08-16-2009, 09:14 AM
10-28-2009, 05:55 AM
10-28-2009, 07:22 AM
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. 
With the prices between $500,000 and over, the 427 and even the small block car's, are too expensive to drive. I met one man that has a large car collection and owns a original 427 car, (can't recall what CSX it is) and he said he drives it once per year and that I don't want to know how much his insurance company charges him for one days worth of coverage. lol
I can not afford a real original 427 Cobra but, at least I can drive mine.
I like telling the story behind my cobra, about the build and the best heart filled car show I won at so, if you're interested, let me know and I'll send it to ya. I don't know if I should post it here or not ?
Thanks,
Kev
With the prices between $500,000 and over, the 427 and even the small block car's, are too expensive to drive. I met one man that has a large car collection and owns a original 427 car, (can't recall what CSX it is) and he said he drives it once per year and that I don't want to know how much his insurance company charges him for one days worth of coverage. lol
I can not afford a real original 427 Cobra but, at least I can drive mine.
I like telling the story behind my cobra, about the build and the best heart filled car show I won at so, if you're interested, let me know and I'll send it to ya. I don't know if I should post it here or not ?
Thanks,
Kev
10-29-2009, 08:52 AM
10-29-2009, 01:07 PM
I like your avatar. How & where do you get one like that ? 
I actually bought the engine before I bought the replica kit. I contacted Shelby Motors, and at that time, he was starting up the "continuation series" of Cobra's. I asked if he had any parts from the past for sale (I thought, ya, ,...right) !
I was able to talk with the legend, Mr. Carroll Shelby himself. Being such a great man and a icon of racing, I felt and always will, honored ! He asked what I wanted to purchase, I replied jokingly, "a engine". He said he had 5 from the "old days" and said, "pick one". I about fainted. He raced these engines in 1967. I asked to speak with one of his engine builders. He emailed me the stats/specs and brief history, picked one and had it shipped home. The only parts missing was the sidewinder intake, Cobra oil pan and balancer.
I left it stock for 3 years. The automotive touring group, "Americruise" came to Lincoln with apx. 3,000 muscle car's and Hot Rods. A bunch of us car nut guys !!!, had breakfast, pulled onto 27th street and boom,...I thought damn ! I shut her down, pulled onto a side street, saw nothing wrong and went to the show. The next morning, I took off the valve covers and the rocker shaft at # 1 cylinder was broke in half ! The reason,......Ford for some reason did not have support stands on the ends, just the middle ???
To my amazement, both intake and exhaust valves were frozen shut, and the exhaust push rod was bent 90% inside the manifold ! I asked the engine builder that machines the sprint car engine, what he thought happened, he was dumbfounded too. I could see one valve guide either splitting or had shrank therefore freezing shut but, not both at the same time ?
Anyway, these engines were the top dogs in racing (along with the Heim's) but the push rods went through the intake manifold which made them all most straight on, not angled. It made for a better design. So, since I had to take apart the whole top end, I rebuilt it in 2003. It now had 563 HP at the wheels. Weighs 2400 lbs. Which = fast !
Best 1/4 mile- 10.38 at 134 mph.
Top speed- 164 mph at The Kansas Motor Speedway.
I was able to do all of the car except the engine machining and a great friend helped me assemble it.
I custom mixed the blue and added pearl to the white stripes. I also made several aluminum parts on the car. (see photo's)
I've built other cars over the years but, my Cobra is just a kick in the pants fun ! Like a skate board on wheels.
I love to go to shows with family, friends and talk to other owners of their cars. I let most people, including children, sit in the car and sometimes, let them fire up the engine. That's what shows are all about, the sharing and comradely with others. Trophy's are fine but I enjoy the time spent with car enthusiasts the most.
A friend and I are planning on starting car shows with no awards, any vehicle can enter, free to the public and just have a great time ! Hopefully we can accomplish this.
When I finished the Cobra build, I attended my first show. It was sponsored by our local ABC television and was live with the "Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscle Dystrophy". I had a mother and her two sons come down to my car and one boy was in a wheel chair. She introduced herself and said that Brian, loves my Cobra. I asked him, "do you want to sit in it", he replied,....no. (all scared) His brother said, "Brian, he's offering you to sit in the car, you're crazy if you don't". So, I had his brother sit in the drivers seat, then asked Brian again and shook his head yes. His mother and I picked him up and placed his in the seat, and he had a big smile. I gave the key to his brother and showed him how to start it, when if fired up, both boys and their mother, got very excited. I had him burp the throttle and a lot of people came around the car. Brian's face was red. They stayed for a half hour or so talking about the how I built it and the component's, they all thanked me and went on to see all the other cars.
