The Plaid Cobra: A Frankenstein Build with Tesla’s Unmatched Power

This Frankenbeast Combines a Classic Cobra with Plaid Power

You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has become of this undertaking of transforming what was once a shell into now an unimaginable amount of captured Musk-engineered power. I arrived here by word of a build, the first of its kind, and my first task is to assure my dear readers of my welfare and increasing confidence in the success of Mr. Don Swadley’s creation. While the creation is in fact a work of modern-day sorcery, I assure you the only damage that has been done is of the amount of pure glee that was experienced. I am already far east of San Diego, and as I ride through the streets of El Cajon, California, I feel a chilly breeze rushing through the open cabin of this Frankenstein looking beast, of what was once a Cobra kit car.

Enough with my attempt to channel the writing style of Mary Shelley in Frankenstein. When you see this build and experience it, you can’t help but feel a connection to Doctor Frankenstein himself. It’s not just an urge to shout, “It’s alive!”—but rather, “I’m alive!”

The Origin of EV Doctor Frankenstein

As a child, Don Swadley spent countless hours in the family garage, watching and helping his father—a butcher by trade—work on Volkswagens. Little by little, Don got involved, building his first sand buggy with his dad at just 12 years old. By 18, he was tackling his first engine rebuild under his father’s guidance. The family’s trips to the desert in their VW Baja Bug ignited Don’s lifelong love for the desert.

He had found his happy place. The desert became his sanctuary, a place of peace and escape from the daily grind of over 30 years as a union bricklayer. In recent years, Don has traded his masonry tools for a different craft, now working as a lighting designer and channeling his creative energy into building Frankenstein-esque electric machines in his home garage.

Not His First Rodeo

Don Swadley’s current Plaid Cobra isn’t his first EV masterpiece. His Instagram handle, @teslasandtruck, nods to his first work in EV conversions, which began seven or so years ago with his custom-built sand truck: a 2,500-pound, 640-horsepower beast powered by a Tesla Model S Performance drivetrain. He followed that build with the first iteration of his EV Cobra, using a Model 3 Tesla motor paired with Chevy Volt batteries. Over time, Don refined the battery packs and motor setups in both vehicles, until he landed on the current configuration.

Why don’t more people get out there and do this? I just don’t understand it. Get off your butt, get out there and try it!

To truly appreciate this build, it’s important to understand how it differs from a typical Tesla Plaid shell swap. While many builders, YouTubers, and shops have tackled Plaid swaps by slapping another body on the bottom half of a Plaid, Don’s project is in a league of its own. This is a fully custom creation featuring a Tesla Plaid battery pack and tri-motor system mounted to a completely bespoke chassis. Don designed and built the chassis himself, with help from Dustin Dumas at AG Sandcars, drawing on his expertise in crafting durable off-road vehicles. Built like a tank, the chassis reflects Don’s roots in the desert sand truck world.

Adapting the Cobra body to this platform presented another challenge. A stock Cobra body and chassis are far smaller than the Tesla Model S Plaid’s footprint. Don had to cut, widen, and extend the Cobra body to accommodate the Tesla drivetrain, leading to the one of a kind appearance of the vehicle.

A Beast in Search of a Brain

The technology to achieve this kind of build has existed for several years, but until recently, no one had successfully tricked Tesla’s software into functioning as if it were still part of a factory Plaid—without simply using the entire bottom half of a Plaid and slapping a new shell on top. That changed when the engineers at Ingenext cracked the code to make it possible.

In the spring of 2024, Don learned about this breakthrough through his longtime friend Matt Hauber—the same friend who had originally donated the Cobra kit car to him. Matt, now the owner of Plaid Powertrain Solutions and the only official U.S. supplier for Ingenext, told Don about the new programming capabilities. Excited by the potential, Matt offered to help Don install the software and make his Cobra the first to use it.

Don got straight to work on the chassis. He sourced materials for his Frankenbeast from Competitive Metals. However, before the build could truly begin, Don had to track down the necessary components to bring his vision to life.

I’m just an east county guy having fun.

Getting It Done

What truly makes this build incredible is that Don is not a professional builder—he’s a hobbyist. He just does his research, reaches out to friends within the industry, and gets things done.

“Why don’t more people get out there and do this? I just don’t understand it. Get off your butt, get out there and try it!,” Don remarks.

To source the components for his build, Don reached out to industry friend Eddy Borysewicz of Revolt Systems, who directed him to where he could find the necessary Plaid battery pack and motors. Don then secured a Plaid battery pack and part of the tri-motor system from Straight Six Auto Parts in Oceanside, California, and found the remaining pieces through Calimotive Auto Recycling. Even more impressive, Don estimates he spent only around $30,000 on the entire build—a remarkable feat made possible by doing most of the work himself.

Don’s real superpower lies in his pure joy for the process, his imagination, and his willingness to make functional changes without worrying about aesthetics. He writes notes directly on the build, and if a part needs more metal, he simply tacks it on. For example, he raised his sideview mirrors by stacking pieces of metal and caulking them in place to prevent spinning or vibration. He also adds playful touches, like an open-ended 2-watt cable labeled “Don’t touch!” and non-functioning headers connected to side-pipes with “Caution Hot” stickers that also double as covers for the battery pack.

Function over form is the philosophy that defines this Cobra, giving it its unique look. But what truly drives Don is the joy of sharing epic experiences with friends and strangers alike.

“I’m just an east county guy having fun,” Don admits.

Pure Unadulterated Power!

Imagine the power of a Tesla Model S Plaid in a vehicle weighing just 3,250 pounds—over 1,500 pounds lighter—but still boasting 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. The result is a violent surge of power capable of making all four tires burn out simultaneously, whether from a dead stop or while rolling. However, managing that kind of power comes with a challenge: traction. Full track testing hasn’t been done yet, but plans are in the works. While Don hasn’t pushed the car’s limits himself, he’s collaborating with Revolt Systems to organize future track and drag days.

According to Matt Hauber, the Ingenext software currently limits the Plaid Cobra to two driving modes: “Chill” and “Sport,” both lacking true traction control. However, updates expected in early 2025 aim to introduce additional features, including all-wheel-drive sport mode, sport with traction control, rear-wheel-drive drift mode, and more.

I had the privilege of riding shotgun in this beast, experiencing two very different styles of driving with Don and Eddy Borysewicz. Eddy gave me a taste of the car’s performance capabilities, launching it repeatedly from both a dead stop and a rolling start. The acceleration was so intense it felt like my insides were being shoved into the back of the Sparco seats. Without full traction control, the car relied on temporary power cuts as a makeshift traction aid, but it was far from refined.

Riding with Don, however, was a completely different experience. On our way to capture photos of the Cobra, Don drove smoothly, never flooring it like Eddy. The ride was surprisingly refined, thanks to the stock suspension components carried over from the Plaid. By preserving as much of Tesla’s engineering as possible, Don created a ride that was not only powerful but also comfortable and pleasant.

To enhance the experience, Don cranked up the music on a massive Bluetooth speaker by the passenger’s feet, creating an immersive vibe despite the chilly wind blowing through the open hood and straight up your shorts. It’s truly a sensory adventure.

With more testing planned and software updates on the horizon, this Frankenbeast is set to push the boundaries of EV technology, paving the way for hobbyists and conversion shops around the world.