1967 Shelby Cobra

Description

If you've been looking for a turn-key Cobra replica, this really is the one you want. Built by an engineer and seriously over-built, it's decked out for competition, belts out some very impressive horsepower numbers, and is skillfully modified so that even taller guys can get comfortable behind the wheel. A no-compromises Cobra? Yeah, who would have imagined such a thing?

The paint is called Chili Red and it seems quite appropriate on this red hot Cobra. The fiberglass shell is reinforced with Kevlar, not to make it bulletproof, but to make it beautiful. That hand-rubbed finish should stay looking that good for years to come and the finish quality is really quite amazing. They skipped the usual Cobra stripes and instead went for the meatball on the side, a choice that says a lot about this Cobra's intended occupation. The bodywork underneath is expertly finished, the result of hundreds of hours of work just getting it into shape for paint. The usual Cobra design cues are there, but you may have noticed things like the slightly oversized hood scoop (which feeds a nitrous-ingesting small block) and the dual roll hoops out back which are tied into the chassis for NHRA certification. It's obvious that this car wasn't built to be a cruiser, it was built for combat, but that didn't stop them from also working hard to make it beautiful.

To keep the curb weight down at a remarkable 2400 pounds, the usual low-back buckets were replaced with a set of aircraft-style chairs, whose tubular frames and beautifully stitched skins look awesome without adding unnecessary pounds. Red piping adds an old-school performance look and matching head rests have been fitted to the roll hoops themselves. It's fully carpeted (what are we, savages?) and details like the forward-canted shifter and wood-rimmed steering wheel recall the original Shelby versions. A full assortment of Stewart Warner instruments have a 1960s flavor and the oak glove box door offers a nice balance for the steering wheel in front of the driver. Wind wings make a bigger difference than you'd think in terms of comfort, but before you think this sucker is just for tooling around town, note the bright red switch on the dash, the nitrous purge button, and the shift light built into the top of the dash. No, there's definitely more going on here.

The engine is a 5.0-liter Ford V8 fortified with GT40 heads, a balanced rotating assembly, Ford Motorsports B303 camshaft, Edelbrock intake, and a Holley double-pumper carburetor, all reliable sources of old-fashioned horsepower. On the dyno with the nitrous flowing, it belts out 424 horsepower and 460 pounds of torque, a serious over-achiever. A Tremec 5-speed manual shifts better than the old Toploaders and there's a built 9-inch rear with 3.73 gears on a Track-Lok limited slip. The front suspension is tubular A-arms with QA1 coil-overs while a triangulated 4-link is fitted out back. 11-inch disc brakes at all four corners provides stunning stopping power (remember this sucker only weighs 2400 pounds) and the modern Halibrand replicas with 235/60/15 front and 295/50/15 rear performance radials offer the right Cobra look.

It's not that this one is more attractive than the others (well, OK, maybe it is), it's that every single aspect of the build was dedicated solely to making it faster, and that's really rather rare. If that kind of attention to detail appeals to you, give us a call and we'll give you the full story on this cool Cobra.