Le Mans Hard Top--Scarcity and Value

[nikbj68]

Seen here in 1967,
...and 2003, it lives in Wrexham, with one of the 2 original Le Mans Cobras, 39 PH(CS2131).

There are a fair number of copy L.M. hardtops around, but I think the original count was 4, CS2130 & 2131 had 1 each, but 2130 never went to Le Mans, so I believe the hardtop was fitted to CSX2142. The other 2 I think were for 2 of the Le Mans replicas, but I should check my archives before I swear to that!

[Cal Metal]

Three actually were made; two exist. Two of the tops raced at Le Mans. One of those cars was recently sold (France) without the top. One was in a Dave MacDonald car that raced at Continental Divide Raceway. One of the three tops had a fiberglass layer on the underside of the top over the aluminum.

Ernie Nagamatsu has one of them which was purchased from Benson Ford. Ultra rare. One of the surviving Le Mans cars would like to have it, I'm sure.

[nikbj68]

Have you seen the hardtop that AC(automotive ) are offering for around $7k?


I think it looks awful in the se pictures, I think I`d rather have a 'proper' hardtop & split bootlid!
Nik.

[nikbj68]

Here's CS posing with one of his first "replicas" - CSX2138


...So this is the 3rd one made? (taken from Ron Computerworks` post This Month in Cobra History - June )First batch of LeMans Replicas= CSX 2136, 2137 and 2138
Second batch of LeMans Replicas= CSX2154, 2155 and 2156

You would have thought they ALL had a hardtop????

[Cal Metal]

The cars never raced with them after the Continental Divide race.
Remington once told me that they had negligible effect in achieving higher speeds.

[nikbj68]

...My Dad said it was a bugger of a job to get in on & off right, and when he was racing, the screen clip on the drivers` side would 'pop' open...
Having had a sunroof blow out of a car at high speed, I hate to think of the efffects of the air getting underneath the hardtop!

[hurricaneharold]

Originally Posted by Rich

2130, the Willment Lemans prototype, still has a top. I don't know if it's original or not. If so, I'm sure it's made of unobtainium.

Rich

I doubt it is an original hardtop,as one was not made for the car in the 1960`s.As far as I am aware AC only made 3 hardtops. One each for the 1963 Le Mans cars and one hardtop for one of the Le Man replica`s

[Jamo]

ahem...........

[Tom Kirkham]

My understanding is that the first two cars had aluminum hardtops and the rest of the cars were fiberglass.

I have been told that the LeMans ops are good for a half second at Goodwood. Due to poor vision out of the car and how hard it is to get in and out of a car with a LeMans hardtop, I suspect that if the tops were worthless no one would run them, and there sure seams to be a lot of them...

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by Tom Kirkham

My understanding is that the first two cars had aluminum hardtops and the rest of the cars were fiberglass.

I have been told that the LeMans ops are good for a half second at Goodwood. Due to poor vision out of the car and how hard it is to get in and out of a car with a LeMans hardtop, I suspect that if the tops were worthless no one would run them, and there sure seams to be a lot of them...

I believe all 3 of the Le Mans hardtops were Ali, but the standard ones are fibreglass.
I don`t recall seeing a Cobra running without a hardtop at the Goodwood Revival... I`m guessing that it`s regulatory, maybe someone who knows could confirm that, but I`m surprised at how little difference it appears to make at a fast circuit like Goodwood.
In 1968 at the Silverstone 6 hour relay race, My Dad went to scrutineering with the hardtop fitted, but because the fuel filler was inside(I don`t know if the pipe from the hardtop-mounted filler cap was fitted), he was told to remove the hardtop.
Was it during a Henri Pescarolo driver change in the RAC TT a few years ago
that the sidescreen got in the way and was unceremoniously torn off by the pit crew?
Is it just because I`m using Mozilla, or are there no pictures in my post dated 10-14-03?

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by Tom Kirkham

My understanding is that the first two cars had aluminum hardtops and the rest of the cars were fiberglass.

