The Resurrection of Shelby Cobras in Body and Soul
Most race-car drivers find it hard to sit still. The same can be said for car builders.
By March, Larry and Lance Smith, owners of LL&R; Motorsports in Tarzana, will begin work on a super-gas drag racer for next season along with two cars for the Sports Car Club of America’s Renault Cup circuit.
In the meantime, the winter months are giving the brothers a chance to try other projects. During this off-season, LL&R; is building replicas of the Shelby Cobra--a street car designed and built by Carroll Shelby from 1963 to 1968 that was considered too fast for the average driver to handle. Engines for the Shelby Cobras were built by Ford.
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The new Cobras have the blessing of Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations Division, which supplied parts in conjunction with Kal-Gard, Edlebrock and Accel automotive products for the first two replicas. North American Fiberglass, a company in Texas, supplies the car bodies.
Ralph McCarthy, who works with Kal-Gard’s racing division, supported LL&R; for several years. He developed the idea for the Cobras several months ago.
“What we’re trying to do is build a race car for an enthusiast,” McCarthy said. “We’re making them as close as we can to a real Shelby Cobra.”
Because of advanced suspension technology, the team has probably built the replicas better than the originals. Full racing suspensions have been fitted to the Cobras along with trunk-mounted gas tanks and aircraft-quality fluid hoses.
Lance, who has worked on everything from off-road to Indy cars, designed the suspension. Parts for the car are straight from the stockroom for ease of maintenance.
“We’re trying to stay completely Ford,” McCarthy said. “You can take it to any Ford dealership and have it worked on.”
The Cobras come with four V-8 power options: 289 cubic-inch, 302 cubic-inch, 351 cubic-inch Cleveland or a 428 cubic-inch engine. Bigger in this case is not necessarily better since the 428--which develops close to 450 horsepower at 5,500 r.p.m.--is probably too powerful for sane city driving.
“We really recommend the 351 for the average driver,” McCarthy said. “A 428 just has too much power.”
Added Larry: “The depth for the cars has come out of racing experience. You could sell it as a race car--just take the headlights out.”
Before getting to that power, many drivers might have trouble passing the price tag. The replica Cobras have a base price of $42,000 and options could jack the cost up more. In 1967, the Shelby’s heyday, one could walk into any Ford dealership and drive a Cobra off the showroom floor for less than $7,500. The fully restored original models command prices up to $150,000.
The Smith brothers said that the only replica sold so far went to a computer company executive from Texas. Other orders are in the works, however, and there have been a number of inquiries. The shop plans to make 10 of the cars a year over the next three years.
