Art & Inspiration Cobra 289 Competition Car rear body section

Several years ago, I stumbled across this rear body section for a Cobra 289 Competition Car, here in California. I say Competition Car because of some telltale signs. The first item is the fuel filler location. It is located in the center of the rear deck, so the car can be filled with fuel from either side. There is also a series of nutserts for the splash shield that surrounds the fuel filler opening. The next item are the two holes in the panel below the deck lid. These two holes are the location of the safety latches that secures the deck lid from opening during a race. The last item are the bubble flares around the rear wheels, instead of the box flares, that are typical on a Cobra 289 street car. I don't understand why someone would remove this body section from the chassis, since the aluminum is in surprisingly very good shape. My intention is to collect more parts to make this rear body section complete and eventually build this into a running car. What are your thoughts? [email protected]

 

First thing I'd do, is contact the Shelby American Automobile Club. If the guys at SAAC can't id it, well...
Next, building a clone/replica is fine - it's the titling that will get you in trouble. The guys in SAAC have been down this road more than once, & can guide you. Off the top of my head, my 1st guess is that might be from an FIA Cobra. But the bottom of the trunk rail doesn't look quite right. Virtually all my SAAC mags n registry books n info are gone, years ago sold to a friend of a friend. SAAC priced me out of the club in the late 80's or early 90's, & I haven't been back - nor do I see a time that I will be. Still one of my favorite cars that I'll probably never own - even in replica form. <shrug> (Sucks to be me). IIRC, one of the main guys in the club was Rick Kopec. For awhile, he was a prolific writer, fanning the flames of desire, in a whole-hearted attempt at getting, & keeping, the Shelby prices high n higher.
Good luck. It's a project worth pursuing. I'm also thinking Mike McClusky(sp?) in CA was quite a well known Cobra restorer, & would be a good source of info.
Good find, n great save.
Marcus...

 

I'd sell it (at a very high price!) to someone with a damaged car! Gary

 

Finding out information about any Cobra (authentic) is really no problem as there are NO unknown authentic Cobra's. Like Shelby was the SAAC can be pretty hard to deal with if you don't know anyone there. That is the place to start though. I would just bet they know not only which car this came from but why and when as well if that is important to you. Good Luck and let us know how this turns out. If you never do anything but set it somewhere and look at it, it is a prize.

 

fab a cowl
add a glass nose and doors and build a wild gasser

 

I wonder if that is the remains of one of the early '63 Shelby Team Cobra's...?
Maybe even on of the '63 Le Mans cars..?

The rear arch flare, possible remains of a dark paint colour and that almost unique central fuel filler hole look like it could be...?
I'm not sure if any of the surviving cars are in that as-originally built spec, as most were later modified into the later '64 FIA spec, and still are today. The FIA spec moved the fuel filler off to the right hand side, rather being central...which is where you can see it on most 'comp' spec Cobra's today.
Here's an original photo of one of the '64 FIA Cobras, the Gurney/Grant car on the Targa Floria, note the offset fuel filler location, and rear arch shape that went on to be used for the 427's.




Compare to this group shot taken the year before in 1963 of the spec of the earlier team Cobra's, I think prior to the 1963 Lemans race...note the central fuel filler location and rear arch shape (as per yours)



As others have said, contact SAAC or renowed Cobra expert and Cobra collector Lynn Park (who also has a lovely 32 roadster and a Willys gasser)

 

If those Cobra org won't talk to you or piss you off , make a love seat out of it and see what they say

 

I'd guess that was probably the salvaged remains of a wrecked car.

 

Thanks guys for all of your input. The black and white photo that GeeRam posted of the dark, possibly black Competition cars #96, #97, #98, have the exact same rear body section with the bubble rear flairs in the rear and the box flairs in the front. I can also see the splash plate below the centered fuel filler. And this body also has nutserts for the snaps that are screwed into the rear deck for the tonneau cover. I asked the former owner if there were other telltale signs on the body. He said the trunk lid had #99 painted on it. Interesting. I have looked a photos of #99, and it was also painted black or a dark color. I do see some evidence of dark blue on this body, but I am not absolutely certain if this is car #99. I am sure there were other Cobra 289 cars that carried the number 99. Someone else purchased the deck lid and the front fenders. The deck lid, did not have the bumps on the deck lid like the FIA cars. Plus the fuel filler is in a different location.