I have been told that the LeMans ops are good for a half second at Goodwood. Due to poor vision out of the car and how hard it is to get in and out of a car with a LeMans hardtop, I suspect that if the tops were worthless no one would run them, and there sure seams to be a lot of them...

I believe all 3 of the Le Mans hardtops were Ali, but the standard ones are fibreglass.
I don`t recall seeing a Cobra running without a hardtop at the Goodwood Revival... I`m guessing that it`s regulatory, maybe someone who knows could confirm that, but I`m surprised at how little difference it appears to make at a fast circuit like Goodwood.
In 1968 at the Silverstone 6 hour relay race, My Dad went to scrutineering with the hardtop fitted, but because the fuel filler was inside(I don`t know if the pipe from the hardtop-mounted filler cap was fitted), he was told to remove the hardtop.
Was it during a Henri Pescarolo driver change in the RAC TT a few years ago
that the sidescreen got in the way and was unceremoniously torn off by the pit crew?
Is it just because I`m using Mozilla, or are there no pictures in my post dated 10-14-03? Here, from 1967 is one of the 2 original Le Mans tops, which has known and traceable lineage from it`s current owner, Nigel Corner, back through Jon Minshaw, Nigel Hulme, Gerry Bagshaw & John Willment to AC Cars.

[PDHse]

Hi Nik, im not sure of the rules at the Goodwood Revival but there was one "topless" Cobra this year. Robs Lamplough in his green Cobra. Unforunately he hit the tyre wall.

[nikbj68]

Thanks Paul.....I`m such an ass, I did see that accident happen!!!!!!!!

[hurricaneharold]

Originally Posted by nikbj68

Thanks Paul.....I`m such an ass, I did see that accident happen!!!!!!!!

Here`s another topless Cobra at the Revival a couple of years ago,they problably race with the tops on to keep the rain out !!

[IMG][/IMG]

[Trevor Legate]

Bill Murray don't need no cissy hardtop........

Anyhoo, that's a 427 so it's difrint, innit? Never did have a roof, perish the thought Old Chap.

[hurricaneharold]

Yeah Trevor,its difrint olrite, Im sure most of the Cobra`s that race at Goodwood never had a roof,but they seem to have sprouted them over the years.......OLD ChAP ????????

[nikbj68]

Ok, this throws an interesting spice into the pot:
I just received a p.m. from Vettestr with a link to this pic in his gallery:
of CSX 2169 wearing a Le Mans hardtop. Is it possible this is the top from CSX2138, that is now on Ernie Nagamatsu`s Cobra?

vettestr:...This is either a photo of one of the 3 known or an extra to the count...This was the first top made to get C.S. approval and also the top that was used to make the mold for the fiberglass mold.
The story as told to me by Fred Johnson [then owner] who worked for Shelby during the years we are talking about....

Cal Metal, any chance you could edit your original post so the photo shows up by replacing the image text with this:
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...289hardtop.jpg

[Jamo]

Originally Posted by nikbj68

* * *

Is it just because I`m using Mozilla, or are there no pictures in my post dated 10-14-03?

Nope...old thread dug up, ergo my "ahem."

[hurricaneharold]

Originally Posted by nikbj68

Ok, this throws an interesting spice into the pot:
I just received a p.m. from Vettestr with a link to this pic in his gallery:
of CSX 2169 wearing a Le Mans hardtop. Is it possible this is the top from CSX2138, that is now on Ernie Nagamatsu`s Cobra?


Cal Metal, any chance you could edit your original post so the photo shows up by replacing the image text with this:
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...289hardtop.jpg

Nik,

If you click on the photo,the descrition also mentions this is 1 of 2 known tops made .

Jamo,

sorry for digging this old thread up,but there is obviously still some interest.

I would love to know when CS [X] 2130 aquired its hard top and does CSX 2142 still have its original hard top . ?

[hurricaneharold]

Originally Posted by PDHse

Hi Nik, im not sure of the rules at the Goodwood Revival but there was one "topless" Cobra this year. Robs Lamplough in his green Cobra. Unforunately he hit the tyre wall.

Paul also note ,that this is a single seater car with a cowling over the passenger`s side,