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Excellent. Thank you. I'm getting ready as we speak.

I learn something new every day. I have never heard of a desert radiator option.

It all depends on how original you want to be.

Years ago I replaced the original 2 core with a three core 69 or 70 351 Ford radiator. From memory I believe the tag is a D0... so that means it is a '70. I'll look if you want the full tag.

Since my car is factory A/C, there was no chance of over cooling. Personally I think that it should have always been a three core. I don't see the logic of going to 2 core, unless it was just a cost thing initially.

That two core is going to run hot in desert type conditions and you don't want to break down while you are driving through Death Valley.


At the time I had a Boss 351 C in the car and the water pump outlet is on the opposite side as the early cars, so that radiator I am talking about IF you are using it with your 289 with the original water pump will need to have the inlet on the bottom tank relocated. That is no big deal for a radiator guy to move at all.

Don't know Cobra transmissions but 427 Galaxies changed from 28 spline out in 65 to 31 spline out in 66

I had one out of a 427 Cobra. It was a 2.32 close ratio, 24" with big 1-3/8" input but 28 spline output. I found that a strange combination and I had no idea that combination even was ever made? Made no sense to me.

Any idea of price as in value of it? One friend has it and another one wants it but not for a Shelby

They don't come up often enough to put a "book value" on them. The last one I remember was $1,900. Whether or not it sold...don't know.

Now the original 67 Shelby wheel is like gold. That thing I'd expect to be $3,500 plus the cap which is unique to that wheel.


One thing to consider, the wood on these wheels tends to split with age. Whether or not they did new I don't know but I never remember anyone complaining about that back in the day.

You can get a reproduction wheel from Branda for a few hundred and if it isn't going on a Shelby, who cares?

They aren't painted originally. That is black gel coat that was sprayed into the mold before the fiberglass went in.

I have found that paint will not stick to it well and quickly peels off.

I don't know if you can spay fresh gel coat on it but I doubt it. Certainly I have never tried but there probably is a mad dog out there that has?

The other issue is that you really can't remove it from the hood because of the bonding method that Smith used so probably you need to take off the hood to work on the ducting?

I'll start getting ready now but when Horseheads is actually on the map as if it is a real place, it tells you a lot to know about the area.

Oh trust me I'm anything but anti header, look at these Shelby drag/trans am headers I had made. Just saying the header on the street car has its issues.

Those sure look nice, Tim.

They'd fit right in Lee's 66 

Well this brings up another topic. In a "Mustang" the pitman arm clearance is the issue.
Not all years use the same Pitman arm AND the "fast steering" is also a different arm.

I had a new set of JBA's for my '68 GT350. When installed, the car couldn't turn left. The Pitman arm was right up against the #5 tube.

JBA didn't know why and suggested that I had some sort of a bastard car?The fact is they had built the headers on a manual' steering 67. Dah! No brainer to me why they were different.

It took them a year to fix the design. Actually rather simple but they wouldn't let me touch the headers choosing to burn the distributor I got them from as if he created the problem?


Incidentally, IF you can find a used set that has already been fitted to a similar car, you want them with the dents where the mechanic needed to clearance for obstructions. It will save you tons of time.

I was fortunate to find such a set, probably made by Hooker, circa '68-69, a very early set before they got sold into the Holley family of parts. Not only do they have those dents, but the collector mounts up into the chassis so no low hanging fruit to bottom out on.

They are 1-3/4" od primaries. Here they are in my shop on my '67 GT500 engine. They still need to get sent out for ceramic coating.


The mounting of the extended power steering bracket can be troublesome. Originally the internal threaded inserts into the chassis were a version of what we would now call Riv Nuts or Nut Certs.
The extended leverage placed on them by the extended bracket WILL loosen them.

On my car, because likely of it's past race history has that bracket welded on.

On an FE, you will find it difficult to fit in 2" primaries. I had a set of Hooker super comps that were 2-1/8"od.
The front two tubes were in front of the shock uprights and were all slip tubs.

They were impressive looking, making the car look like a gorilla dragging his knuckles, but if there was any improvement, it was hard to notice.

The major issue is that ALL FE's use the same exhaust port and to be polite, it is much less then desirable.

The 1-3/4 od tubes are about as big as practicle and if you use Hookers, the collector points down and is really too low for a street car.

