1966 Shelby Cobra

1966 Ford Classic Roadster Cobra Rightly regarded as one of the all time great classic sports cars, the muscular, fire breathing Cobra succeeded in capturing the hearts of enthusiasts like few of its contemporaries. Texan Carroll Shelby had gone racing in Europe in the late 1950's and realized that a combination of a lightweight American V8 engine and a proven European chassis was a winning combination. He had a Ford V8 installed in the chassis of an AC Ace, named the result the 'Cobra' and proved his point. Cobra-authority.com For consignment, a 1966 Ford Classic Roadster Cobra replica showing 10,916 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to a title exemption. With a handful of well known replica builders in the country, potential buyers will take interest in the fact this was produced with some unique features that make this one stand out. Exterior Bathed in traditional blue with white stripes, the snake presents with all the potency of the real deal, fenders flaring with great aplomb and chrome bumperettes poised protectively at each end. The traditional fender vents and side pipes are here as well, adding to the iconic profile that includes narrow low slung doors. Wheels of choice here are good ones, 15 American Racing Torque Thrust, gray spokes, polished rims, and wrapped in staggered size tires with an early 2023 date code. Our example comes with the coveted black canvas top and side curtains which means you'll be one of very few who won't be weather adverse! The stacked tail lights include an amber top and reverse lights have been added to the apron. Imperfections are few and include some touched up chips and some overspray on the white stripe.  Interior Black vinyl door cards include a long, pleated map pocket on each side and the iconic Cobra snake perched near the top. Inside, red vinyl bomber style bucket seats veer from what we normally find and visually pop against the blue body while 5 point harnesses await the occupants. The view forward includes a lot of wood beginning on the rim of the steering and wheel and forming the entire dashboard which curves around at each end. AutoMeter ProComp gauges fill the glossy wood, accompanied by an AM/FM/Cassette player and unmarked toggles. One more bit of wood tops the shifter, decorated with the Shelby emblem, rising from the tunnel covered in black carpet. This is a perfectly clean interior.  Drivetrain An impressive looking 302ci V8 is under the hood but what you can't see is the Cobra hydraulic roller cam, the GT40 heads, roller rockers, and the Holley 700cfm 4-barrel carburetor. That part is hidden by the epic elongated and Cobra branded air filter housing. The powerplant is backed by a T5 five speed manual transmission with power routed to the Ford 8.8 in back with 3.55 gears and TracLoc. The car has headers and power brakes. Undercarriage We've got a clean underside with minimal signs of use and only the occasional incidents of surface rust. Four wheel power disc brakes are supplied and suspension include a Mustang II front and a 4 link with coil springs in back. The exhaust, of course, comes from the headers and becomes side pipes almost immediately.   Drive-Ability Those side pipes are still cold, so we enter the car with abandon and crank the muscle bound 302 up and you can almost hear the pipes heat up through the exhaust note! The car tracks straight, turns as if on rails, and naturally, demonstrates power on tap. This coddled Cobra does everything well and shows obvious pride of ownership. All functions work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.  We've said it before, this is on the dream car list of nearly everyone we meet. If it's not number one on the list, it's near the top. They will never be boring, they will never be slow, and the legendary heritage is written in