Quote:
Originally Posted by MAStuart
I think a repo if available would still be a big chunk of money. It would be nice if they could be SFI approved. Makes me wonder if guys are using them or just have them in there collection of cool stuff!
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If copies of any five of the bolt engine block COBRA or TIGER versions have been made it is a well kept secret.
Lots of 1960s Ford fans seem to have one in their collections of stuff. One situation that keeps fewer in use is that a significant number of 1960s Ford and Mercury cars these would have been used in were converted to some type six bolt engine over time. That is especially true of any vehicle used in any kind of competition.
The main market seems to be high end restorations of Cobras that were raced factory or otherwise in the 1960s OR folks like me that don’t want to be in an original car with the engine running without some kind of safety bell housing. I use to hit 8,000 rpm on the straights when I open tracked the black car and 7,000 rpm out playing. The original cast steel (SAE 1030) shields are tough. I have not yet seen a broken one but I have seen ones badly deformed (can tell with a tape measure) by events they contained. I friend of mine had his flywheel and clutch get loose after the fasteners holding the flywheel failed north of 9,000 rpm while he was racing is dirt track car. He was fine, the car was fine, but the engine block, flywheel, clutch, transmission, and COBRA shield all became scrap metal. The ring gear on the flywheel left circular internal knurling inside the shield where it ran around a few times before jamming up and stopping.
Another friend bought a shield that had contained a failure in the past for his original Cobra. It was not useable as it was deformed on the order of 1/8” around the block mount surface and the transmission mount face was not parallel to the front face any more. Looked okay just laying on the floor. The guideline here is to be wary of units that have already done their job before, they might not be useable.
There were at least three other five bolt cast steel safety housings in the 1960s for 221/260/289 five bolt engines. The maker of the COBRA and TIGER parts sold a version under their brand name, ANSEN made something, and RC Industries made something. I know of privateer original Cobras that used these other models. (Tip: Most privateer racers didn’t load their cars up with COBRA-Ford marketed goodies. Before the 1980s surge in rebuilding old racers into configurations they never race in period in you would see almost any brand of ignition,
oil cooler, rocker arm covers, intake manifold, and or carburetor. 2-4V cross ram in SCCA B Production, yes. T-J mechanical fuel injection, yes. Any of the safety bell housings. Just about any version of 4V, 3-2V, or 2-4V induction system. Ford carburetors, yes. Carter carburetors, yes. All kinds of variations in Holley carburetors. Custom wheels made in steel, yes. Custom aluminum wheels adapted to Cobras, yes. Any kind of ignition distributor or magneto. So on and so forth. )
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