Will A Replica Roadster Be Able To Hang With An Original Shelby 427 Cobra? - MuscleCar S7, E5

The crew from Factory Five Racing drops in and the guys upgrade one of their roadsters to put it to the test against a true-blue original 427 Cobra. Will an armed-to-the-teeth tribute be able to hang with a battle-tested race bred Shelby Classic?
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[@stevegarcia9098]

I have a replica. People at work always ask if it's real. My response is always the same: "would I be working here if it was real"?!

[@larrysmith6797]

It's not real, you're imagining it.

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Hah! I am building an RCR GT40. If someone ever asks me. “Yes. I paid $10M for it.”

[@MrKnoxguy101]

Lol.. there you go.

[@stevegarcia9098]

@@larrysmith6797 I call it a "real" replica.

[@rolexmd69]

It’s actually a dumb question these days

[@andrew86fl]

The original 427 cobra is an absolute beauty. A huge Thank you to the owner for sharing it with the world.

[@descartes451]

My thoughts were that either that wasn't an original cobra or the owner unwisely repainted it with a non original color. Am I wrong?

[@riccocool]

​@@descartes451 I believe it's an original paint car.

[@rmp5s]

Dude...a REAL 427!? Jim, what a legend...didn't just bring his car out, he DROVE IT! AWESOME!

[@dave7830]

Took 60 yrs of tweaking to beat it! I think that says it right there.

[@stevelong6213]

And a boatload of extra mods to seal the deal. The same amount of $$$ and time of prep done to both cars to make it fair. Basically this is a Factory Five commercial and nothing more.

[@stevelong6213]

Oh lord...... The more I watch the worse it gets.

[@quentinrance8974]

Kudos the to the owner of the original AC for putting that snake out on the track - CS would be proud to see his pride and joy being used the way it was engineered. Love the FFR Cobras - great segment and thanks for posting.

[@robertprice9052]

A friend of my Dad had one. His parents got it for him when he finished college. He and my father were going on a trip out of state. David came and stayed with us then left the next day. He let me ride with him and link up with my Dad two days later. This was in ‘82. We stopped to eat and a couple of kids in a 455 trans am wanted to pick a race. We got on the interstate and squared off at about 30mph. The trans am 3:40 took off and we stayed beside him, until David pushing it to the floor. We left that Pontiac like he hit the breaks. That snake pined me in the see and dusted the T/A so badly. David let off around 125, and coasted until they caught up. They were as shocked as I was... it was in unbelievable experience

[@douglashine9638]

I’d love to have a Kirkham aluminum body with a 289! A gentleman’s Cobra. And make it British Racing Green with tan leather interior, please. Lol 😎

[@coreyrowe2052]

Moors the pity of the queen 😢 . However, even though I'm an American, I do agree 👍🧐

[@douglashine9638]

@@coreyrowe2052 I am definitely a Red Blooded American. Green has always been my favorite color and I believe it’s fitting for its provenance. 😎

[@Cynsham]

@@douglashine9638 I love british racing green too. born and raised in southern texas lol

[@3ducs]

Laugh out loud?

[@TeddyRumble]

My dream car. Starting price? $250,000 to start.

[@markfoster3650]

Really should have had a professional driver drive both for a fair comparison. Also hard to believe they did this with those crappy, not sticky tires on the original. I would like to see what the original could have done with a good driver and sticky tires. I would still expect the factory five to win with the modern technology, but it would be much closer.

[@taylorwoodard9470]

Considering that Mr. Shelby himself said that how they kept winning for so long was just putting wider, stickier tires on. I agree completely. The same test with both cars running r888's would be way more competitive.

[@SGTJDerek]

45 year old, at the time, unrestored stocker vs a full tilt modern aftermarket model? Was it really any question? I would like to see a modded original (I know. Blasphemy) vs a built FF5.

[@topivaltanen4432]

Exactly my first thoughts too.

