Original cobra parts - just sold

[amulheirn]

Did anyone snap these bits up? My neighbour told me about it yesterday, but by the time I looked the auction had finished.

Someone has apparently taken most of the original running gear from an original car, replaced it all to make it into an FIA, and has just sold the bits for £3100:

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/ass ... obra-parts

I'd have thought retaining original engine blocks etc was the done thing these days but maybe not for everyone.

[StuBaker]

I can't believe it!
I actually feel empty inside. Didn't know I was that affected by the Cobra love!!
And they went ridiculously cheap. At least someone will be smiling.
Good photos for reference though, depending what car they're from.

[colinA]

The gearbox was worth at least twice the sale price.

[kdavies3]

Wow! someone did really well there?
Anyone on here want to confess?

[peterc]

Console yourself in that these parts would not fit a Hawk apart from the engine. Gerry sells spares to guys with original cars so I maybe his Ali bodied cars have parts that are inter changeable with an original car??
If this guy is converting to FIA spec then surely he would be getting rid of the standard seats but not shown.
The engine won’t go very well without cylinder heads but then you could always search the web for some Weslake items.
Peter C

[nikbj68]

I feel you pain, Stu!
Wish I’d known about this lot, but I suspect the more of us who knew, the higher the price would have ended up!

[Roger King]

To save your pain, Nik, virtually none of those parts could be used in a Hawk. Obviously all the suspension parts are completely different, and the T10 has a different rear mount which would require the removal of the Hawk (or Kirkham - they're both wrong) transmission mounting bracket and a new one welded on. That gearbox could only be used with an adapter bellhousing if trying to fit to the usual 6-bolt Mustang 289 block, and good luck in finding a clutch release lever that'll work. Those transmission parts are very different from a Toploader - and no leafspring cars ever had those, anyway. There's only one Hawk/Kirkham replica that these bits would all fit, and modesty prevents me from saying which one that is.

That said, that is still a ridiculously cheap price for those parts, assuming all is as it's claimed to be. A good useable aluminium-cased (not the Galaxie iron case) T10L is worth a lot more than that alone.

Edit - not sure I understand this - 'converting to FIA spec'? Surely these parts would still be fitted to a FIA car?

[nikbj68]

Cheers, Roger, I feel much better now.
There’s only a handful of bits that I would have kept.

I can see why someone wanting to build a competitive racer would want all new metal under the car*, but it does strike me as odd that they would ‘off’ the bits, rather than keep them for future sale (“...all original parts come with the car to convert it back to road-spec...” a bit like Shaun Lynn’s 4WPD E-Type has been), but there you go... stranger things happen!

*And don’t forget, ‘FiA-spec’ Cobras weigh 865kg!

[colinA]

There's a fair bit of imaginative reinterpretation of the FIA app K regs necessary to build a competitive Cobra. A bit like the IVA test, once you've got the HTP lots of the original bits get replaced. I agree that selling them may prove to be short sighted.

[peterc]

Hi Roger, ref 'converting to FIA spec' What I was meaning was if the owner was changing from the slab side model to FIA there may well be some enhancements to the cars build specification. If think back in the day it was more than just bolting on quad carbs. There seems to be an increasing number of FIA's racing at Goodwood etc and developing considerable more BHP than was achieved in '64.
Developments in shock absorber design over the years has also improved the road holding.
Not sure how the scrutineers manage to keep control over the cars content for historic racing.
Peter C