First Post

Firstly welcome to my Blog, as you have hopefully gathered by the title this blog will observe the progress of my AK427 build. I have adored these cars (Cobra's in general) since I can first remember, and I’m now in the lucky position of being able to build one myself, and I hope you will follow my progress along the way. Over the next few days I will update this showing you all my progress so far with my donor parts and preparation for the chassis delivery.

Little bit about me and my car history

I swear that if you cut me open, you will find petrol in my veins not blood. I have loved anything automotive since I can first remember, and one of my earliest memories is being sat on my granddads knees steering his Austin Metro along the drive. I soon progressed from that to building my own go-cart (soap box racer), from bits of scaffold planks, and pram wheels. This was extremely helpful to help deliver my weekly paper round, and was technically my first set of wheels. After many years of delivering papers for £3.75 a week I purchased my first car when I was 14, it was an 1982 Austin Mini City e (Y) and was my project car. I purchased it for the grand total of £200 and was a smart looking machine. Drum brake's all round and the grunt of a 998cc A-Series which would easily see a staggering speed of 50mph. This was a car that eventually died and went to the mini graveyard in the sky, cost of restoration was staggeringly stupid. Instantly replaced with another Mini (89 City) this time I had a driving license in my wallet, so the open road was calling and off I went. This was pride and joy and my mates local taxi, we would take the daily trip to school, and lunch time trips to the chip shop with the sweet sounds of "Gun's N Roses" blasting out of the stereo, worth twice as much as the actual car.
As with most young male drivers, fresh from a driving test, my first legal car didn’t last to long. After a brief downpour and a sharp bend on my way home from my part time job, I did a sterling job of planting the front end straight through a big black and white chevron sign, and killing the car instantly, I was perfectly fine (dented pride) and the fear of having to call my parents who turned up on scene at the same time as PC plod, who came to poke his nose in and be a nuisance.
Replacement car wasn’t too far away, and along came mini #3, this time with a 1.3 block (998cc on V5) so more power and cheaper insurance. Unfortunately due to gearbox issues the diff kept blowing out and after a fried gearbox a new block was needed also... not a problem as another 1.3 was dropped in and off we went again.
After some long shifts at work (3 weeks of 75+ hours) this little mini nearly sent me to see my maker... I fell asleep at the wheel and went straight on at a T junction (at a fair speed) hit a dry stone wall, flipped the car up forwards and caved the roof in around me on a tree. So a trip to hospital to put my skull back together and sew my ears back on, but my good looks were lost forever....
Mini #4 (still have this one today) back to a 998cc as I couldn’t find a 1.3 but this one was a little blinder. Again playing taxi driver for my mates this is the car they will all remember a twin DTM exhaust made such a beautiful sound, and after some investment on body kits, alloys, re-spray, bucket seats etc... I made a proper little head turner (for all the wrong reasons according to PC plod)