They are better then the stock CJ manifolds but they do present maintenance issues. If you get them pass up the stainless steel tubes for ceramic coatings. That helps significantly.

The Hookers are about the only "old school designs" left. Many have gone to a tri-y design which fits better but doesn't flow as much as needed.

I know of one '67 Shelby owner that broadsided in intersections (makes me doubt his decision making abilities) that said the roll bar saved his life twice.

Now this guy turns out to be a medical doctor so that contributes to my increasing distrust of the medical profession as a whole BUT this isn't about me.

Generally speaking the roll bar application like in the Shelby's is to keep the roof from collapsing on you but obviously has a side impact function as well.

If attached to key points, it also can stiffen the chassis as well.

It can't replace a complete "cage" but street cars aren't going 200 mph anywhere that I am aware of. That would be a cage's forte.

No one knew too much about the Cobras details then.

We just basically knew the small block and big block.

Many of us who visioned ourselves as buyers were largely College aged. Either just finished, still in or just starting.

I do remember scouring the classifieds around 1970 and there were more then a few 289's in the $2,500 vicinity. Lots of Comp cars coming up at around $5,000.


My tastes leaned towards 427's. It still wasn't understood how the power plant varied according to CSX series. 428's were seriously bad mouthed.

What I found concerning was that seemingly every 427 that was for sale, had less then 10,000 miles and not an original engine. 427's were in the $5,000 range.


I personally could only afford to own one car. I needed a car that could be locked up, with locking doors and windows. So Cobras were out of the question.


It was a long time ago both in years and in so many other ways. Sometimes now getting difficult to differentiate between memory and fantasy?

The results in that video look very encouraging but will likely kill any of the cast in markings such as the cylinder numbers if any still exist.

The best that I think you are going to get is a heavy frosted surface and that is obtainable by using 'Black beauty" blast media in a sand blaster.

This is what I use on headers and it will give you a texture that you can feel with your hands.

Other than that, as Bob says, find another manifold and sell this one. There is a market for them
with some street rodders. Many would love to have it.

How much it is worth is difficult to determine. Even the price variations on an original condition one will vary.

Ned you are presuming that the ownership of the "mystery car" does not pre-date both you and I.

I didn't think any Cobra has escaped Ned's little notepad he always carries around. His actual eyes on cars and the notes he's kept over the years have certainly added greatly to the history and provenance of these cars.

Well, not to disparage original Cobra owners alone. I suppose it applies to some other people as well, but they are some of the most "unique people" that I have ever encountered. In my case, that speaks volumes and is an understatement.

I had one Cobra owners father tell me, "I thought it was just a 'Healy' with bumps".


Who said the car has even been driven in 57 years? Most of those folks who would likely remember the car are dead.

There was an infamous baseball character, now known as a baseball legend, named Casey Stengle. On his 75thbirthday a reporter asked him how many friends he had. His reply, "most of the people my age are dead". I say Amen to that.

This car was a red street car. You never know what lurks in the woods of NH 

Absolutely true.

Ned you are presuming that the ownership of the "mystery car" does not pre-date both you and I.

Ordinarily I'd offer para mutuals in the 6-5 vicinity in favor but now that I'm older and more suspicious, I'd still go even money.

Strange in this case is normal. I don't know of any banjo playing recluses there but the woods get very deep in NH. Spooky in fact.

Actually the BF32 was obsoleted and replaced with the BF42.

The BF32's were recommended for the higher compression engines and the 42's for the lower compression engines.

Either will work but what you may find is that rpm's over about 5,000 rpm's are limited by the hotter 42 plug.


I know that there is a general dislike of the Champion plug. Not that they are inferior, but because that isn't what the "Kool people" run. However, that series offers a greater heat range then most others do, INCLUDING the Autolite's.

I have that using Champions to "tune" a brand new engine helpful.

The only other plug that comes close to that "tunability" is the NGK. If you look at the actual engineering heat ranges of their plugs, it will give you an indication why. The answer is, their design, gives a wider heat range for the same engine.


BF32's have NEVER been the exact right plug for the high performance Ford engines. They have ALWAYS been on the too cold range, noticibly fouling particularly with automatic transmissioned cars used in bumper to bumper traffic, whereas the 42 is too hot and causes detonation over 5,000 rpm.

The Champion can be dialed in better as is the NGK.