[@derrelcarter9401]

This is actually just a Looooong fully paid for commercial, not a real apples to apples test of an iconic car. Sadly

[@topivaltanen4432]

@@derrelcarter9401 And who would buy white Cobra,only car that white color is not destroying is 59-60 Cadillac.

[@jlarrybrewer1149]

When I was 10 I went and saw the movie “The Gumball Rally “ at the theater and immediately fell in love with the Shelby 427 S/C Cobra. They are beautiful cars

[@SDwriter.and.surfer]

I mentioned this movie also in a couple of comments here. I'd just graduated HS the year before it came out. That car blew my mind. The Ferrari was cool as hell also, but there was just something about the Cobra. Such a gnarly little car.

[@3foxstangs]

Must've had some real bad tires to run a 14 second time with that old cobra! Stock '92 mustang 5.0's run those numbers!

[@jafo4u508]

I went to one of those events in Warham, Massachusetts, with my wife ten years or more ago. I drove all the way from Florida. When I told Dave where I had driven from, he took me and my wife on a private tour of the warehouse, then he walked us to his sales booth and told my wife and I to pick shirts and key chains for free for the drive. He and his brother were so nice to me and my wife we spent a week there after the meet. What a beautiful place and people. So friendly, so inviting, I really do think that place to be paradise for the memories of that day that were made. I haven't purchased a vehicle to build yet, but retirement is only 5 years away, and I see one of these beautiful vehicles in my future. If God wills it. Hope to see Dave again in the future. He and his brother were both very warn hearted human beings indeed.

[@poppycock6572]

As a kid I never really noticed cars. I was surrounded by 70's Corvettes, Trans Ams, Z28s, GTOs, on and on. Until one day... there was a Shelby 427 Cobra at a used car lot. It was front and center, chrome side pipes, chrome roll bar, no hood scoop and it was kind of a darker burnt orange color... a real 427 Cobra street version with some SC mods. I looked at that car for like a half hour, just mesmerized. I knew nothing of this car or its history but what it conveyed was primal. It wasn't something that would be messed with. It was a serious machine that demanded respect. I was only ten years old and all of this was somehow instantly downloaded by just standing there, awestruck in front of this magnificent car. Oh, one last thing, I distinctly remember the price. Handwritten on the windshield in white paint, $7,500 / best offer. Keep in mind, at that time a new Corvette with all the niceties could be had for 2k more. With I suspect a warranty as well. Of course we all know what we know now. 😏 (This was btw in 1978/79)

[@B1Springfield]

The drag time says it all. 14.33 That’s a 428 street cobra with as the crew said it, hard old street tires. A 260 powered roadster did 13.8. A real 427, with proper rubber was a 11-12 second car. Heck, the car could go 0-100-0 in about the same time this one did the quarter. I’m sure if the tires were better on the old car, it would’ve maybe been a second difference on the road cross test as well. It was a well built car, especially in the 60s. Factory five has made the look obtainable to those who enjoy it. Also allows for personalization.

[@stuartj1234]

This is an infomercial with a little bit racing chucked in!!

[@RSDX99]

I am an original Cobra fan and a 20-year owner of a top-shelf brand Cobra replica. I open-tracked for those 20 years and for the first five years I was usually the only Cobra in sight real or replica. I had to beg Cobra owners to go to the track with little success. IMO Factory five has become the leader in track-prepped small block Cobra replicas. For some reason, newbies all want 427SO for their first car but if they get serious about track time the small block dominates. It was Bob Bondurant who said the 351 was the absolute best engine for the Cobra. Too bad bob didn't live long enough to see the Coyote Cobras. If you want to impress the guys at the car shows put a big block FE in your replica. If you want to impress yourself on the track put in a big cube small block or a Coyote that will put most of the big blocks on the trailer while getting 25MPG on regular gas. Can't do that with a big block.

[@PatBuckleyracecar]

Cranky!!

[@RSDX99]

@@PatBuckleyracecar Can't hide from everybody.

