Narrow hips and no oil cooler opening under the grill

[RunWithScizzors]

I'm looking at CSX3279. Clean look!
https://canepa.com/photo-gallery/1967-shelby-cobra5075/
The first one I've seen with no oil cooler opening under the grill!
I don't have the trained eye sufficient to tell if it has the "narrow hip" rear fenders, but it does have flares. Unlike CSX3158, for example.

I'm spec'ing out a new build 427 Street Roadster replica, loving the clean look. No roll bars, no hood scoop, undercar exhaust, sunburst wheels, etc. The only thing I do not care for (aesthetically) with most original street roadsters I've seen is the cavernous space between the rear rubber and the fenders.

For originality, can anyone tell us more about the coil spring cars made with narrow hips and/or no oil cooler opening under the grill? I understand that there were 260 street versions made, approximately 33 with narrow hips. (I assume that all of the narrow hip cars were street versions?) How many were originally made without the oil cooler opening? Were all of those street versions?

Thank you

[TimG427]

I don't know of any company that makes a narrow hip 427 Cobra. There was a very cool non oil cooler Kirkham for sale a few years ago. It was a beautiful street version.

Here's a narrow hip Cobra that a member was kind enough to let me drive.

Here's a Kirkham street Cobra that is a coilover small block. I think this car is beautiful.

The Canepa Cobra isn't a narrow hip.

[RunWithScizzors]

Thanks Tim, that's what I'm talking about. It may be time to replace the Farrah Fawcett poster on my bedroom wall!
The difference between the rear fenders on those two cars looks pretty subtle. That Kirkham is not a narrow hip? or are you saying it was a one-off? Whereas the Canepa car does look visibly wider.

[TimG427]

The Kirkham is not a narrow hip. I've never seen them do one aside from the slabside 289.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by TimG427

The Kirkham is not a narrow hip. I've never seen them do one aside from the slabside 289.

I suppose it is not really narrow hips, but on facebook on December 2nd, David Kirkham posted that he was modifying the fender flares of 3 427 bodies for David Wagner. David Wagner was at the Kirkham shop helping with the customizations prior to the shipment to his shop. There is also a post on December 19th showing the 3 cars being loaded for shipment.

[PDUB]

Check out the Unique Motorcars 427, as the rear fenders look narrower than the Canepa car, to me. The little lip on the Unique rear fender opening could be removed very easily! I had them remove the oil cooler opening on mine...

[DanEC]

One or two narrow hip 427 ERA cars have been built. The rear fenders were molded by an outside shop and installed on a standard ERA body by the paint shop. I believe molds were made so more fenders could be cast as demand developed. If you scroll through the threads in the ERA sub- forum you should come across the build thread - he’s a member here. As I understand it, very few 427 cars were actually built without an oil cooler scoop.

[TimG427]

I know that David Wagner will modify the rear fenders on the Kirkham 289 slabside bodies. I don't know if they have built any narrow hip 427 bodied cars for him.
I'm sure Kirkham would be willing to do a narrow hip car for a customer.
It would be a beautiful looking build.

[RunWithScizzors]

Thanks, guys, good leads on Kirkham, Unique, ERA being perhaps willing and able to build a narrow hip 427 today. Keep 'em coming.
Can any of you amazingly knowledgable Cobra historians out there tell us how many 427s were originally made without the oil cooler opening below the grill? (an originality/authenticity question)

[NOS-EDDIE]

Cobra Registry the running changes included the following:

Regarding the rear flares:
- 3101-3124 had wide hips
- 3125-3158 had narrow hips
- 3159-3360 went back to wide hips

Regarding the oil cooler scoop:
- 3101-3300 had the oil cooler scoop
- 3301-3360 did not have the scoop

About taillights:
- 3101-3200 had rectangular taillights
- 3201-3360 had round taillights

And for motors:
- 3101-3200 came with 427 motors
- 3201-3305 came with 428s
- 3306-3360 went back to 427s

[xb-60]

Productive 'digging'
To save me looking, was the run up to CSX3100 an indeterminate mix of engines, oil cooler openings, tail lights and rear fender configurations?

Cheers,
Glen

[RunWithScizzors]

Originally Posted by NOS-EDDIE

Cobra Registry the running changes included...

Wow, thanks! The people on this site are amazingly helpful.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Productive 'digging'
To save me looking, was the run up to CSX3100 an indeterminate mix of engines, oil cooler openings, tail lights and rear fender configurations?

Cheers,
Glen

Prior to CSX3100 were the competition and S/C cars, which presumably all have wide hips, oil cooler scoop, rectangular tail lights and 427 motors.

[Blue66]

33 narrow hips. I hated them with a passion. I changed the rear clip on mine for the better normal look

[RunWithScizzors]

Originally Posted by Blue66

I hated them with a passion.

To each his own! I think CSX3130 looks pretty darn sweet here: CSX3130 | Weaver Garage
...with the Sunburst wheels that look like they were meant to live inside those fenders.

[NOS-EDDIE]

When SA was having a little trouble getting Halibrand wheels Peter Brock designed the Sunburst wheels and they were produced by Kelsey Hayes but only in 7.5”widths which made the rear look empty with the narrower wheels. That’s when the narrow hips rolled out but the bean counters stopped the building as too expensive to have another body style.
Traction was impaired with the narrower tires but the result was esthetic ally very pleasing and a far more balanced look. If one is after a street roadster,this is the ultimate and very desirable.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Prior to CSX3100 were the competition and S/C cars, which presumably all have wide hips, oil cooler scoop, rectangular tail lights and 427 motors.

Quite right. I should have looked

Cheers!
Glen

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by RunWithScizzors

To each his own! I think CSX3130 looks pretty darn sweet here: CSX3130 | Weaver Garage
...with the Sunburst wheels that look like they were meant to live inside those fenders.

Yes, looks great! Interesting... it does have the oil cooler scoop. I thought that you were thinking of no scoop for your build. By the way, I was talking with Maurice at Unique today, and mentioned you might be calling. He said he is doing a narrow hip version for a guy, now! Interesting coincidence!



Also, check out this interesting 289 street FIA, with more pics on the Unique Facebook page or here on the UniqueCobra site:



https://www.uniquecobra.com/forums/showthread.php?8623-Zach-Butterworth-s-fantastic-street-289










Sweet!

[RunWithScizzors]

Originally Posted by PDUB

I thought that you were thinking of no scoop for your build.

Yes, both narrow hips and no oil cooler scoop. Thanks to the great information that NOS-EDDIE provided above, we see that there no originals built with BOTH features. But that's OK, it can be a hybrid. Now I've got reference images of examples of both. Interestingly, Googling those CSX numbers today, it appears that a number were converted to the S/C configuration at some point in their lives.
Good to get confirmation that Unique is willing and able - thanks. That's a great-looking 289, but the slabsides don't appeal to me so much. You know, each guy's ideal is just the right amount of curves - not too slim and not Cardi B either. (no offense)

[DanEC]

Yes, a number of street roadsters were converted to S/C configuration (at least in part) over the years. Seeing the street instrument dash layout with S/C components or configuration is one dead give-a-way.