RPM Featured Member's Ride "cobra2race"
Jack Seeber's 78' Mustang Cobra ll is built to race.
Story & Photos from Jack Seeber

Ok here's my Stang story. I was destine to drive a Ford. I was brought home from the hospital I my Dad's 65 notchback. I grew up in the garage of a good family friend (Mack Yates) that raced an original 64 USRRC competition Cobra (CSX 2385). My Dad was the crew chief. Then in 1977 Dad decided to order a new car. A brand new Cobra II. All these things were in my system for life. So you can imagine my disappointment when my first car wasn't a Mustang. I actually had a deal with my parents. If I can keep my nose clean for my first year of driving I could then start looking for a Mustang. Well for weeks before my 17th birthday I was reading every local car ad I could find. Mom & Dad said your years not up. But I keep looking. I had found an ad for a 1978 Mach 1 in the paper. Without my knowledge Dad went and looked at it. Mom & Dad agreed that was the one & bought it. I knew nothing of it. Until that night they brought it home.  It was a Silver & black Mach 1 red, interior, 302 automatic and an 8 track radio. Granted it was only 139 horsepower. But it was a Mustang with a V8. This is the car that I drove to my high school graduation.



It wasn't long before the bug bit me. I wanted more power. As soon as spring hit I talked Dad out of the 4-barrel cast iron intake that was the stock one from his Mustang. It had been sitting in the garage since the early 70's when one of the spare Cobra intake's ended up on his car. It wasn't the greatest. It was free & it was a 4-barrel. Not a big fan of the red interior. I started searching junkyards & swap meets for an all black interior. I found everything but a good set of front seats. I did find a set of gray Escort GT seats. They were way better than the stock seat. Then I decided it was time to lose the silver paint and go with something I was more accustom to. It was white and blue. Once that was done. In the driveway I might add.  It was time to drive it. And drive it hard. So I did. Drag strip and autocrossing was the next step. As well as hitting some local shows. Well it wasn't long before a plastic tooth from the timing gear locked up the oil pump. So along came a rebuild. A mild cam, an aluminum Cobra intake & a set of headers. It was a combination good enough to get it in to the 14's. Fast enough to keep up with and beat any new mustang of the time. The next thing was to do some suspension work. First came the 5-lug conversion. Using what was available at the time. Which was street rod stuff. I was able to get 5-lug rotors. But they were stock size brake rotors. The rear axles were a spare set Dad had for his Mustang. Of course they weren't a bolt in like I had hoped.  Now with 15" 5-lug wheel & tire upgrade done. I ran this combination for several years while still using the car as my daily driver. Then while driving to a Wednesday cruise night. As normal as can be, BOOM. I had thought I'd blown the transmission. But when I got out I quickly realized. That puddle underneath me wasn't tranny fluid. It was oil. So there I sat on the side of the road. This was in the days before everyone owned a cell phone. Luckily a buddy of mine was running late to meet me and saw me sitting. This was when I learned small block ford rod bolts are the weak link. I had destroyed the block, the crank, 2 rods & pistons as well as the oil pan.



So on to rebuild #2. This time with a bigger cam, forged pistons, and the oh so important ARP rod bolts & a 750 Holley. Once back together it was back to the strip. The result was I now own a 13 second Mustang II. My best time on street tires was 13.6. The best speed was 104.5 mph. As time went on and life, marriage, mortgage, & kids. I was still able to tinker with my car. I still hit shows & an occasional trip down the strip. Slowly I'd buy parts. I had added the side scoops. I changed the carburetor to a Barry Grant 650 double pumper. The intake is now a Weiand Stealth. I also had a set of SSM frame connectors welded on.



I would finally redo the front suspension. Even though I had bought Konis years ago for all 4 corners. I really needed springs. I already had the largest sway bars that were available. Thanks to the competition suspension package that my car had from the factory. As long as I was at it was time for some new wheels. Since it is hard finding Mustang II parts. I had a hard time finding front springs that were anything short of generic replacement springs. So along came coil-overs with 700# springs. That way I knew I'd be able to adjust the ride height to get the right stance. Then the front brakes were upgraded to 11" rotors. The wheels I went with are 17" Cobra wheels & 245-45 tires. I followed that with new rear leaf. Same problem. No guarantee the springs would be right. So I started doing some research. I finally bought mini stock springs, 150#. The rear shocks are still Koni.



Now it was time for a new paint job. While my driveway paint was good enough. It was time to redo it. With intentions of doing it myself with Dad's help again. I started sanding off the old layers. It was a slow process. After a few years I had the front clip, roof, & drivers door stripped and primed. After a lot of encouragement. I decided to talk to the body shop that did all the work on the Broncos I had own. Because anyone who owns a Bronco in the Midwest knows. If you want to keep it you better find a good body shop. This was a tough one for me to swallow. Up until this point most all the work on my car I had done myself or with help from my family. I was finally convinced to take it in to the only shop I'd trust with my car, Select Auto Body in Omaha, NE. The next problem was to figure out a paint scheme. I decided I wanted to combine the cars off my childhood. I would paint it white with blue stripes. Just like Dad's Cobra II  was. But I also had the deep Shelby roots. The Cobra we worked on was blue with white stripes. I finally decided Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes. I decided to paint the stripes 1965 Shelby style and not Cobra II style. So we laid the stripes out to the exact dimensions of a Shelby. They are narrower at the front. Then get wider as they hit the roof. Then taper back down at the back.  Once I got the car back I was very happy I decided to turn to a pro to paint it. I actually had a kid stop me on my way home from the body shop to ask me "what kind of a car is that". Then tell me how awesome it looked and how he'd never seen one before.



