31
General Discussion / Re: First AC Cobras delivered to the US?
« on: February 10, 2019, 17:03:41 »
The book on Ed Hugus and the early Cobra days is excellent.
News:
SMF - installed December 2017.
Returning members - please use the 'Forgot Password' function when logging in to the new Forum for the first time. If you have changed your email address please let me know so I can update it.
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
32
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / C4SA COBRA 4V Intake Manifold
« on: August 07, 2018, 13:31:58 »
NOT MINE. This is not mine nor am I connected in any way with the seller but this piece is so rare I wanted to make an attempt to let early Cobra owners know that it is listed on ebay®
Based on the Holman-Moody intake they created for 260 c.i.d. Ford engines in the 1962-63 time frame this version has COBRA lettering where the Holman-Moody bird logo was in the original version. IMPORTANT: This intake is functionally a copy of a Ford cast iron prototype intake for XHP-260 and HP260 engines and is not suitable for 289 c.i.d. engines performance wise. These are rare. I have only come across five (5) of them in all these last five plus decades. It was a regular production option for early Cobras. A Holley R-2599 carburetor assembly went with the option package when ordered for a new Cobra.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-AC-COBRA-Aluminum-4-barrel-Intake-Manifold-Ford-260-289-4V-Shelby/232877526048?hash=item3638950c20:g:SEEAAOSwNedbaRQv
Based on the Holman-Moody intake they created for 260 c.i.d. Ford engines in the 1962-63 time frame this version has COBRA lettering where the Holman-Moody bird logo was in the original version. IMPORTANT: This intake is functionally a copy of a Ford cast iron prototype intake for XHP-260 and HP260 engines and is not suitable for 289 c.i.d. engines performance wise. These are rare. I have only come across five (5) of them in all these last five plus decades. It was a regular production option for early Cobras. A Holley R-2599 carburetor assembly went with the option package when ordered for a new Cobra.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-AC-COBRA-Aluminum-4-barrel-Intake-Manifold-Ford-260-289-4V-Shelby/232877526048?hash=item3638950c20:g:SEEAAOSwNedbaRQv
34
General Forum / Re: Naming of Parts
« on: April 24, 2018, 16:19:08 »
In the USA, if you were to ask ten individuals what a given part is called you might have resting on a work bench is you might get one to several different 'names' depending many factors and in what part of the country the person doing the naming it is from.
A device used to retain lubricant and exclude foreign materials from let’s say the top side of cylinder head assembly is probably going to get just one or two names: rocker arm cover or valve cover.
A thin narrow made of various metals or plastic device with a securing feature on one end used to fix wiring to a chassis might be called: wire tie, tie wrap, zip tie, wire strap, flexible clamp, wire clamp, or lacing.
In trying to assist owners, restorers, and other researchers I find macro pictures the best communicaton, with drawings, and O.E.M. information less useful. (It rarely does anybody any good to know that a company that either has long gone out of business or be absorbed into another used as a part number in 1963-67. It is neat to know what a given part number was in 1963 but if the maker changed part numbering systems every few years and you do not have a cross reference for every change you still might be out of luck.)
A device used to retain lubricant and exclude foreign materials from let’s say the top side of cylinder head assembly is probably going to get just one or two names: rocker arm cover or valve cover.
A thin narrow made of various metals or plastic device with a securing feature on one end used to fix wiring to a chassis might be called: wire tie, tie wrap, zip tie, wire strap, flexible clamp, wire clamp, or lacing.
In trying to assist owners, restorers, and other researchers I find macro pictures the best communicaton, with drawings, and O.E.M. information less useful. (It rarely does anybody any good to know that a company that either has long gone out of business or be absorbed into another used as a part number in 1963-67. It is neat to know what a given part number was in 1963 but if the maker changed part numbering systems every few years and you do not have a cross reference for every change you still might be out of luck.)
35
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: CSX 2000 to CSX 2074 Photographs
« on: April 21, 2018, 20:09:30 »Any non-stock interesting CSX 2000 to 2074 photographs, please, to Bob Walker per first post contact details.
RS
I am working to get Bob together with the owner of a car that has been out of use for many years.
36
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: CSX 2000 to CSX 2074 Photographs
« on: April 18, 2018, 13:35:13 »
I really enjoyed Mr. Walker’s book and that it brought Ed Hugus’ story out in public. Many long time Cobra owners have known much of the presented information for decades. A new book, sounds interesting. Some of us would hope that Mr. Walker doesn't perpetuate some other mythology including but not limited to:
CSX2000 was not painted different colors multiple times in 1962 to make the motoring press believe that there many more than one car finished. CSX2000 of course was first presented to the world in bare aluminum coachwork. It did get the famous bright yellow paint work as soon as the busy little team got around to it but it did not get repeat color changes. The first best proof is right in Shelby American “factory” photographs of CSX2000 taken about half way through the completion of CSX2101-CSX2200 contract cars. A series of photographs was taken from multiple angles specifically to show the differences between CSX2000 and the new latest chassis of the day. As of 1978 when I first examined the car it had only been painted two colors from new, the bright yellow and the medium dark blue. Stone chips and nicks in the blue only showed yellow or aluminum under yellow underneath.