 

Aren't there some guys in Poland building new aluminum bodies for Cobras? If so, then you could possible get a front clip and have a complete aluminum body to work with. I've seen pics of an early Cobra with the exact same sticker and positioning (Pure), just can't remember where.
r

 

Found this:

 

We have a winner!!!

 

Also, the door opening is not "back cut" for the very large flares used on FIAs. Like this.



I have to agree that the general shape looks like a pre-'64 team car but I'm far from an expert on them. The cars were evolving all the time so it's tough to nail down. The previous owner saying it was #99 and that photo showing it with those decals is pretty convincing. It is CSX2026, and it was actually painted RED that day. Any evidence of red paint there?

http://www.davemacdonald.net/gallery/closeups/cobra63fiadaytona.htm

 

That may just be a VERY significant piece of aluminum ya got there, if in fact it is what it appears.

http://www.davemacdonald.net/gallery/closeups/cobra63fiadaytona.htm

 

I knew it!
r

 

Unless there is evidence of a large dent on the drivers side it wasn't in the race linked above but still seems like it is from that car.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

The ultimate piece of wall art!
Not sure what I would do with it. Get it documented, authenticated by SAAC, then do a lot of soul searching on whether to sell or keep it.

 

Any reason the rear segment couldn't be from that white car above, with all the front-end crash damage??

Because it all adds up. CSX2014 was crashed at Daytona. That body was removed, and the chassis was used to build the first Daytona.

It's also the only way it makes sense to discard a perfectly serviceable early half-body while the cars were still competing.

Holy crap!

http://www.davemacdonald.net/gallery/closeups/daytonacobraconstruction.htm

 

Based on the pix above I'd postulate that your boot section might be the remains of the white, stuffed #97 in the Armco, but in what race was the 97 wrecked like that? Was it totally re-skinned then? Does it still exist? Or was the whole car or chassis scrapped or rebuilt into another car? Gary

 

following

 

Count me in. I am CURIOUS ! What a great find.

 

Now this really looks like fun.I`ll saddle up and go along for the ride.AND the detective work.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Hope things go well in your search. What I posted was little more than a genuine 1st impression WAG, not having seen the books n info for probably 15+ yrs. I obviously have forgotten much of what I read, as I used to know that stuff real well. Past tense. Glad you got some help pointing you in the right direction.
One thing that sticks out in memory, is that the Cobra rebuilds, rebodies, replicas, & air-cars were/are responsible for some of the legislation concerning titling we now "enjoy".
"this car should be put back together, even if the chassis was used to build the first Cobra Daytona".
Be *very* careful how you title this, as you will find that you have opened a can of "Snakes" that is very hazardous & poisonous to your health, wealth, & mind. I'm not stretching the truth or scare-mongering here. It's been an extremely expensive lesson for more than one Cobra owner. SAAC should be willing to help. At the very minimum, they'll be interested to find out what happened to the body of 2014, since the wreck. Enough so, that you probably will get a story in the club mag. FWIW. Which will result in a number of high-rollers contacting you... .
BTW, I'd like to see 2014 put back to life as it was in that race, just don't try passing it off as the real thing.
&, maybe, put the build-up here on the HAMB. It still fits w/i the rules... . Can you still get the deck lid, n front fenders from the guy that bought them?
Marcus...

 

Fascinating find along with some good detective work already.

In for the rest of the story.

 

I have to say, if its what we think it might be, then using it to build up a car around it would be the 'wrong' think to do, not to mention you could get into some serious hot water over it.....
Actually, I would think it has considerable worth as it is as a piece of Cobra memorabilia.....maybe Lynn Park would want to buy to hang on the wall of his Cobra garage to add to his awesome collection of Cobra stuff
Actually, I rather like the idea suggested already of preserving its patina, maybe with a clear coat to seal it, and building a frame for it and turning it into a seat......again, as a piece of Cobra memorabilia, it would fetch a tidy some, and still retain its historic nature.

 

hot water?

 

If that section proves authentic to any of those cars (96 thru 99) someone is going to want it bad, maybe bad enough to fund a really nice replica build.

 

How long ago was "several years"? Like, when was someone parting one of these things out? And who would buy the trunklid off of it but leave this piece behind? At what point in history was this not a big deal?

A clearcoated-patina mancave couch is not a good idea. What a sad ending that would be.

 

I agree 100% here. ^^^^ as it sets it is yard art or it could go on a running driving car.