real race cars. bring it on.

Oh, and just because the thread is titled "grassroots priced..." doesn't mean he's talking about the Challenge.

Good point. Missed that part.

So essentially, anything that has four wheels and goes (kind of) fast could be a Locost car?

mw wrote: Thanks for the tips. Having the doors glassed in would be a great. I guess I'll keep looking on ebay.

It really simplifies the build as well. It basically becomes a Manx in cobra form. And from personal experience but more then 500 hp into a cobra replica and you will need all the strength you can get.

800+ and you can pop the doors open and crack body on launch even with a frame made of with rail road ties.

Per Schroeder wrote: We've expanded the Locost class for any specials, including real race cars. bring it on.

That's cool. I've always thought that was the way it should be!

Woody wrote:

Per Schroeder wrote: We've expanded the Locost class for any specials, including real race cars. bring it on.

That's cool. I've always thought that was the way it should be!

cool.

Actually, I was hoping for a class for home built formula cars to give me even more incentive to build something, but this is a good start.

This won't be a challenge car. The rest of the parts will be too expensive, but it will be very cheap by cobra standards. Also it is not a typical cobra ladder frame, but a proper space frame so it should be able to handle a reasonable amount of power and still be able to turn.

Heres one, but you could get it for ~700. Even has a frame under it. Looks like a older Excalibur.

http://ventura.craigslist.org/ctd/1522764597.html

on that note, are there any other ideas for a grassroots priced cobra? Is there any way to get a hold of a kit that someone started and can't/won't finish? I would love a Cobra or Locost roadster, but don't want to spend $40,000 to build one...

HRFB

The ad is gone already, but I heard that there was someone on the Minneapolis Craigslist this morning GIVING away a Cobra replica body.