RESPONDING TO A LONG-TERM PROBLEM
It must be hard to think of a way to improve a car that has been in almost continuous production since 1982. During that time, over 300 Almac 427SC bodies have been manufactured. It has been so successful that the chances of anybody owning a Cobra replica in this country that has not been produced by Almac are very small. Like all Cobra replicas, however, these Almac Cobras do have one annoying weakness: no weather protection.
Alex Mcdonald, CEO of Almac Cars, has designed a removable hardtop for his replica. Some owners of the Cobra replicas have been able to get soft-tops manufactured, but now, after two years of experimentation, Alex believes that he has a suitable hardtop that effectively keeps the wind and rain out.
The top that Alex has designed will only fit Almac-manufactured cars, as the original buck used for the body was built in-house using a 1:43-scale die-cast model and lots of photographs. Consequently, the likelihood of it matching the curves around the wheel arches of kits made by other manufacturers is pretty slim.
The hardtop is certainly a quality piece of work, with an inner and outer skin to ensure that the top looks as good from the inside as it does from the outside. The rear glass was quite an issue, and Alex eventually settled on the one used in a Morris 1000. Included with the top are side curtains, which have a sliding partition for toll and parking booths.
The end result looks great on the car and is period correct. Finally, now Cobra owners will be able to drive more than a couple of hours from home and do some real touring.