CSX4289

[Special K]

A car that has always been at the top of my list, but always out of reach is a Shelby Cobra. The stories of Carol Shelby with his entrepreneurial, showman, used car salesman spirit was always something I could relate to. While visiting another forum member for his GT delivery, I spotted CSX4289 tucked away in a corner of his garage where it had been sitting for many years. Since that first day seeing it, I knew it was the car I had been looking for because it had all the specific criteria in a Cobra I wanted. Wanting as authentic ownership experience as possible, my car would have to be an Aluminum CSX 427 S/C with a Top-loader 4 speed, and of course dressed in Guardsman blue with Wimbledon white stripes.
The visceral driving experience of this car is like nothing else I’ve experienced. I would think the Apollo astronauts felt something similar sitting atop the mighty Saturn V. Anyway, this is the thread for my Cobra, let’s see where it goes...

 

[Special K]

Shelby American has been very helpful with some of its history and build info.

 

[Special K]

 

[twobjshelbys]

You'll love it. Knowing what you know about the Ford GT's handling, just multiply the Cobra by 10. Especially with cold tires on cold pavement. It is incredibly easy to break the rear wheels loose especially when accelerating in a turn and even when just shifting up in gears. One time on an early spring day I'd stopped at a friend's house and just turned onto the highway and the rear end did a skip when shifting from 3-4 and I wasn't even being aggressive.

 

[2112]

Spectacular car. Great choice of options.

Makes your GT350 look huge!

 

[partssmann]

Congrats on the new Cobra. I remember back in 1976 with my Boss 302 and saw a car come up on my rear really fast. I had heard of the 427 Cobra but never had seen one. I dropped my Boss down a gear to get the rpms up. Waited for car behind me to come around other car to see if he wanted to go and then I saw the 427 badge. Realized it was 427 Cobra and put my car back in 4th gear and gave him a thumbs up.

 

[Special K]

Spectacular car. Great choice of options.

Makes your GT350 look huge!

It does make it look a bit chunky...

 

[Special K]

Congrats on the new Cobra. I remember back in 1976 with my Boss 302 and saw a car come up on my rear really fast. I had heard of the 427 Cobra but never had seen one. I dropped my Boss down a gear to get the rpms up. Waited for car behind me to come around other car to see if he wanted to go and then I saw the 427 badge. Realized it was 427 Cobra and put my car back in 4th gear and gave him a thumbs up.

Haha, that was probably a smart move! Even in 4th, just a little throttle will have you pulling away from everyone in no time.

 

[Spaceman]

Congratulations! You checked all the boxes, and keep the pictures coming!

 

[jr66]

a 427 Cobra is unlike any other car. When I bought my original, it was amazing performance and still is 50 years later. Remember it is not designed for anything but going straight VERY FAST. Be careful as many originals were wrecked by unwary drivers in the day.

 

[twobjshelbys]

a 427 Cobra is unlike any other car. When I bought my original, it was amazing performance and still is 50 years later. Remember it is not designed for anything but going straight VERY FAST.

I described a Cobra in patent-speak as "a system and method for moving an engine around a race track".

Be careful as many originals were wrecked by unwary drivers in the day.

As were Ford GTs.

 

[twobjshelbys]

a 427 Cobra is unlike any other car. When I bought my original, it was amazing performance and still is 50 years later. Remember it is not designed for anything but going straight VERY FAST. Be careful as many originals were wrecked by unwary drivers in the day.

They are also extremely uncomfortable. The seat-pedal offset gets tiring after a while. I asked Carroll about that and he said something like "I paid the drivers to win, not to be comfortable". I found that the threshold of discomfort was carefully timed to a tank of gas.

 

[DakotaGT]

My aluminum-body CSX4000 Cobra might very well be the most “thrilling to drive” car I own. Granted, I own a lot of old junk vehicles and I love every one of them, but I find the ergonomics of the Cobra quite acceptable, and the exhaust volume to be “just right”. Pedal box can be a bit toasty, I will concede.

Kevin, I’m anxious to hear what you think about your Avons- as I told you when we spoke, that really seems to be the way to go. My 20 year old BFGs gotta go!!

 

[Special K]

My aluminum-body CSX4000 Cobra might very well be the most “thrilling to drive” car I own. Granted, I own a lot of old junk vehicles and I love every one of them, but I find the ergonomics of the Cobra quite acceptable, and the exhaust volume to be “just right”. Pedal box can be a bit toasty, I will concede.

Kevin, I’m anxious to hear what you think about your Avons- as I told you when we spoke, that really seems to be the way to go. My 20 year old BFGs gotta go!!

Well, here’s the preliminary: they arrived today and are stickier than Sport Cup 2s. I planned on bringing the old wheels along with the new Avon’s to get mounted, but there’s one delay... I don’t think the spinners have been off since the car was new! So I ordered a “Spinner 911” and 7lb lead hammer from Cobra Valley to persuade them. I also purchased a special anti-seize designed for spinners. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

 

[twobjshelbys]

Well, here’s the preliminary: they arrived today and are stickier than Sport Cup 2s. I planned on bringing the old wheels along with the new Avon’s to get mounted, but there’s one delay... I don’t think the spinners have been off since the car was new! So I ordered a “Spinner 911” and 7lb lead hammer from Cobra Valley to persuade them. I also purchased a special anti-seize designed for spinners. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

First, if the spinners haven't been off for a while and there was no anti-seize on them then shoot a little WD40 around them. Then just keep whacking with the lead hammer on each wing around the circle over and over again. They will eventually let loose. IMPORTANT: Remember the right and left sides have opposite threads.

Be careful with the anti-seize. A very little goes a long way. I found this out on the first wheel. It squeezes out on the front and is very messy. My wheels were painted so I was able to clean it up without leaving any behind. I feared that if they had been the original metal that the gunk would have discolored them.

When tightening, put the spinner on and then tighten it to get it set, then pound around the circle again until it "sings". You'll know what I mean when I hear it.

If yours are safety wired just get the pliers and wire (.030?) from Harbor Freight. The pliers are the same ones that you pay lots more for and as often as you use them they'll last a lifetime. Steel wire is steel wire. Plus, if you tighten it correctly you don't need it anyway but it looks cool.

 

[DakotaGT]

Well, here’s the preliminary: they arrived today and are stickier than Sport Cup 2s. I planned on bringing the old wheels along with the new Avon’s to get mounted, but there’s one delay... I don’t think the spinners have been off since the car was new! So I ordered a “Spinner 911” and 7lb lead hammer from Cobra Valley to persuade them. I also purchased a special anti-seize designed for spinners. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

What Tony said. I couldn’t believe how stubborn mine were too, and agree that they seriously might have never been off since new. They are much easier to get on and off now, with just a cleanup and tiniest amount of anti-sieze.

 

[twobjshelbys]

Ps. The lead hammer from American hammer can be recast.

 

[Special K]

Ps. The lead hammer from American hammer can be recast.

Thanks for the info! I have a 5lb American coming. Nick Acton of ACE has also been a wealth of knowledge for me thus far.

 

[Special K]

The funny thing was, I assumed they would knock right off since I would hear stories of people turning their cobra in one direction and the wheel going the other... and in the old racing footage, the car pulls into the pit and two whacks and the spinners fly off!

 

[2112]

I am anxious to hear how the Avons transform the ride.

On a related note, I pray Avon survives Goodyear's take-over of Cooper.
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