Shelby Cobra 427

 Hey Max!

 Wonderful job buddy! You surely have talent my friend!

Zip

   hey guys a few progress pics of mine. i'm proposing a group build for cobras only (Roadster's only, none of the mustang cobra's)

here's the body with the trunk cut open

this is about how it'll look when i'm done with the surgery

here's the donor engine, out of a 454 Malibu, it's going to get a new intake and carbs, new exhaust manifolds and a new alternator/pulley set. Don't say blasphemy, Carrol Shelby looked at all 3 big companies for motors not just ford. so if you wanted you could even drop in a Hemi

a few aftermarket goodies for the car, which will also get a scratchbuit steering column

final paint job will be about like this, but with anthricite gray metallic stripes

So anybody up for a group build? see the logo below

Max, don't worry about missing those Muscle Car times. Once you lived through it you go crazy now! Gone are the cars you can actually fit in to drive. Gone are the 12-13 second 1/4 mile factory cars. What I spent, drove, raced and junked cost me around $1,000. - $2,000. and now they are worth $40,000. to $60,000.

Instead of driving to work everyday in my 1970 Buick GSX 455, that turned 12.36 in the quarter mile and got about 12 mpg coasting down hill, I drive around in a 1998 Ford Escort that can't get out of it's own way or I fight with my wife for the 2003 Buick LeSabre which goes alright and gets 30 mpg. What I wouldn't give to have some of my old cars back.

I'm not too worried about switching to lacquer paint. I sprayed cars with that for years and don't really want to go back to color sanding to bring out the shine.

Ken, that's some aswesome material you've got there! If only I could have lived in those times... but no, I was born 30+ years too late...

Jim, that's a possibility. The Alclad I use doesn't need any thinning at all, so I don't know what to use for lacquer paints, other than the obvious... lacquer thinner. Maybe a trip to the paint forum might sort things out?

Hey Max, that's what I was thinking about with the acrylics - easier to airbrush and cleanup than enamels. Now that I think about my lacquer problem, I bought the paint and thinner from the same hobby shop. I was using a bottom-feed AB and you could see the paint in the jar drying and forming a skin coat. It peeled right off of everything like a sheet of saran wrap. I'll bet the thinner/reducer was wrong for the brand of paint maybe??

Nice job Ken

And thanks for sharing all that neat info.

Hi Radmax,

I'm sure I've seen that SA article, but I'm True Blue Oval and old enough that I've lived thru and built each iteration of those kits from the originals to all the reissues.

The strange AMT/SC hybrid version I was talking about is the Academy #1509, AC 289 Cobra. This kit is 1/25 and definitely has the AMT 289 chassis and a 427 SC body! I'm sure they were trying make a competition version of the 289 but the 427 front and rear is very different. I believe it also came out under the "Sunny" label. Oh well!

Here are a few tidbits I thought you all might enjoy from a scrapbook I made back in the 60's. My buddy and I used to ride our bikes to the local Ford dealer to check out the hot stuff and collect all the brochures. They had all the Shelby's and even a street GT40.

A GT-350 for $5950!!!!

Ken, did you read the Scale Auto article, too?

The AMT kit is nicely detailed for its age. With a little TLC it can be turned into a real looker.

The AMT kit I believe first showed up in 1963 or '64. The Revell kit came out in 1988 (at least that's what it said on the bottom of the chassis). I didn't know AMT had the S/C body style, either!

I'm using Modelmaster Artic Blue Metallic, which looks a little purple, but the color has changed so much as the coats have gone on and I'm not sure my lighting is the best. It looks really close in the bottle and I've heard of others using it so I'm not too worried!

I'm glad there's been so much discussion here! 

Thanks for the compliment Radmax! The color is either Tamiya's Mica blue or their metallic blue; they are very close and I can't remember which.

I forgot to add that the AMT kit predates the Revell Cobra by several decades! It came out in the 60's originally; I think the Revell 427 kit first came out in the 80's. It is pretty amazing how much detail AMT put into the engine and chassis with straight-thru metal axles. I can remember when us kids thought car kits without metal axles were flimsy and cheap! The AMT kit has been re-released many times and has also come out under several foreign brands. I have a version that has a 427 SC body but uses AMT's 289 chassis and motor. 

Jim, Tamiya acrylics probably wouldn't give the deep shine you're used to, but they airbrush so nicely. I guess I started using them when I needed semi-gloss black and the LHS didn't have any Testors satin-black. If only I could make them brush better... they seem to dry way too quick. As for lacquers, I've never had any trouble with them gumming my airbrushes up. Of course I've just used Alclad, which is prethinned, but I clean up using nothing but lacquer thinner. Same for enamles. It just seems to wash all the paint away! Stay away from lacquer thinner with acrylics, though. You wanna see a mess? Clean acrylics with lacquer LOL!

Ken, that's a fine looking Cobra you've got there! What color did you use for the body? 

