Firstly I need to stress that any opinions or thoughts expressed on this page are purely my own. If anybody else is reading this and considering whether to purchase their own Cobra replica then I fully recommend doing your own research, visiting the factory (and asking lots of questions), and trying to speak to some owners of the models you are considering to get their views.
I looked at the following options:
- AK Sportscars - AK427
- Crendon Replicas - CR427
- JK Sportscars - DAX427
- Gardner Douglas - GD Mk4
- Hawk Cars - Hawk 289
- Pilgrim Motorsports - Pilgrim Sumo
- XCS Designs - XCS 427
Dax was the first name that came to mind when I considered building a cobra. During my formative years the Dax Tojeiro was probably the name that was synonymous with Cobra kit cars. Dax (or DJ Sportcars as they became) were also based in Harlow, just down the road from me. The emphasis here is on the "were" as when I started looking around I found out that Dax went into administration a few years ago. They have been recently rescued by John Kox, now trading as JK Sportscars. John was the Dax agent in Belgium for many years, selling cars in Belgium, and knowing the product intimately has taken over the Dax business in the UK as of August 2017. No doubt the quality and engineering of the Dax 427 will be the same, however knowing that this project is likely to take me 3-4 years to complete, I want to be confident that the company that I buy from is going to last the distance with me!
The next company I stumbled across on my internet search was Pilgrim Motorsports. Pilgrim has been building cars since the 1960s, with their Cobra replica, the Pilgrim Sumo, having been in production since 1985. The Sumo has been through a number of iterations and the latest model is based on a semi-monocoque chassis with donor parts from a Ford Sierra or Granada. What particularly appealed to me was that the Sumo is available as a modular build. The build is broken down into 10 modules, containing all the necessary parts, that can be bought as and when you need them (or funds allow!) and allow the build to be progressed in a methodical step by step way. Moreover, one of the modules contains all the donor parts required, pre-stripped from the vehicle (although still requiring refurbishment) as well as the necessary V5 document to enable an age-related registration of the final vehicle. To be honest, the thought of having a scrap car sat on the drive while I tried to dismantle it (and the grief that I would get from my wife) was the biggest downside to embarking on this project so the concept of a donor module was extremely appealing!
In carrying out further internet based research of the Pilgrim Sumo I came across some build diaries / blogs documenting other's experience of undertaking a Sumo project (see sidebar). While not without a few issues, the build generally seemed straightforward, the quality of the Pilgrim kit got good feedback and the level of technical support provided by Pilgrim seemed to be very good. My only minor concern was whether a Sierra diff (even rebuilt) could cope with the power output from a Chevy V8.
Being of advancing years, the concept of blogs was not something that I had generally investigated previously (obviously I had heard of them but never had the desire to read one!). However having found a number of build blogs for the Pilgrim Sumo I widened my search and found blogs for builds from a number of other manufacturers.
The next kit that caught my attention was the AK427 from AK Sportscars. I found a number of build diaries on the internet for completed and in progress builds (see sidebar). Again the quality of the AK offering got good feedback and the level of technical support offered by AK seemed to be excellent. My email enquiry to AK was answered almost instantly with a request for my address and I received a brochure / information pack 2 days later. This contained details of the three chassis options that AK offer, details of the donor parts required for each (XJ6 for the Gen I / XJ40 for the Gen II / III), details and prices of the parts that AK supply and details and suggested suppliers for all the other parts required. I also received an invite to the AK open day on 20th May 2018 with an offer of a test ride in their latest demonstrator. Well it would have been rude to refuse wouldn't it?
Given (at the time of writing) the uncertainty over the emissions testing requirements for kit cars, I was thinking I would have to go down the LS3 fuel injected engine route to stand any chance of meeting the emissions requirements. One of the major appeals of AK was that they have been building LS engine based demonstrators for some time so it was obvious that going down this route would not be a problem for their kit.
(It has since been confirmed in June 2018 that the Government proposal to ensure that all kit cars pass current UK emissions requirements from 2019 will not be enforced and emissions testing will continue to be based on the year of the engine block - however I have decided to stick with the LS3 route and embrace modern technology!!)
Gardner Douglas was the next manufacturer I discovered. Not someone I had heard of previously, they seemed to be highly recommended on the UK Cobra Club forum. Having been in business since 1990, they offer two Cobra replica models, the MK3 and the MK4, which are based on the same chassis but with some slight body differences. The engineering of the GD offering looks superb with a full tubular backbone chassis and independent double wishbone suspension. Chassis options include the use of Jag donor parts or if using their latest GDEURO chassis then suspension components are all new parts including a BTR Hydrotrack differential unit meaning the only donor parts to be sourced are the engine and gearbox. Again I found a number of build diaries on line (see sidebar) although it did seem that most people went down the rolling chassis route whereas I want to do as much of the build myself as possible. However again there seemed to be no complaints about the quality of the kit.
The final two manufacturers I looked at were Hawk Cars and Crendon Replicas.
Hawk Cars, in a number of guises, have also been around for many years, and the owner Gerry Hawkridge has been the helm throughout. They are will renown in the kit car industry for their quality and engineering experience. The Hawk 289 is based unsurprising on the 289 Cobra which has slightly more classic lines and subtle styling than the more aggressive looking 427 Cobra. The Hawk 289 is based on MGB running gear, although they offer an independent front suspension upgrade and the rear live axle can be replaced with a Jag IRS. Power is provided by either Rover V8 or small block Ford V8. While no doubt another quality offering, the main selling point of the Hawk is its authenticity to the original 60s 289 and the fact that it is not a 427. While a very nice looking car, I am not wedded to the idea of authenticity and I much the prefer the aggressive styling of the 427 (and side pipes are obligatory!).
Crendon is another company that prides it self on authenticity and attention to detail. They have been in business since 1990 and their CR427 seems to have a good reputation from what I read. The chassis is based on Jag running gear, but being authentic is only configured for Ford engine options. The opinions I found on the internet also suggested that while of exceptional quality, the CR427 is at the higher end of the Cobra replica market when it comes to pricing.
A late addition to the manufacturers list was XCS designs. Obviously set up by some ex-employees of Dax / DJ Sportcars since the XCS uses the same CC&AR (Camber Compensation & Anti-Roll) system as DAX (now JK Sportcars). This looks like a beast of a car with a full space-frame chassis and the demonstrator fitted with a 630hp supercharged LS engine! Unfortunately it would appear that XCS only do turn-key cars rather than a build-your-own option so were not an option for me.
So armed with as much info as I could gleam from the internet on all the options (and brochures where manufacturers had sent then - I won't name and shame those that can't be bothered to reply to email enquiries), my next stop was the National Kit Car show at Stoneleigh on 7th May 2018 to have a proper look at the cars in the flesh and to talk to the manufacturers before making my final choice!
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