Replica or a modern reproduction?

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by LMH

Not to diminish original cars but a lot of SA's work on the cars once they arrived from England was sloppy and hap-hazard. The oil temp bung immediately comes to mind.
Larry

You really hit on the head, cut a hole in the pan, weld the bung in with the pan still on the engine, repaint over the burned paint, why bother. How about the top that doesn't fit over the roll bar just stretch it till it bends the dot fasteners in the aluminum. They had little regard for everyday customers, we were a necessary evil. They would not even fix my severally bent lower front control arms when I brought it down to SA to show them their design screw up.

[Nedsel]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

They would not even fix my severally bent lower front control arms when I brought it down to SA to show them their design screw up.

Bruce, as you probably know, the factory comp 427s had reinforcing gussets welded to the lower control arms, as Shelby was aware they could deform under racing load. A mechanic I knew in NJ, Ray Heppenstall, used to regularly repair and strengthen these back in the day, and he would then forward the bills to Shelby American. He claimed he always got reimbursed. Shame they never gave you the same treatment.

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

Bruce, as you probably know, the factory comp 427s had reinforcing gussets welded to the lower control arms, as Shelby was aware they could deform under racing load. A mechanic I knew in NJ, Ray Heppenstall, used to regularly repair and strengthen these back in the day, and he would then forward the bills to Shelby American. He claimed he always got reimbursed. Shame they never gave you the same treatment.

Ned,

When I brought the car down there I showed them the problem and (I think it was Rem) was very disturbed when he saw the bent arms. He jacked the car up and was going to change them out when Shelby walked over looked at the odometer and saw that it had about 3000 miles on it and told them not to fix it.
I am not sure when they first found out about the issue but I am pretty sure this was one of the first ones because I have seen many SC's without the fix.
This occurred in early 1966 probably around April. I used silver bronze braze to attach a piece of .125 wall strap stock mounted vertically on both sides of the lower control arms which worked well. I did hear that they came out with the kit to fix the problem but I think it was about a year later.

Shelby and I became friends through Ford about 30 years later and laughed about how he screwed me back in the day.