Yes, I was just gonna say the same thing! As far as the 260 cobras, IIRC the first few also had cast iron intakes??
I always thought that the small-block Cobras were the best looking. The 427's are fat! The Ford dealer in my town raced a 289 Cobra till they became uncompetitive, then put the stock drivetrain, wirewheels, and tan leather back in, painted it white, and let his wife drive it. talk about a pretty site to a young guy!! Pretty car, pretty lady, Susan Sommers in a T-bird didn't look any better! (a tie actually)
Two books I have, Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra, PPC 1986, and Ford Cobra Guide, Bill Carroll 1964, state the first prototype, Cobra #1, and Carroll's personal car, was CSX0001. [Chassis CSX0001, now known for all time as Cobra Number One], and [Chassis number CSX2002 was...the second frame and the first race car], are two quotes. Maybe the numbers/ID changed over the years, but until I learn for sure otherwise, I'll stick with the info provided from the above scources.
Me neither. The Griffith that came to my house had Cobra covers, just like the set I was running on my Sprite. Don
A customer of mine sold cobras and shelbys at his dealership. He told me one time when getting 6 shelbys and 2 cobras from the hanger/factory in california he asked Carroll what was under the tarp in the corner. Carroll said they were some of his out-of-date (non-competitive) racecars and asked he wanted to purchase them as well. Coulda-shoulda-woulda, but he didn't have any more money to spend.
I saw one when it was virtually new in the pits at Westwood when I was a kid, I seem to remember stock stamped steel valve covers, but that was a HELL of a long time ago, and I was about 8 years old. Damn sure I would have remembered finned aluminum valve covers with raised "Griffith" lettering though...
Just looked at some pics, the engine in the first Cobra, the one built in Moons shop, and tested in R&T with the yellow paint had a cast iron intake with a holley, also found a pic of engine #XHP-260-8 in chassis # CSX-2002 when it was being prepared for the Riverside debut, cast iron intake, Holley, and spaulding flamethrower. Oddly enough, I also found a pic of an early '63 289 car being assembled, the photo is a little under-exposed, so I wouldn't swear to it, but it looks like it might be a iron intake as well, and that car has an Autolite instead of the holley.. This would indicate that probably all the 260 4bbl cars had cast iron intakes.
The Jalopy Journal