[@Thumper68]

Carol Shelby said the small block was the best engine for the car. The 427 cars are extremely nasty though. Only ford I’d own personally.

[@SDwriter.and.surfer]

I'm also an original fan I guess you could say. Ever since I saw "The Gumball Rally" as a teenager, back in the days before kits existed---I think. When did Steve Arntz start making his kits? Anyway, I never got to build a Cobra. For years, my choice would have been either Contemporary Classic or E.R.A. Now only ERA is left. If I had the money and time, I would build an ERA 289 FIA Roadster. I love those cars. I could have a nice, manageable small block engine without having to apologize to everyone for it not being a big-block. On the subject of gas mileage. I use to visit a speed shop in El Cajon, CA once in a while. This was back in the late '80s. Owner had a framed pic of a 427 S/C with him sitting in it, on the wall behind the counter. Of course I asked him about it. Said he owned that car for a while. A real one obviously. Said he used to race it at Riverside sometimes. I kinda laughingly asked about its gas mileage. I was surprised by his answer. He said in all honesty, "Around town, got over 20 MPG! I hardly needed to touch the throttle." Apparently he could drive around on city streets with engine pretty much just idling because of the torque. "Didn't get that kind of mileage at Riverside though..." I also mentioned something to him about the optional Paxton blowers you could have installed, as though he might wish he had that option. He just kinda shook his head and said, "Bone stock, those cars had WAY more power than they could ever use."

[@xtnuser5338]

I went to a Cobra Club track even at MSR Houston once. Think it was maybe 2008 give or take. It was mostly "cobra" mustangs, but there was one guy in a Cobra replica that was tearing it up pretty good. I was able to outrun him in my Exige, but not by much!

[@CharlesFlahertyB]

since they're not on the same tires, this test doesn't really tell us a lot

[@MassageWithKlay]

That's what I was thinking too, they even mentioned that the tyres on the original were 10 years old

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Definitively. I like the F5 cars though. High quality.

[@rayshepherd2479]

I have an original 427 cobra I purchased in 1968 for $4,995. Like half of the 427 cobras it had a 428 police interceptor engine. It came with the low-rise 427 heads, aluminum intake manifold, Ford 4 barrel carburetor and the same AA mechanical cam that came with the street 427. The SC Cobra had hotter cam and many other upgrades. I added Holley carb, dual point distributor and side exhaust. The biggest upgrade was rain race tires. It ran 12.4 in the quarter. It now has a 427 side oiler. It doesn't feel any quicker. Current radial tires are probably better than the rain race tires I had back in the late 60s early 70s when I drag raced the car. I also added anti roll bar and konni adjustable shocks like the SC cars had. SC cars back then didn't run much better quarter mile times unless they went to drag slicks. The biggest difference in times was from tires not hp. Current street tire radials would probably lower the times especially the SC cobras.

[@tvincent1650]

Wow. That's amazing! I bet it's worth the full $5000 now ;)

[@rayshepherd2479]

@@tvincent1650 I was graduating from college and stopped to see the car on my way to buy clothes for my new job. I didn't buy any clothes but went home and spent a week convincing my dad to co-sign a loan on the car. I told him it would be worth more in the future. I was thinking $10,000. I'm 6'6" and I didn't tell him that I hadn't driven the car because I had trouble getting in the driver seat. I gave the seller $100 down and got the loan about a month later when I graduated. I found out if I step around the steering wheel I fit. When I picked up the car I put it on a key chain and headed home. On the way home the car died. What happened was my knee hit the key chain and shut off the engine. I have driven the car from then on with a bare key. I did eventually remove the seat rails and bolted the seat directly to the floor. This allowed me to drive the car without my head hitting the top when it was on. The first four years I had the car I used it as my daily driver and added almost 50,000 miles.

