Article by Jack Frost (KCI) 1991

As a dealer for West Coast Cobra, you can understand that he might be biased, but after building five of the cars, he's far beyond the hype stage. No one likes building a car that doesn't go together right or that you must spend valuable hours on chasing down parts.

"One of the real strong points is that everything comes in the kit," says Robbie, "even the small screws."

But Robbie is also impressed by a strong, safe chassis, and a rock - solid body.

Of course, a body is just a body. Robbie's shop, Custom Cars by Robbie, has a huge downdraft paint booth, and it was in this enclosure that he worked his magic.

The basic combination of colors is blue and white, as many of the original Shelby Cobra's were painted. And frankly, says Robbie, "I did not want to paint it red." But the similarities to an original end right there. The base color of the overall car is White Pearl with a Blue Pearl on top of that. Look at it in different light conditions, and the color is different. It's more of the same for the Lemans stripe. The base paint is black, with a Blue Pearl overlay which makes it look blue.

On top of the basic colors are over 30 coats of clear, "I lost count after a while," says Robbie.

The special treatments for the body didn't end with the paint, either. There are not pins in this Cobra's hood. Instead, there's a Mustang trunk release which lets the hood pop up a few inches so you can open it, and there are hydraulic struts which support it. At the back, the trunk has no handle on it, by instead using an electric release - with a secret manual release should the battery ever die on him.

Robbie used a Buick Riviera tilt-wheel steering column on the car and mounted the ignition key on the dash, like the original key position. He also lined the cockpit in dove grey marine vinyl that West Coast Cobra get from Canada and Florida. Robbie says, "It's a new material, and it's so thick you can almost mistake it for real leather."

A car doesn't end there, though. Robbie didn't skimp in the engine compartment. There you'll find he has a Ford 429 all hunkered down and ready to deliver 385 horse- power through an automatic transmission.

Robbie grins at the thought of that engine and its power. He speaks of a special freeway on-ramp and showing off the engine's thrust. Yes, he's smiling.

Robbie's Cobra is something special, but even after all that we've related, we're not done. All too many people have burned an ankle on an exposed side-pipe, and Robbie has designed and is marketing a special sidepipe protector which actually works extremely well.

Finally, though, it was time to photograph the car. We needed something unusual as a backdrop. Robbie mentioned a few helicopters at Associated Helicopter Services, located just outside the Long Beach Airport. As you can see, this particular helicopter - the same one used in Die Hard II with Bruce Willis - was perfect.

And on the way to the shoot, we bundled up for a chilly early morning run. Robbie flicked on the heater, and the hot air coming out of the vents was sufficient to blow dry your hair! On the way back we got to drive, and the car did everything you'd want - besides looking simply gorgeous.