New Member - Old Owner

[tricyclerob]

I'm the original owner of a '93 Cobra I bought as a "company car". [good to own the company] It was my daily driver in the N.E. for about 6 years then a Friday night / Sunday car for another 8-10 years, then it sat. I think I put 200 miles on it since. It was usually in the garage, covered, but depending on what project was in the garage it sat outside covered. [I know]
So now it's the current project.
Amazingly after sitting for 2-3 years it started right up, [battery tender] but the drivers seat and headliner is shot and under the hood is fuugly.
The smog pump was stuck, and in taking that off, noticed a drip from the water pump, so everything came off the front of the engine.
You can probably see where this is going, but I've at least resisted the urge to pull the engine.
I'm in the throws of an under the hood restoration, and have most of the lines and all the 'stuff" that is on the firewall and the inner fenders removed. One little spot of rust, surface type on the frame under the battery tray, so I lucked out there.

Anyway, first question.
Has anyone found a good match for the oem paint on the upper intake? I know some were bare but my Cobra was a grey-ish color with little or no metallic.
Thanks,
rob j

 

[Pantera2013]

Drivers seat and headliner go to upholstery shop

 

[Pantera2013]

My 97 cobra has a grayish metallic as well but it's real light so idk

 

[tricyclerob]

My 97 cobra has a grayish metallic as well but it's real light so idk

From what I've been able to determine, early model upper intakes were grey that matched the painted valve covers, [Ford Grey] others were natural aluminum.
Cobra's were a grey powder coat, but almost no metallic, and came in 2 different shades. But, I'm not yet sure if the shade difference was between original Cobra manifolds or aftermarket, [china] manifolds.

I'm also doing a test of paint that comes closest to matching what was the bare aluminum on the various brackets etc.. I just got a NOS/ OEM ford water pump that has a great, natural finish. I'm going to try and match to that. I tried bead blasting and media blasting and that left everything to white looking and with too much "sparkle".
I'm spraying about 7-8 different paints, Eastwoods under hood paints along with VHT and Por-15 onto cards that were painter first with grey self-etch paint.
I will post the results. i think i will start a new post with this.
robj

 

[Pantera2013]

Ok cool, tell me what possificly mix or whatever you get from it, mine might need a touch up too