The AMT Cobra is the early 289, or maybe even the 260 that was used as a prototype. The 289 was the first upgrade. The early Cobras had transverse leaf spring suspensions and a narrower track than the 427 which had coils all around. The main frame tubes ran front to rear, were also much thicker in the 427. Probably most people think of the mean looking competition version of the 289 which had fender flares, side pipes, fat tires and Halibrand wheels rather than the tame street Cobra  in the AMT kit. Of course the 427 redefined the mean look! The Fujimi kit doesn't hold a candle to the Revell. The body is pretty good but the chassis, suspension and engine is very inferior to the Revell. Here are a couple of pics of my Cobra:

You've got an assortment of paints going alright there Max. I'd probably mess up with the thinning too. Just too easy to grab the wrong bottle LOL.

I've thought of trying Tamiya acrylics but was affraid I wouldn't get the deep luster on the car bodies I'm used too with enamels. Guess I could use then for other parts of the cars. I tried a lacquer years & years ago, I think it was Pactra or something like that. The darn stuff dried up on my brush while I was working with it. So I saved the remaining lacquers for spraying and it gummed up my AB I had. So that ended that for my models, but I never had a problem spraying 1:1 cars go figure.

Thanks for sharing Max.

I think you're right Max. AMT must of went the route of the narrower British AC Cobra w/289 while Revell went with Carroll Shelby's "1965 Shelby Cobra S/C" (S/C = semi-competition).

What type of paint are you mostly using (enamel/acrylic, brand)?

I'm an old Testors (all products) enamel guy from way back. I keep thinking about trying something different, but everytime a bottle gets empty I replace it with the same. One of those old dog things I guess.

I'm pretty sure AMT only made the 289 while Revell tackled the 427. The reason AMT's looks long for its width is because it was more narrow than it's beastly younger brother! I guess we're all just used to the later 427. The 289 style was much closer to the British body than the 427.

I will be sure to keep everyone posted! I might be able to post pics tomorrow! I've been painting the body and i painted all the "metal" parts for the exterior! I'm trying to decide a good color for the inner part of the wheels. Seems like Tamiya Gun Metal may be the best match. I tried laying some on tonight but it didn't want to paint well onto the Alclad. I love airbrushing Tamiya but BOY do I have brushing it!!!

Thanks Max!

I think the AMT Cobra I had seen was the 38423 which I think is the 289 version??? Like you said, the tires stuck out too far but to me it looked to long compared to it's width. Maybe it's just me.

Whenever I get around to building my two, one is going to be like your's, blue with white stripes and the other "might" be grey with black stripes. Not so sure about the decals though...

Hope you keep us posted. 

jhande, glad you like it! Yes, this is the 2828. It's really a nice little kit!

As for the AMT Cobra, it's more of the first generation. When the kit itself is built, the tires stick out a little too far, they should be tucked under the fenders. But otherwise, it's a pretty accurate kit! 

Off to a nice start there Max...

Gee, and here I thought the wrong firing order was an anti-theft ploy.

Is the kit a Revell 2828?

I've seen the AMT Shelby Cobra put together and it just doesn't look right. I picked up a couple of the 2828 kits as Revell hasn't steered me wrong yet in the past.

Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!

Hey Max,

 Ah yes, tis gonna be Blue.. Really lookin forward to seeing her done up!! In between one of my builds, I must build Tamiya's Ferrari FXX that I have in my stash..

 MMmm just wondering how good Accurate Minitures will be.. Their gonna do a 289 I believe!! Same ballpark right? 

 A fellow club member friend has twisted my arm so I have to build a fast tar  I mean sports car. To be truthful, I am really loking forward to this build.

 Flaps up,

Mike,

Rangers Lead The Way 

Ah my good buddies Zip and Butz! Glad you two could stop by! And glad you're enjoying the build! I know I am.

Butz, to answer some questions, the color will be standard Cobra "Guardsman Blue" with white stripes. This will be he car that won the SCCA Championship in '65. The kit is Revell. Personally I think this is a really nice kit. The worst part so far is all the mold seam scraping. But that's no biggie. I know Fujimi makes a 427 Cobra, but I'm not sure how good of a kit that is. 

Hey Max,

 I second that... Caught you in the act my friend.. Since I am here, you have the beginings of a very sweet lookin fast movin target I mean ride

 What colour is she gonna be in??  I really am interested in building one but I am not to sure what mfg has the best kit aval.. Is Revell the best?

 BTW, I really like how you scratched the springs in all..!! Nice!! 

 Nice work my friend... She still has wings!!!

Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way 

Ah Ha!! Caught you! Didn't think I'd be cruzin the auto forums! Ha!

Wow buddy great work!!

Zip

fox wrote:

Gulp. Guess I better take my car out of the '50s build. Mine looks like it came from the bottom of the junkyard pile. Wow. That chassis looks ---------------can't find the words. I can see where I need a LOT of practice. Can't wait to see the finished car. Jim

I don't think so, Jim. You're build is coming along very nice! 

RadMax8 wrote:

Navypitsnipe, the revell kit includes the full sized windsheild as well as a couple other optional parts. They don't show it on the box, but it's there! Thanks for the comments guys!

oh ok thanks for that info. what is the kit number?