Coupe History Questions

[chuckbrandt]

Hey Folks,
I have a couple of history questions on the daytona coupes maybe some of you may know.

1) Were they ever run at bonneville or el imarage for top speed records? If so how did they do?

2) Is there any evidence to suggest a 427 was ever tried in them? I've read a few places that was always considered an option but I haven't read where they actually did it.

Thanks, Chuck

[computerworks]

Originally posted by chuckbrandt


1) Were they ever run at bonneville or el imarage for top speed records? If so how did they do?

According to Friedman, "...the last appearance of a Cobra in competition under the Shelby American banner"... was at Bonneville in November 1965.

The Coupe set 23 records for flying and standing runs in the National and International Class C.

They also averaged 170 mph for 12 hours, he says, although the article quotes 150 mph.

Drivers were Craig Breedlove, Tatersoe and Greatorex.

This was the "lost" Phil Spector car, CSX2287

[relaxinrob]

Ron, What's the highest recorded speed for a coupe?

[computerworks]

Originally posted by relaxinrob


Ron, What's the highest recorded speed for a coupe?

"They" say... 190.0 MPH / 305.8 KPH..

...but I would have to dig for a credible source on that number

[Cal Metal]

Remington would tell you that 180-185 mph would be the outer limit of the top end range, typically achieving that speed on the long tracks like Le Mans.

[relaxinrob]

I've heard as much as 210 mph, but just rumor.....

Wasn't there a story going around about a guy in a roadster doing 190 mph?

[relaxinrob]

Should clarify that the 210 mph speed was in a newer coupe with overdrive and lots of HP.

[computerworks]

Originally posted by relaxinrob


I've heard as much as 210 mph, but just rumor.....

Wasn't there a story going around about a guy in a roadster doing 190 mph?

You mean...Dick Smith? ...198mph ...Daytona? ..tail wind? ..downhill?

[chuckbrandt]

Isn't there some kind of record information painted on the door of the Phil Spector car? Anyone know what it says? It seems like there are only the 3 small pictures of it around and I can't make it out.

Chuck

[relaxinrob]

Dick Smith was driving a 427 roadster with a 4-speed when he supposedly hit 198 mph.

[chuckbrandt]

I should have searched CC first. Here is a page:

http://www3.telus.net/carstairs-crui.../daytona2a.htm

and the thread

how fast are the Daytona Coupes?

CDB

[cobrajeff]

The sign painter who painted the doors of CSX2287 must have been tokin' some of Phil's "good stuff" - the lettering on the car proclaims a new Land Speed Record of "227mph", and somewhere below that it says "427 cu in engine" - certainly NOT true of CSX2287.

There was, however, one experiment with a big-block coupe. CSB3054 sat out behind SA for many years an unfinished project. Ford's insistence that the Ford GT be made into a winner stalled the big-block coupe in it's infancy. Many years later, after several collectors gave up, the one and only big-block Daytona Coupe, also known as the "Super Coupe", was completed. Here is what it looked like in 1981, shortly after completion:



There are a couple more pics of it in my Gallery.

regards,

cobrajeff

[Excaliber]

As I recall the Coupe that ran the 12 hours at Bonneville was loosing it's clutch toward the end and I THINK they finished that record run using only 3rd gear at reduced speed. Otherwise the final average speed would have been even higher!

I'm a believer! Dick Smith did run 198 mph, granted, tail wind, tall tires, down hill and screaming rpm. Not to mention gullions the size of coconuts!

[Russ Dickey]

Chuck:
The one and only Super Coupe that Jeff mentioned was owned in the early 1980's by Craig Sutherland, whose family owns the chain of Sutherland Lumber Companies here in the midwest.

I was 12 years old in the summer of 1983, and one day my dad and I went down to the Sutherland's store on 9 hwy in Parkville, MO, to get some sheetrock. Out in front of the store was a plain white 2-car garage, which I always just thought was a demo-model of a do-it-yourself garage kit.

Well that particular day the garage doors of this 2-car garage were open, and as we drove by we spotted (much to our disbelief) a silver 289 USRRC roadster and this Daytona Super Coupe inside! My dad slammed on the brakes of our '65 Galaxie, and we got out to look at them. It just so happens I had a SAAC t-shirt on (which I probably wore every day), so Craig and the other guys that were with him recognized that we were enthusiasts, and gave us the grand tour. He even let me sit in both!

Needless to say, that one was more thing that cemented my passion for these cars. It's still hard to believe that both a 289 USRRC roadster, and the lone Super Coupe, which are worth many millions of dollars today, were just sitting down there all that time in that little 2-car demo garage, a few miles from my house.

Both these cars also saw vintage racing action here in Kansas City, when the Folly Vintage Grand Prix was held on the streets of downtown. In fact, during one Folly GP race, Bob Bondurant (driving the Super Coupe) and Dick Smith (in his #198) got a little too aggressive coming up the hill on Pershing Ave., and just about wiped each other out!

Russ

[chuckbrandt]

Hey Russ,
That's so cool. I assume they are no longer in that garage? LOL I didn't know about a vintage race in the streets either. I just moved here too late!

Chuck

[bkozlow]

Cal Metal is right, as I remember, the top speed was 180-185 depending on what body you ran. The Brock cars have the sloping roofline as the new Superformance cars do and were 4-5 miles per hour faster than the Reminton cars which used a more up right windshield.

CSX-2286 had its wheel based increased 3 inches to fit the 427 in Italy and this was completed but never raced. Right after completion it was brought back to 90 inches and the 289 was re-fitted. CSX-2286 was in the best shape of all the cars as it had only one race on it which it failed to complete (LeMans 1965). Then it was cleaned up and went on tour with Ford's Caravan of Cars. From there it sat in the back of a Ford dealership car lot in LA for some years. In 1969, it was back at Shelby's along with CSX-2299. Both cars were put up for sale at that time. CSX-2299 had its engine rebuilt and was the higher priced of the two since it was also the LeMans Class winner. CSX-2299 was and CSX-2286 were Remington cars.

[chuckbrandt]

That's interesting about adding 3" to fit the 427. I wonder why that would be required? Was the flip top cobra lengthened in a similar manner?

Chuck

[JKube 2]

Did you guys see the holman moody website? That supercoupe is for sale there. Damn what an ugly piece of machinery.