I have been trying to find out what all was different from a regular 260 on the XP 260 engines Ford delivered to Shelby for the first Cobras. I have read they had solid lifter cams and different intake/carbs but that is all I have been able to find other than some conflicting horsepower numbers.
Contact DeuceDaddyDon here on the HAMB. He has a 260 Shelby Cobra engine in his 32 Ford roadster. He bought the 260 from Carroll Shelby himself ... back in the day.
OK, thanks. I'm thinking about a rebuild on the one in my rpu this winter and would like to look into the Shelby specs/parts. Not to replicate one but to come close to the same specs maybe.
Absolutely there were 260 engine in very early Cobras. I had one in my shop back in 1969. I cannot recall the exact serial number but...a fairly accurate guess...CSX10004. Maybe too many, or not enough "0"s. Like a damn fool I sold it for low money. The buyer was a Special Forces guy from Ft. Devens, Massachusetts. I recall his name was Mark Panagotes (again, spelling?). Wish I had kept it...and many others that are njow worth a fortune. Didn't realize at the time what it would be worth. And, side info...Uncle Warren Olsen was with Shelby from the start. That relationship didn't last as old CS was...uh, difficult. (being kind) The whole operation was a continuation by CS of the left overs of the Scarab days. Same shop, same tools, different kind of cars, and so on.
There were 75 260 Cobra's made. The "standard" set up for these was a single 4 barrel, Solid lifter cam, bigger valves and 10:1 compression and they made 260-271 HP at 6,000 RPM. Shel would option them with a different camshaft, 11:1 compression and even 4 SIDEDRAFT WEBER 45DCOE's (not down draft IDA's like most people think), a Magneto, and they made as much as 335 HP at 8500 RPM. I don't think anyone really knows how many left the "factory" in what configuration. This motor was known as the XHP-260 and was used in the First Sunbeam Tigers as well I'm pretty sure the Cobra's were CSX2000 series. CSX2000 was the prototype which Shelby American still owns and CSX2001 and CSX2002 were the first ones shipped over by ACE Cars. The CSX1000-series are the Unknown-origin chassis (Claimed to be "Leftover originals") and Aluminum Bodies (of modern production)
I had read that same info and IIRC the first ones were 1000 series. I also read about the side drafts and the claim of 335 hp. In the same article they were talking about 9000 rpms, which made me wonder what the bottom end was, like forged cranks ect. I guess I got interested because I'm running a 63 260 and feel kind of proud of it's heritage of setting the Chevy factory backed Corvettes on their ears in 63. Other than doubling up on the original carbs and some home made headers, mine is a stock 63 Fairlane offering. I'm still dealing with the serial number/titling process so I haven't had a chance to really give it the green light, it is pretty impressive to the top of third. T-5 and 370 limited slip, rpu at maybe 1500-1800 lbs. Just a po'boy hotrod, nothing fancy. Here's the engine. Forgive the sloppy mess if wiring, that's all cleaned up mow. and after I built collectors so I could get some baffles to quiet it down from arrest me loud. I'd like to warm it up and am curious what cam specs ect. that Shelby used. Also How big of heads can I go without notching the block.
Hello Hotroddon...thanks for the info you posted. Hmm maybe the serial number ws CSX"2"0000 whatever....memory fades with the years. Definitely was ne of the first three Cobras built. I had no idea that this Cobra had future high potential value. I recall that it had oddball Girling brake calipers. A left front mount ear was broken off and the caliper was flopping in the breeze. That's how I ended up with it. Traded a 356 Porsche Speedster even. Getting a replacement caliper was a nightmare. I believe that the first cars built had no set rules as that the details of construction. I didn't realize that there were that many 260s built. The one I had did not have a magneto, Weber carbs or any other no original Ford parts except the valve covers and the exhaust manifolds/headers. Thanks for posting the info. Always good to have reliable sources. Thanks again.
Now that is a V8 i'd love to hear, or have for that matter.. quad side-drafts on V8s are top. Side draft are actually top on any engine, althou a bit of a pain to set proper. My V8 knowledge is lesser than basic, so i had no idea Ford small blocks were this small. kool beans
Are those the original valve covers? What about everything else we can see like the alternator, headers ect.?
There was one smaller, a 221. Seems like Dan Gurney used one in an Indy car and got like 750 hp out of it. I'd love to have a set of those Gurney-Westlake heads and intake.
