CSX2231 - Bring A Trailer

[silverton_ford]

Link:  https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-shelby-289-cobra-5/




Auction Description:
This 1964 Shelby Cobra is one of approximately 528 Mark II examples produced between 1963 and 1965. CSX2231 was initially configured for street use and remained with multiple owners through 1978, when the next owner purchased the car after it had been parked for some time. It was modified for track use prior to the 1990s with a replacement 292ci V8 as well as a hood scoop, fender flares, and a roll hoop. The current owner purchased the car in 2004, and a subsequent refurbishment project involved stripping the car to bare metal and repainting the body in blue with white stripes. The engine was built to 292ci and modified with cylinder heads developed for DeTomaso and Shelby's abandoned P70 project as well as quadruple Weber carburetors and tubular headers feeding a dual side-exit exhaust system. Shifting is via a Tremec five-speed manual transmission, and additional equipment includes 15″ Halibrand knock-off wheels and disc brakes. Inside, low-back bucket seats trimmed in black leather are accompanied by a wood-rimmed steering wheel and Stewart-Warner instrumentation. This Mark II Cobra is now offered on dealer consignment with removed components, refurbishment photos, awards, and an Illinois title.

Having retired from competitive driving due to a heart condition, Carroll Shelby instead began an endeavor to create a European-style sports car with American V8 power. In 1961, Shelby secured a partnership with AC Cars in Surrey, UK, to build a variant of the AC Ace that would be completed by Shelby in the US with engines supplied by Ford Motor Company. The resultant Cobra model was introduced in 1962, with the first 75 examples powered by a 260ci powerplant before production shifted to the use of Ford's 289ci unit.

Noted to have left the factory in white, this example was modified for track use with a hood scoop, fender flares, a roll hoop, a Monza-style fuel-filler cap, and an external shut-off switch at some point prior to a vintage race at Road Atlanta in 1989. It was later disassembled and stripped to bare metal before being repainted in its current color scheme of blue with white stripes as part of the aforementioned refurbishment in the 2000s. Bumper jacks, dual side mirrors, wind wings, and a dual side-exit exhaust system were also added.

The 15″ Halibrand wheels are secured via three-eared knockoffs and are mounted with BFGoodrich g-Force Sport tires, as is a matching spare stored in the trunk compartment. Mark II Cobras utilize a rack-and-pinion setup, and stopping is handled by four-wheel disc brakes.

The cockpit houses fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in black leather with a color-matched dash. A multi-point harness is fitted for the driver, and additional features include black carpeting, AC-branded pedals, a sliding rearview mirror, translucent sun visors, and a fire extinguisher located in the trunk.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel was refreshed under current ownership and sits ahead of overhauled Stewart-Warner instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and gauges monitoring oil temperature, coolant temperature, amperage, fuel level, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 33k miles, approximately 4k of which have been added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown.

The car was delivered with a 289ci V8 and later fitted with a race-prepped V8 when it was modified for track use. Following the current owner's purchase, the Ford V8 was built to a displacement of 292ci by Barry Sale of PHP Racengines in Wauconda, Illinois. The engine is equipped with cylinder heads developed for DeTomaso and Shelby's abandoned P70 project as well as quadruple Weber carburetors, tubular headers, an oil cooler, and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan. A 2007 dynamometer report can be viewed in the gallery below and the removed cylinder heads are included in the sale.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The removed four-speed transmission is included in the sale.

Photos documenting various stages of the refurbishment completed under current ownership are viewable in the gallery along with a number of period photos.

A number of spare and removed components will accompany the car including a four-speed gearbox, a radiator, an intake manifold, cylinder heads, six wheels, brake parts, and more.

The selling dealer has relayed that while at the original selling dealer, the car rolled off a trailer into a tree, resulting in damage to the right-front and leaf-spring mount. The first owner reportedly purchased the car as-is and commissioned Art Hoyt to repair the bodywork, during which time the chassis number in that area was removed. The car was then stripped to bare aluminum by the original owner and, according to the car's SAAC registry entry, remained in that configuration through a change of ownership in 1989. Additional chassis stampings around the car are displayed in the gallery below.

From the seller:
I spoke to the original owner of the car in the registry, who is now 85 years old and quite lucid. The accident noted in the registry actually happened at the dealership when the car had 27 miles. But this was not a driving accident. The car rolled off the trailer into a tree, damaging the right front. It also broke the leaf spring mount. Frederick Sisson bought the car as is and brought it to Indiana, where he had an expert aluminum body guy, Art Hoyt, repair the bodywork without any replacement of aluminum or the use of bondo. Art was Jerry Hoyt's father.

Jerry was 1955 Indy Pole winner and died later that year. Art also purchased a new wheel and tire. When the car was finished, the bill was $280 without paint. Since Frederick could only come up with the $280, he decided to take Easy Off oven cleaner and strip the rest of the car to bare aluminum. So basically from new, CSX 2231, while born white, was actually driven all over the country by Frederick in bare aluminum. He went to Canada, Watkins Glen, Chicago. Got caught in the snow. Didn't matter. It was his only car and he used it. Plus, it was in complete unmodified condition in and out, fenders and all were as delivered. It wasn't until the second owner did the car get a hood scoop and painted blue.

