Chevy in a Cobra

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by blykins

I got caught up in it all, that's why I sold my Cobra.

So were there any Chevy Cobras in the SAAC? Anyone have a CSX number? I've never heard of any, just speculation that Shelby approached Chevrolet. That may be true, but there again, I don't see any reflection of it in the original cars.

Ned will know the CSX number because I have related part of this story before and he knew the car. As I remember, this occurred in the early seventies.
I was running in a time trial at Waterford Hills race track and a guy showed up with an original 427 or 428 Cobra. He had installed a 427 BBC with aluminum heads and had the hood open for all to see. I gave him a ration of you know what over the blasphemy of putting a chevy in the car. He said that he believed that he had created the ultimate Cobra because it was well known that a BBC would make more power than a 427 FE. That really bugged me so I challenged him to enter the time trail and see if he could beat my Tunnelport 427. He declined so that was the last time we talked.
Several months later on a rainy day I heard sirens near my house in Dearborn.
I walked over to Outer Drive and saw this Cobra completely destroyed. He apparently got on it in the rain and it went sideways over the line and was hit broadside by a big Mercury sedan. Both the guy and his girlfriend were killed in the crash. I have a picture of the car somewhere that I posted some time ago on CC. This history after that is checkered, some people have said that the car had a fiberglass body which is BS it was an original aluminum bodied car. A guy I knew bought the car after I told him where it was. He sold the engine and trans and the Vin plate but that is all I know about the car. It is probably one of the famous "air" cars now because you would need the chassis stampings too and it was U shaped after the accident.

[blykins]

But it didn't come like that from Shelby, right?

I know there was a Ford 390 FE installed from Shelby into a Cobra....it was actually an aluminum block as well. Nicknamed "The Turd" ?????

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by blykins

But it didn't come like that from Shelby, right?

I know there was a Ford 390 FE installed from Shelby into a Cobra....it was actually an aluminum block as well. Nicknamed "The Turd" ?????

You are correct, it came with a 428 (I think) but never a chevy from Shelby.
When I bought my car I had a Bill Strope engine blue printed prior to Shelby installing it and they were so nervous that I was going to put a chevy in it that I had to sign a contract saying that a Ford 427 was going in the car. Somewhat mystifying because they were doing the final installation and they would never do that. The FE's at that time were all iron and weighed about 670 Lb's so I can understand how a lightweight small block chevy might make them nervous.

[Jamo]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

Ned will know the CSX number because I have related part of this story before and he knew the car. As I remember, this occurred in the early seventies.
I was running in a time trial at Waterford Hills race track and a guy showed up with an original 427 or 428 Cobra. He had installed a 427 BBC with aluminum heads and had the hood open for all to see. I gave him a ration of you know what over the blasphemy of putting a chevy in the car. He said that he believed that he had created the ultimate Cobra because it was well known that a BBC would make more power than a 427 FE. That really bugged me so I challenged him to enter the time trail and see if he could beat my Tunnelport 427. He declined so that was the last time we talked.
Several months later on a rainy day I heard sirens near my house in Dearborn.
I walked over to Outer Drive and saw this Cobra completely destroyed. He apparently got on it in the rain and it went sideways over the line and was hit broadside by a big Mercury sedan. Both the guy and his girlfriend were killed in the crash. I have a picture of the car somewhere that I posted some time ago on CC. This history after that is checkered, some people have said that the car had a fiberglass body which is BS it was an original aluminum bodied car. A guy I knew bought the car after I told him where it was. He sold the engine and trans and the Vin plate but that is all I know about the car. It is probably one of the famous "air" cars now because you would need the chassis stampings too and it was U shaped after the accident.

Well hell, that just proves it right there. Chevy motors are dangerous in the rain!