Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmustang
No offense, but when you found out what you have on your hands was not a true Cobra frame, but that of an AC Ace, you should have quietly acknowledged this graciously. To then attack those who have kept innuendo or second hand knowledge of second hand knowledge from becoming fact, is in my eyes, just bad form.
Just my two cents
Bill S.
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I have had a noted Cobra Expert look at the frame pieces and was told that one end is ACE; however, the other end is an early Cobra with worm and sector steering. Again, let me say that our Cobra may have been a very early car, possibly even a 260ci that was used by SAI as a publicity car, I have pics that show the car with the louvered hood, black and silver racing stripe. I have looked at tens of thousands of Cobra photos and have not found but one pic with that combination of physical features.
When Shelby needed to have more cars competing against the factory team cars for promulgation, he may have converted that car that may have been early enough to have both the ACE/Cobra chassis ergo my two pieces with a 289ci engine.
I have a written statement from a racing peer that was at Willow Springs that stated he and Paul were discussing the car going back to SAI on the Monday following the race in which he was killed. Major modifications were instore to update the car to the highest competition form that was available, steering upgrade, intake and carbueration, camshaft, etc. However, it was commonplace at that time to not be able to have all the goodies that the team cars had, even though they had Fomoco part numbers on them. We were technically just a skoosh behind the team cars in racing parts, but we were becoming much more competitive against the team cars and their top rate challengers.
As an example, look at the Riverside 1 hour Race held October 13, 1963, where we raced competitively against the team cars #97, #98, #99, Allan Grant's Coventry Motors Cobra #96, GTO Ferrari #211. There are videos and still videos on file at The Henry Ford Collection, and Photographer Friedman.