[silverton_ford]

CSX2231 video from 8 years ago

[Bill]

Stellar seller 

[2008 GT-C]

Was there more than one chassis stamping on these cars? Not all cars have a history that can be traced like this one. You have to do your due diligence before you spend this kind of money unless you just want bragging rights or too much money.

[SBCARGUY]

Was there more than one chassis stamping on these cars? Not all cars have a history that can be traced like this one. You have to do your due diligence before you spend this kind of money unless you just want bragging rights or too much money.

No....

I believe they were stamped on the chassis in one place....

The other stampings were on the trunk latch, hood latch, which I do not believe is shown unless its photo number 145 or 187??

Both door areas (Shown in the ad and I have not seen holes drilled around or on that area).

[Cobra Ned]

There are additional areas where a VIN should be in the event there is any question as to the car's validity.

[SBCARGUY]

There are additional areas where a VIN should be in the event there is any question as to the car's validity.

Ned,

I believe his question was in terms of chassis stamping, not the other stampings???

[2008 GT-C]

Thank you for the information. I watched the video on CSX2410 which showed its chassis stamping that was saved. I did see the body stampings in the photos. Just curious due to the fact that cars can be copied. 

[Cobra Ned]

I don't get the supposed missing VIN issue. If the damage was to the right hand front of the car, there is no factory VIN to be damaged. The factory VIN on a rack and pinion small block Cobra is on the left front A-arm mount. It should still be there if the car was damaged at the right front.

EDIT: I am clearly getting old. While in my mind I recall a VIN on my 289's LEFT a-arm, a friend has corrected me and explained it's actually on the right. OK, I guess the idea of this car losing its VIN is believable.

[trotrof1]

Regarding that cylinder head design, will it make for a lighter piston, reduce combustion chamber temps, or improve air flow over conventional SB ford heads or Weslake heads. I never seen these until I watched the video.

[pbf777]

Regarding that cylinder head design, will it make for a lighter piston, reduce combustion chamber temps, or improve air flow over conventional . . . . . .

    Just a couple of thoughts would be:

    No, due to the added complication of the reversed-dome combustion layout, and the fact that it is generally going to be subjected to greater sums of heat, one would anticipate that the pistons would be heavier.   

    As for the combustion chamber temps (cylinder head), though one might anticipate that they'd be reduced, this has a lot to do with many other variables within the relationships of the combustion withing the enclosure as a whole, but being that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line and hence the face area of the Heron head being exposed to combustion heat is reduced, this would be the initial thought.   

    The subject of air-flow again is more complicated than just expecting a "tit for tat" response in an overall design change that also effects other "stuff".  But, as in most Heron" designs, the valve angle relationship to the cylinder tends to be more straight up than that of typically wedge chambered cylinder heads and with the lack of chamber shrouding of the valve, one might anticipate particularly low-lift flow value sums be improved.  But for example, since the valves are positioned with less or even no angle deviation from the cylinder bore centerline, this often, and particularly in "V"-type engines, lends to more acute angling of the short-turn radius in the port runners, not to mention greater runner length, which can hurt flow values at greater velocities and hence peak performances.  Also, when it comes to the valve head diameters, being in-line and actually in the cylinder, there are greater restraints here also.   

    Then there is the complication with the Heron head in it's relationship to the piston dome engineering, and this becomes a significant concern for the rebuilder, especially in the arena of odd examples, and most often leads to poor results. 

    Scott.

[trotrof1]

So kind of a mixed bag that doesn't really justify the added complication or expense. They do look cool though and if your wanting an exclusive piece...

[pbf777]

    In any event, it'll move on and off the trailer just fine! 

    Scott.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I don't get the supposed missing VIN issue. If the damage was to the right hand front of the car, there is no factory VIN to be damaged. The factory VIN on a rack and pinion small block Cobra is on the left front A-arm mount. It should still be there if the car was damaged at the right front.

On cars of this age there was 1 VIN location to be used for registration and it was picked by the manufacturer to be on the engine or car. The Feds standardized the number system and location in 1968. Over the years the VIN has become required in more places and on more components to reduce theft - but the VIN for registration today is the one on the dash you can see through the windshield.
The Cobra got so many parts stamped with "serial/VIN" numbers is because they were hand made and fitted. The numbers allowed the parts to be kept with the chassis/body they had been fitted for. Gotta love the cottage industry.

[pbf777]

The Feds standardized the number system and location in 1968. . . . . . . . but the VIN for registration today is the one on the dash you can see through the windshield.

    Just to clarify, as I understand it, it was the "location" that in 1968 the Feds initiated the policy requirement, that of vehicles presenting a V.I.N. that was viewable though the windshield, but unfortunately with not greater stipulations of specific location or format.  This resulting in for example, GM placed these on the drivers side of the dash, but Ford (in 1968) went to the passenger side, and thus resulting in the belief that the ruling was vague and needed to provide additional guidance.  So it was in 1969 that the Feds added regulation stipulating that (as of 1970) in all instances the V.I.N. will be located on the drivers side.   

    As for the "standardized number system", this didn't come about until 1981, with the institution of the the required "17-character" V.I.N. format, that is still practiced today.      

    But, if one looks hard enough you'll find exceptions.    

    Scott.