Description
The car was finished last year and has covered 1300 miles. The engine is a 1965 302 Ford V8, bored 30 thou over, new pistons, matched cam and intake manifold, standard heads, Holley carburettor, correct air filter, original Cal Custom 1960s valve covers making 275bhp and 275 lb/ ft torque at the flywheel (Ken Coleman Engine Data). Redline 5000 rpm, comes onto the cam about 3000. Throttle pedal is correct aluminium pedal and housing, re-bushed and linked mechanically to the carb. Brake pedals are cast AC footpads with rubbers to prevent slipping. Linkage is hand built, fully adjustable rose jointed and anodised mechanical linkage that can be adjusted for throttle response, as the originals. Cooling on 289s is marginal at best - this has a specialist 4 row aluminium radiator that if it was 5mm larger would not fit, supported on specialist brackets and a shrouded (but invisible) intake through the grill supported by a 16 inch puller fan. Nicely weighted hydraulic clutch, all new clutch assembly, driving through a Ford Mustang World Series 5 speed. The chassis is twin 4. 5”round tube as was the original, front suspension is upper and lower wishbones with coil-overs, The rear is LSD Jaguar adapted for lighter weight of the car, shortened half shafts and XJ40 carriers allowing for outboard discs. Wheels are stainless steel (would never have chrome again) MWS items, as is the spare. Tyres have 1300 miles on them and shod with Pirelli 4000 tyres. Suspension professionally set up by chassis experts (they normally set up race cars and were concerned that one wheel was nearly 1/ 10th of degree out - no longer). Brakes at the front are BCC Racing billet 4 pot callipers with vented discs and XJ40 jaguar at the rear. The brakes are un-servo assisted but with a good push stop the car very, very quickly. The exhaust is by JP Exhausts (who did a fabulous job) and is routed that it doesn't cook the starter motor like a lot of replicas. The headers are silver ceramic coated to reduce engine bay heat. The noise is just a joy, a rumble at low revs (the reason that the car is pushed out onto the drive for photographs was that the twins were asleep next door) with the sort of noise at 3000 rpm upwards that makes you smile.
All dials are mechanical so that when the ignition is shut off, the dials read just like the original. Switches are period correct and all rotary. Period correct wiring loom of cloth covered and PVC wiring with correct ancillaries. Behind the dash are modern fuses and relays that mean the electrics work and the lights are bright. The front lights are p700s whilst the rear are period correct lights with LED inners that means that there are no indicators as the brake lights contain amber LEDs which flash as indicators. There is a high intensity brake light made out of a Morgan side light under the spare wheel tray - does it need it? Probably not, but it shines brightly and I just love the 1960s blue warning light that comes on when you pull the switch out. The lights are period correct rotary switch with high/ low/ flash on a correct switch to the right of the steering wheel. The steering wheel is the correct Motalita three spoke item.
Why you would want to drive this car in the rain is beyond me. This is a car for fine days. There is a top of the range mohair tonneau cover that can also be used as a half tonneau. Look at the forecast before you leave and if you are unlucky, find a hostelry of repute and put the tonneau on until it stops. There is no hood, but one could be fitted if you feel the need.
The paint is by Martin at Ream Machine and makes the two production cars sat on the drive look shabby by comparison. Its California Sage, which was a 1964 Aston Martin colour. The seats were rebuilt from the frame upwards and the stitching is flawless. There is a charging socket in the fabricated and sizeable glove box as well being able to charge or power from the cigarette lighter, which works as does the period correct ashtray (why wouldn't you put smoking essentials in an open top sports car? And no, I don't smoke). Due to people today being larger than in the 1960s, the seats are bolted to the floor for a 6 foot person. This could be changed to seat runners but you will sit higher.
The car has passed the IVA, is correctly registered as a Hawk Cobra, a company know to provide most of the new parts for old cobras and is well known for high quality recreations. The car retains the correct 1967 “E” number plate on black and silver plates. All parts for the car have either been chromed, re-chromed where I was unhappy with the original finish, anodised or powder coated - my wife’s comment that the motto for the car should be “never knowingly under powder coated”. All non stressed bolts are stainless A2 and all bolts have been coated with anti- seize compound to ensure that everything comes apart as easily as it went together.
If you would like a video of a cold start, drop me a line. A 289 cobra is the one Carol Shelby drives in Le Mans 66. It is the elegant British sports car with American muscle. The car starts from a slightly rough idle to a smooth tick over at 600rpm as the engine warms. The gears select easily and, as the car moves, the steering is nicely weighted. There is a point, with the engine on the cam and the view through the screen of the nose of the car as it tracks through the bend of the road ahead as the chassis takes a set, that you will smile - happens every time, guaranteed. This car was never built to be a garage queen, uprated brakes, uprated cooling, under-stressed engine, electronic ignition/ fuel pumps/ modern fuel lines but is true to its 1960s origins. This car will not convince an AC enthusiast but everyone else smiles and stops to say hello.
Why is it for sale? Well, I enjoy building more than owning and I have an idea for another project. This is not priced at the top of the 289 Ford v8 bracket as its a private sale. If it's not your cup of tea, then I wish you well in your search. If you are a dealer and propose to make silly offers, I wish you well in your search somewhere else.
