The Shelby American (Fall 2021)

Corvette and obtaining a loan from Earl’s father and the bank, the worm and sector Cobra was theirs. This sec- ond car loan from Mr. Pfeifer was the more difficult. He wanted to know what they’d be driving while getting the Cobra operational. “ I pointed to the rusting 1968 green Chevy Bis- cayne in the driveway that I’d paid $30 for. Dad frowned while shaking his head but finally relented and loaned us the money ”, explained Earl. What made the purchase even more ‘insane’ was this young couple didn’t have a garage or shed to store the car, but quickly located a friend who gra- ciously allowed them use of half of his. The caveat? Their friend was allowed to claim this as his Cobra when any- one asked. During the restoration the Pfeifers were forced to utilize their small home as a parts repository – for new and those to be re-installed – which exponentially motivated their efforts as the floors became more and more ‘cluttered’. In less than a year this intrepid couple had CSX2100 roadworthy. The most visible tasks were re-installing the rebuilt engine and original black leather seat covers they had removed and applied conditioner to. The goal of owning an all-original car was greatly enhanced after the Pfeifers located a number of parts on Peter Kelley’s farm shortly after the purchase – the origi- nal Autolite carb and cast-iron mani- fold were in a barn, resting on the dirt floor. “ Carol loved driving the Cobra as much as I did. One day we were headed home, about 100 miles away, and she vented on the fact that guys never had to worry about tan lines. ‘They can just take their shirts off whenever’, she added. I came back with, ‘Don’t let me hinder you.’ And I didn’t. She drove the rest of the way home topless - the Cobra and herself. The motorists that did pass us defi- nitely enjoyed what they saw! “Carol shocked bystanders when driving because the Cobra exhaust was really loud for such a small car. They would hear it coming, then see this blond come flying by with her hair blowing in the wind. And to top it off, she was an overly aggressive driver. My wife worked as a cocktail waitress, and after getting off at 2 or 3 in the morning she would race home on de- serted roads. One Calgary policeman had a habit of pulling her over every time he saw her – just to talk to her. I recall one evening she pulled up to the front of a restaurant, engine revving the entire way, and as she hopped out of the Cobra there was utter silence in the eatery. Every male pair of eyes was on her. She had their undivided atten- tion. And mine! “I remember one night cruising in the Cobra with a friend on McLeod Trail, a six-lane major road in Calgary. This was back in 1985, when "rice burner" (Japanese) motorcycles were really hot, and lots of guys spent the night racing them on this road. We came up against one at a stop light in CSX2100 with its 4.56 gears, and when the light turned green he took off quickly. When he glanced over his shoulder, he found us right beside him. That sent the biker into ‘full throttle mode’ and he immediately gained about 4 car lengths on us. The funny part came when we were approaching the next set of traffic lights. He looked over his right shoulder and didn't see us, so he turned and looked left. There we were, right beside him. He almost fell off his bike. He had no idea what he was racing that day! I’m convinced he assumed we were in an MG. “Carol came home one day upset be- cause she had found a business card on the Cobra, with a note inquiring about purchasing the car – and ad- dressed to ‘Dear Sir.’ After calming down she called the guy, in the sweet- est, most innocent voice she could muster, and said she might be willing to sell. Carol offered to take him for a ride and he accepted. A short time later she returned, all smiles. It turned out the guy didn’t fare well on the road known as Elbow Drive. All good things must come to an end, and in 1985 with bills piling up almost as quickly as Cobra values, they sold CSX2100 for $42,000. Sadly, their marriage came to an end in 1989, and shortly thereafter Earl moved to New Zealand where he sold sand- wiches. Lots of them. He quit counting after his 140th Subway Sandwich shop opened. By 2004, the ‘Earl of Sandwich’ was ready to sell out and return to Canada, but yearned for a 427 Cobra there to greet him. During his on-line searches, it seemed that every auto he viewed – at auction or a personal sale – was modified to look like an S/C or had been in a wreck. He eventually came across Brooke Clarke’s website, dedicated to the 427 Cobra he’d purchased new, CSX3282. Clarke suggested Pfeifer contact the present owner, Dan Hodges, who had owned it since late 1999. As luck would have it, Hodges had just decided The SHELBY AMERICAN Fall 2021 102 CSX3282