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Shelby Cobra 50 Years - new book

Started by Chafford, September 24, 2011, 09:35:48

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rr64

#45
October 10, 2011, 21:44:02
Here in Alabama U.S.A. (at least here at my residence) it is great that the cars in question are 'AC Cobras'.
   
   
   CSX2551 waiting for its engine to get reinstalled, note registration plate.
   
   
Dan Case
1964 Cobra owner since 1983, Cobra crazy since I saw my first one in the mid 1960s in Huntsville, AL.

rr64

#46
October 10, 2011, 22:31:02
quote:
Originally posted by A-Snake

    Photos of CSX2001 in the US by the first owner show two emblems.  

   
   In my search for original parts I meet lots of people that had hands on the cars back when they were the new sport's in town.  In discussing very early cars and emblems one person that has worked on Cobras since new on our east coast said the several early cars completed in Pennsylvania had dual emblems like CSX2001 did when the first owner took it home.
   
   Not everyone knows that not every Cobra was sent to California.
   
   
   For your amusement....
   
   This particular emblem is believed to have left AC installed on CSX2033. I purchased from a man that claimed that he removed it, put it in his tool box, and installed one of Shelby's emblems in its place during an early rework of the car. I have heard period accounts of these being on USA delivered cars that did not go through California until the large emblem (third one down) came out.
   
   
   
   
   This emblem was also claimed to have been removed from an early Cobra. In this case the man said he helped work on an early car that was stripped down and converted to racing. The emblem found its way into his tool box and all the wear visible is probably from sliding around in the tool box for decades.   My opinion, based on years of asking questions and examining old pictures, is these mainly found their way onto cars finished on our east coast by one of two early dealers.
   
   
   
   This one is a new old stock one from Shelby. This design is said to have been created to replace the one above. This what is now believed to be the second "production" version. It has a brushed satin chrome plated finish.  One of D. Friedman's images shows an earlier version with a radiused outer facing edge and very fine smooth chrome plating.  CSX2055 has ones like shown in Mr. Friedman's image.  Once service part supplies ran low subsequent parts went back to bright smooth chromium plating but lacked the rounded border like the one shown by Mr. Friedman.  I have come across two former Cobra owners with one each satin and bright service part that they bought from the SAI parts department a few years after the last leaf spring car was completed.  The parts department  seems to have just sent whatever they put hands one without checking to see if they match. The mismatch is why both former owners never installed them. My opinion here is that this design  set appeared mostly on early cars finished in California until the smaller round version below came out.
   
   
   
   
   
   This is a mint used emblem I came across in 1971. The man I got it from , a Corvette owner/racer, said he vandalized a new Cobra and kept the emblem as a trophy. This is the Peter Brock design.  The majority of U.S.A. delivery Cobra received this design and maybe some early 427 Cobras.
   
   
   
   
   This is new old stock emblem is a Ford supplied emblem, i.e. one for Ford's large suppliers tooled up for and produced in large quantities, that took the place of the one Peter Brock came up with.  This one is similar to the one above but different.  Most 427 Cobras got this version. The earliest documented existence of this part I can find is in 1966.
   
Dan Case
1964 Cobra owner since 1983, Cobra crazy since I saw my first one in the mid 1960s in Huntsville, AL.

Gus Meyjes

#47
October 11, 2011, 01:39:11
Dan,
   
   That is some great minutia! Thanks for chiming in.
   
   Gus

ACOCArch

#48
October 11, 2011, 01:58:45
Hi Dan,
   
   Lovely reg plate!
   
   Your badge info generally accords with Rinsey Mills' summary (see post above).
   
   One issue seems to be whether early CSX cars cars had one badge or two on the nose.
   
   The photos below, located today, are of an unidentified heavily modified CSX Cobra with competition gear and an unusual hardtop.
   
   There are clearly 2 badges on the nose of this car, similar to the photo of CSX 2001. The resolution is poor, but the top badge seems to be the AC roundal, and the bottom one the elongated 'AC Shelby Cobra' badge.
   
   Clearly, when sold in US some early CSX cars had 2 badges on the nose, with others like the Car and Driver test car just one. Badges are a minefield, but on this evidence AC did seem to have a fair share of the credit in those early days, both on the cars and in the media.
   
   Can anyone identify the car below? The hardtop has a very square profile at the rear, and the roof section looks to be detachable, rather like a Targa top. The bonnet is also unusual.
   
