I almost agree with Mr. Snake. I have seen many cars through the years with slotted screws, owner installed, not original they didn.t know.. I have never seen a very high point car before a mid to late 3200 series car that did not have phillips. I checked my concours SAAC judges sheets. I would take off for slotted screws at that position. I do have an asterik on that line indicating I would allow a slot screw after 3280 or so as I surveyed a car that was outstanding and had the slot screw boot. To 3170. I judged several concours cars , on both sides of your car. Within 10 numbers before and 15 after. All had phillips. I have a collection of reference photos from magazines back to 1962. If any car magazine, no matter how obscure, had the word Cobra, a picture, a race result an ad, it went into my library. Ask Howard Pardee about our magazine run off. His minor collection barely fills a 55 foot semi. Sorry Howard. My brother was also hauling home magazines from England for me in the sixties. New car road tests from England. My lunatic office manager also surfaced unpublished photographs from law suits at AC during there troubled years over valuation of assets, that show production line shots used as evidence of valuations. Finally to answer Mr. Snake, I have judged, or surveyed or just seen in auctions or photos most of the first 21 cars. Most of those cars have been restored many many times. I was nickel and diming cars in the sixties. I use to go into NYC to Gotham Ford everytime my Dad saw a Cobra in the showroom as he was traveling to work. There was a dealer in Washington DC went there if I was home from college if my brother said there was a 427 there. White Plains Ford the same. Taking notes and making mental pictures. Ready, I have seen 2 other phillips screws on 427s. They were there on over 75% of what I deemed uncrashed front hi point cars. The two that pass through the lower
oil cooler valence. The area is painted. I assume that SA used a phillips screw for several reasons. First a screw rather than bolt would reduce damage to the paint from the flank of the wrench head. But more likely those fasteners installed at AC were tossed by SA for painting and replaced with phillips because they would be easier to install no slipping. Later 3100 seem to be a mix with no apparent sequencing . Enough tonight on 4 boot screws and two lower valence screws/ bolts. Good night.