Great Quick-Jack Debate

[Russ Dickey]

Guys, I know you've gone over this topic before, and I've researched the threads, but I still would like to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I was recently told that the quick-jacks on my 289FIA are "backwards" (see my gallery for pics). I looked at all the other Cobras at the show (all 427's), and thought "Wow...how could I have missed that?". Just to be sure, I went home and got out my copies of "Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobras" by Dave Friedman and "The Shelby American Guide" by Rick Kopec. And boy was I surprised.

I closely examined all of the photos in both of those books, and all of the 289FIA Cobras have the quick-jacks in the position that mine are in (facing inward, or toward the car if you will), except for one, which was a privately raced car. By the way it looks in all of these photos, every single factory team car that Shelby campaigned had them facing inward, and even the 427 S/C car that they used in the first Shelby press shots had them facing inward.

I've read a lot of you guys says "It doesn't really matter, they've been put on both ways....do it however you like", and I understand that, but I really want mine to be as close to the factory cars as possible. Check out this photo in Computerworks gallery:

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/s...t=1&thecat=500

I guess my question is, which position did Shelby put the quick-jacks in? Did private owners start reversing them at some point, and that has become the "accepted" way to install them??

Thanks,

Russ

[Roscoe]

Russ,
You have to get out more often and stop spending so much time in the garage!

Actually, I went through a similar dilemma when I was building mine. Got out the books and saw them both ways so I installed them where I thought the looked the best.



Roscoe

[casaleenie]

In agreement with Roscoe...
Inward is correct and also helps with shins. A lost less likely to bang into them and damaging them with my legs...

[computerworks]

Originally posted by Russ Dickey


I guess my question is, which position did Shelby put the quick-jacks in?

Russ, the answer is really simple. The way you have them on the front (hook inwards) is the correct "original" way to have them on 289 cars.

The correct way to have them on 427 cars is the opposite...hook-outwards (the more popular way you see them).

For a very simple reason... although having them inwards gives you a wee-bit more machanical advantage of lift when using the quick-jack... on the 427, the cross-bar of the quick jack won't clear the larger radiator/oil-cooler opening of the 427.

Original CSX3002 publicity photos showed the jacks ala 289 style, but remember that car was a 289 hybrid and had a bizarre oil cooler opening.
The factory didn't race many 427's, but they sure would have figured out that the jack would hit the body if the hooks were inwards.

The rears are up for grabs, but I believe they were installed with respect to the way the fronts were, on any given car, for symmetry.

So tell the pundits that you are correct!

Here is an old picture of the CSX30xx production run (Comp cars)..
see the way the jacks are installed...
(Allen / Ironworker wll be pleased to see the FIA wheels on these 427's )

[Russ Dickey]

Thanks guys!

Russ