[@markmokren288]

The new technology gives the new cobra an advantage. You don't screw with the original. Any time you modify an original the price goes down. There was a doctor here in Savannah that had an original 289 and a 427 that he took to the track every so often. That's when they were $100 thousand and $250 thousand back then. Both over. Million nowadays. Still number one on my list even after I grew to tall to fit in either.

[@hooligans_garage7465]

From what I saw it all comes down to tires, fresh set of good tires on the original and it would be a different story imo

[@SealofPerfection]

Nah, look at the MPH. Huge difference. MPH stays about the same whether you hook up or not. The newer car is just making a ton more power. 22 mph is a huge difference. You could put slicks on the old car and it wouldn't make any difference, it didn't spin much at all.

[@somayort]

The original Cobra most likely doesn't have a 427. It probably has a 428CJ. But I think they should have made the test more fair and gave the factory five car, the same tires as the original car.

[@matthewewing663]

Yup…I think you are correct. 427’s we’re in short supply at one point. Shelby put 428cj’s in a bunch of them and called the car a 427. The 428’s had the exhaust going out the back when the 427’s had the side pipes. Big difference in power between the 2 motors.

[@TheMysticalFusion]

@@matthewewing663 He put in 428's in exactly 100 out of 260 427 cars built because he could make an extra $600 per car. People found out by blowing the motors much easier than the 427 in many applications and getting a bill of repair for a 428, coining the street motor the Gentlemans Cobra. The engine shortage you are referring to was from 1/6/67 to 1/29/67 affecting 33 EECS makeup 1967 Shelby GT500's in the 700 series serial build, and these engines were not CJ's; that came in 1968. The power difference was around 110 horsepower and, contrary to popular belief, the true street 427 cobras all came with rear exhaust 428 or not.

[@MrKnoxguy101]

5 liter Coyote in the replica.. that’s pretty sweet. I have a neighbor that has a replica (blue w/ white stripes) and has had it for many years. He built it along with the 427 under it’s hood. You can always tell when he’s coming home from having it out on a Saturday, you begin hearing it about 4 streets over. An old man (retired Naval Officer) who lives across the street came outside one day after the neighbor with the AC Cobra went to leave. No sooner than he’d turned off our street the old man came out, walked over to the curb, looked directly at me and said.. “ That thing.. would wake the dead “. And I said.. “ Yes it would.. “

[@robertutes4850]

I have worked on 3 stock original 427 AC Cobras, at the speed shop, two ran 11 second 1/4 miles on street tires at Atlanta Dragway (700' elevation), and the one at Sonoma (13' elevation) ran 10s not 14s. When i first started racing 40 yrs. ago, the older guys told me that a 427 AC could go 0 to 100 back to 0 in 12 seconds - wow - right !? is this true ...? Well pretty damn close, now I know there are all kinds of numbers out there for the Cobra, and most of them are wrong !! Even the weight of the car is anywhere from 2200 to 3000 lbs. In 1965 the infamous Ken Miles did it in 13.8 seconds on regular 8.15 x 15 Goodyear Blue Dot street Polyglas tires, so this affects the acceleration and braking times, however - the times listed for the Cobra on tests I've read look to be for a small block Cobra, for example, one that seems to be all over the internet says it does 90mph in 9.1 seconds... it also says it did the 1/8 mile in 8.4 sec 93mph, either this is an extremely lazy test driver or it is a small block ! The 427 Cobra had 11.5" front and 10.7" rear disc brakes, accelerating and braking times are much better today with modern tech, Fact : the 3 cars I worked on were not Super Snakes or anything exotic, were not on drag tires, they were stock 427s, all three 427 ACs hit 100mph in 6 seconds and could stop inside of 550' which means they did it in 12 seconds. Also, the Cobra was incredible on the skid pad, where is Ken when you need him... (Here is a great example of different drivers) When the Viper came out I was fortunate enough to meet and work with Carrol Shelby, We were at a drag strip one weekend and someone brought their brand new Viper and ran it down the track several times, the best he could do was mid-12s in the 1/4, needless to say Carrol was not pleased and said to me "isn't Ronnie Sox here today?" I said yes Sir, I saw him this morning, Carrol asked if I could find him and ( tell him I want to talk to him) long story short, they got with the Viper owner who was ecstatic to have "Mr 4 Speed" drive his car, Ronnie made one pass and went 11.00s in the 1/4, Carrol got a grin on his face and said "thats more like it, they don't call him Mr 4 Speed for nuthin" later Ronnie told me he could have gotten 10s out of it but he didn't want to take a chance on breaking the mans new car. Bottom line... this test was B.S.

