A Ferrari-powered ERA Cobra...?

[SunDude]

Now here's an intriguing lil' webfind...

Nicknamed the "COBRARI", this ERA Cobra belonging to Finis Conner was built using a 5-speed manual and a 4.4-litre, 320-hp V-12 replacement engine from -- sacré bleu! -- a Ferrari 365 GTC/4. The car was test driven by Phil Hill for the Aug 26, 1987, issue of Autocar, Britain's oldest car magazine.

Does this car still exist? Where is it now?

[86Sebring]

wow, what beautiful sidepipes. More pics please!

[eschaider]

While fitting the engine into the chassis is an interesting exercise, it is the ultimate sacrilege! This is even worse than a Chevy in a Cobra, and I thought that was the worst possible transgression!

[twobjshelbys]

Do you know who finis conner is?

[SunDude]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Do you know who finis conner is?

I had googled him. Apparently he founded Seagate, among other IT companies.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by SunDude

I had googled him. Apparently he founded Seagate, among other IT companies.

It's complicated but I think I have the history correct. Al Shugart and Conner started Shugart Technology that was later renamed Seagate then split from the company. Then he started Conner Peripherals which was later acquired by Seagate.

(I worked in the storage industry for 40 years starting at DEC (beginning in 1976), storage division acquired by Quantum, Quantum acquired by Maxtor, Maxtor acquired by Seagate. I workd for all of them but moved from Maxtor to Seagate before the acquisition (retired 2013). )

It seems that Seagate air made for some colorful characters. Shugart ran his dog for congress.

[eschaider]

Slow on the draw again ...

[CSX2345]

Thanks for posting. Cool to see that ERA really nailed the correct 427 body shape way back in the mid-80s.

Interesting engine swap. Power of a mild 289/302 with ten times the operating costs. Bet it sounds good though.

[Harpoon PV2]

I had forgotten all about that build! Amazing how those Weber's make that tiny engine, look bigger then a 427! Just like the Jaguar V12s of the 70s, with all their vacuum lines and giant plenum. They are actually beautiful engines stripped down! Cheers, Dennis

[Harpoon PV2]

Originally Posted by eschaider

While fitting the engine into the chassis is an interesting exercise, it is the ultimate sacrilege! This is even worse than a Chevy in a Cobra, and I thought that was the worst possible transgression!

I don't know, considering Carrol used Carrozzeria Gransport in Modena, Italy, the premier body shop of the Scuderia, for the main batch of Daytona Coups, maybe it was poetic justice! Cheers, Dennis

[strictlypersonl]

The chassis is 075. Milano Imports, Gilroy, CA, is on the invoice.

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Do you know who finis conner is?

...actually, I was involved in a startup with him... though I never met him. He tried to shellac us! Seems he tried to depress the value to acquire our technology. He got run out on a rail! I ended up losing my shirt in the deal, and it has delayed my Cobra project for years and years...



but it was an amazing adventure while it lasted! Almost a movie script kind-of experience.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by PDUB

...actually, I was involved in a startup with him... though I never met him. He tried to shellac us! Seems he tried to depress the value to acquire our technology. He got run out on a rail! I ended up losing my shirt in the deal, and it has delayed my Cobra project for years and years...



but it was an amazing adventure while it lasted! Almost a movie script kind-of experience.

The shenanigans that went on in the hard drive industry make Shelby's repainting the one car look angelic. Remember that Maxtor shipped bricks, literally, bricks, in boxes to a warehouse to claim shipments in one quarter.

There is an article on Wikipedia that shows the mergers and acquisitions that result in three hard drive companies today and they are collapsing with the takeover of solid state drives in almost all consumer products. Very few laptops use HDDs any more as SSDs are at 2TB capacity...

I built the world's first 1GB 3.5" HDD at DEC which got DEC into the OEM business competing head to head with Seagate. Then at Maxtor I was a principal team member that invented Serial ATA (SATA) and I moved to Seagate where we shipped the first SATA (with bridge) drive and 6 months later the first fully integrated SATA drive a year ahead of the competition.

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by 86Sebring

wow, what beautiful sidepipes. More pics please!

I've seen many pictures of this build over the years and while the beautiful ERA 427 body looks fantastic in solid red, the sidepipes were always my least favourite part of the overall look. Way too spindly and set too low and far from the rocker.

As said above as well - an interesting and intriguing one-off but in essence it adds a whole lot of complexity for no increase in value or performance, except perhaps to someone who just revels in the sensory pleasure of of piloting a light, open sports car in the wailing upper-rev range of a Ferrari V12. I can understand that.

I couldn't care less about the brand mixing issue though; as I can totally get someone being in love with both the character of the prancing horse engines (or hemis or rat motors or Buick V6's) as well as the awesome Cobra 427 shape and combining the two to into one's idea of the perfect sports car. Shelby never gave much of a damn who manufactured what engines or chassis he used so why should I, lol?

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by PDUB

...actually, I was involved in a startup with him... though I never met him. He tried to shellac us! Seems he tried to depress the value to acquire our technology. He got run out on a rail! I ended up losing my shirt in the deal, and it has delayed my Cobra project for years and years...



but it was an amazing adventure while it lasted! Almost a movie script kind-of experience.

Of all the sharks that swim in the start-up waters for entrepreneurs, the high-tech and oil industry sharks by far have the tallest fins, sharpest teeth, and most highly developed kill instincts. The commercial Real Estate crowd runs a very close second. Swimming in those waters is not for novices.

[Harpoon PV2]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

The shenanigans that went on in the hard drive industry make Shelby's repainting the one car look angelic.

The repainting of CSX2000 turns out to be a myth, Carrol claiming Dean stripped it each time. When CSX2000 came up for auction, the photographers went crazy. One of the things they photographed were the paint chips, and one can see, only the three colors were ever on the car. In reverse order, the blue we see now, candy yellow by Dean, (some say they see a second yellow, because the candy did not stand up to the California sun?) Then the original brushed aluminum, (or is that aluminium?) the color it was in the first article, Sports Car Graphic, with Shelby hand lettered by John Christy. That's all, there are no more colors! Not sure why he exaggerated the number of paint jobs, he had more orders then he could handle after the New York show. Cheers, Dennis

[blykins]

I can hear the excuses now......

"But but but Shelby talked to Ferrari about putting a Ferrari engine in a Cobra!"

[Thor maine]

I don't want to hear a word about a CHEVY in a Cobra!

[blykins]

Neither does anyone else.

[Buzz]

Excuses to whom and for what?
I really LMAO at these triggered folks who get all huffed up and actually believe someone owes you an excuse or an explanation for what they do with their own car.