Club Cobra - 1964 Shelby Cobra "flip top" CSX2196. Photo's ?

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1964 Shelby Cobra "flip top" CSX2196. Photo's ?

I just looked at a members photo album and looked at the 1964 Shelby Cobra "flip top" CSX2196.

Do any of you guys have more photo's with the front & back tilted up and down ?

It sure would be essy access !

http://i33.tinypic.com/2lu815.jpg

Wasn't this the car they referred to as, "The Turd"?

Here is a link to my Photo Bucket site with a good number of photos in hi-res:
http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s...aDon/CSX-2196/
Just a sample:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...38bed37b_o.jpg
Don

I posted some photos of the fliptop Cobra, from the RM Auctions catalog, on my gallery but you've obviously seen those already.

If you go to the Gallery section and search using keywords like "CSX2196", "fliptop" or "turd" you'll find other photos of the car. CC members like computerworks, Brent Mills and decooney have got plenty of other shots of it.

The turd ?
Why, was it painted brown. lol

Do the doors actually fold down ? That's just too damn weird. :JEKYLHYDE
I would rather just have the front tilted !

Thanks for the photo's and links guys.

Yes, the doors fold down.
Hank

FFR replica of Turd

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUNFER2 (Post 1074178)

The turd? Why, was it painted brown? lol

According to the SAAC registry, Ken Miles dubbed it "the turd" as he expected the car to up and sh*t on everything at the track. The name stuck and the guys in the Shelby American shop called it the turd from then on.

CSX2196 has had a pretty interesting life. The car started as the 427 prototype which Miles crashed into the only tree at Sebring in March 1964. The car was raced once, but had several mechanical problems and wasn't competitive.

Next CSX2196 was transformed into a lightweight special meant to beat the Corvette Grand Sports, and this is where it got the flip-top bodywork you see on it today. The finished car weighed in at about 1800-lb and was powered by a 500-hp 390cid NASCAR motor.

The turd raced only one time, at the Nassau Speed Week in Dec 1964, where it blew away the competition -- including GT40s, 250 GTOs and 250 LMs -- opening up an 8-second lead in the first lap. But the engine failed and the car didn't finish. CSX2196 was kept for a short while by Shelby American as a test car before it was sold to a private owner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUNFER2 (Post 1074178)

The turd ?
Why, was it painted brown. lol

It was referred to as The Turd, because it handled so poorly that it was almost undrivable.

http://www.csxinfo.net/compcars/fliptop/fliptop.htm

The following photos are of CSX2196, The 427 Cobra prototype. This car is also commonly referred to as "The Fliptop" and "The Turd". The body was attached to the chassis so the front and back sections would flip up, thus the name "flip top". The Fliptop was built to determine the feasibility of installing the FE series engine into the Cobra. The engine initially installed was an aluminum 390 engine with 58mm Webers. This was the engine used when CSX2196 was raced at Nassau. Later on, she was fitted with a NASCAR spec 427 sideoiler.The basic chassis was a 289 chassis complete with 3" main rails and transverse leaf springs. Of course the chassis was strengthened and modified to accept the big block FE engine. The entire body on the Fliptop was replaced with a lighter skin and is said to have a total weight of 1800lbs.

http://www.csxinfo.net/compcars/fliptop/flipside.jpg