Shelby Cobra 1965

Gateway Classic Cars of Dallas is pleased to offer for sale this Factory Five Shelby Cobra 427.
This is an IMPRESSIVE BUILD! FORD BOSS 427 V8, TREMEC 5 SPEED!
No car guy/gal’s bucket list is complete without a Shelby Cobra. You could rattle off 50 other cars and you’d still get have incomplete list without one in the pack. It’s the most recognizable sports car ever built, and faithful copies can be found at every price point, from DIY garage kits to high-end professional builds like this absolutely stunning Jet Black 1965 Shelby Cobra MK4 Roadster. With a thundering Ford Racing Factories Boss 427 V8, a TKO 6-speed manual, a NASA-inspired round-tube frame, and sports-tuned suspension all in tow, it’s one of the most impressive A/C replicas we’ve ever seen.

This great-looking snake was produced by the pros at Hangar 18 Motorsports, who took a high-end Factory Five hand-laid fiberglass body and wonderfully finished it in the classic MK4 Cobra look. The gorgeous bodywork is tougher and more durable that anything AC Cobra had running around in 1965, with thick, modern fiberglass materials reinforced with energy-absorbing crumple zones from front to rear, a custom 4-inch round-tube frame, and a steel cage enveloping the cockpit and foot boxes. This roadster was purpose-built to be light, nimble, and racetrack-ready with all that performance DNA under its skin, but it also had a ton of work and money spent on safety features that inspire a lot more confidence behind the wheel than many of its contemporaries. All the iconic bits and pieces that make the Cobra a perennial favorite are in place, and the low, crouching wide-body design looks like it’s going 150MPH just sitting still. Coat after coat of Jet Black paint was laid down with great care to a concourse-quality level when the car was built. White Le Mans stripes were painted on and buried under the clearcoat to match the quality of the rest of the car, and with a subtle hood scoop, raked windshield, fender gills, and blacked-out side-pipes, the curb appeal is off-the-charts. A lone black roll hoop is classic, as is the quick-release racing fuel cap, plus blacked-out ‘jack-stand’ bumperettes front and rear that look race-ready, and those trick Talbot-style side mirrors that all work to complete the killer look. Take a look at the pictures again and try to convince yourself that you don’t want this car…we dare you.

Inside you’ve got a pair of black bucket seats in the all-business, race-ready cabin. Simpson 4-point racing seatbelts hold you in place while a Shelby-style wood-rimmed steering wheel with a Cobra center cap swiftly takes in all of your commands. A full complement of AutoMeter ProComp gauges let you know exactly what’s going on in the engine compartment, and they’ve been cleverly installed inside the padded dashboard along with chrome toggles. And taller drivers don’t have to worry, because the foot boxes are lower and longer than most models and the black vinyl seats are plush, making this is one of the more comfortable Cobras we’ve driven. We love the way the white stripes adorn the top of the dash, the position of cowl-mounted mirror, and the forward-canted shifter that manages The Tremec TKO 5-speed manual gearbox falls easily to hand. No radio, no heater or A/C, – and if you need those things you’d probably better off in something other than a Cobra anyway – and there’s even a special Hangar 18 fire extinguisher to remind everyone that this is no child’s plaything. Plush black carpets line the well-insulated floors that are also topped with correct Shelby Cobra floormats, and there’s even a surprisingly spacious trunk out back that was finished to match.

Cobras were all about big power, and nothing delivers a big hit of torque like the Ford Racing Factories Boss 427 ‘Eagle’ V8 crate motor installed up front. As Ford’s premier iron-block 427, it features 4-bolt mains, AK forged internals, Ford Racing aluminum heads, and a Holley 750CFM double-pumper carburetor atop an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake that all work together to 535HP and 545 lb/ft of torque. It’s tuned right and runs great, and thanks to finned Cobra valve covers, an open-element air cleaner, and an aluminum radiator, the looks match the performance. The custom chassis is a work of art, with tubular control arms, rack-and-pinion steering, coilovers all-around, and a Ford Racing fully-independent rear end with quad shocks and an Auburn limited-slip rear with 3.27 gears inside. The Tremec TKO 5-speed is a killer off-the-line that can still handle highway speeds, and with Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes with drilled rotors it stops on a dime as well. And, of course, what Cobra would be complete without a set of ceramic-coated headers and howling side pipes, with these sounding especially luscious because they’re being fed by such a snarling 427. Gorgeous 15-inch Halibrand-style wheels fill the wheel wells thanks to 215/65/15 front and 235/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A white-letter radials.

You couldn’t build this awesome Cobra for our asking price, and even if you could you’d have to wait. This roadster is incredible, it’s beautifully built, it looks great, and you can drive it home today. Call now! 817-310-9400 [email protected]

Please note this automobile is titled as a 2013 ASVE.