Unrestored Cobra

[1795]

It definitely shows t's age, and it is probably rare that any cobra has not had some modification made to it over the years. Glad to see that it is still being driven.

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by 1795

It definitely shows t's age, and it is probably rare that any cobra has not had some modification made to it over the years. Glad to see that it is still being driven.

True (modification wise) and that is why examining just a single "unrestored" car from one time frame or one completion site (the AC factory, Hugus’s works, or Shelby’s works) has confused many enthusiasts, owners, authors, mechanics, and restorers over the decades. Even original owner unrestored cars have added to the confusion. My favorite example was a Cobra completed in mid 1964 using a later Ford service replacement carburetor for 1965 Mustang. The car had just turned past 9,000 miles. The owner claimed the engine was untouched but it was very clearly was using a replacement carburetor, aftermarket cylinder head gaskets, and quite a few other post production and aftermarket parts he did not remember when or how they got installed.

My point, love unrestored Cobras (We bought ours in 1983.) but use each as a data set to compare with others completed in the same facility in the same time frame. Each year a few more cars that stayed substantially as manufactured into the 21st Century get torn down to every last rivet and rebuilt. In the process cars that stayed very intact with high original parts and materials content for decades quickly get a few dozen to thousands of custom touches for all kinds of reasons.

[1795]

Dan,

I was just at the Shelby Collection in Boulder a couple of days ago, vacationing in Denver for a few days and in comparing the 289 race cars that were there, the variations are striking. The cars shared some common characteristics, but from there each one had differences in ride height, exhaust pipes, hood venting, roll bars, etc..

Still looking forward to getting out west again and having the opportunity to see your cobra's. Take care.

Jim

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by 1795

Dan,

I was just at the Shelby Collection in Boulder a couple of days ago, vacationing in Denver for a few days and in comparing the 289 race cars that were there, the variations are striking. The cars shared some common characteristics, but from there each one had differences in ride height, exhaust pipes, hood venting, roll bars, etc..

Still looking forward to getting out west again and having the opportunity to see your cobra's. Take care.

Jim

Original Cobras as a class tend to be some of the most highly modified old cars, especially cars used in any kind of competition. People often buy cars that they can afford at the time and then start changing them to what they wish they had. Since the 1970s I have noticed some cars that have been reconfigured multiple times by multiple owners. Today one may look at a former 1960s race car that has left over modifications dating back to the 1960s, modifications from the 1970s, from the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s all mixed into one car.

From Shelby American Inc.: Except for the cars ordered with “wide rear wings” (a.k.a. the cut back door cars) most of the racers started their racing as normal Cobra street car chassis with a limited number of optional changes to go racing. Most were, with the notable exceptions of CSX2196 and CSX2431, normally raced as assembly line production cars with approved factory options. In early races most details found in any contemporary street car were also in the race cars. Over time, and in some cases after crashes, some cars got redone to wishes of the day all over inside and out more than once.

From home grown racers: I know of a few that were very much normal street cars with just a few changes UNTIL they got “restored” the first time. Since anything to do with the term restoration now means do anything one wants with anything one wants some of those cars have only main frames and parts of their original bodies left. I have been offered package deals of all the original parts except main frame and bodies of two cars since 2015. I declined both offers. I did want all that stuff. A friend purchased one collection.

Our old cars are beaters but lots of fun.