Who is this?

[xb-60]

Just going through some old Cobra pictures....anybody know who these two happy fellers are?



Given the era, I assume that's a genuine FIA-bodied 289 behind them.


Cheers,
Glen

[Dimis]

The one on the left is CIA, the one on the right KGB.

[SunDude]

According to this post, it's Gentleman Tom Payne circa 1966: Gentleman Tom Payne

[FWB]

my question is whats the life threatening contraption behind the car?

car ramps to a second story trailer?

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by FWB

my question is whats the life threatening contraption behind the car?

car ramps to a second story trailer?

You would have to be nuts to drive down that, OR worse still, UP.

[krausewich]

That's Barnum and Bailey. Ramps were how they got the Cobra on top of the elephant!

[xb-60]

Ask a serious question.... I get the clowns answering

Doing a bit of digging, and the car might possibly be CSX2494....

Cheers!
Glen

[moore_rb]

If the photo does actually date to 1966, then the car would most likely be CSX2430 (before they added the chin scoop, flared the front fenders, and painted it red to go racing)

The early halibrand kidney bean wheels, the hood scoop, and the roll bar suggest that this car was a pre-64 competition model 289 (no cutback doors, and no chin scoop):





Now, Tom Payne also owned CSX2009 a few years before he owned CSX2430, and this dark colored car does also look like CSX2009 as well; but if it truly is CSX2009, then that would have to date the photo to the '63/'64 time period, not '66.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Ask a serious question.... I get the clowns answering

You're welcome.
I like to help any way I can.

[Chilibit]

On the worldwide stage the beige vehicle in the background is perhaps more iconic than the cobra. Totally different but legendary nonetheless. I respect them both but it does illustrate that we tend to focus on what we want to see in photographs.

[FWB]

well i've seen plenty of old dudes in hats and plenty of cobras, never saw ramps at that angle, the engineer in me got curious,

[Moto One]

Answer to the ramp question;This photo may have been taken at an early Toyota Dealer, the ramps were for the Land Curser demo (see it in the background).

Mark.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by Chilibit

On the worldwide stage the beige vehicle in the background is perhaps more iconic than the cobra. Totally different but legendary nonetheless.

Iconic to everyone except Jeep guys, who still consider it a cheap Japanese knock-off... (but I agree with you, the FJ40 is one cool machine)

Just to thread-jack a little bit further into the 4x4 zone, I currently own 3 of these, which are all undergoing restoration- these are WAY more rare in the US than the Toyota Landcruisers (Nissan imported about 2400 of them to the US, of which there might be a couple hundred left)-

The Aussie guys will probably recognize them, since they are still fairly numerous down-under:

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by FWB

well I've seen plenty of old dudes in hats and plenty of cobras, never saw ramps at that angle, the engineer in me got curious,

Hey, go easy on the old dudes ...


Ed

[Jamo]

Most enjoyable damn thread I've read in years. Thanks.

[FWB]

Ed, i am an old dude too. i've worn hats like that...and worse

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by moore_rb

If the photo does actually date to 1966, then the car would most likely be CSX2430 (before they added the chin scoop, flared the front fenders, and painted it red to go racing)

The early halibrand kidney bean wheels, the hood scoop, and the roll bar suggest that this car was a pre-64 competition model 289 (no cutback doors, and no chin scoop):





Now, Tom Payne also owned CSX2009 a few years before he owned CSX2430, and this dark colored car does also look like CSX2009 as well; but if it truly is CSX2009, then that would have to date the photo to the '63/'64 time period, not '66.

Could be correct on 2430. I had it picked as a cut-back door car but missed the detail.

And is that really an early FJ40? The door detail looks too heavy....but I'm no expert...

Cheers,
Glen

[Chilibit]

I think it is a 66 J40. My first was a 75 with the 4.2l F motor and I think that ramp is crazy. Too steep and too flimsy looking for me. It terms of rawness, the cobra and the 40 shared a gene pool. Simple and honest.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by xb-60

And is that really an early FJ40? The door detail looks too heavy....but I'm no expert...

Originally Posted by Chilibit

I think it is a 66 J40.

I agree that it's definitely a 1960-1975 FJ40 behind them... I could not pin down any detail from the FJ in the photo that would zero in on a specific model year for the FJ...

HOWEVER- This part of the photo does offer some more concrete evidence regarding when the photo had to have been taken:



That little gray-blue car behind them is a third-generation Toyota Corona, which means the picture HAD to be taken later than September, 1964 (which is when the Gen3 Corona first came out as a 1965 model, according to Wikipedia):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota...2.80.931970.29

So, the Toyota Corona dates this photo to no absolutely no earlier than late-1964.

but according to SAAC, Payne's first event in CSX2430 was the Greenwood USRRC in July 1964, and this photo HAD to be taken later than that (the men are wearing cool weather attire, and there are no leaves on the trees in the background, so it wasn't summer when this pic was taken...

I also found some other information which would indicate that this car is not CSX2430 - According to SAAC (and Hemminngs), CSX2430 was delivered to Payne (by SAI) in early summer 1964, with it's front fenders already flared, chin scoop, and in red paint.

So, the Toyota provides evidence that the pic was snapped in late 64 (or later), and the car is definitely not CSX2430...

The late-64 (or later) Toyota also indicates that the car in the photo couldn't have been CSX2009, either. According to SAAC, CSX2009 was wearing a fully welded in roll cage when Payne passed it along to Bob Johnson in spring of 1964...

Looking for the CSX # of the first Payne cobra....



So, the CSX number of this dark green car is still a mystery (to me, at least ) , but that stupid little blue car pretty much establishes that it couldn't have been either one of the 2 most notable Cobras owned and raced by Tom Payne... ? ?

[Karl Bebout]

I don't know, either, but now I see, in the enlarged photo, something that raises another question. What the dealy-bob on the front quarter, just ahead of the Ford emblem? Looks 'way too small to be battery charging posts.