Earliest SPF's Around?

[super]

This forum entry isn‘t very new - I know - but I have something to add...

Hello Bill,

you asked the Guys around if anybody knows anything about the very early SPF‘s.

One of these cars is mine. I‘m the proud owner of the SPF #011

At the moment I‘m seeking for the history of my car.

Do you know something about my car?

Does anybody knows something about these 23 SPF prototypes which were built in the time before 1992?

Who are the owners of these cars, where do they live, which cars still exisit and run and which cars are lost?

Answers to these questions would be very interesting for me.

Werner

[Blas]

Werner,
The earlier Superformance chassis are all in South Africa. (Chassis #1, #7, #10). Chassis #11, #15, #16, #19 are also on the African continent. Chassis #23 was the first sent to the USA. The other missing chassis numbers were probably factory mules used for development.
I believe yours was the 1st chassis sent outside SA.
Are you a new owner of this chassis? I ask because you are not listed on the owner’s registry as the current owner. I believe your #011 is red with a wood dash, solid rear axle and RH Drive...
If you send me an email off line, I can help you get registered as the current owner on the Owners Registry. I can also tell you a bit more about your car but man who runs the Owners Registry can tell you more. My contact info is below.

[rpatton3]

I saw one of the early Superformance roadsters at the Run 'n' Gun in Norwalk, OH in 1996.
It was yellow with black stripes and had a then new crate motor, a 460 535hp.

[mudhenk27]

Congratulations, Werner...you have a great car. Mike Stenhouse recently sent me what he knows about the prototype cars. This is the information he has about yours. Please register with him and he will update this.

Mk III Prototype #011
color: Red
dealer: Stevn RSA
owner: Joachim Schwind
country: Germany

I wish I could tell you more, but you already have everything that I know about #011.

If you can locate the original dealer, you might be fortunate to get more information. Doug Reed and Charlie Ponstein, the original USA dealers, were very helpful, and Doug was able to send me some pictures of my #023 when it first came into the USA. He also confirmed that although the VIN indicates a 1994 car, it was actually built in 1992 and was the first Superformance Cobra in the USA.

I would guess that your car was also built in 1992, even if your VIN says 1994.

All the best........Bill

[Morningrun]

Good Morning Gentlemen, I have car #062. Black with silver stripes, black roll bar and silver side pipes, 351, Tremec, all the usual stuff. I too have the odd snap location for the top. I believe... I am the third owner. I purchased the car about three years ago, It stlll had the original fake knock-offs and standard speedo. I have since upgraded both items. It has been a fantastic car. Best, Chris

[SunDude]

Originally Posted by super

This forum entry isn‘t very new - I know - but I have something to add...

Hello Bill,

you asked the Guys around if anybody knows anything about the very early SPF‘s.

One of these cars is mine. I‘m the proud owner of the SPF #011

At the moment I‘m seeking for the history of my car.

Do you know something about my car?

Does anybody knows something about these 23 SPF prototypes which were built in the time before 1992?

Who are the owners of these cars, where do they live, which cars still exisit and run and which cars are lost?

Answers to these questions would be very interesting for me.

Werner

Do you have any recent photos of your car that you can post? I'd love to see what it looks like today, and suspect I'm not alone.

[super]

Originally Posted by SunDude

Do you have any recent photos of your car that you can post? I'd love to see what it looks like today, and suspect I'm not alone.

I‘d uploaded some first photos ( to be continued ... )

[mudhenk27]

Perhaps you early SPF owners out there can help me with a couple of things.

I think I need new front calipers. They appear to be German, but does anyone know from what car...or part number?

Some of the bases on my turn signal/tail lights are starting to rust out. Does anyone know what these came from?



Thanks.............Bill

[super]

Hi Bill

Regarding your question to the signal/tail lights

I try to get more information to the lights I have on my car. The previous owner replaced the original ones. I hope I get any information from that guy… let‘s see what he says

Regarding the front calipers I‘m also searching for replacement parts

Is my situation similar to yours?



Regards

Werner

[Dominik]

#011
My mate Michael bought #011 in the early 2000s from the Frost Brothers in Knysna for R125.000 (€12.500). Else I would have bought it. It went to Germany. Back then it had a glossy, walnut(?) wooden dash, was red and RHD.