Chassis “before” CSX2075 were “260 Cobras”. The tricky part of that sentence is what does “before” mean? There was never a “260 Cobra” in the 1960s that I have found any reference to in any way. The earliest service parts lists published after coil spring chassis entered the pictures described leaf spring CSX2xxx chassis as “COBRA I” models. Even the term “289 Cobra” appears to have been a term the Shelby works service parts department came up (linking 289 engines and CSX2xxx chassis in a service parts list index) with after CSX30xx chassis necessitated customers telling the parts clerk what type of car they were talking about. The earliest date I have come across is the original sale of CSX2580 on June 26, 1965 being sold as a “289 Cobra”. The first time shipped to a dealer only two cars are documents as being sold as “289 Cobras” and both were very late cars with 1965 Fairlane engines and special high performance C4 automatic transmissions. Back to engines. What engine a chassis received is more related to which “factory” did the final installation and when. AC Cars and Ed Hugus appear to have used whatever engines they had already (XHP-260 or HP260) after Shelby in California switched to HP289s. Final assembly into running cars was not in numerical order and sometimes seems to have taken days or weeks to complete a given car in early days. Chassis CSX2018 and CSX2044 were completed new with HP289 engines, as were several others “before” CSX2075. Recent investigations make it seem likely that CSX2070 onward cars were fitted with a HP289.
CSX2000 was not painted different colors multiple times in 1962 to make the motoring press believe that there many more than one car finished. CSX2000 of course was first presented to the world in bare aluminum coachwork. It did get the famous bright yellow paint work as soon as the busy little team got around to it but it did not get repeat color changes. The first best proof is right in Shelby American “factory” photographs of CSX2000 taken about half way through the completion of CSX2101-CSX2200 contract cars. A series of photographs was taken from multiple angles specifically to show the differences between CSX2000 and the new latest chassis of the day. As of 1978 when I first examined the car it had only been painted two colors from new, the bright yellow and the medium dark blue. Stone chips and nicks in the blue only showed yellow or aluminum under yellow underneath.
Chassis “before” CSX2075 were “260 Cobras”. The tricky part of that sentence is what does “before” mean? There was never a “260 Cobra” in the 1960s that I have found any reference to in any way. The earliest service parts lists published after coil spring chassis entered the pictures described leaf spring CSX2xxx chassis as “COBRA I” models. Even the term “289 Cobra” appears to have been a term the Shelby works service parts department came up (linking 289 engines and CSX2xxx chassis in a service parts list index) with after CSX30xx chassis necessitated customers telling the parts clerk what type of car they were talking about. The earliest date I have come across is the original sale of CSX2580 on June 26, 1965 being sold as a “289 Cobra”. The first time shipped to a dealer only two cars are documents as being sold as “289 Cobras” and both were very late cars with 1965 Fairlane engines and special high performance C4 automatic transmissions. Back to engines. What engine a chassis received is more related to which “factory” did the final installation and when. AC Cars and Ed Hugus appear to have used whatever engines they had already (XHP-260 or HP260) after Shelby in California switched to HP289s. Final assembly into running cars was not in numerical order and sometimes seems to have taken days or weeks to complete a given car in early days. Chassis CSX2018 and CSX2044 were completed new with HP289 engines, as were several others “before” CSX2075. Recent investigations make it seem likely that CSX2070 onward cars were fitted with a HP289.
37
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: Seen at Retromobile Paris 10.2.2018
« on: February 19, 2018, 15:32:31 »thanks RSK289
does anybody know what the two devices here are about?
Line lock switch and reverse gear block out I believe. The car was a very serious drag race car for a long time from new.
38
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: Seen at Retromobile Paris 10.2.2018
« on: February 16, 2018, 15:47:19 »what about these rear wheels on CSX2075? Are they period? Cannot understand what the nuts do there? 2 eared spinner indicates splined hub.
Shelby American Inc. offered “spline drive” magnesium wheels made by American Racing as street and racing options. There were two design types, the original with ‘hidden lugs’ and the revised with ‘exposed lugs’. Both wheel assembly designs incorporated steel adapters bolted in from the rear of the wheel and steel sleeves on the outboard side to be hard wear surfaces for standard AC logo center lock “knock off” nuts. All wheels were for 15” diameter tires.
Cobra wise buyers could get widths between 6.0 and 8.5 inches with the 6.0 models being unique to Shelby American and Cobras. American Racing added 6.5 through 8.5 inches wide models to their aftermarket catalogs.
6.0 inches wide wheels generally work without coachwork modifications on all four corners. A popular combination was 6.0 inches wide front and 7.0 inches wide in rear. 7.0 inches wide wheels in rear and or extra large tires could require modification of wings depending on the particular chassis as some coachwork width variation was normal.
An additional strengthening revision was made at some point but I don’t know when, a rib was added inside each wheel spoke. See the last image below.
