Classic cars have remained a fascination with automobile lovers and among the many names that exist, one stands out for being very well-loved: the Shelby Cobra or AC Cobra as it’s more commonly known outside the United States.

The roadster, produced only from 1961 to 1967, continues to be sought-after by car lovers and since it’s no longer produced, there’s just one way to enjoy the look of this nifty two-seaters: body kits.

Body kits may not be able to perfectly replicate the AC Cobra but they come pretty close. And since there’s no other way to pay homage to it, this is the only recourse. Fortunately, most manufacturers producing kits have tweaked and almost perfectly aped the original vehicle so even purists won’t be able to argue that the end result is a far from detailed job.

Body kits are best installed by services specialising in doing the same. There’s a lot that can go wrong and since the kits are not dirt cheap, you could waste precious money. If you must take on the task yourself, there are several tips you can follow to ensure a decent finish.

• Inspect the kit before purchase. If you’re ordering from out-of-state, examine the goods before installing them. A badly made kit will look bad no matter how well the installation goes so we can’t stress enough the importance of carefully inspecting it.

• Purchase kits from known makers because the wrong measurements or a bad finish will greatly diminish the end result. Conduct plenty of research into manufacturers and speak to friends or colleagues you know who’ve recently had kits installed.

• If you’re handling the installation yourself, leave it to the pros to fit skirts and fender flares. They’ll do a better job and make sure components don’t fall or break off under low impact.

What to expect after a kit installation

• Cars are not meant to receive an additional body so yours will see some changes post-installation. Expect more weight and lower ground clearance caused by the skirting and fenders which can be a problem if your vehicle is already low. Discard the idea if this is the case.

• If you’ve set aside a budget for a kit, include the cost of a paint job. The AC Cobra has specific colors and details and the auto body shop you approach should be experienced in providing the same. Graphics and additional details will cost more and can rob the kit of its intended look so think hard before getting any.

Body kits, including for the AC Cobra, come in various materials. Fiberglass is the commonest but there’s also polyurethane, thermoplastic and carbon fiber reinforced polymer. All have their advantages and cons with fiberglass being lightweight yet rigid, polyurethane being flexible yet expensive and thermoplastic providing better finish and fit but with a higher price tag. Carbon fiber too is incredibly strong and lightweight but also expensive.

The AC Cobra deserves to be paid proper respect and that can only be done with a kit that’s built close to perfection. Choose a well-known maker and seller and stick with top quality materials. They may be expensive but they’ll last and produce a much finer finish, very close to the real thing.

If you want to make your car look like AC Cobra, make sure that you use a good Cobra kit which will give it a much finer finish. Click here to buy a body kit for your car.

By Tyree Landry | Submitted On January 03, 2014

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tyree_Landry/1483201

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