After hitting some shows I realized my interior needed an upgrade. I had already replaced most of the factory gauges with white-faced Autometer gauges. The carpet that I had replaced back in the daily driver days was looking a little rough. The stock seats that I had put in a couple years earlier when my GT seats broke weren't doing much in the comfort or looks department. I had also taken the rear seat out years ago. Didn't need the extra weight. So I ordered new carpet & Scat racing seats. It was a little more difficult finding a rear seat. I found a nice turquoise one. I had it upholstered to match the front seats.



Then I started to upgrade the look of the engine compartment. I pulled the intake off. Sent it out to be ceramic coated.  Then ordered up some shine. A chrome alternator was a must. I had gone through several different valve covers through the years. There were the chrome ones, original black crinkle finned cobra ones, and I even had painted a set of chrome ones that had gotten to scratched up. But now I went with aluminum Ford Racing.



The summer of 2009 brought some more shows. But while searching the internet for shows. I came across an all Ford show at the Drag strip in Kansas City (KCIR). I decided to hit that show. By entering the show I was also able to make a few passes down the strip. It had been a few years since I had been down the 1/4 mile Not to mention my local crappy track had closed. The only option locally was an 1/8 mile, Boring. After making a few passes. I was pleased to still have a 13 second Mustang.



After spending to many hot Sunday afternoons at shows waiting for trophy presentation. I started to get the bug back to drive the car hard again. And with a new road course 45 minutes from home. I decided I've got to do it. I've done everything else with it. So I needed to upgrade the rear brakes. I ordered up a rear disc kit that was a bolt on kit. It wasn't. So I again resorted to my friends at Select. I figure if the can work on a sprint car they could do this. While I was getting this done I went ahead and pulled the 4:11 posi out. I had an Auburn limited slip put in. With the plan to go road racing. I was concerned the 4:11's were a bit much for the long straightaway at the local track. I went with 3:55's. I did keep the 4:11's setup in the factory posi pumpkin. In case I get the drag racing bug.  I also upgraded the front pads to Wilwood. Great for stopping. Bad for dusting on a car I'm still showing.



Now with the car back together it was time to hit some shows. It was the spring of 2010. First up was a road trip to Kansas City. So my son & I loaded the car up & headed out. Boy was I surprised to see three other II's there. The next trip took my son And I 3 hours to the north this time. Sioux Falls. Well it rained the whole day. We were able to come home with a first place. The next show was a little closer to home a short 45minute drive. The problem more rain. I decided to stay home. Then since I had a free day I decided it was time to pull the heads and have them redone. Well one thing lead to another. Today the engine is on the stand. I'm repainting the engine compartment. Then having the motor completely redone. Just not sure exactly what I'm going to do. I'm currently thinking 331 stroker with AFR 185 heads. But due to some unexpected changes in my marital status. The engine is on hold. Hopefully not for long. I'm definitely getting it back together and I will get it on to the road course and keep hitting the local Ford shows. With hopes that my son get the bug. As well as the little girl in my life. Who already is a huge Ashley Force fan. 



Current Specs

Engine
(That just came out)
• 1969 Mexican Block .030 over
• 1969 Heads
• TRW Forged Pistons
• Crane Roller Rockers
• Comp Cams Springs & Lifter
• Weiand Stealth Intake
• 650 Barry Grant Carb
• Eagle Headers

Drive train
• C4 Automatic
• 8" Auburn Limited Slip W/ 3:55

Front Suspension
• 11"- 5 Lug Brake Conversion
• Wilwood Poly Matrix Pads
• Carrera Coil-Overs
• 700# Springs
• 1" Sway Bar
• Tubular Upper A-Arms

Rear Suspension
• 150# Leaf Springs
• 1" Lowering Blocks Milled to Set Proper Pinion Angle
• Koni Shocks
• 7/8" Rear Sway Bar

Wheels & Tires
• 1998 Cobra 17"x 8"
• Bridgestone Potenza 245/45

Interior
• White-Faced Autometer Phantom Gauges
• Procar Scat Racing Seats
• RJS Racing Harness

Exterior
• Wimbledon White
• Guardsman Blue Stripes
• Factory Cobra II Hood Scoop & Spoilers
• Aftermarket Shelby Style Brake Scoops

  Incredible Stang!!

Thanks again for the feature and the kind words. My son was hoping to get his picture in the article. So I'm posting it here.

Thanks again for the feature and the kind words. My son was hoping to get his picture in the article. So I'm posting it here.

aww-that is a great pic!!

very nice.