Cobra Side Pipes/Hood Rivets/Visors-Wings

[vegan2]

Could someone enlighten me concerning original Cobra:

Side Pipes:
1. Were the originals black, white and chrome - I don't believe that they were chrome, but I don't know for sure?
2. My pipes are painted white - get dirty a lot, but it's a nice look. Is power coating a viable option?
3. Chrome is possibly the most popular and least time consuming to clean. Is that the route to go.

Hood Rivets:
1. Did the original have rivets along the outer edge of the hood?
2. Did the original have rivets around the hood scoop?
3. In both cases noted, were the rivets not painted or painted?

Visors-Wings
1. Were the originals glass or plastic?
2. Did they include "Cobra" at the bottom?

Is there a site that provides exact detail on the original Cobra?

All input will be appreciated.

[mikiec]

Veg,

The original comp and s/c cars had the rivets around the front of the hood. I believe they were there to keep the hood skin from peeling off during high speed runs.

The Scoop was riveted on. It was a glass scoop. Many rivet patterns apply to the hood scoop.

All pics of originals with side pipes I have seen were painted black.

I do not know about the visors and windwings.


Mike

P.S. A bunch of AZ Cobras will be driving through your town on Oct. 24th and Nov. 7th.

[vegan2]

Originally posted by mikiec
Veg,
The original comp and s/c cars had the rivets around the front of the hood. I believe they were there to keep the hood skin from peeling off during high speed runs.
The Scoop was riveted on. It was a glass scoop. Many rivet patterns apply to the hood scoop.
All pics of originals with side pipes I have seen were painted black.
I do not know about the visors and windwings.

Thanks, Mike.

In the 60's I saw a Cobra - perhaps the last real one that I've ever seen. Perhaps it was just a mirage, but I'm just looking to know what each part on the exterior body was made of. It appears that virtually all of the parts on kits are formed from the original, but I wonder about plastic versus metal versus glass. As I look at replacing stuff, like visors and wings I would a least like to know and consider the exact same as original.

Perhaps I'll see you and the group in Kingman as you pass through. The Air and Car Show is early next month at the Kingman airport - at least we call it an airport!

[vegan2]

Another question: Does anyone in this Club own a real Cobra?

[computerworks]

Originally posted by vegan2


Another question: Does anyone in this Club own a real Cobra?

There are a few active members... look for this iconette next to their user name:

..that indicates an original Cobra owner.

Mikie is correct on the rivets and the pipes. Rivet heads were unpainted.

Pipes were painted black or white.

The best approach to white pipes seems to be a spray can of hi-temp paint. The cleaning kit for white pipes is... a spray can of hi-temp paint.

[Edley Rondinone]

My Cobra does not have the exposed rivets on the scoop or the hood....IMHO, I think that gives it a cleaner look.

[vegan2]

Originally posted by computerworks
There are a few active members... look for this iconette next to their user name:

..that indicates an original Cobra owner.
Mikie is correct on the rivets and the pipes. Rivet heads were unpainted.
Pipes were painted black or white.
The best approach to white pipes seems to be a spray can of hi-temp paint. The cleaning kit for white pipes is... a spray can of hi-temp paint.

Great input, thanks. Do you know if the visors and wings were glass or plastic?

[jhaynie]

I did see a close up photo of an original 289 cobra's windwings that did infact have COBRA inscribed on the glass. Now whether or not these were the original windwings or not I don't know.

[pderouss]

The FIA 289's had alluminium scoops that were formed as part of the hood. The 427's had a glass scoop that was rivetted to the hood with unpainted rivets. If you look in my gallery you can see pictures of the rivet pattern. I have never seen an original with Cobra on the windwings.

[Bob Putnam]

Pete's original car has "Cobra" on the windwings - although they may have been replaced in the last 35 years.

[computerworks]

Spoke with Ned, the SAAC Cobra registrar, on this item...

The tinted sunvisors and clear windwings were plexiglass.
As optional equipment, the windwings came both ways - with/ without the Cobra along the bottom.
(You can see this in the old photos of Dave Friedman, which clearly show both.)

Ned says that he has never heard the idea that the original windwings might have been real glass.

