[caccobra]

They are fantastic cars. SPF hasn’t made very many of the 289 street slab side. The latest VIN number I saw for sale at Hillibank’s web site is number 35. Mine is VIN#25 and it came out of the factory in 2017, just to give you an idea of the volume being built. It seems there are many more buyers for the 427’s than the little 289’s. That means there may be some good deals to be had on the 289’s currently for sale, because they haven’t been moving for SPF. That could be changing now though after the Ford vs Ferrari movie was released and more people see them. I bought mine before the movie came out and got a killer deal IMO.

I have had mine since October, 2019 and since I live in the snow belt, I have spent the last 5 months tinkering with it and correcting some of the things that make it even more of a true continuation car with the assistance of Blas, armrer and MarkIV and finding some original pieces for it. I am currently waiting for an original clock to come back from being restored and converted to a quartz movement and I can then get my dash back together. The trunk is completely detailed now and has a complete original tool kit, jack, spare wheel and tire mounted, jack handle and top bows mounted. In the engine compartment, I relocated the voltage regulator, mounted an original grease gun and mounting clips, installed an original PCV, brass elbow and hose, original air cleaner and original looking fuse block cover and relay cover and original VIN plate. For the dash, I replaced the ignition switch and headlight switch, replaced all of the switch knobs with more correct 1965 Ford knobs, added a period correct matching cigarette lighter to more easily plug in my battery maintainer, replaced the SPF clock with an original 1965 Cobra clock (it is actually a 1962 Ford Galaxie 500XL clock that I had the front bezel chromed like the original was), and changed the steering wheel from the 15” to the original 16”. My goal is to have it all done in time for the driving season here that will soon be here.

The car as it comes from SPF is a very accurate to the original chassis and body, etc. and would be fine for most people to leave it as it is. Detailing the trunk was pretty easy once you find a few original parts. Nick Acton makes a lot of them, if you can’t find an original. Detailing the dash is a little more involved and the help of armrer and Blas was invaluable for me. I still have a couple of more projects in mind for mine, but some of it may wait until the next winter season for me to complete. I have a feeling that once I actually start driving it, I won’t want to have any downtime until then.

Why did I decide on an SPF Slabside vs a 427 version? I owned a Contemporary 427 S/C that I built myself for several years, so been there, done that. Back in 1966-1967 I used to see a little red 289 Street Cobra with wire wheels and a black vinyl hardtop every day on my way to school (I was driving a 1966 Corvette then). I lusted for that car ever since. Sans the hardtop, my SPF Slabside is identical to that car. The added benefit of owning a 289 street Cobra, real or otherwise, is that there aren’t many of them around, but there seems to be 427 Cobras everywhere you go.

I always said, if SPF had been around when I was building my Contemporary, I would have bought an SPF and saved myself a lot of time and effort. They make a fantastic car. The SPF Slabside is as close as you can get to a real one without breaking the bank right out of the factory. Best of luck in your search. If you do decide to get one, I don’t think you will regret it.