XHP 260 and aluminum blocks

[Guido36]

I believe it was - at least in theory - offered by Shelby in two guises, with a 4bbl and rated at 260 hp and with more agressive solid lifter cam, higher compression and the aforementioned 58mm Weber equipped crossram as seen on XHP 260-2, at 335 hp. CSX 2000 still has it's XHP 4bbl and I have also seen photos of 260 XHP-8 as originally fitted to CSX 2001 and raced by Billy Krause. How many of the other 75 260 powered Cobras were fitted with XHP 260s and were there any aluminum blocks among them? Were there any other Weber cross ram equipped cars other than engine XHP 260-5 and was this engine fitted to a Cobra - if so, which CSX number?

For a number of years I owned an aluminum block 289 based de Tomaso engine with Gurney Weslake type heads which considerably pre dated even the earliest GW. This was reputedly one of three such engines, the other two being in the de Tomaso P70 and Sport 5000 from 1964. This was at the time that CS was collaborating with Alejandro and had Pete Brock draw up the design for these two prototypes as a potential replacement for the aging Cooper Monaco/King Cobras. CS had provided the engines or at least the aluminum blocks to Alejandro. I strongly suspect that Harry Weslake designed and supplied the heads to de Tomaso. I will attempt to post up photos I took of my engine (which came to me from Colin Chapman at Lotus from a stillborn Lotus Can Am project) during the 1970s when I figure out why I am getting failed upload messages.

[MAStuart]

I believe a member on this forum. Barry something has a leaf sprung cobra with a De tomaso headed engine in his car. I cant remember the story behind it but I think he decribed the heads as being like the ones you posted about in another post. I think he is in the Chicago land area .

Mark

Here you go! colin Comers book Cobra 50 Years

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by Guido36

engine XHP 260-5 and was this engine fitted to a Cobra

Engine XHP-260-5 was fitted into a very early Cobra, one so early that it still used an AC Greyhound radiator. A picture of the engine bay day one has been featured in Hot Rod Magazine. When first installed it was like the other XHP-260s from Ford with a Ford 4100 carburetor. There are few pictures of an odd Holley in use on CSX2002 and another early Cobra but I believe Shelby’s works installed them. They appear to be prototypes also. I have hunted very hard for years trying to document those odd Holley assemblies. The main assemblies, body to bowls, are like several 1957-58 models Thunberbirds used. The throttle plate sub assemblies are like a 1960s Ford production car.

Dan

PS. In later years, especially 1964 through 1969, Shelby’s works used quite a few non-production Holley carburetors. Some were modified specials by the Shelby works but most were contracted to the Holley custom shop. If Holley did the work their identification number will be stamped on the main body.

[alexopm]

Hi Guido. I believe the engine you purchased from Chapman was not a Ford 289. I believe that was the one and only V8 casted and built by De Tomaso for the Can Am project with Chapman. Pete Coltrin documented the project very well for Road & Track. The block design was very close to the 289 (on which it was based), but it was a full De Tomaso design (I have some blue prints of it). Do you know where the engine is now?