[MysteryTrain]

re: side pipes,

Computerworks,

I'm a bit new here, but quickly recognized you as THE source for historical accuracy, so here's my question;

The car that infected me with Cobralust was an original CSX 3000 series that I saw in person at a dinky little car show here in LaCrescenta. I later found out that it belonged to none other than Lynn Park, who lives nearby.

This car appeared to be a street 427 car; no scoop, no rollbar. But it did have sidepipes, and they were chrome. From your earlier post, original pipes were only black or white. I'm thinking it must have been a later modification? Did any of the street cars come with sidepipes? I assumed a Lynn Park Cobra would be pretty straight. Any thoughts?

[REDSC400]

Originally posted by computerworks


Mikie is correct on the rivets and the pipes. Rivet heads were unpainted.

Pipes were painted black or white.

The best approach to white pipes seems to be a spray can of hi-temp paint. The cleaning kit for white pipes is... a spray can of hi-temp paint. [/b]

As far as the pipes are concerned, you may want to look into HPC Coating them. Mine were HPC (High Performance Coatings) coated 11 years ago in matte black satin and there is not a chip or spot of rust on them (the car has never been in the rain however, ... sigh). They were done by HPC in Manchester, CT but I think HPC also as locations in Salt Lake City, UT and Oklahoma City, OK (maybe more places now). The colors available at the time I had mine done were: polished aluminum, black, blue, red, white and gray.

My headers and intake are HPC-1 Polished Aluminum ("silver").
All in all a real super job with everything still as fresh as the day it was done. I would highly reccomend that firm.

[vegan2]

Originally posted by computerworks


Spoke with Ned, the SAAC Cobra registrar, on this item...

Ned says that he has never heard the idea that the original windwings might have been real glass.

computerworks:

Great input - I was looking around the finishline.com site and they have glass windwings - a little on the expensive side versus plastic, so I drew the conclusion that perhaps the originals were glass.

This is such a great site as a new owner of a Cobra and I really appreciated your input and all the input that is so freely given.

[vegan2]

Originally posted by REDSC400


As far as the pipes are concerned, you may want to look into HPC Coating them. Mine were HPC (High Performance Coatings) coated 11 years ago in matte black satin and there is not a chip or spot of rust on them (the car has never been in the rain however, ... sigh).

Thanks - HPC has a location in Chandler, AZ that I'm going to contact.

[vegan2]

Originally posted by Bob Putnam
Pete's original car has "Cobra" on the windwings - although they may have been replaced in the last 35 years.

That's what I was looking for - a picture of an oringinal with some detail.

Bob - was a roll bar an option on the original street car or is the roll bar on the kits for looks/function - or to look more like the racing version?

Thanks.

[computerworks]

Originally posted by MysteryTrain


The car that infected me with Cobralust was an original CSX 3000 series that I saw in person at a dinky little car show here in LaCrescenta. I later found out that it belonged to none other than Lynn Park, who lives nearby.

This car appeared to be a street 427 car; no scoop, no rollbar. But it did have sidepipes, and they were chrome. From your earlier post, original pipes were only black or white. I'm thinking it must have been a later modification? Did any of the street cars come with sidepipes? I assumed a Lynn Park Cobra would be pretty straight. Any thoughts?

The car that "bit" you was CSX3156, one of Lynn's street 427's. The car is pretty-stock-street, but has been "S/C-ized" a bit with LeMans filler cap and some strange 'shorty' side pipes...
(Ralph Umali just posted a pic of it in his gallery last week...)

view of 3156...



All street cars originally came with undercar exhaust..side pipes were an option ( as was anything else you wanted )...
...an unfortunate number of street cars have been given the S/C treatment over the years. (scoop, pipes, roll-bar)

Lynn also has a very correct street car, CSX3203, with, what I think is, an original or early aftermarket hardtop...

[MysteryTrain]

Ron,

Yep, that's the one. 3156. Now I have a serial number to go with that first snake bite! 3203 is sexy beast. Nice hardtop. I love the look of those street cars . . . clean and mean. Thanks for the reply. Great pics, too!

MTrain