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Daytona Coupe, 289 and 427 Cobras
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Daytona Coupe Cobra -
Cowel Area
Although the body of the coupes was aluminum, a small section of steel was utilized under the aluminum in the cowl area for additional rigidity and support for the windshield. With the windshield in place, the buck served as an excellent "hammer form" on which the cowl steel could be fabricated.
The following two photos show the right side cowl aluminum being worked into its proper form before being clecoed to the steel underlayment. There was a lot of walking back and forth between the workbench and the car as these cowl pieces were formed and fitted. In this case it was advantageous to have a relatively small workshop to minimize the wasted motion.
As shown above, the cowl has a sheet steel underlayment with an aluminum covering. The following photos show the addition of the aluminum to the steel. Because we took our time and in forming the steel to the exact shape that was required, it could be used as a form to work the aluminum over. The "steps" on the entire leading edge of the cowl and the trailing edge at the door, presented some unique fabrication problems. Some "special" hand made tooling and a little judicious application of the torch did the trick to complete the forming operation of these complicated areas. The following two photos show the right side aluminum completely formed and clecoed to the steel under underlayment. Welding and riveting into place is all that remains to finalize installation of this piece (welding to the companion right side piece and rocker panel and riveting to the steel underlayment.)
The cowl aluminum is finished and riveted / welded into the body panels. The small aluminum pieces on the A posts that connect the roof panel and the cowl were fabricated and installed. A little filing on the leading edges of the roof and cowl needs to be done to ensure a good snug fit to the windshield retaining rubber and this part of the project is finished. The following photos show the installed cowl and A post pieces.
The cowl aluminum is finished and riveted / welded into the body panels. The small aluminum pieces on the A posts that connect the roof panel and the cowl were fabricated and installed. A little filing on the leading edges of the roof and cowl needs to be done to ensure a good snug fit to the windshield retaining rubber and this part of the project is finished. The following photos show the installed cowl and A post pieces.
The next step in the cowl construction will be to cut the holes for the cowl air vents and attach the air scoops to the cowl. These minimal size vents were added during the 1965 racing season after the drivers complained of excessive cockpit heat.