Vehicle Description
Factory Five Cobras not only capture the look of the world's
favorite Anglo-American hybrid, but they were clever enough to
build a car that takes advantage of the world's biggest supply of
aftermarket performance. With a stout 363 V8 Dart block under the
hood, a Tremec 5-speed manual handling the shifts, and a race-grade
sport suspension underneath, this is a very formidable, recently
built roadster that's also reliable enough to drive every day.
You know the old line about bright colors being very difficult
finishes to perfect? It's true, and the guys who built this car a
mere 223 miles ago went the extra mile to make sure there were no
disappointments on this beauty. With Toyota Summer Rain paint
borrowed from the Prius palette, there's no disguising the Cobra
shape, but this one takes on an altogether more seductive persona
than many of its siblings. It's as if the light blue paint lulls
you into a sense of ease, only to be jolted back to life with the
first cackle from the blacked-out side pipes. With that being said,
it also looks aggressive while still managing to feel
light-hearted, and the fact that they resisted adding any stripes
means the builders were really proud of this paint job - as they
should be. Factory Five's fiberglass is better than most, so the
car fits together very well as it is, but when put in the hands of
a professional that knows how to lay down a light color as smooth
and shiny as this, it ends up looking like a million bucks. Many of
the original Cobra design cues are there, from the jacking stubs
fore and aft to the aforementioned black side pipes to the matching
black roll bars behind the driver, proving once again that no car
has survived the passage of history better than the Shelby Cobra.
This is not a purist's car, of course, but if you want an
awesome-looking snake that moves even better than it looks (which
is saying something on a show car like this), this is your car.
It's quite obvious that the intent was to build this car to be as
happy on the track as on the street, and the comfortable low-back
bucket seats seem to bear this out. Fitted with Simpson racing
harnesses for both driver and passenger, you feel bolted directly
to the car and can feel every move it makes in the seat of your
pants. Black carpets help with heat control, but like most Cobras
it's very bare bones in the best sense of the word inside. A
stylish black vinyl-wrapped dashboard that looks like it was
transplanted from an f-16 houses several modern black-face gauges
and switches (check out the second speedometer in front of the
passenger, likely installed to playfully toy with any nervous
riders), and the thick, leather-rimmed Factory 5 steering wheel
feels great in the hands of any white-knuckled driver, adorned with
a cool horn cap in the center. A Tremec short shifter manages five
gears instead of four, and it's nice to see authentic little
details like the leather check straps on the doors and simple latch
hardware. An Optima gel-cell battery was relocated to the trunk but
takes up no extra storage space, so you could easily stow away a
day bag or two for your next Hot Rod Power Tour.
While a heavy 427 scores cool conversation points, if you're going
to actually drive your Cobra a Dart 363 shortblock built out from
the venerable 302 is going to deliver a lot more fun per cubic
inch. Keith Craft Performance decked it out with all the latest and
greatest upgrades, from the blacked-out Edelbrock intake, aluminum
heads, and a full MSD ignition, this stout small block grunts out
very impressive horsepower, and the motor is incredibly responsive
up and down the throttle. And thanks to a recent build that's
barely broken this puppy in, it starts instantly and runs like a
scalded dog regardless of ambient conditions. Blacked-out Cobra
valve covers and a chrome air cleaner add a nostalgic touch, and if
you've been under the hood of a built-up Mustang, you'll feel right
at home here. Backed by a Tremec 5-speed gearbox and 8.8-inch
independent rear end with a 3.55 gear ratio, it has a gear for
every occasion, from pulling a hole-shot to cruising on the
highway. The tubular frame is beautifully finished, and with sporty
rack-and-pinion steering, 4-wheel disc brakes, and a set of
coil-over shocks all around, handling is far sharper than anything
with a heavy big block could be. Gorgeous Halibrand-style 17-ich
wheels look great and carry 245/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear
Nitto performance radials.
So, if it's a Cobra you seek, this very drivable and very fast
Factory Five roadster does everything quite well. Call today!