While we are on the subject of Cobra motors, in 1965 I was building a Bugeyed Sprite with a 289 that I put some Cobra goodies on. One night I was sitting at a local hot dog place (in my regular car) and all of a sudden we see this cool little sportscar come around the parking lot. I knew right away what it was because I had just read about them in a hot rod magazine that week, it was a Griffith. For those that aren't familiar, a company in NY took a TVR sportscar and shoved 289's, 4 speed top loaders, and 3.89 rears into them. The car weighed between 1300-1500, depending on who you talk to. The one that came around the hot dog place was a 306 hp high riser. I flagged him down and we started talking. I told him about my Sprite and he wanted to see it, so we drove to my house. After we got done looking at mine he took me for a ride in his car. Holy hell, was that thing quick ! I saw 105 in third gear and it got there like right now. It was the fastest car I had ever been in up until that time. Don Picture of a 65 Griffith.
From what an article was saying a few yrs ago, with the death of Shelby the longest owner of a Shelby is Rapper Herbie Hancock who bought a 260 Cobra when they 1st came out.
The Indy Ford motor was 255 cubic inches. It used an aluminum block and made around 425 H.P in 1964 running a D.O.H.C set up. There is a bunch of information on the 1963 engine in this thread if you're interested. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197593
All early Mk1 and Mk1a Tigers left Rootes in England with garden variety 2bbl 260 engines, no big valves or 4bbls. They were assembled by the Industrial division as normal 260 pass car production had stopped by then. The blocks used 289 casting patterns, with 3 core plugs per side instead of the early 2 core plug style. The "LAT" kits with Edelbrock intakes and Holley carbs were all dealer or local-distributor installed items. Steve
Herbie Hancock is FAR from a rapper ! (Jazz Musician of the year several times!) Bill Cosby had a twin -supercharged Cobra built for him that he sold back to Shelby , it ended up the subject of one of his comedy records
It's Weslake - no T in the name - sorry pet peeve of mine as I have a couple of Weslake engines. Jay Cushman in Windham, ME has the remaining stock of Gurney Weslake stuff - www.cushmancompetition.com I would love to see the sidedraft Weber DCOE setup - pix anyone?
I think some of you guys may be getting a little confused here. The longest owner of an original Cobra is a guy by the name of Hank Williams who is NOT the eponymous musician. I have met him and his Cobra several times at shows. His Cobra is a 289 ordered in Dec 1964 and delivered in Jan 1965. it has never been restored and has a wonderful patina to it.... Bill Cosby's 1971 skit on the King Cobra Shelby built for him is called 200 mph - still one of my all time favorite comedy routines....
Linky Scroll down on this story about Hank Williams' car, it says "Herbie Hancock had already bought one of the little 260....
There is a crazy/wild Car and Driver cover from September, 1963, with a photo of one of these Indy motors supposedly running at 7500 rpm ... that "bundle of snakes" exhaust is glowing cherry red ... fabulous! One of my favorite Ford mag covers ever .... I've got it framed and around here somewhere ... but can't find it right now.
Nope, he is right about Herbie Hancock. And Hank confirmed that when I saw him last Saturday; Another cool article in this months issue of Road & Track is on Herbie Hancock and his 1963 Shelby Cobra CSX 2000. Turns out Herbie is the longest original Shelby Cobra owner (other than Carrol Shelby). He bought the Cobra at age 22 off the dealer showroom floor with his first song royalty check. The car was his daily driver until 1990 when he bought a new Ferrari. Today the car sits in storage, but Herbie will never sell it since "it represents my first success in life."
You mean there wasnt a 221 or the 255 was a bored out one? A small Rover/Buick V8 would be the better choice for me logistically but a little Ford V8 intrigues me.
According to the Cobra literature I have, Carroll's prototype and the very first Cobra was/is CSX0001. It was built and tested in England with one of two 221" engines Ford had sent over. The car was shipped to the US without engine/trans, and a 260 hp 260", XHP-260-1, one of two 260s from Ford, was installed. The second Cobra chassis sent over was CSX2002. This had the 2nd prototype XHP-260-8 racing engine installed, and was the first racing Cobra. The 260/289 Cobras were CSX2000 series, while the original 427s were 3000.
221s were made in '62-3, the 255 mentioned was a race engine, there were 255 smogger SBFs made in 80-81(apx).
Everything I have seen and read contradicts that including this http://www.csxinfo.net/csx2000/csx2000.htm and this http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?DocID=1014&cat=Shelby&ExhibitID=271 etc.
I remember the picture from Hot Rod magazine of the Cosby Cobra. They held the camera over the drivers shoulder aimed at the guage cluster and the speedometer was setting on 180. The guage face was custom lettered and the speed range ended with "Oh Wow", a reference to the comedy routine. Good stuff and great memories.
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