Rare Find 427 Prototype

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

My guess is will draw no where near the $5.5M that the supersnake went for. Those days are over. It'll be lucky to get $1M. My guess is closer to $500K. With BJ going on that week there might be a bigger total audiance - if someone is really interested they get two auctions. I wonder what day it will come up? I might drop over just to see it and get some pictures.

I'd say 2196 will go for way more than you are guessing. Considering it's unique and has a interesting, but less than stellar race history, I'd guess that it will bring less money than a daytona coupe. How much did 2601 go for? It was more than $5.5M when it did eventually sell, right? However, I think the seller of 2601 was hoping to more than $8M.

[decooney]

There is one (ariel) photo that always comes to mind about the car, and I cannot put my finger on it. Maybe someone has it or can find it ???. For those who have not seen it, it may perhaps give you a better appreciation for the car while it was running during a race. With today's motor, staying running , it would probably have achieved a much more memorable racing history. I may be wrong, but I thought it was the flip-top in that photo. I know one of you Cobra history experts has a copy of it somewhere.

PHOTO DESCRIPTION:
After the first lap, you see the Flip-Top waaaaaaaay out front like a 1/4 mile ahead of anything else coming down the straight and a whole bunch of Corvettes way in the background just making the turn.

I want to make a poster of this and put it in my garage if someone can find and post the photo in a reply here ???

[Hank F]

Duane, it was the fliptop body,at Nassau speed weeks 1964.
I can`t find the picture either.
Hank

[1ntCobra]

It's probably a Dave Friedman picture. I wonder if you can buy prints and posters from him.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Hank F

I can`t find the picture either.

[Greg tripp]

A couple shots I took at WSCB 2007. Last one is duane leaving pits. Above picture by computerworks is refrenced in this history sign.

[decooney]

Nice work Computerworks, you found one. There is another one taken from a bit further back, a bit higher ariel view, and it really shows the gap between the Flip-Top and the Vettes even more. I think Rich has a photo that he puts on display sometimes in front of the car.

What's not evident in these photos is how low the cars sits and how low you feel when you are sitting in it, and how the "chopped" body sort of hunkers down over the chassis.

This photos was also taken at WSCB by Brent Mills or Dan LePage (they were side by side shooting) but you can see from ground to top of the door how the car is slammed down. You feel more seated down and in between the frame rails than on top of the chassis, as they designed this particular car.



After I drove it, I spoke with Peter Brock about it a bit and described this. He shared some thoughts and comparables around this chassis and how it was more like the Daytona Coupe setup than the Cobra. I may have this goofed up in saying it, sort of indicated this car was more like precusor chassis prototype to the Daytona and shared some of the same ideas. I had a photos poster with me and asked him of all the Cobra cars on the poster, which one was most like the Daytona and he said the "fliptop" and signed his name for me next to the car photo. I still have the actual poster that both he signed for me with the Fliptop photo and Dick Smith signed his car pictured too on the same poster by a stroke of luck. Its hanginng in my office today.

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by decooney

My ERA with an FE by Tom at FE Spec is no slouch by any means... but my car compared to the fliptop is not even on the same playing field, not even close.

All other things being equal, is it purely a low chassis weight that gave the fliptop this feel?

[CobraDan]

FFR Replica of the Turd
http://www.ffcobra.com/forums/showth...flip+top+cobra

[decooney]

Originally Posted by Gunner

All other things being equal, is it purely a low chassis weight that gave the fliptop this feel?

Here is my translation for what its worth:

1. Totally different chassis and setup; as others have advised me.
2. ~700lbs less weight than an ERA with FE (Fliptop is now 100lbs less than original at 1900lbs); now 1800lbs or so.
3. FT was designed and built as a race car rather than a street car design.
4. A true 675HP in now 1800lb FT car vs. an average 500hp in 2500lb FE ERA
5. Added excitement/fear/adrenaline generated driving a car at speed that I could never afford to replace if I wrecked it (maybe that too ); but it still did not prevent me from letting it rip on a few sections on the track. A once in a lifetime experience and I knew it. It did take me at least a day to calm down from it all; honestly. The hair was standing up on my arms like self generated static electricity. Wohooo!

[Cobra Lite]

The beautiful Flip Top comes to auction today:
http://www.rmauctions.com/LiveVideo.cfm?SaleCode=AZ10
The Flip Top (CSX2196) is lot #265 and the auction begins at 11am MST with a Nash Metro (lot #201) so it will be hours before the Flipper hits the block.
If I were a rich man....

I watched the live (on line) coverage last night of the British cars...

WOW!

What a difference in auction action compared to Barrett Jackson...

No auctioneer babble, no "in-your-face" assistants, the auctioneer identified who the high bidder was and clearly what the price was. Even the audience looked, uh, higher class. Nicely dressed and everything. I am used to watching the BJ Auctions on Speed TV and what a zoo that is. I would never enter my car in a BJ auction after seeing how RM handles it. Not that I have a car that anyone would pay serious money for...

I am used to attending and bidding at our local auctions so I am not familiar with how the "big boy toys" auctions are run other than BJ on TV. Is RM always like this? What are other high end auctions like?

[PatBuckley]

I always thought that it had a really nice windshield.......

[Excaliber]

Pat, as I dimly recall you've done some work yourself on racing style cut down windshields. What do you know about THIS windshield???

[Ozgur_Tan]

http://www.ffcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238426

[Cobra Lite]

The car opened with a bid of $800,000 and moved up smoothly to the final bid of $1.45 million and that was it. No race car buyers present evidently.

No surprise that the Flip Top was a no sale at $1.45 million...
Did not reach reserve and I am glad it didn't sell for that.
Not the best venue for a very special race car.

I think the Monterey Historic Races and auctions would be a better, and more knowledgeable crowd. With more serious money buyers.

An auctioneer who is more familiar with race car history would be better.
The Flip Top is unique but the auctioneer only mentioned it was the only one that was built that way.
He did not mention the many other unique features of the car that make it so very special and a truly valuable machine.

Nice auction that RM runs, I am impressed, almost all cars sold in the estimated range (that sold that is, which was almost all).

[PatBuckley]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Pat, as I dimly recall you've done some work yourself on racing style cut down windshields. What do you know about THIS windshield???

Ernie-

I used the windshield on the Turd as a model for the one I made for my Kirkham.....I think I got it close. I saw the car at a Shelby event at Infineon Raceway and took a couple of measurement off it then.

I think I have a picture of it somewhere - and a few shots I took during construction.

[Hank F]

Thanks for the referral Ozgur.
Pat your windshield was perfect,I would like to see the pictures of the construction.
Hank