289 & 427 differences

[Paul Blore]

[peterc]

Guys the 289 FIA is NOT as wide as a 427 let alone a 427SC

Widths as follows
289 = 61" ( 1549)
289FIA = 67" (1702 )
427 = 68" (1727)
427SC = 70.5" (1791)

Obviously wheel widths progressed accordingly

289 = 6"
289FIA = 6.5" Front, 8.5" rear
427 = 7.5
427SC = 7.5 front, 9.5" rear

The photos above showing inset exhaust pipes ( like the Daytona) must be an owners whim. The original FIA's had a single pipe each side running under the cill.
Remember as a significant number of 289's were modified by their owners for racing back in the 60's there were many converted to have big arches to cover the stronger / wider alloys needed for the rise in BHP. The FIA was merely a Shelby factory progression of what was already happening on the club racing circuit.

Looking at the AK website there would be several issues to deal with to convert what is probably based on a 427SC
As already advised by others the completely different front nose with smaller asymmetric grill plus oil cooler opening, curvature on doors and generally squeezing down of the rear end.
Also I notice it would need a smaller bonnet air scoop, re design boot hinges to be internal and re vamp the dashboard to lose the drop center portion.
As the fuel tank is mounted further back below the boot floor it would need an interesting fill pipe to get to the filler mounted behind the right hand seat.

Not wishing to be a spoil sport, but that's all one hell of a task.
If it were me I would just make the AK to resemble a good copy of the 427 by a little attention to detail and perhaps not over do the bling.

[289 Baz]

Hi my 289 FIA started life as a Ram 427, I done all the body mods myself. It is NOT EASY. It took me nearly a year of full on body work to generate the shape, even involving cutting 2 inches out of the rear wheel arches and fiber glassing the parts back togeather. The front end was fabricated out of aluminium and then a mold lifted. The rear spats were fabricated in the same way. The sills were fabricated out of aluminium and bonded in place as these also attach to the chassis as per original, the door's are home made in aluminium along with a copy of the original door frames, this also required re-working of the door hinges, the car also now has the same steel frame that the originals have to support the body, and a twin tube chassis. Oh yes and after I finished my part of the body work, the painter then spent a further 350 hours smoothing and perfecting the shape that I had created. If your friend still wants to go ahead then Thunder Road Cars have the molds to re-create my car's shape. Also be aware that the chances of any weather gear you have will proberly not fit after the conversion.

Barry
The Anorak

[catsx11]

.

[agnoraan]

[quote="289 Baz"]Hi my 289 FIA started life as a Ram 427, I done all the body mods myself. It is NOT EASY. It took me nearly a year of full on body work to generate the shape, even involving cutting 2 inches out of the rear wheel arches and fiber glassing the parts back togeather. The front end was fabricated out of aluminium and then a mold lifted. The rear spats were fabricated in the same way. The sills were fabricated out of aluminium and bonded in place as these also attach to the chassis as per original, the door's are home made in aluminium along with a copy of the original door frames, this also required re-working of the door hinges, the car also now has the same steel frame that the originals have to support the body, and a twin tube chassis. Oh yes and after I finished my part of the body work, the painter then spent a further 350 hours smoothing and perfecting the shape that I had created. If your friend still wants to go ahead then Thunder Road Cars have the molds to re-create my car's shape. Also be aware that the chances of any weather gear you have will proberly not fit after the conversion.

Barry
The Anorak[/quote)

Thanks Barry, I spoke with Thunder Road on behalf of my friend earlier and Cheng was very helpful. Do you have any photos of the build up of your car, I'm sure that others here would like to see them too

cheers...Nige

[agnoraan]

Guys the 289 FIA is NOT as wide as a 427 let alone a 427SC

Widths as follows
289 = 61" ( 1549)
289FIA = 67" (1702 )
427 = 68" (1727)
427SC = 70.5" (1791)

Obviously wheel widths progressed accordingly

289 = 6"
289FIA = 6.5" Front, 8.5" rear
427 = 7.5
427SC = 7.5 front, 9.5" rear

The photos above showing inset exhaust pipes ( like the Daytona) must be an owners whim. The original FIA's had a single pipe each side running under the cill.
Remember as a significant number of 289's were modified by their owners for racing back in the 60's there were many converted to have big arches to cover the stronger / wider alloys needed for the rise in BHP. The FIA was merely a Shelby factory progression of what was already happening on the club racing circuit.

Looking at the AK website there would be several issues to deal with to convert what is probably based on a 427SC
As already advised by others the completely different front nose with smaller asymmetric grill plus oil cooler opening, curvature on doors and generally squeezing down of the rear end.
Also I notice it would need a smaller bonnet air scoop, re design boot hinges to be internal and re vamp the dashboard to lose the drop center portion.
As the fuel tank is mounted further back below the boot floor it would need an interesting fill pipe to get to the filler mounted behind the right hand seat.

Not wishing to be a spoil sport, but that's all one hell of a task.
If it were me I would just make the AK to resemble a good copy of the 427 by a little attention to detail and perhaps not over do the bling.

Thanks for the measurements Peter, that should help him. TBH, I think you're probably right about putting the attention to detail into the AK rather than trying to re invent the wheel. I think he's paying the deposit on Saturday and it will be six months until he gets delivery of it. Things might well change in that time and he may well have a better picture of what he wants it to be like.

I didn't realise there were so many detail changes between the 289 & 427, thanks for the info

cheers...Nige

[clive]

Nige

You get what you pay for !!!!!!!
Before your friend buys anything, he should go and visit Gerry to have a look at a 289 FIA first hand.
Gerry makes a great product, so well worth the visit to Frant.
By the time you have chopped the AK about and the cost/time of doing that, you would be just as well buying an accurate body from Gerry.
Has he thought about a 289 LM ????????

http://www.hawkcars.co.uk/hawk289/comp/hawkfia.html

http://www.hawkcars.co.uk/hawk289/comp/hawklemans.html

Hi Billy, sorry but neither of us will be dealing with Gerry

Regards...Nige

Nige, If you are building a Cobra replica and are looking for authenticity, then you will be dealing with Gerry, but maybe not directly!

[Paul Blore]

That's not necessarily the case Clive. I'm not aware of anything that can't be sourced elsewhere, in spite of what others would have you believe.

Paul

[agnoraan]

Hi Clive, I agree with Paul on this one, I can't think of much, if anything that you can't get elsewhere. If I can't buy it then I'll make it myself or get it made. there's very little going into my car that will be bought off the shelf anyway.

Regards...Nige

[Migge]

True, I have bought every part that I have not done by myself NOT from GH and all parts can be found elsewhere in the world and cheaper with the same quality. Of course it needs much more time.