   John
   
   
   
   

A-Snake

#49
October 11, 2011, 03:05:37
John,
   That is a photo of CSX2001. Notice the parking lights mounted more outboard to make way for the driving lights. I think I can find some other photos of the car when it was in this guise.
   
   Jim

A-Snake

#50
October 11, 2011, 03:07:40
Here is a story done by SAAC on CSX2001
   
   http://saac.memberlodge.com/resources/0109/0109-csx2001.pdf

ACOCArch

#51
October 11, 2011, 10:48:55
quote:
Originally posted by A-Snake
   
Here is a story done by SAAC on CSX2001
   
   http://saac.memberlodge.com/resources/0109/0109-csx2001.pdf
   

   
   
   Jim,
   
   That is fantatic- thankyou. Another brick placed back in the wall! The photos also clearly show the twin badges, including the AC Script on the boot!
   
   John

rr64

#52
October 11, 2011, 22:57:33
Okay, more from my collection. This AC script was purchased from someone that claimed it came from a European delivery Cobra that also got a more familar Cobra emblem transplant.
   
   
   
Dan Case
1964 Cobra owner since 1983, Cobra crazy since I saw my first one in the mid 1960s in Huntsville, AL.

rr64

#53
October 12, 2011, 00:57:47
CSX2001, a little better images.
   
   
   
   
   A person that I find very reliable tells me that Hugas (spelling?) did the first few Cobras his shop completed this way. He tells me that at least two cars got the unusual roll bar seen in the first owner's new CSX2001 home movies. Can't prove it but interesting.
Dan Case
1964 Cobra owner since 1983, Cobra crazy since I saw my first one in the mid 1960s in Huntsville, AL.

ACOCArch

#54
October 12, 2011, 01:07:40
Can anyone confirm that this was indeed the style used in period?
   [/quote]
   
   Dan,
   
   The earliest record I have of the use of script badges of this style and size was on Cobra variants in the 1960s. Its use continued right through AC 428 and AC 3000ME production, that is until about 1987.
   
   Regarding its use on Cobras, the photographic evidence shows that style of badge invariably fitted on the boot lid of COB and COX AC Cobras and AC 289 Sports, and on the front of the AC 289 Sports.
   
   Its use on CSX Cobras is less certain. But, the photos of  CSX 2001 (Jim's article page 39) clearly show this style on the boot lid of that car circa 1965, which suggests it may have been original fit in 1962. If so that was probably the first or second example, depending on the factory fit to CSX 2000.
   
   How long that situation continued I don't know, but I would be surprised to find any evidence of an AC badge as original fit on the body of the coil-spring CSX series. The clutch and brake pedals are of course a different matter!
   
   The only example of this badge I have seen off a car came from the boot lid of a AC 3000ME. This was a pressing, held in place by two prongs, not bolted. On that example, there was a muti-digit part number, visible from the reverse side inside one section of the pressing.
   
   John

ACOCArch

#55
October 12, 2011, 01:23:55
Dan,
   
   That is probably as good as any evidence we shall see. The second elongated 'Shelby AC Cobra' badges would have been fitted in US I believe.
   
   From Rinsey Mills' book 'Original AC Ace and Cobra', 45 leaf-spring cars were shipped to the US east coast. Some or all of these may have been dealt with differently to the cars shipped to the west-coast.
   
   John

Bill P

#56
October 12, 2011, 15:06:36
I note that two photographs taken by me of CSX 2301 on Pages 56 and 62 have been used without any acknowledgement!!

Old Crock

#57
October 12, 2011, 16:02:40
quote:
The only example of this badge I have seen off a car came from the boot lid of a AC 3000ME. This was a pressing, held in place by two prongs, not bolted. On that example, there was a muti-digit part number, visible from the reverse side inside one section of the pressing.

   
   I have two of these script badges, given to me by a girl whose father had died. She said they had come from a Cobra he had restored (the worst one, pitted, below, I assumed came from the bonnet and the other the bootlid). Re John's note above, these have three prongs, and no part number inside:
   
   
   

rr64

#58
October 12, 2011, 21:50:10
Dan Case
1964 Cobra owner since 1983, Cobra crazy since I saw my first one in the mid 1960s in Huntsville, AL.

aaron

#59
October 12, 2011, 22:11:15
quote:
Originally posted by Daytona
   
I note that two photographs taken by me of CSX 2301 on Pages 56 and 62 have been used without any acknowledgement!!
   

   
   Did you supply the photos ?
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