[What'saCobra?]

Trev
Greetings and salubrious salutations!

It's true. Brian did build several, not just a few 427MKIII & MKII Cobras that are accurate clones of the originals. Some were used to slide under the original CSX titles, so they can't be easily found, since the later actual serial numbers were not ever used. That is not to assure, however, that they will never be used, since they are valid and could be used on an even more newly fabricated car needing an early ninties manufacturing date...mmmm...Ned?

Also, a few were made and sold with the normal and continued sequence of CSX serialization and are about, but also not easy to find. Certainly they are not all in England or on the Continent. They don't make the "normal" entry route into the SAAC logs, but some others appear in the sidebar articles like stepchildren from marriages rather not remembered.

But, for instance, those gliders sent to Wagner were completed in such fine fettle as to merit a special class of their own, in my view. They are beautiful. They are faster than striped apes. They are not Shelby's. So what?

Of course, some of these owners find this estranged treatment of their toys pretty snooty and have perhaps decided not to bother to clear things up and let others know about the stories. Perhaps it is too much to print? Perhaps the SAAC owners have in the past such a vested interest in their personal "Shelbys" that they are paniced at the thought that somehow they might not make quite so much on their eventual resale or status? What do I know?

The cars will outlast us all and the future will not be so picky about the continuation cars. After all, given the philosophy of the past, how can we understand and catagorize Shelby's lastest creations?

The original race cars, however, will stand tall. Taller than some of their drivers and most of their owners.

Meanwhile, of course, there are identical CSX numbers of SOME of these, as they were also used/manufactured by McClusky/Shelby et al during that Japanese scam when they tried to misrepresent the chassis as originaly from AC; whereafter Brian had a coniption and we were treated to the war of words we all enjoyed.

However, the REAL 427 Cobras (70's, 80's & 90's) from AC have their papers correct and I am guessing several of you top level dudes have copies of the Great AC Cars, Ltd. Book pages that ID the authenticity. Even we have a few, she said.

Phil
Yup, the narrow hipped cars were sweet and I never did understand why that short run of them was placed into the regular sequence in the original years. In the day, of course, they were given great disrespect, as they couldn't take bigger tires/wheels so easily, sort of like being a 428 at the time...who wants one?

It is true that the MKIV is a little wider than the 289Sports, but not wacky and nice ones sell here in the USofA for the low 40K dollars complete with titles, knock-off wheels, great brakes, big torque axles and shafts and only awaiting stroker kits and alloy heads to be turned into fire-breathing small block monsters.

Everything on the car is set up for bigger power and the conversion is easy, as above mentioned. Alloy heads and even blocks/trans can make them a wonderful driver. And very, very quicker. An extra 150 ponies does wonders for any car, but especially these.

The dash can be swapped into the MKII/III (your choice) visuals and all the instruments are easily available. There are some very nice ceramic big tube and low back-pressure catalytic reactors now available that can keep it as clean as you like.

They do need to lose a few pounds of fat though, but that is also a tap, depending on your state and your personal skills with a cutoff tool/torch/saw/etc.

Those alloy bodies are out there guys and the owners are pretty bored with 225 horsepower lead sleds. They are getting tired of being zapped by rice burners with 5" diameter muffler exits. The fit and finish of MKIV's are amongst the best ever done, as Brian did not ship a car less than 100% Shinola.

His color ethics, admittedly, very occasionally left something to be desired. We can be sure he and Paula laughed like hades as the new owner ooed and ahhed about that particular shade of brown.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that someday you will not be easily able to find an original looking MKIV, as they will all have been converted into a sort of MKIII Special. They are that good and someone is going to do it.

I am not sure how much plainer I can express it. Now is the time. Hock the kids, dump the Excursion, forget Princeton and go for it.

MKIV
Thanks for your thoughts on that MKIV imposter. As usual, your specifics are always new and entertaining.

Meanwhile, this space is OURS!