One for all the Shelby Cobra experts

[zookeeper]

Ok, there's something that's been bothering me for a while now, and I can't even guess about the origins of the mystery. I was doing a re-reading an article about the "lost" Daytona coupe for about the millionth time, when upon examining the pictures, I noticed a huge mistake in the lettering on the door of the car. The car in quetion is chassis number CSX2287 and was the very first Daytona coupe produced. It was raced and retired and sat around the Shelby shop before being sold a few years later. The car was also used by Craig Breedlove and Bobby Tatroe to set speed records at bonneville before it was sold. But you can read all that stuff here http://www.cobracountry.com/articles-cobra/missing-coupe/
What I'd like to know is this: apparently the car must have been used for publicity purposes since it's accomplishments are hand-lettered on the doors. As well as I can make it out it says something to the effect of
DAYTONA COUPE COBRA GT
(can't read) World Champion
First American Champion
Land Speed Record 227mph
(can't read next line)
427 cu in engine
All the stuff on the door makes perfect sense and is documenetd fact, but what about the mention of the 427 engine? Although one car was almost turned into a big block coupe, it never got finished as a 427 car and was completed and raced it's entire career as a 289 car, just like all the other coupes. By looking at the engine pics you can clearly see it's a small block Ford. My guess is that either Shelby or Jim Russell had the thing lettered and they sure as hell knew what motor it had, and had the sign painter screwed up and accidently put the 427 cu in engine on there, they would have noticed it and had it corrected, wouldn't they? I know this may not exactly be the kinda stuff that makes the world go around, but I'm both curious and bored so if anyone out there knows, lets hear it!

 

[Gud T.B. Blown]

this car was last owned by music producer phil spector who had all of the cars accomplishments painted on the side of the car, some incorrectly.
the car didn't have a 427 in it even though phil had it painted on the side of the car. he used it for his personal transportation in LA little while. he eventually tired of driving it (it's a race car after all) and put it in storage and that's where it stayed until a few years ago.

car & driver magazine did an article about this car fairly recently. it is quite a story.

 

[zookeeper]

Actually, Jim Russel bought it from Shelby, Spector bought it from him, then sold the car to his bodyguard, George Brand for $1,000, who in turn gave or sold the car to his daughter, Donna O'Hara who owned the car until a few days before her suicide when she apparently signed interest of the car over to Kurt Goss. The car was then sold to a Philadelphia nuerosurgeon for $3,750,000 where it is today, in unrestored condition.

 

[bnickel]

i remember seeing an article on this car a few years back in one of the mustang backs columns, maybe Rare Finds or something, that had told some of the story of this car, almost seems like a piece of bad luck or something, the way it changed hands the last few times, like Christine or something, LOL

 

[HistoricMustang]

You have got to love these babies..................World Champions.



HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[zookeeper]

A while back I went to the Monterey Historic races for the sole purpose of seeing a real Daytona coupe. I got to see 4 of them and was absolutley stunned at the nice people that own them. One of the cars was sitting in the pits, awaiting the race and I thought it would make a neat pic of my (at the time) 3year old son next to the car. I expected some flack, being the car is worth $5 million+, but even though my son was less than 2 feet from the car, by himself, no body yelled or had a heart attack or even seemed to care. Cool.

 

[HistoricMustang]

A while back I went to the Monterey Historic races for the sole purpose of seeing a real Daytona coupe. I got to see 4 of them and was absolutley stunned at the nice people that own them. One of the cars was sitting in the pits, awaiting the race and I thought it would make a neat pic of my (at the time) 3year old son next to the car. I expected some flack, being the car is worth $5 million+, but even though my son was less than 2 feet from the car, by himself, no body yelled or had a heart attack or even seemed to care. Cool.

Zoo, you are dead on again. That is the difference between cars used at the track and those at car shows. The track cars are meant to be enjoyed (no matter how much they are worth) while show cars are meant to be looked at.

I am amazed at seeing people all over one million dollar track cars while some yo - yo at the local car show does not want you to touch his "baby". Go figure!

Just got back from the "Walter Mitty" vintage race at Road Atlanta and saw a retired F1 car hauling ass and being enjoyed, while some of the individuals owning show cars in the infield did not want you anywhere near their machines.

Non-professional racers are a great bunch of individuals.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[limey66]

A while back I went to the Monterey Historic races for the sole purpose of seeing a real Daytona coupe. I got to see 4 of them and was absolutley stunned at the nice people that own them. One of the cars was sitting in the pits, awaiting the race and I thought it would make a neat pic of my (at the time) 3year old son next to the car. I expected some flack, being the car is worth $5 million+, but even though my son was less than 2 feet from the car, by himself, no body yelled or had a heart attack or even seemed to care. Cool.

Yeah, but you guys (Americans) seem to do the whole pit lane thing much better than us uptight Europeans. Whenever CART came to the UK (alas not lately) the pits were a great place to be. Once I saw (I think) a Newman Haas car being pushed out of the pits and there was a little kid (maybe four years old) in the way. His dad came and got him out the way, and the pit guys asked if he wanted to sit in the car!! Can't see any of the precious 'head up their own arses' F1 teams doing that!

 

[chepsk8]

That Daytona Coupe in question was the subject of a HUGE lawsuit once it was uncovered & sold. It was hiding in California for over 20 years in a shed. The last I heard from friends of mine thak know the owner, it's being restored, and I think it will debut at SAAC 30 in California this Summer. They are trying to assemble as many of the six as they can, three are confirmed.

 

[Edbert]

Did the Daytona coupe make it out of restoration as predicted?

 

[LONN17]

This is why I am cooler than you guys...

http://mikenadel.com/docs/Desktop.html

Check out pages 2 and 3 for the car in question. This is the majority of Doc's collection. I got to sit in, play with, and inspect all these cars on a "private tour" last winter I think it was. I dont think the car is going to be restored. It is just supposed to get a thorough cleaning last I heard.

Trevor

 

[chepsk8]

Thanks for the update.

Maybe at SAAC 31 at VIR?

 

[RGS0907]

I am amazed at seeing people all over one million dollar track cars while some yo - yo at the local car show does not want you to touch his "baby". Go figure!

When I went to one of my first SAAC meets in the 1970's at Hershey, PA, there was a beautiful Daytona Coupe on display that got damaged because dozens of people were rapping their knuckles on the car. They wanted to see for themself that it was really aluminum bodied. Well, aluminum flexes very easily, it didn't take much.