Painting first 427 Cobra prototype --anybody seen good reference photos?

Historybuff · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2009, 09:54 AM

Hello art fans
I successfully painted the front 3/4 view of the first coil spring prototype (which still had a 289 grille mouth at the time) but now in wanting to paint a follow up rear 3/4 does anyone know if the hood lump had an opening on the back? There would be a precedent for this in Ford history in the '64 Ford Thunderbolt. Has anyone seen a rear 3/4 picture
of the same car without all the people in the way? The rear 3/4 picture you see most commonly in all the Cobra books still has the car in raw aluminum so I know it was taken the same time as the picture I used for reference. Also why did they paint the wheels gold?I know racing Ferraris at the time always had gold painted mag wheels but what is it with the gold--was this a special paint ideal to protect magnesium? I may have made the wheels too dark a gold in my painting.

I am computer dummy so don't know how to transfer images so you can check out the progress so far at this website
http://www.csxinfo.net/web/modules/n....php?storyid=3

ZOERA-SC7XX · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2009, 04:10 PM

Yes, it was 'anodized', to protect the magnesium.

bobcowan · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Historybuff

Hello art fans
I successfully painted the front 3/4 view of the first coil spring prototype (which still had a 289 grille mouth at the time) but now in wanting to paint a follow up rear 3/4 does anyone know if the hood lump had an opening on the back? There would be a precedent for this in Ford history in the '64 Ford Thunderbolt.

No, the hood scoop was closed in the rear.

http://www.shelbyamericancollection....289cobra.shtml

LMH · #4 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 01:04 AM

I was thinking the first 427 prototype was CSX2166 but it was a leaf spring car. Ron could confirm.
Anyway, CSX3002 does have the 289 nose with the rest being 427 bodywork. I don't know of it ever having that kind of hood "bump" but it's possible. 3002 was kind of an evolution car.
You may have seen this already but it has a photo of the rear of 3002 in it's present form. http://www.primequip.net/images/65%2...SC/CSX3002.jpg
Somewhere, I have a photo of 3002 from the rear. I'll see if I can find it.
Like the painting!
Larry

Ron61 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 03:22 AM

Per the new registry the first two coil spring Cobras were initially given on paper the CSX #s 2701 & 2702. But then it was decided that the coil spring cars would be the CSX 3XXX series and the first two chassis were stamped CSX 3001 & CSX 3002.
From Registry:

On CSX3002, the rear body work and front fender flares were actually carried over from the FIA and USRRC competition roadsters, but it had standard ( Not Cut Back ) doors. It also had a standard 289-style grill and nose, and a 289 style forward braced roll bar. Two-inch wide strips of sheet aluminum were sectioned into the top contour of the fenders to allow the body to fit over the new, wider coil spring chassis.

Ron

LMH · #6 (**permalink**) 03-22-2009, 02:17 PM

I think the registry has it wrong as the front flares on 3002 are much closer to the SC than those on the FIA cars. The rear fender shape is also much closer than the FIA cars, especially the leading edge of the rear fender. I think the widening is correct.
This is 3002 early in it's development. Look close, I think you can see the patch in the top of the fenders.
Historybuff, I know you've seen this before from a previous thread.
Larry

Historybuff · #7 (**permalink**) 08-29-2009, 04:10 PM

I have seen this picture before. I think because of the American cars parked around it and the brick building it was taken at the small factory that Shelby occupied before going to the rented hanger at LAX airport. One interesting thing is the presence of a glovebox door when in the past the experts said all the Comp cars had no glovebox.but has anyone ever seen that decal on the side behind the air vent? I think it is a Holman & Moody decal because they probably ordered the engine from Holman & Moody which had a lot of them sitting around for NASCAR cars and someone felt obligated to put on their decal. But I just can't see it that close to figure out what it is. Also do you think it's the same car as shown being readied for a run at Silverstone in this painting? If it is, it would have had to have the 289 nose as I understand that because they tested it in the winter in England they didn't know the 289 grille mouth was too small to let in enough air to cool the mighty 427 until they got it back to California