[@joshjlmgproductions3313]

11 seconds is the 600 - 700+ horsepower range. There's no way the cars did that stock, let alone back then.

[@JohnRocks6368]

I would agree with you. I am a die-hard Chevy guy but appreciate all of these old muscle cars. Any decent running Ford 427 in such a light car should have been in the 12's at a minimum. I am not sure why everyone is complaining about the tires. I am sure newer sticky tires would have helped, they always do, but that doesn't explain the feeble 92.96 mph. If you have drag raced you'd know that mph should be higher regardless of tire spin. I have a 4,000+lb 1965 Pontiac Bonneville that is an all stock 389/325hp boat and it's run 15.30's at 91mph. I would say that 427 is not tuned properly or that engine is extremely tired, not sure if the owner had it rebuilt and someone put in low compression pistons or what. It's a real curiosity why it ran so slow. Cobra's are bad ass and an original is even more so. So no disrespect, it just didn't represent the Ford 427's very well.

[@robertutes4850]

@@JohnRocks6368 My 1970 Toy "Street CAR" I've built 24 years ago weighs 3950lbs with driver, makes 600hp naturally aspirated big block, is not tubbed or chopped up - i have hundreds of time slips from drag strips, at the track runs the 1/8 mile in 6.8 seconds @ 100mph on 93 octane... now lets remember that Ken did the 13.8, 0-100-0 in the "Street Version" with old school brakes and tires, not to mention the cars i worked on that performed as I stated and saw with my own eyes. However - lets do some simple bench racing here, i can even use my car to do the math... in theory for every 100lbs taken off the cars weight you gain 1/10th of a second - so lets say the Cobra weighs 2700lbs - if i took 1200lbs off my car it should run close to 5.8 sec in the 1/8th mile, if I could stop it in 550' i'd be faster than the Cobra... then the argument goes back to horse power - first we know most engine hp figures were under rated back then, the idea was that if you bought a car with less advertised hp and out ran a car with higher hp rating you would sell more of those cars - when I do the math (not some internet calculator) for a 2700# car to do 0-100 in 660' i get about 420 hp in 6.80 seconds... One thing i did notice re-watching this is that the 427 had tiny exhaust pipes, I have taken small pipes like that off old school big blocks and installed 3 or 3.5" systems and gained 1+ second in ET - and who knows what rear end ratio is in it, this thing didn't even hit 100mph in the 1/4?!? think about how bad this 427 is running... In 1969 Car Craft tested the new Dodge Challenger Hemi rated at 425hp and 3650lbs without driver and it ran 13.10 @107 in the 1/4 @ basically 1000lbs heavier - the time on the 427 is about the same as 350s - 351s and 340s - and even some of those would go 13s with the right driver and air density - not good...

[@brentftaylor]

FFR has come a long way. I own the first big block kit they shipped. It’s a 472 FE with five speed and has been a great car! I ran a 12:30 on street tires twenty years ago. I could have got in the 11’s but the track shut me down :-(

[@greg842]

The car was also recorded doing zero to 100 and back to zero in less than 10 seconds so i don't know how you ran a 427 at 92 mph in a quarter mile

[@larrysmith6797]

Tires.

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

They found somebody that owned a 428 powered Cobra complete with stock exhaust manifolds. Notice the car has no side pipe headers.

