Footbox question

Uncle Sam · #1 (**permalink**) 08-28-2010, 09:20 AM

I was just at a car gathering today and in attendance was an original 289 slab side. I was looking in the engine compartment and noticed the footboxes on both sides were not raw aluminum. When I have seen ERAs and other replicas, I wondered why the footbox had the appearance of white painted fiberglass. Now for the question: what material was the footbox made out of in the original Cobras? I assumed that the footbox in the replicas was fiberglass because of manufacturing cost, but now I suspect that this is a replication as well. BTW, the original 289 footboxes looked riveted to the cowl and were white in appearance. They looked to be a non-metal construction like fiberglass to me.

DanEC · #2 (**permalink**) 08-28-2010, 01:19 PM

I don't know a lot about the originals - but I do know the original footboxes were white finished fiberglass.

1985 CCX · #3 (**permalink**) 08-28-2010, 03:04 PM

Uncle Sam,

"A" for the day!

The original footbox in both the 289's and 427's were in deed fiberglass. They used a hair type glass construction with a gel coat off white finish. The exterior finish was what you saw on the slabside. The right FB was where you will find the V.I.N. tag. Note on some there is a spaced ally sheet, help with heat..... Don't think this heat shield was a std option from SAI.

Any pics of the Slab you can share?

Uncle Sam · #4 (**permalink**) 08-28-2010, 08:43 PM

Thanks for the replies. It was cool to see an original driven. The new owner just gotten it two weeks ago. It had been repainted and it looked like it had some non-original parts like an Edelbrock intake manifold and aluminum "Cobra" valve covers, but the rest looked very original. I wonder when the first Edelbrock intake was made for a small block Ford? It was definitely an original as the car was in a Cobra book that was dispalyed with the car.