Picture at:
http://www.csxinfo.net/web/modules/news/

LMH · #8 (**permalink**) 08-29-2009, 05:05 PM

You know, it's funny you brought this thread back up. The other day, I was reading a thread here on CC and noticed a CC member's avitar photo. I said to myself ..."self... that looks a little like the emblem on the side of 3002"!
Of course, now I can't remember exactly what his avitar looked like or who it was.
So the plot thins!
When I run across it, I'll link it to this thread.
Larry

lamaluv · #9 (**permalink**) 08-29-2009, 09:58 PM

It's hard to tell from the picture but it does look a lot like the old style Holman & Moody decal that you can see on the uper left firewall of my car.

Dick

damdfw · #10 (**permalink**) 08-30-2009, 09:08 PM

I looks like a Koni Shock decal to me.

SLHetal · #11 (**permalink**) 08-31-2009, 04:40 AM

I think the decal is "Competition Proven". Here are a few pics of 3002.

SLHetal · #12 (**permalink**) 08-31-2009, 04:45 AM

Another picture of CSX 3002 early on.

SLHetal · #13 (**permalink**) 08-31-2009, 04:59 AM

Here's a Holman Moody Competition Proven decal. Ebay has them.

VRM · #14 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 11:13 PM

I'm pretty sure it is not a Holman/Moody, and a Koni just does not make sense.

If anybody has a higher res photo I can probably tell for certain what it is, but I have an interesting guess right now. I can put together a graphic example if anybody is interested.

Steve

austind42 · #15 (**permalink**) 09-27-2010, 12:26 PM

I am a bit unsure how this system works, but here is an answer. I was the person who purchased CSX3002 from the Shelby team when they retired it (After Ken Miles was killed). I raced it in the Lonestar Region SCCA for about 1-1/2 years. I've got a few pictures taken during that time. What you show on your picture isn't 3002. It may have been some previous iteration or 3001 (I know nothing about that one). I sold the car and have regretted it ever since... I occasionally get calls from people claiming to be selling it and wanting info, but since it was displayed for a while in Boulder, I've seen no pics of it.
If you are interested, I can tell you what was on it when it came off of the transporter from Calif. in Austin, Texas.
David Dunlap

Quote:

Originally Posted by Historybuff

Hello art fans
I successfully painted the front 3/4 view of the first coil spring prototype (which still had a 289 grille mouth at the time) but now in wanting to paint a follow up rear 3/4 does anyone know if the hood lump had an opening on the back? There would be a precedent for this in Ford history in the '64 Ford Thunderbolt. Has anyone seen a rear 3/4 picture
of the same car without all the people in the way? The rear 3/4 picture you see most commonly in all the Cobra books still has the car in raw aluminum so I know it was taken the same time as the picture I used for reference. Also why did they paint the wheels gold?I know racing Ferraris at the time always had gold painted mag wheels but what is it with the gold--was this a special paint ideal to protect magnesium? I may have made the wheels too dark a gold in my painting.

I am computer dummy so don't know how to transfer images so you can check out the progress so far at this website
http://www.csxinfo.net/web/modules/n....php?storyid=3

t walgamuth · #16 (**permalink**) 12-01-2018, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by austind42

I am a bit unsure how this system works, but here is an answer. I was the person who purchased CSX3002 from the Shelby team when they retired it (After Ken Miles was killed). I raced it in the Lonestar Region SCCA for about 1-1/2 years. I've got a few pictures taken during that time. What you show on your picture isn't 3002. It may have been some previous iteration or 3001 (I know nothing about that one). I sold the car and have regretted it ever since... I occasionally get calls from people claiming to be selling it and wanting info, but since it was displayed for a while in Boulder, I've seen no pics of it.
If you are interested, I can tell you what was on it when it came off of the transporter from Calif. in Austin, Texas.
David Dunlap

Yes please!