At the end of the show, a TV crew and a bunch of other people came walking down toward my car with a big trophy, and my sister said, "are they coming down to your car" ?, I replied, "no way, there's too many great cars here today". The head of the show and the local ABC anchor said that I won a trophy and wanted me for a live national ABC interview. I was shaking. lol
They asked me to talk about the car, engine ect.....
Then, he introduced Brian saying that he is the "Ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy" and he's been on stage with Jerry Lewis, Oprah, David Letterman and many other TV shows. Brian handed me the big Ambassador trophy and said, "this is my favorite car of all time", I replied, "that's great, the 427 Shelby Cobra is mine also". He said, "it is but, I mean your car,.... is my favorite", I laughed and said cool.
I asked, "do you want a ride" ?, he said all bashfully, "no". After all of us encouraging him, he said ok. We belted him in (5 belt racing harness) fired it up and drove out the parking lot to the highway. I asked, "do you want to go fast or slow" ?, he said, slow. We went about 5 miles, turned around and stopped. I asked again and this time, said fast !
As I started turning, I got on the throttle a bit, fish tailing, shifted into second and just into third. I looked over at him and he looked scared to death ! I slowed way down and said, "Brian,..... I'm so sorry", he replied with a huge smile, "go,.... faster" !, and I did. lol
As we pulled up into the show, we were live on ABC again. I parked and Brian's mother and my sister were crying. I asked why and his mother gave me a big hug and said that Brian, at age 14 and his severity of MD, most don't last that long and that Brian has had a real tough time the last four months, being in & out of the hospital. She went on saying that he has posters of the 427 Cobra in his room and that his dream of sitting in one, let alone a ride, really made his dream come true. My brother-in-law took a bunch of photo's and said that he would email them to the family. They were ready to leave so, we all had kind of a group hug and said our goodbye's. The mother emailed me saying that they made one photo a posted, and that he took down the others. lol
Sadly, he succumbed to the disease 4 months later. All of what happened is a great memory that I'll have forever. No trophy in the world,.... could make me feel better than sharing the love of car's and time spent with such a great young man, my buddy Brian.
Kevin
I actually bought the engine before I bought the replica kit. I contacted Shelby Motors, and at that time, he was starting up the "continuation series" of Cobra's. I asked if he had any parts from the past for sale (I thought, ya, ,...right) !
I was able to talk with the legend, Mr. Carroll Shelby himself. Being such a great man and a icon of racing, I felt and always will, honored ! He asked what I wanted to purchase, I replied jokingly, "a engine". He said he had 5 from the "old days" and said, "pick one". I about fainted. He raced these engines in 1967. I asked to speak with one of his engine builders. He emailed me the stats/specs and brief history, picked one and had it shipped home. The only parts missing was the sidewinder intake, Cobra oil pan and balancer.
I left it stock for 3 years. The automotive touring group, "Americruise" came to Lincoln with apx. 3,000 muscle car's and Hot Rods. A bunch of us car nut guys !!!, had breakfast, pulled onto 27th street and boom,...I thought damn ! I shut her down, pulled onto a side street, saw nothing wrong and went to the show. The next morning, I took off the valve covers and the rocker shaft at # 1 cylinder was broke in half ! The reason,......Ford for some reason did not have support stands on the ends, just the middle ???
To my amazement, both intake and exhaust valves were frozen shut, and the exhaust push rod was bent 90% inside the manifold ! I asked the engine builder that machines the sprint car engine, what he thought happened, he was dumbfounded too. I could see one valve guide either splitting or had shrank therefore freezing shut but, not both at the same time ?
Anyway, these engines were the top dogs in racing (along with the Heim's) but the push rods went through the intake manifold which made them all most straight on, not angled. It made for a better design. So, since I had to take apart the whole top end, I rebuilt it in 2003. It now had 563 HP at the wheels. Weighs 2400 lbs. Which = fast !
Best 1/4 mile- 10.38 at 134 mph.
Top speed- 164 mph at The Kansas Motor Speedway.
I was able to do all of the car except the engine machining and a great friend helped me assemble it.
