DRB Sports Cars

DRB Sports Cars is a manufacturer of high performance sportscars, based on the Gold Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. DRB SportsCars manufacture replicas of the iconic AC_Cobra 427 and Le Mans winning Ford GT40 and a modern interpretation of the Cobra, the DRB-540.

1 DRB GT-40
2 DRB Cobra/Boss Cobra
3 DRB 540
4 References

DRB GT-40

Chasis

Made from rectangular section mild steel tube with Zinc plated sheet steel floors and bulkheads; includes all mount points for motor, suspension, steering and seat belts. Option of CAMS/FIA ½ Cage or Full Cage. Standard finish Black enamel, Option Gloss Black Powder Coated.

Body

Hand-laid Glass reinforced Plastic as follows:

Cabin Section; Riveted and bonded to chassis. Doors are aligned & hinged with approved anti-intrusion bars fitted. Door handle recess panels are bonded and glassed in place. Door catch fitted into doors. Handles and Catch are not fitted.

Front & Rear Body Sections; Aligned & fitted with adjustable hinges. Body catch recess panels and front locator panel are bonded and glassed in place. Body alignment Spigot & Sockets fitted. Catches are not fitted.

Dashboard; Padded, vacuum vinyl covered & fitted (no instrument holes).

Fuel Tank Covers (Sills); temporarily fitted in place, need to be removed for installation of the fuel tanks.

Windows; Laminated windscreen (fitted), laminated rear cabin window (fitted), acrylic rear window (motor cover), door windows, headlight & driving light covers are supplied.

Panels; All of the fibreglass panels required for the vehicle, including wheel arch mouldings, heater and air conditioning ducting, trim panels, etc, etc.

The Body/Chassis unit is supplied with doors, front and rear panels hinged and aligned.

Instructions

The Body/Chassis unit is supplied with a comprehensive Assembly Manual, which includes full instructions, drawings, photographs, Part Nos of ADR required parts and Certification for the chassis, Anti-Intrusion beams etc

Parts and Accessories

GT40 Australia manufactures all the parts that are not available through normal automotive outlets.

For example:

Brake, Clutch & Accelerator pedal sets Alloy fuel tanks & Replica polished alloy quick release filler caps Replica body catches & alloy door handles Replica seats and race type seats Door trim panels Special adaptor plate & Flywheel (Ford Windsor, Mustang 4.6 & Boss 5.4 to Porsche G50 Transaxle) Gear change kit Cast alloy & Heat treated rear uprights & rear suspension Front & Rear anti-roll bar kits Cross-over Exhaust systems Drive Shafts Wiring Looms Rear Louvre & Vent panels, including Gulf type Replica Headlights & Tail lights ^[1]

DRB Cobra/Boss Cobra

The DRB Cobra has been the best selling Cobra Replica in Australia with over 350 cars sold. The ease of construction with the comprehensive Build Manual and the Body/Chassis unit supplied with all panels hinged and aligned allows the owner/builder to complete their DRB Cobra to the high standards that make the DRB Cobra the most award winning replica in Australia.

The DRB Cobra can be fitted with the Ford Windsor 5 litre motor or an option for a Budget build is the Lexus Quad Cam 4 litre Alloy V8 that is available as a “front cut” that includes motor, transmission, computer etc. The Windsor and Lexus motors do not comply with the exhaust emission requirements in some States.

The DRB 2000 has been modified with a wider engine bay and is now called the DRB Boss Cobra. The widened engine bay can now accommodate the Ford Boss 5.4 litre Quad Cam range of high performance motors that are fitted to BA/BF/FG XR8’s, GT’s & GTP’s (2003 to 2010) comply with the exhaust emission requirements in all States of Australia.

This chassis can also be fitted with the Mustang “Cobra” Quad Cam 4.6 litre Alloy V8 motor, normally aspirated or Production supercharged that complies with the requirements in most States.

The DRB BOSS COBRA is fitted with the same Shelby 427 Cobra replica wide body that is fitted to a new chassis that uses Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 suspension and brakes. The BA/BF/FG Boss 5.4 litre, 260, 290 or 315 kW V8 motor with 5 or 6 speed Tiptronic or manual gearbox can be used together with the BA/BF/FG Computer, wiring harness and sensors, steering column, brake booster, Master cylinders & Accelerator pedal. The ABS control unit can also be fitted and toothed wheels can be supplied for the hubs to provide ABS brakes if required.^[2]

DRB 540

Ford USA produced the Shelby Concept Cobra and displayed the prototype at motor shows in USA during 2004. The car was fitted with a 6.8 litre, V10 motor and a rear mounted transaxle and suspension components from the Ford GT. Although the car was well received, possibly due to financial constraints, production of the car did not proceed. The Concept Cobra provided the inspiration for producing a similar looking car and it is named the DRB 540.

We have commenced manufacturing DRB540 chassis's and body's and expect customer delivery of body-chassis units within 10 weeks of order. The chassis is supplied with all the mounts to accept BA/BF engine, transmission, front and rear suspension, steering rack, radiator, steering column, pedal box, brake booster and master cylinder, dashboard etc, so the assembly of the car only involves bolting all the components into the chassis. A CD is supplied that provides full details of the assembly and build of the car.

The body-chassis unit is supplied with the body attached to the chassis, with the bonnet, boot and doors all hinged and aligned and windscreen fitted. The body-chassis unit accepts all the components from the donor Ford BA/BF (2003–2008), XR8, GT or GTP. This means the completed DRB540 has Power steering, Cruise control, Traction control, ABS, Radio/CD sound system and electric mirrors. Power windows have been developed and these can be purchased as a kit.

Customers can buy a damaged BA/BF XR8, GT or GTP at Auction. Expect to pay from about $8,000 to about $15,000 depending on the amount of damage and mileage, usually between 20,000 and 70,000 km. (The Boss 5.4 litre motor would not require major work until at least 400,000 km) Most of the cars have 5 or 6 speed Triptronic (Auto/Sequential) transmission with a few 5 speed manuals (2003 - early 2005) and 6 speed manual from late 2005. Once all the required parts have been removed, there are other saleable items that can be sold to defray the costs, such as trim and old body panels.

A hardtop/soft-top is currently being developed for the car that will be attached by quick release catches at the top of the windscreen and on the rear deck of the bodywork. The shape of the hardtop would be similar to a fabric soft-top arrangement but will be made out of fibreglass and have foam padding and vinyl covering on the outside and roof lining installed on the inside. Photographs of the new hood will be available once the prototype has been completed.^[3]