Fake Cobra...Real Shelby engine

Woodz428 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 06:24 AM

Heard that our Superformance car is in (wasn't supposed to be until mid September), a nice surprise. Went and picked up the engine, it's out of a '67 Shelby GT500 that an Air Force guy wanted a less gas eating engine in.I think they put a 390 or 352 in it's place. He kept the original valave covers and a few other things, a friend got the rest. He rebuilt it in '98 and has just had it setting in the shop ,he's tried to sell it to me several times over the years. So i finally got it, I'll pull it down for inspection and regasketing just because it set, but the new pistons can be seen and the Crower cam has good specs, the intake needs a little cleaning from it's years of dust gathering. I wonder what ever happened to that unfortunate GT500? Well I may have gotten a "fake" Cobra but it will have a "Real" Shelby engine.

Well, I tried to attach a jpeg but it says it's too large (it's not near the 40000 bytes though), I guess I'll have to put them in the gallery.

mrmustang · #2 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 06:31 AM

You can now tell people you have a "Real .5"

Bill S.

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 06:48 AM

WDZ,

Try downsizing your attachment to under 30K. Also now that you have a real Shelby engine, is it ok to change your screen name to 1/2 Real One ?

Ron

Woodz428 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 11:55 AM

That does raise the question.. if I have the engine from somebody's '67 GT500, that is running around with something else does that make his almost real? If you can trace your GT500 back to Chanute AFB, Rantoul,Il in probably the late 60's/ early'70's (it may have been later but I don't think so), I've got your engine. Actually I was thinking about.... Almost a RealOne, or 50/50 or maybe Halfbitten

, my favorite is Halfbreed

.

mrmustang · #5 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 12:25 PM

Do you have the partial VIN as stamped in to the back of the block???? if so, I might be able to help find the current owner of the car...........

Bill S.

PS: My vote is for "1/2 real" for your license plate........

Ron61 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 01:23 PM

If you could track down the Mustang that your engine came out of, either you or the person that owns it may be able to make a deal. The car would be worth much more with the original engine if it is still out there.

Ron

Woodz428 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-28-2003, 07:20 PM

I'd thought about all that ,but haven't come up with any # that I feel is the partial vin.I haven't been able to find one on the back left where I've seen them before, did find one that has a different # than any casting date stuff stamped on the left front machined pad (small one on the left front corner below the head). I'll check the rear pad better, but it was my understanding that Ford didn't start stamping the blocks until '68,but felt that since the 428 wasn't a regular production engine probably had some type of stamping. The one I found reads (I believe) CA10(7)7 , I'm not sure that the first 7 is there or it's a space, I'm going to put some better light and some dye to see if I can get it to appear better or not appear at all. (hours later) I've deducted that those #'s are the production date of the engine 6 (not C)A10 and then a space and 7. Jan 10,1966, the 7 is a plant code. That doesn't seem right though,because the casting date (I was reading it upside down) is 6M5 or Dec.5,1966. With prussia blue and a magnifying glass it appears that there might be another # lightly stamped before the 6(which looks like possibly an S with the glass) and the A1077 ( the first 7 is barely visible but appears to have the same lines as the second 7) so it may be the VIN (SA1077?). When I break it down for cleanup,I'll check more thorougly, but those seem to be the only #'s that have any resemblance to a vin, they would be below the left front exhaust port. If that is a possible Shelby # that would probably be it.

rdorman · #8 (**permalink**) 08-29-2003, 02:25 PM

I have REAL Shelby Cobra badging, does that count

Woodz428, there may be a GT500 owner out there who would love (read pay dearly) to get the original motor back. All all aluminum BB in your future?

Rick

Semifake, hafthefat, psuedo, real428, .........

Woodz428 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-29-2003, 04:53 PM

SA1077 is apparently a GT500 #,but the owner is unknown from the info Bill S. supplied. I tried to post on a couple of GT forums but couldn't get registered for some reason (it gave a bunch, but they were greek to me

). As I posted it was in the hands of an Airman stationed at Chanute AFB in probably the late '60's/early '70's , that's when Dick had his machine shop located in Rantoul, (although I'm not sure when he moved it to Urbana, I was sure he was here by late '70's,so many years and so few brain cells to collectively catalogue them). So, I'm making some effort to locate it, does the Registry cover cars in other nations as well?

Woodz428 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 06:31 PM

Well apparently,after several exchanges, it is unlikely that the engine is from #1077 even though there is a faint seven in the third spot, it was an error and the # is the date code. There is a good possibilty that there are no corresponding VIN #'s on the block. I will check thoroughly when I pull it down. I guess, unless that Airman that owned it still does and starts looking, I'll never know, but that's ok, I will put it in THe SPF as I originally planned.