Random car pictures

[shelbymann1970]

The owner of the above pics has a lot more of them....

[Cobra Ned]

Some additional information has been gleaned from the individual who digitized the wrecked Cobra photos. They were published in the Elyria, OH "Chronicle Telegram" newspaper, and described the accident as having occurred on the night of 8/31/68 - a Saturday - at the junction of East River Road with Chestnut Ridge Road in Elyria. Parma, OH, where the owner of CSX 3232 lived, was just 25 miles from Elyria. If this leaves any doubt that the car was CSX 3232, I'd like to hear how. And it further brings into question the story of how the chassis of 3232 was supposedly found in the back yard of a home in El Monte, CA less than 10 years later. Odd how no mention was made at that time of severe chassis/body damage... and the photos beg the question, what exactly was salvageable after this wreck beyond small parts?

[JD]

Current Ariel image of East River Rd and Chestnut Ridge Rd Elyria Ohio...

[shelbydoug]

Current Ariel image of East River Rd and Chestnut Ridge Rd Elyria Ohio...

Can you make out the tree?

[pbf777]

     It's the one missing a lot of bark!     

     Scott.

[Cobra Ned]

Looking at that aerial photo, it would not be surprising to learn that the extension of East River Road was built later than 1968, and may not have existed as an alternative to making a sudden left turn onto Chestnut Ridge. Is there anyone here who can shed any light on that thought?

[1109RWHP]

[2112]

Shoot, I hope everyone is okay.

Recent accident?

[shelbymann1970]

Some additional information has been gleaned from the individual who digitized the wrecked Cobra photos. They were published in the Elyria, OH "Chronicle Telegram" newspaper, and described the accident as having occurred on the night of 8/31/68 - a Saturday - at the junction of East River Road with Chestnut Ridge Road in Elyria. Parma, OH, where the owner of CSX 3232 lived, was just 25 miles from Elyria. If this leaves any doubt that the car was CSX 3232, I'd like to hear how. And it further brings into question the story of how the chassis of 3232 was supposedly found in the back yard of a home in El Monte, CA less than 10 years later. Odd how no mention was made at that time of severe chassis/body damage... and the photos beg the question, what exactly was salvageable after this wreck beyond small parts?

A guy on Facebook (who also may be a SAAC member here) contacted me and I put him in contact of the guy who has the prints. The guy who contacted me has a best friend whose brother is the guy who owned and died in the Cobra on Labor day weekend in 1968. Interesting on what may be going on with 3232....

[shelbymann1970]

Looking at that aerial photo, it would not be surprising to learn that the extension of East River Road was built later than 1968, and may not have existed as an alternative to making a sudden left turn onto Chestnut Ridge. Is there anyone here who can shed any light on that thought?

I'll ask the guy mentioned above. He is a SAAC member and forum member.

[Cobra Ned]

The Elyria, OH "Chronicle Telegram" newspaper allowed a car geek to digitize some of their old photo negatives. He was kind enough to share what he had on the 1968 wreck of 3232. It wasn't pretty. Here are a couple more which show the extent to which the Cobra was damaged. Clearly, no one would have survived this impact.

[Richstang]

It looks like that was somewhere in Europe.
Notice the speed limit sign in the one photo.

[JohnB]

It looks like that was somewhere in Europe.
Notice the speed limit sign in the one photo.

In Norway a few weeks ago. Driver left the area before the Police arrived! ! Car in question is reported to be a clone, but I have not recived proof yet.

[gkumerow]

CSX 3232 was my best friend's brothers car. They lived 5 houses from where I lived growing up. I have history on 3232 along with other photos. Jim Cornell the owner & driver was just 23 yrs old. He bought the car around May of 1968. The accident did indeed happen in the evening of Labor Day weekend August 31st 1968. The wedding was a dry wedding. Jim was a guest at the wedding.The passenger was a guest at the wedding as well and had just bought a new 427 Corvette. He asked Jim to take him for a ride on the Cobra. This was an unfamiliar road with a hard 90 degree left turn, it was not marked well and was said to have loose stone along the roadway. Keep in mind headlights on any car of the 1060's were not great. The Cobra was traveling at an estimated 90-100 mph. The car slid off the road while entering the curve into one of three tress in a residential front yard. Both occupants were killed instantly.

Two years ago the Cobra came up in conversation with a different friend, he told me his Dad took him and his brother to the wrecking yard where the Cobra was in the fall of 1968 to show them what can happen when speeding. My friend at the time was 13 his brother was driving age. Their Dad's machine shop was right around the corner from the wrecking yard. Their Dad had spotted the Cobra there. This friend told me the car was in fact in two pieces. This could likely have happened when the car was being pulled out or towed out of the accident scene and or transported to the wrecking yard.

My friend who's brother owned the Cobra were given a ride when Jim brought the car home from purchasing it. During our summer vacation we would often just hang out in his garage and starts at the Cobra. I remember a set of Blue Dot tires sitting in the garage, a Ford Shifter, and a dual-quad setup on the shelf. The car did indeed have Goodyear Bluestreaks an added fan on the water pump, a Hurst Shifter. A local Corvette shop had added Corvette style side pipes to the car for the previous owner.

This is in fact 3232 in the wreckage photos.

[2112]

The Cobra Experience Museum purported this as CSX 3232?
Could this be 'true'? Perhaps a McCluskey??
(this makes the recent beat down of CSX 3016 look mild)

Be interesting if any of the accident history is acknowledged.