Built by Sam Smart, a figure well known on the AC Cobra and Mustang scene for over 30 years, to create a car as close as possible to CSX 2128, the 1963 Shelby American Team car driven by Dan Gurney at Sebring. The only thing missing is the black paint and yellow stripe!
Sam started with an AC Aceca chassis – the identity it retains today, giving it period AC road registration– and built a correct Cobra chassis. The aluminium body was hand made, and then Sam used his vast stash of period Ford and AC components to build the rest of car.
The engine is a Ford 289 small block, built by Peter Knight Racing using Carrillo rods, flat-top pistons, Peter Knight 289 heads & cams with 48 IDA Weber’s, giving 411bhp.
The gearbox is a longtail Borg Warner T10 close ratio rebuilt by Alan Smith of Thunder Road. The differential is an original AC Cobra Salisbury unit with a 3.54 ratio rebuilt by Richard Walbyoff of RW Racing Services.
Wheels are the period correct ‘pressed kidney bean’ type, whilst the dials, battery cut-off and a whole ream of other parts are period original items, and not horrid modern reproductions. For cooling there’s a Radec aluminium Radiator, 289 FIA Oil Cooler & the fuel tank is a foam filled unit also by Radtec.
Brakes are aluminium Girling, the steering is Cobra rack & pinion and the HTP papers are FIA ’62-65 Period F.
A full engine spec is available upon request. An exceptionally well built homage to the 1963 Sebring Cobras.
