Build concept:

The build concept of your Cobray-C3 is very straightforward and may be best described as a re-body rather than the assembly of many altered or collected parts, creating a kit.  It is possible to drive your donor into the shop and drive out with your Cobray C-3 without replacing the entire drive train and suspension.  Most people do splash the chassis with chrome and powder coating, but the choice and how much is yours.  Your Cobray C-3 has 4-wheel, 4-piston disc brakes, 4-wheel independent suspension and a great front to rear weight distribution.  The wheelbase is 98 inches or 8 inches longer than a Shelby Cobra and is also 5 inches with 30 plus years of technology over cars produced in the late 60's.  The average Cobray C-3 can be built and completed for less than $24,000 including your labor.  This is for a car with all new or rebuilt components, interior, paint and driving down the road.  You can spend more, much more, but for $24,000 you have the high quality and reliable car of your dreams.

Keep all of the receipts and take lots of photos to document your build.  If you ever break while on a cruise your could take this car to any dealer for repair or find the part in the smallest town.  If built with multiple donors or parts from certain year groups, only you need to remember what model or year group a specific part was removed from before repair.  Our build concept uses a complete chassis as designed by the manufacturer.  If the aftermarket upgrades are used it is still for a 1968 to 1982 Corvette.

The Corvette and its chassis may be the best documented car ever produced because of its popularity and length of continuous production.  The service manual provided to with the purchase of your Cobray C-3 will walk you through any procedure in great detail.  General Motors spent millions of dollars refining and improving this chassis design.  The decades of improvements are very well documented with several companies fighting for your upgrade dollars.

CNV also offers our customers rebuilt sub-assemblies on an exchange basis and at a discounted price to help you with your build.  When you become a Cobray family member you have several benefits and discounts available for you because you joined our family.  Special or collector Corvette items are expensive the the items that you are looking for are very inexpensive and easy to locate.

We have taken the legendary performance and handling and given it a sexy new body resulting in a 2,500 pound rocket ship.  You are not limited to a GM or Chevy engine in the Cobray C-3.  We offer adapter plates that allow most common engine combinations to be used.  In addition to the cost of the adapter plates, expect additional costs for custom headers and side pipes as a few examples.  The choice of engine and transmission combination is totally yours.

The Corvette body is secured to the chassis at 8 mount locations and at the bumper mounts.  The entire body can be simply removed as one unit from your donor chassis.  Your new Cobray C-3 body is secured to the frame using the factory mount locations and hardware.  Our floor tub and body are laminated together creating and incredibly strong and precise structure that is sealed from heat, fumes and moisture.  Bolt the body to your chassis, reinstall the steering column, wiring harness, fuel system and interior and you are ready to go.

A computer designed spring and shock package is available from CNV calibrated to the new gross weight, weight distribution and the new front to rear ratios.  The use of stock spring and shock values will make your Cobray C-3 ride like a buckboard, so replacement of these components is a must.  CNV has a complete suspension package that is surprisingly inexpensive while providing you with race ready performance and the adjustability for any track.  Stock or OEM suspension items like rubber bushings are within pennies of aftermarket polyurethane items in many cases, so we point you in the right direction so that you can make your own choice.