#010
Is posted on SCOF. My other mate and me bought this one, also about 10 years ago and shipped it to Germany. I forgot the price, but it didn't cost much over €12.500.

There was another blue one, #058(?) not sure, which we bought from Steve P in Johannesburg for €20.000. We kept in touch with the new owner in Germany for a while. I remember one pic, covered in snow at a Nürburgring meeting one October.

Another one #046(?) also left SA, bought by yet another of my contacts (the "doctor"). It was green and also available from local toy shops as a puzzle. I sent three of those to a dealer in Germany - the puzzles, not 3 cars ;-)

One more, also shipped by the "doctor" (I drove it to port in Cape Town) was purple, with a lot of purple anodized engine components. The rear shocks weren'T convincing. It didn't handle at all. I cruised along the beach in Blouberg, near Cape Town once.

The later numbers had the new suspension and were sold in South Africa used for €20-28.000 in those days. Shipping door to door and duties added about €8.000 then.

The older ones didn't have solid axles as far as I can remember. They were XJ6 components, but redrilled for Ford Granada PCD. Front hubs probably Granada too.

The Cobra Club in Johannesburg would know more about remaining cars in South Africa. The very first "new" suspension car (low 20s #) was raced occasionally in Cape Town after Derek vB relocated here from Johannesburg. I don't know if he still owns it.

BTW, new rollers in 2002 were about €20.000 (RHD). You couldn't order a left-hand drive in SA.

[mudhenk27]

My calipers look a bit different, Werner. Here's a pic....I think the calipers are ATE, maybe from a Granada, but pinning down the part number is difficult. I also include a closeup of the lights.



Bill

[mudhenk27]

Great info, Dominik.....thanks. I'm going to pass it on to Mike Stenhouse so that he can update his register.

Bill

[Dominik]

Sure, pass it on!
And I look for the picture files soon.

[Tony Ripepi]

Hello All,

Mike Carr here in the BCC has #30 and has the "Vintage" plastic fake knock off replicas on his chrome wheels. Back in the day Ron Rosen had coffee with my wife while I test drone one of the early cars, I waited until #343 to own one.

Tony R.

[Dominik]

I didn't have 058, it was 059. I found pics.

[Riverside racer]

Roy, from Classic Car Connection owns #97. Red with white stripes ,double roll bar and early wheels,427 FE stroked to 488, ally heads and flywheel,K.B 10.1 pistons 1.72 roller rockers etc etc 610 ft lbs torque (which requires some getting used to.) Dennis gave it the once over before allowing Roy to take it.
Roy wants to sell and can be contacted at 9057048475
The other earlier SPF I know belongs to Louis van Heerden in Pretoria South africa .When I visited last month was taken into the "nursery" This car is immaculate and yet shows 22000 miles on the clock
I`m afraid I have forgotten the number but have e mailed for it and will post it

[super]

Originally Posted by mudhenk27

...
Some of the bases on my turn signal/tail lights are starting to rust out. Does anyone know what these came from?
...
Thanks.............Bill

Hi Bill,

in the meantime I‘ve contacted the previous owner of my car, but sorry he can‘t give a precise answer to the question where he has bought the new tail lights of my car - he assumed that he has bought the lights on a classic car exhibition in germany.

So, the only thing I can say is that my lights are made by Lucas in the UK.

These are my turn signal/tail lights:



The parts which were offered by shellvalley.com (/Store/products.asp?id=electrical&store=cobra) seem to be similar - maybe these fit to your snake?

Cheers

[mudhenk27]

A friend suggested I try looking at MG tail lights, as he thought they were similar. That wasn't quite right, but it put me on track. I think I have found Austin Healy bugeye Sprite lights that look right...also used on the early Mini Moke.

Thanks for the help.........Bill

[jumpman420]

You might also try contacting Bill Baker. He ran a Superformance dealership at one time and might be able to point you in the right direction for the lights and housings. I am putting a car back together and he put me in contact with headlights and all taillights.

gt350wab@bellsouth.net is his email

[buddyg]

Old thread but I enjoyed reading it. Blas you seem to know a lot about these chassis numbers!