AC Cobra Lookalike: 1956 MG MGA

Back in the day, before the Cobra kit car industry (led by the likes of Factory Five, All Pro Cars, BackDraft Racing — read a huge list on kitcarlist.com here) flooded the market with AC Ace lookalikes, if you wanted to drive a Cobra, you either had to drop some serious coin on a real one or do some creative bodywork on an MGA….like this 1956 MG MGA faux-bra offered for $5,000 in Santa Margarita, CA via craigslist. Tip from Sean.

The MGA starts off with a shape that is similar enough to the AC Ace that it really makes sense to use as a basis for your Faux-bra, more so fox body Mustang, but the scores of kits sold around the world are full fiberglass body on a spaceframe setup — this looks like someone modified the front end of an MGA and called it done.

The MGA is a small car, but somehow the builder was able to shove a small block Ford 302 cubic inch V8 into the front, mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox and a Ford solid rear axle. Interestingly enough, the seller says doors, hood, and deck are aluminum — which is very strange because aluminum is a very difficult (and unforgiving) material to work into a car body shape compared to steel or fiberglass.

This will take quite a few weekends and a bucket-load of cash to restore, but when done, you’ve got one of the cooler fake Cobras around. 

See a cheaper/better project for restoration? Send it here: tips@dailyturismo.com