Street and road racing wise the first ‘hidden lug’ design assembly proved generally satisfactory durability wise. The first design was not good on the rear for drag racing as the lug bolts tended to wallow out the magnesium they were threaded into. The solution was the ‘exposed lug’ revision whereby acorn type ‘lug nuts’ and the bolts captured the hub of the magnesium wheel between them. The second Shelby works “Dragonsnake” used the new design exposed lug wheels.
Neither design wheel assembly is light weight as compared to any version of 'pin drive' magnesium wheel Shelby American used.
Regarding CSX2075, I have been seeing pictures taken of the car between the 1960s and its marketing photos for sale last year with drag race exposed lug wheels.
This wheel is 8.50 wide and was used for many years on the rear of a Cobra but it illustrates the ‘hidden lug' bolts threaded directly into the magnesium.
This is a new old stock 6.0 wide made specifically for Cobras ‘exposed lug’ wheel I once owned shown front and reverse side.
Dan
39
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Re: CSX2493 offered for sale
« on: January 12, 2018, 16:39:56 »
It was a neat and unique Cobra for decades and now it looks like countless replicas.
40
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Low milage Cobra
« on: August 10, 2017, 15:33:45 »
Believe it or not it has been cleaned up a lot and fixed up quite a bit mechanically and cosmetically since it was first reported several years ago. It was poorly stored for a long time in conditions that allowed a lot of surface corrosion to develop. It had some coachwork damage and a repaint during repairs five decades ago based on the letter the owner got from Shelby American telling them what paint to use.
41
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Help verifying original AC windscreen hardware
« on: May 21, 2017, 22:54:04 »
What chassis range? I know what is typical in the CSX2201 and CSX2589 range.
British Fasteners in the USA has some BSF pieces.
GS Model Suppliers Ltd usually has some BA threaded stuff.
LAS Aerospace Ltd
GWR Fasteners, Ltd
British Fasteners in the USA has some BSF pieces.
GS Model Suppliers Ltd usually has some BA threaded stuff.
LAS Aerospace Ltd
GWR Fasteners, Ltd
42
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Still need NOS or reproduction of tie rod boots
« on: April 24, 2017, 17:17:26 »
I find them on Ebay® UK sometimes. I would see if you can find an obsolete parts dealer that might have some. Some other assemblies use the same black rubber boot.
43
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / Still need NOS or reproduction of tie rod boots
« on: April 24, 2017, 15:22:18 »
I bought AP Lockheed® assemblies for other applications from the period and harvested the boots and spring clamps from them.
Dan
Dan
44
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / When was this award ceremony recorded.
« on: February 20, 2017, 19:10:20 »
There was a magazine cover representation of a bright yellow early car that was not CSX2000. What I don't know is if the car shown was painted yellow or just made to appear that way through photographic dark room manipulation.
A two car theory is possible, strange but possible with two cars with odd tail lamps and registration plate lamps.
A two car theory is possible, strange but possible with two cars with odd tail lamps and registration plate lamps.
45
Cobra (Thames Ditton) Forum / When was this award ceremony recorded.
« on: February 20, 2017, 15:22:47 »
My opinion, not probable. Possible yes but if so the SAAC Registry is missing information and the car’s configuration was transformed more times than documented.
If the car in the last segment is CSX2048 then we have a two car mystery. If it is CSX2048 then there were at least two prototype cars painted red fitted with custom very large round tail lamps and large custom rear registration plate lamps. One of the oddities in the film clip is that the car appears to be running on Firestone brand tires. CSX2048 doesn’t have a legend of tire and wheel combination testing attached to it but another red Cobra with these odd rear lamps does.
Based on the SAAC Registry CSX2048 was painted a custom “pearl” color after arrival in California, used as a show car, and then stored for some period before being sent to Ford still painted “pearl” and fitted Goodyear race tires on chrome plated wire wheels. There is no mention of any prototyping with the car. The invoice to Ford has a date quoted as September 16, 1963. To be at Mid Ohio less than a full week later in red could be possible but would require expedited shipping, a quick color change, and installation of custom rear lamps. Possible, sure. Ford money ran like river but it seems some of these changes would have been captured in somebody’s notes and why bother if other another car was already configured that way.
If the car in the last segment is CSX2048 then we have a two car mystery. If it is CSX2048 then there were at least two prototype cars painted red fitted with custom very large round tail lamps and large custom rear registration plate lamps. One of the oddities in the film clip is that the car appears to be running on Firestone brand tires. CSX2048 doesn’t have a legend of tire and wheel combination testing attached to it but another red Cobra with these odd rear lamps does.
Based on the SAAC Registry CSX2048 was painted a custom “pearl” color after arrival in California, used as a show car, and then stored for some period before being sent to Ford still painted “pearl” and fitted Goodyear race tires on chrome plated wire wheels. There is no mention of any prototyping with the car. The invoice to Ford has a date quoted as September 16, 1963. To be at Mid Ohio less than a full week later in red could be possible but would require expedited shipping, a quick color change, and installation of custom rear lamps. Possible, sure. Ford money ran like river but it seems some of these changes would have been captured in somebody’s notes and why bother if other another car was already configured that way.