[@jasoncrinklaw4255]

* the actual 0mph-100mph-0mph time set by professional driver Ken Miles was 13.2 seconds…still blisteringly quick even by today’s standards. 🐍💨🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@greg842]

@@jasoncrinklaw4255 I don't know about what they are saying now. But the record that stood for a "stock" was under 0-100-0 in under 10secs. How stock it was can be debated.

[@greg842]

@@jasoncrinklaw4255 That record stood until the 90s I believe

[@j.arestorations5445]

For something unrestored, original brakes and suspension and old style tyres. It did pretty good I thought. And I’m near sure they ran a quicker time in the 1/4 than a 14. I reckon they fudged some numbers

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

The original car in the video was a 428 powered version with factory exhaust manifolds and NOT the Super Cobra Jet style manifolds either. Factory horsepower rating was 345 gross horsepower not the 500+ that is produced by a 427 medium riser side oiler engine.

[@topivaltanen4432]

If second digit is 4 something is not right.

[@joshjlmgproductions3313]

@@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195 Thanks for specifying that it's gross power and not net power. Many people try to argue that they're the same.

[@antonyaiken]

Beautiful British car. It's was a shelby Tuned AC cobra that gave us our 70mph motorway speed limits after doing 170mph on our M6 in the 1970s.

[@donakahorse]

so an unrestored legend hung with a special built kit car. you don't have to wonder which I'd rather have. Imagine that 427 with even bolt on modern go fast parts, tires and minor suspension work.

[@brandona6711]

Love the content, thank you boys! It's great when we see some new faces on here as well. The acting is always... interesting. :)

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

Interesting........did you mean the acting was pathetically lame ???

[@tmeehan1108]

Makes it unwatchable for me. Great content otherwise.

[@robertspeicher5047]

The GLORY years when Cobras were kicking butt and winning in races. Then the GT 40 arrived.....wow.

[@NotMe-st8qc]

You forgot about the Shelby Daytona coupe in between those 2. The Daytona coupe came about to enclose the original cobra, make it more aerodynamic and gain more mph in the straights.

[@robertspeicher5047]

Yes, I remember now. Today kit cobras might be quicker on a straight away. The cobra was built for tracks like LeMans. I worked with a bunch guys back. Most were chevy fans. Got teased because I liked Ford. When Ford started winning I would ask could a chevy compete? Do you remember the Vette powered Chapperal race team? Forgive spelling for the chevy car. I read an article about buying a GT40. Had to travel England and get measured..lol. Now that is a custom car maker. 1965....Stationed in sw Georgia. In a store reading a car mag. Article about the Cobra. Looked out the store window to see a Cobrs pass by. Tubes sticking up from the hood. I had to smile

[@MarkMeadows90]

I still like a 289 Cobra with side pipes, and with that widebody look the 427s had.

[@SDwriter.and.surfer]

You're talking about the 289 FIA Roadster. Those were the factory race cars Shelby built for campaigning in the US and Europe. Yep, that'd be my choice if I was to build kit car. E.R.A. Replicas in CT makes a 289FIA kit. E.R.A. has been around forever (since the early '80s? LOL) Probably the oldest Cobra maker at this point. There website is very dated and hard to navigate, but you can find their FIA page if you look hard enough.

[@TeddyRumble]

Me too. Slab side is just so beautiful.

[@GG-bl2vm]

So happy to see these guys back at it.

[@paulbianchi7877]

That is a 428 in the Cobra . 355 hp

[@aldeluca5079]

Not if it’s an original side oiler 427.

[@culbycars]

Good stuff right there. Hooking the power to the ground is tuff on street tires I know mine at full tilt makes the first 3 gears a spin fest but it's still stupid fun

[@tommytutone2584]

As a huge gear head my entire life, all these cobras got my blood pumpin!!

[@coryholbrook4643]

I think poor line delivery is part of the script on these shows. That would make these guys stellar actors IMO

[@grantlauzon5237]

I’d love to see a spec racing series based on Factory 5 cars. Different classes could be separated by engine and tires used.

