Dugly's Cobra...an ongoing project, for sure!

Doug Sainlar · 27th October 2011, 12:08 AM

I just got the Cobra down off jackstands last Thursday, drove it 220 miles to a 2 day car show in Beaumont, TX, then another 110 miles home early this week. I thought I'd post photos from a trip I made around the car:

Like any used car you buy, there's some to like in it and some not to like. The engineering on the car seems first rate, the components all seem to be race oriented, even the build makes me believe that the car started its life on the dragstrip.

What little history I know is that the body is from a company called "Cobra Auto Works", was reportedly made in Oklahoma City. The frame is suppose to have been built by Ron Godell RaceCars in Tulsa, OK.

I bought it as a driver, though, and it has all the blemishes you'd expect from one that is driven almost daily....a few rock chips here and there, scuffing on the door sill where the door closes, that sort of thing. Some of the things just are, like the sidepipes...I'd much rather have the 289 body style and exhaust system, or at least the undercar exhaust, but it is what it was when I bought it and it doesn't mean all that much to me right now. Surprisingly, I do like the nudge bars and over rides...it is driven in traffic daily, so the chances of contact are correspondingly high. The wheels...would rather have Trigos, or better yet chromed wire wheels, but oh, well...at least there's a "theme" going here with chrome bumpers, wheels, windshield frame...might get the headers chromed, I' haven't decided about that yet.

Lots of little projects...kinked fuel lines, etc...simple stuff, nothing hard, other than finding the bushings that were needed to rebuild the parallel 4-bar rear suspension. Now I get to start on the front when it goes in for the winter. It was on jack-stands for 2 years, I just couldn't seem to find the parts or when I did I couldn't find the time.

Anyway, it's a pleasurable machine, will idle away from a stop-sign in 3rd as easily as it will do a half-block long burnout in 1st. Powertrain is out of a 1989 Mustang GT, the 5.0 HO engine and the World Class T-5 tranny. Right now I'm torn between building up the what I think is a box-stock 302 and just building the 351C block I have in the garage...love a Cleveland, but that's a lot of work and expense, changing over headers, that sort of stuff. Right now the engine in it seems quite nice, it has all sorts of get up and go and also gets 21 MPG on the highway.

I sure wish Pat Barry could have considered a trade-in, I'd be driving his RF GT40 right now if we could have dealt.....

Cheers!

Doug

Terry Oxandale · 27th October 2011, 12:45 AM

Very nice! Much better than half a project still two years from seeing pavement.

Nick · 27th October 2011, 08:17 AM

Doug,

Very nice, don't know much about Cobras but I'm with you on the 289 body style.

Mark · 27th October 2011, 01:03 PM

Another vote for the 289 here. I particularly love the FIA289 styling. However Doug, that is a sweet ride (that is what you say over there isn't it?). Not sure about the wires idea though. I'd slap some Hali's on there.

I haven't seen (or can't recall) seeing the filler where yours is on other Cobra's. I think (dangerous in itself), that side exhausts are 'right' on the 427 body and the nudge-bars are nice. Period looking.

Enjoy.

Jim Craik · 27th October 2011, 01:18 PM

Doug,

Thats a real beauty............sounds like a great trip.

There is nothing better and getting up early for a nice long road trip.

So I see you licence plate..........but its not a 1969 and its left hand drive?

Doug Sainlar · 27th October 2011, 01:52 PM

Yeah, it's not a "vanity plate", Jim, just what came up next in the stack when I registered it, I guess. It's easy to remember, though

!

If I were to go for a vanity plate, it would read "DUG TOY"...we only get 6 characters here in TX.

The trip included about 70 miles each direction through the Sam Houston National Forest...winding roads, piney woods, sorta hilly....delightful scenery!

Cheers!

Doug

zollis · 27th October 2011, 05:43 PM

O yes, the wind in the hair and the music from the pipes. Enjoying life .

Z.C.

Neal · 28th October 2011, 09:46 AM

Nice ride Doug. Always a fan of the fauxbra. I just finished up an all black, 408 powered roadster. Watch those pipes when you exit!

Doug Sainlar · 22nd September 2012, 04:40 PM

Sam Houston State University Auto Club....Club Choice trophy:
The club:

The car:

As displayed:

Just chillin' as the show was underway:

My GF and I had just sat down for a burger and fries at a Five Guys location in Huntsville in early August when a college kid walked in and asked if we were in the Cobra. We said yes and he handed us a flier for their upcoming car show and said they were all gathered in the parking lot of the adjacent Target store, so why not come over and visit soon as we were done eating. We did...were sitting around chatting with the kids, popped the hood so they could see the engine, when a city patrol car came up and lit us up....made us all show ID and stand off to the side while he ran us all for warrants. When that was all done he asked to speak to the "leader of the group", looked right at me (of course, I'm the old guy) and was surprised to see a young man step forward. Despite having permission from the management at Target to convene in their parking lot, and despite the fact that we were parked as far from the store as we could get and there were no other cars for 100 yards on any side of us, the manager had called the police to complain. It seems there were some other honyocks out there earlier doing burnouts and spinning circles in the parking lot and the management had mistaken this group of college-age car affecionados for that rowdy bunch. We were "invited" to finish the meeting and leave....which we did.

We hadn't seen them since, but we washed the car up and drove it to the University for the show. When we pulled in the kids all came running up to us and expressed how happy they were to see us. We paid the entry fee, which goes to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, and they guided us to a spot near the area where their raffle/donation tables were set up. We proceeded to set up our chairs behind the Cobra and chat with all the observers who asked us questions.
You can imagine our surprise when the club chose our Cobra as their favorite

Here's the old guy with the trophy:

The car is a daily driver, 8,000+ miles, nothing special, just the stock drivetrain from a '89 Mustang GT converted to carb. It was displayed in full street "patina", chips in the paint and all, including this one earned when the right side of the rear bumper came unbolted while I was on the freeway and the left side of the bumper chewed into the paint as I tried to get it off to the side of the road to figure out what to do about it:

It was a testament to the enduring appeal of the Cobra. Many of the older car buffs there were familiar with the history, even the kids in the club knew about Shelby's recent death and commented on how Facebook was just abuzz with the bad news. The "competition" included the newer tuner cars, a Viper, numerous 'Vettes (a 1962 "restorod" to numerous recent versions), a rat-rod, multiple vintage cars from and early Hudson up to a '67 Cougar in mint shape, a '57 Chevy tilt-front gasser, as well as many more I can't really recall.

Chock one up for the ol' Shel, fellas....he done well!!

Cheers!

Dugly