Barn Find - Sort of ...

[eschaider]

OK guys, I need a little help on this one.

This appears to be an original 289 car CSX2225 with an engine number 3516. I have attached some pictures of the car so you can better see it and its current day condition. The car is obviously not original and has a number of modifications like wheels and fender flares that most probably were not CS options when the car was originally purchased.

The engine will not turn over but we don't yet know the reason why with any certainty although it's a good bet it seized from some type of oiling failure.

Does anyone have any shareable history on CSX2225 that might shed a little light on its journey from Venice California to today.









Thanks for any information you may know of.

Ed

[Got the Bug]

What's the story behind the car? How long has the current owner had it?

[eschaider]

Doug,

Don't really know because the current owner died a couple of years ago. His wife survived him and as I understand it basically never went in the garage when he was alive nor after he passed away. More than a year and less than two years ago she passed away.

Portions of the estate are being prepped for liquidation at this time. The story of the car's journey from Shelby to today is so far unknown. I don't know who modified the wheel flares or anything else, for that matter, on the car. The car's life after its sale from Shelby is so far a real mystery.

The garage has a wealth of other collectables among them an original Allard, a bunch of P-51 stuff including, I think, a brand new engine still in cosmolene. My interest is trying to discover the Cobra's history and owner lineage.


Ed

[Got the Bug]

Looks like the car is great shape. Those are flares are something else.

[Tinker51]

Tell me more about the Merlin. Pictures?

[eschaider]

Tinker51,

I don't have a lot of info on it.

He seems to have been connected at some level with the WWII veterans of several branches including the Army, AirForce and perhaps others. There is a WWII motorcycle and side car with the gov't issue Thompson machine gun in addition to a variety of other memorabilia including a signed picture of Pappy Boynton's squadron signed by Pappy Boynton, if I remember correctly.

While there is a variety of P-51 stuff scattered throughout the garage there is no complete plane or airframe. I don't have pictures of the aircraft stuff because it wasn't the focus of my attention. If/when I get up there again I'll take more photos.

If you look carefully at the back wall of the garage you can see some of the WWII Warbird photos. The red car on the left of the Cobra is an Allard in very nice condition.

[IMG][/IMG]

Another side view of the Cobra. The silver car to the right of the Cobra is a Mercedes 300 Gull Wing.




Ed

[kurtmart]

CSX 2225 is listed in Cobra registry page 166. Mentions "extreme flares and chrome wire wheels (look like Borranis to me). Bob Epstein is last known owner he sold it in '75 for 14 grand and no further history is known.

That looks like a V16 Lincoln back there.

[Nedsel]

You can bid on the Cobra at the Gooding & Co. auction to be held in Scottsdale, AZ in January '09.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by kurtmart

CSX 2225 is listed in Cobra registry page 166. Mentions "extreme flares and chrome wire wheels (look like Borranis to me). Bob Epstein is last known owner he sold it in '75 for 14 grand and no further history is known.

That looks like a V16 Lincoln back there.

Kurtmart,

Thanks! That was about the time the car appears to have been purchased. The wheel well flares are depressing but several shops indicated they were removable and the car was restorable to original fender dimensions / contours.

Good eyes that is a V16 Lincoln in the background. When you stand next to it the length of the hood is nothing short of amazing.

Ed

[427PMS]

I do love those gullwing Mercedes would you happen to have any pics of that one

Chris

[eschaider]

Chris,

I don't, unfortunately. My interest was Cobra centric. I briefly looked at the others but focused on the Cobra.

Ed

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

You can bid on the Cobra at the Gooding & Co. auction to be held in Scottsdale, AZ in January '09.

Nedsel,

Thanks for the heads up. You are correct and Gooding & Co have many of the others that were there in the garage pictured on their site right now.

Ed

[1985 CCX]

I love those flares!
I love those flares!
I love those flares!
I love those flares!
I love those flares!

[Dr9Bob]

The green car in th ebackground is a 300 SL Gullwing! Very unusual color as well. More photos of it as well as serial number please.

Bob Slayden
Gull Wing Group
Cobra Council
356 Registry

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Dr9Bob

The green car in th ebackground is a 300 SL Gullwing! Very unusual color as well. More photos of it as well as serial number please.

Bob Slayden
Gull Wing Group
Cobra Council
356 Registry

Bob,

Keen eyes, but I would expect no less from the Gull Wing Group. The car color is actually that Mercedes Silver Metallic. The fluorescent lighting and the camera's color balance give the car a misleading green hue.

I may have a better photo of it. If I do I'll post it up. BTW I think the Mercedes will be at Auction in January also.

Ed

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Tinker51

Tell me more about the Merlin. Pictures?

Tinker 51,

I miss spoke about the Merlin. There is not one, there are two in what appears to be new condition. Additionally there appears to be enough spare parts to build a third engine with pieces to spare. Sadly, I don't have any photos.

If you are interested in getting one I'll see about getting you connected to the right people. If you're interested in info and history about the engines I'm pretty uninformed about the engine although quite impressed by its achievements.

Ed

[Tinker51]

I personally don't need a Merlin, my engine is round but I have several friends who have Mustangs. If they are not interested there are shops that are always looking for engines.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Tinker51

I personally don't need a Merlin, my engine is round but I have several friends who have Mustangs. If they are not interested there are shops that are always looking for engines.

Tinker51

Round is cool too! How many cylinders or is it more correct to ask how many rows?

I'll PM you with a little more on the Merlins.

Ed

[Tinker51]

So far all single row. The next project does have two rows.

[PurpleVenom]

From the book I have, the car was originally Princess Blue and Red trim shipped by boat to Los Angeles 11/13/1963.