I custom mixed the blue and added pearl to the white stripes. I also made several aluminum parts on the car. (see photo's)
I've built other cars over the years but, my Cobra is just a kick in the pants fun ! Like a skate board on wheels.
I love to go to shows with family, friends and talk to other owners of their cars. I let most people, including children, sit in the car and sometimes, let them fire up the engine. That's what shows are all about, the sharing and comradely with others. Trophy's are fine but I enjoy the time spent with car enthusiasts the most.
A friend and I are planning on starting car shows with no awards, any vehicle can enter, free to the public and just have a great time ! Hopefully we can accomplish this.
When I finished the Cobra build, I attended my first show. It was sponsored by our local ABC television and was live with the "Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscle Dystrophy". I had a mother and her two sons come down to my car and one boy was in a wheel chair. She introduced herself and said that Brian, loves my Cobra. I asked him, "do you want to sit in it", he replied,....no. (all scared) His brother said, "Brian, he's offering you to sit in the car, you're crazy if you don't". So, I had his brother sit in the drivers seat, then asked Brian again and shook his head yes. His mother and I picked him up and placed his in the seat, and he had a big smile. I gave the key to his brother and showed him how to start it, when if fired up, both boys and their mother, got very excited. I had him burp the throttle and a lot of people came around the car. Brian's face was red. They stayed for a half hour or so talking about the how I built it and the component's, they all thanked me and went on to see all the other cars.
At the end of the show, a TV crew and a bunch of other people came walking down toward my car with a big trophy, and my sister said, "are they coming down to your car" ?, I replied, "no way, there's too many great cars here today". The head of the show and the local ABC anchor said that I won a trophy and wanted me for a live national ABC interview. I was shaking. lol
They asked me to talk about the car, engine ect.....
Then, he introduced Brian saying that he is the "Ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy" and he's been on stage with Jerry Lewis, Oprah, David Letterman and many other TV shows. Brian handed me the big Ambassador trophy and said, "this is my favorite car of all time", I replied, "that's great, the 427 Shelby Cobra is mine also". He said, "it is but, I mean your car,.... is my favorite", I laughed and said cool.
I asked, "do you want a ride" ?, he said all bashfully, "no". After all of us encouraging him, he said ok. We belted him in (5 belt racing harness) fired it up and drove out the parking lot to the highway. I asked, "do you want to go fast or slow" ?, he said, slow. We went about 5 miles, turned around and stopped. I asked again and this time, said fast !
As I started turning, I got on the throttle a bit, fish tailing, shifted into second and just into third. I looked over at him and he looked scared to death ! I slowed way down and said, "Brian,..... I'm so sorry", he replied with a huge smile, "go,.... faster" !, and I did. lol
As we pulled up into the show, we were live on ABC again. I parked and Brian's mother and my sister were crying. I asked why and his mother gave me a big hug and said that Brian, at age 14 and his severity of MD, most don't last that long and that Brian has had a real tough time the last four months, being in & out of the hospital. She went on saying that he has posters of the 427 Cobra in his room and that his dream of sitting in one, let alone a ride, really made his dream come true. My brother-in-law took a bunch of photo's and said that he would email them to the family. They were ready to leave so, we all had kind of a group hug and said our goodbye's. The mother emailed me saying that they made one photo a posted, and that he took down the others. lol
Sadly, he succumbed to the disease 4 months later. All of what happened is a great memory that I'll have forever. No trophy in the world,.... could make me feel better than sharing the love of car's and time spent with such a great young man, my buddy Brian.
Kevin
11-01-2009, 04:14 PM
Kevin, that was a terriffic story. I had a lump in my throat reading it. Thanks so much for sharing it with us here
The avatar was found after doing a google search for free avatars.
The avatar was found after doing a google search for free avatars.
11-03-2009, 04:40 PM
Wow man, that story is beautiful, I mean, beautiful. Sorry to hear about what happened, but it's important that everyone gets to have their dream come true . Best wishes to his family!
yay
GC14
. Best wishes to his family!yay
GC14
11-09-2009, 06:39 PM
(11-03-2009 04:40 PM)GeneralCuster14 Wrote: [ -> ]Wow man, that story is beautiful, I mean, beautiful. Sorry to hear about what happened, but it's important that everyone gets to have their dream come true
yay
GC14
yeah what he said
01-06-2010, 07:12 AM