Beautiful job, beautiful car! Something to be proud of, bringing a car back from "the dead".....Great job!!!

Now here is a good news story.
Fantastic effort!
Thanks for sharing!

What was on the title as the year, make and which state?

The short answer is Ohio, 1965 Shelby Cobra 427. Vin number is CSX4158. It is salvaged branded due to the flood history.


The long answer: The car was originally titled as such in Georgia, and when we brought the car into Ohio, they verified the csx vin number and issued the title that matched the GA evidence. GA is apparently a year of appearance state, and the car was legally titled/registered there by the previous owner.

However when we had the salvage inspection (which we passed with flying colors BTW) the Highway Patrolman smugly announced, "you know that's a fake cobra, right?" He had Googled kit cars and was full of mistaken assumptions about them and Shelby in general. At one point he said it wasn't authentic because, "there's no Shelby signature on the dash". He then said it was a fake because it didn't have an SFM vin like Shelby Mustangs. I kid you not.

We spent hours with him and his superior, and it was clear later that he had left out significant parts of the story to his boss. The supervisor thought we were there for a newly built kit inspection, not a salvage inspection, and wanted to title it as a 2012. We set him straight, but the damage was done. In the end their consolation was an offer to title it as a 2000 model year "1965 Cobra replica" with a modern 17 digit vin.

They failed to recognize the legal title issued by another state, and the legal title initially issued by Ohio as well. The title bureau even agreed with our stance, but the Highway Patrol trumps their authority.

After spending 2 years rebuilding this car, I'm not going to accept an ugly modern vin tag riveted to the frame, due to a mistake on the state's part. Had we not met this particular trooper, there wouldn't have even been an issue.

In the end, I've decided to retain the 1965 title that Ohio originally gave me, and not accept the "modern" title. I feel this is best for the integrity of the car. When I receive a copy of the MSO from Shelby we may appeal it again, as they will have irrefutable proof it is a Shelby, and not a "fake".

With this title however any future owner can register it in their state as he or she sees fit. But if the new owner is an Ohioan, he'll need to accept the modern vin tag prior to registering for road use.

Hopefully you can understand my choice. I followed the advice of numerous folks not to alter the car this way and hope I've done the right thing. The year in particular isn't important - 1965 or 2000 both have merit. But to call the car a 2012 model is false, and to call it anything other than CSX4158 is false in my mind as well. It would be like erasing a whole period of the car's history.

I agree with the path you chose. I was asking mainly for the year stated, not the salvage. In the state of MN you can get a "Collector Plate" for anything 20 yrs or older. Big differance when it comes to insurance. My 2003 B&B Cobra is insured for 42K as the stated value and cost me about $600 a yr for insurance (based on 12 months) I drop everthing but comp in the winter months. My 66 GT350R clone was insured for 35k but only cost$150 year round. If you purchase a vehicle out of state and register in MN as a collector you only pay a one time fee of $100.00 for the plates and pay no sales tax.

Thanks, Roger

That's great! We have a historical plate program in Ohio but it has some loosely enforced stipulations like maximum mileage and 'hobby related activities only' so a lot of guys just keep modern tags. However the hist. tag is much cheaper and doesn't need to be renewed, and allows you to display model year tags.

Can you run model-year tags in MN?

Yes you can. I've seen several that display same year tag painted matching color of the car. MN law states collector plates vehicles must be on the way or from a show. Not a daily driver, to the grocery store, work etc. I've driven my cars with collector plates and have never been stopped. Matter of fact I don't know of anyone that's ever been stopped for a collector plate and questioned about that. In the area I think law inforcement is pretty leanant due to the efforts of the Minnesota Street Rod Assoc.

Hey guys, the owner has asked me to advertise the car. He's picked up something a little "less brutal" and needs the space.

It will be posted in classifieds today...if I need to be subscribed to properly do that let me know and I'll fix it.

Just want to thank the site again for all the help and encouragement, and for assisting in documenting the restoration. Its an invaluable resource for future owners and enthusiasts.

I'd like to own one of these myself someday and plan to stick around.

Just a heads up for someone interested in this car. Check with your insurer before you consider buying a salvage titled vehicle. Some insurers may not extend collision or comprehensive coverage to vehicles that have a salvage title. If they do offer the coverage, they will usually value the car significantly less than a comparable non salvage titled vehicle. Do your homework before you buy or you could be in for a big surprise. Probably varies by company and State.

Always good advice. In this case our insurer gave us full stated value on the car without question. Also spoke with Hagerty some time back and it was a non-issue for them as well.