I've been a Shelby fan since I first read about the Shelby story at 15 years old. Of course coming from a family of Fords where my dad was a former Ford mechanic only helped encourage me to support the brand Shelby used to build his legacy upon. For me the 289 COBRA was something magical to look at and I always yearned to own one. Not having deep pockets and coming from a working class background and already a generation younger than most owners and coming along at a time when the COBRAs were steadily climbing in value, it became clear to me that the prospect one would mean years of sweat equity climbing the ever-changing ladder of the Shelby owners "food chain" as many have come to know it. Through all of this I've found the SAAC
community here tremendous in their support and so generous in extending knowledge and even parts to me as I've worked to restore cars through the years. So in Decemeber of 2019 Santa came early and I gave up my 65 for a "project" 289. It's not a perfectly restored 289, but it's a perfect for what I wanted. A mostly unrestored car with competition history. The action was a life event in a 25+ year wait to become a cobra owner. I'm blessed to have made it when for many years it seemed like it would never happen. I'm not sure how long I'll have the privilege of owning it, but I hope it's awhile.
Enter CSX2177 - When I took possession, the car looked amazing at 5 feet; great paint and beautiful competition cues added over decades of use. If you're a sucker for the USRRC/FIA look like me...this car rings the bell. When I got the car it was clear the car hadn't seen the street for decades. The 450+ hp engine isn't period correct, but it'll work until I build a correct '64 engine to go back. Luckily the correct and original T10 remains with the rear in the car looking largely untouched. All of the road equipment had been removed - lights, horns, wipers and heater, etc. were removed to lighten the car and flip switches added to the dash to run the fuel pump, fan and other items on demand. According to the registry CSX2177 began as a demo from SAI to Ford and then was returned one year later and sold "as is" to Taylor American a reseller (they purchased several COBRAs from SAI over months) sometime in June of 1965. The earliest reports of the car come from it's first owner Greg Bynum. It looks like by '69 the competition added items were hood scoop, 4" side exhausts, Mag wheels and a roll bar. The car seems to have been auto crossed and raced in the SF Bay area before Bynum drove the car home to Bakersfield where it would spend the 70s between two other owners. Then we find by the mid 70's it had morphed again to a more aggressive trim having an oil cooler grafted to the front chin and brake cooling ducts added to the car. The factory Ivy Green had given way to Wimbledon White paint and larger flares were added to the side to allow 7.5" wheels. By the mid 80's a new owner Ronald O'Connor had received the car and decided it was time to go one step further. He had the doors cut back to FIA specs with larger flares added to accommodate 8.5" wheels. I have no idea who did this work and when, but it's beautifully done. In short the street car was in USRRC style trim by '85 having started as a weekend street racer 20 years earlier. While it's no secret the car has spent a lot of time on tracks, since Mr. O'Connor passed away and his estate sold the car in 2014 much of the log books and race history is unknown and undocumented and the trail grows cold. As well, the registry notes that the original engine was in the car by the 1980's when O'Connor bought it, but once the engine was swapped out for the track engine in it today, we don't know what was done with it or other parts removed. I also have no period photos of the car 60's or 70's. I'd love to fill in these gaps, so I'm once again looking to see if you wonderful group of folks might be able to sleuth some. Can you take a look at your old photos you have in the shoe box to see if you might have a pic of CSX2177 anywhere? Even old SAAC convention photos would be great. of course any leads on the engine is yet another good thing. I would appreciate all help as I begin to wind the clock back to the mid 60's competition look and get this beast back on the road as a comp car with it's 1964 street safety devices.
Where am I now? Well let's see...the wiring was old and brittle if not cut and modified to support newer race devices. I have since acquired an OEM style concours harness. I was advised early on that it's a "early" Lucas wired cobra. Apparently less is known about these fewer Lucas wired with Ford generator cars. While 90% of the wiring is in place I'm still working on finishing up. Some devices like the horns I'm still working on how they attach to the chassis. If you have an early Lucas/Ford wired car I'd love to hear from you! Any help would be greatly appreciated in supporting this wiring getting completed and the car fired back up!