Cobra dash gauges

[xb-60]

Early 260/289 Cobras had Smiths gauges as standard fit direct from the AC factory.
Later 289 Cobras changed to SW gauges as standard fitment (fitted in US, I assume?)
427 cars, both roadsters and comp. cars, went back to Smiths gauges as the standard fitment.
Any known reason for the return to Smiths? Is it just that CS found that they were cheaper?

Cheers!
Glen

[Dan Case]

Why would any of the interested parties make the many hundreds of changes in designs of parts and assemblies in Cobras over so few cars? Good question. Besides the relatively small number of changes documented in Technical Service Bulletins sent to dealerships, advertisements, and letters sent around among the players, exact reasons will probably never be known down to why was part X chosen instead of part Y in most cases. (I do not study 427 Cobras like I have Cobras since circa 1971 so I will not comment about them. If you know much about any of the street or race Mustang based cars that went through “Shelby”, you will likely know that each series of cars had their own evolutions of how they were constructed over time spans shorter than Cobra production. The constant for all the “Shelby” car series was the implementation of changes one at a time or in groups.)

I will l key off your “early” and “late” characterizations. It was not that simple. It was almost that simple while only American market cars were being produced, CSX and CS prefix chassis numbers under “Shelby” contract runs. Once the European market COX/COB leaf spring cars went into production electrical system and other details diverged as COX/COB cars were being produced concurrently with the CSX contract cars. If one gets lost trying to sort out the evolution of CSX chassis, then deeper confusion is likely to develop if COX/COB car details get mixed in. Below is sort of a simplified electrical system outline for Cobras. (My notes on CSX2201-CSX2589 electrical components are about 50 pages long.)

A.C. Cars installed all the wiring and instrumentation in street cars except for any wiring changes made in the USA as required for American market cars. Example: Production CSX2070-CSX2200 cars were converted to Ford generator based charging systems including a Ford voltage regulator. At or by CSX2117 white body AUTOLITE® batteries took the place of the Lucas® battery used before that, which required battery cable adaptation.

CSX2001-CSX2200 and COX/COB6001-6062 chassis had English electrical systems, switch gear, and Smiths instruments. Except CSX2008 and CSX2126. CSX2008 had its electrical system redone by Ford including the inclusion of a prototype Ford alternator with tachometer drive to work with the then standard gear box, cable, and mechanical Smiths tachometer. CSX2126, completed before CSX2080, was the prototype car for the Ford cooling system McCord® made radiator and expansion tank, Ford wire looms, Ford switches for most applications, Stewart-Warner instruments, Ford windscreen washer fluid system, 1963½ 427 Galaxie 40 amp alternator, Ford voltage regulator for an alternator, and A.C. Cars alternator mounting system, and Carter® 3623S fuel pump. (CSX2126 was the first car with LHD rack and pinion steering and associated front suspension and brakes. CS 2030 was the first RHD drive Cobra as a prototype and the first car with rack and pinion steering.)

CSX2201-CSX2589 Ford wire looms, most of the switch gear was Ford, and Stewart-Warner instruments.

[xb-60]

Thanks Dan. Your Cobra knowledge is, as always, impressive.

Further questions (for my own interest)...

In the period when COB/COX cars were being built in England, and fitted with Smiths gauges, were the CSX 289 Cobras being fitted with SW gauges in England or were they to be fitted in US?

Also, when the 427 Cobra rollers were being built in Thames Ditton, should I assume that the Smiths gauges were fitted there? Any known reason why the 427s were not fitted with American SW gauges? Cheaper that way, maybe/probably?

Cheers,
Glen

[Harpoon PV2]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Thanks Dan. Your Cobra knowledge is, as always, impressive.

Further questions (for my own interest)...

In the period when COB/COX cars were being built in England, and fitted with Smiths gauges, were the CSX 289 Cobras being fitted with SW gauges in England or were they to be fitted in US?

Also, when the 427 Cobra rollers were being built in Thames Ditton, should I assume that the Smiths gauges were fitted there? Any known reason why the 427s were not fitted with American SW gauges? Cheaper that way, maybe/probably?

Cheers,
Glen

All American parts, gauges, alternators, wiring harness, radiators, and the like, were shipped to AC in bulk, where they were put in bonded stores, and only pulled out as needed, at which time they would pay the government duty fees. The Hurlock's didn't become filthy rich by wasting a single pence! I imagine the switch to Smith was saving money, just like the last big block cars had English made Serck radiators. The whole Cobra project was on a tight budget, always in the red. Cheers, Dennis

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Further questions (for my own interest)...
In the period when COB/COX cars were being built in England, and fitted with Smiths gauges, were the CSX 289 Cobras being fitted with SW gauges in England or were they to be fitted in US?
Cheers,
Glen

From my post #2:

Originally Posted by Dan Case

A.C. Cars installed all the wiring and instrumentation in street cars except for any wiring changes made in the USA as required for American market cars. Example: Production CSX2070-CSX2200 cars were converted to Ford generator based charging systems including a Ford voltage regulator. At or by CSX2117 white body AUTOLITE® batteries took the place of the Lucas® battery used before that, which required battery cable adaptation.

A.C. Cars Ltd built all the Cobra roadsters. Specifically, that includes and means installing all the Stewart-Warner® made components supplied by and or through Ford Motor Company. Some of the Stewart-Warner components were assigned Ford engineering experimental part numbers.


To cover item by item what each company provided when and where and or installed would require a pretty good size book but to shorten the discussion Shelby American had to source and install very little themselves for the basic no options street car.