[@markseaman4750]

FFR did offer a spec race version and there was a series for racing them. But I think it’s gone now.

[@dannysteele4013]

I new who would come out But hay that originally cobra is just so cool!! Thanks guys keep them videos coming

[@A-FrameWedge]

Such a cheezy commercial. In 1965 Car and Driver magazine tested a 1965 AC Cobra 427, and it did the 1/4 mile in 12.2 seconds at 118 mph.

[@myclassiccarstory]

Loved the video, really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it.

[@willboyd4607]

Had they run/shown the original Cobra going thru the course, they show one wheel off the ground in every turn.

[@BanginGearsGarage]

Love my FFR MK III, in the process of converting from carb to EFI. Just picked up a Jim Englese 8 Stack System partnered with the Holley Terminator X. Should add some HP but will definitely add some "WOW Factor" to the Jewelry Box come showtime.

[@suhaibaz8177]

550 spyder, e type and cobra. 3 ultimate cars to have (only replica for both spyder and cobra, while you still hunt for decent e type)

[@joshuawiedenbeck6944]

"But first, we need to take this thing for a ride." "BAZZAH! DEEBI-DAH! ZABOH DABOH DAH!"

[@jeffsnelenberger4685]

Despite the "losses" I feel the original is the clear winner. Like when comparing old vs new in many different things, if you adjusted for all the"advancements" in technology the Cobra is the clear winner.

[@jamiebowles4588]

Image that old Snake, with SOHC heads.

[@artimusbill]

@@jamiebowles4588 Just modern tires would have put it on top I think. I would rather have a modern motor so I am not a die hard original only type.

[@tbm3fan913]

No improvements to the original suspension for one. No improvements to the original brakes. Using older tires on top of that and the results you get in braking and handling are as expected. However, the Coyote, the replica, will never be, nor ever have, the cachet of the original 427 AC Cobra.

[@francoisloriot2674]

then what would be the point? you will end up with nearly identical cars.

[@mrlarrybobjr]

Nice editing, it moved along fast but didn’t leave out the good stuff.now do it again with a Daytona… no drag strip, road track.

[@PedroDelgado724]

Wish the original one was a comp or semi comp spec would be dope to see the better spec ones go up against the replica

[@robertspeicher5047]

1965, Albany Georgia. In a store glancing through a car magazine with an article on the Shelby Cobra, 289 V 8.....Happen to look out store wi dow and see a Cobra cruising by with verticle tubes attached to carbs.....Had to smile and wonder what it would be like to drive a Cobra.

[@mr.toobigformypants8145]

I'm trying to sell my grandson on the idea of building a Factory 5 roadster together. I'm leaning towards the small block 289 style while he likes the big dog 427, I don't think either of us will be disappointed. Now, to decide what color.

[@joshjlmgproductions3313]

Classic blue with white stripes?

[@mr.toobigformypants8145]

We have gotten as far as colors, yes blue with white stripes for the 427. But if we go for the 289 we're thinking white with red stripes. Now all we have do is flip a coin.

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

Been a while since a FF Cobra has been on the show... would love to see another build.

[@mitchmarkota8814]

Great and very professional video.

[@timschell5781]

I came across an old car and driver from back in the day that tested this car... They recorded a 12.2@118, but regardless a 14+ second pass is slow with a 2600lb car.... The owner either does not have a 427 or it's running on 6 of it's 8 cylinders. And despite the traction problems, the coyote car should have been faster too, better, but should have been able to drop below mid 12's this IS a prepped drag surface, if traction was that bad those tires must have been hot garbage to not allow some traction.

[@brunoberlanga]

Amazing loved the whole episode

[@Pendaws]

I wonder, would you fellas be willing to let me test the Red beast for say, 12 months? :) hahaha. Would be fantastic to have the beast on our roads in Australia. :)

[@johnwillis4706]

I have a 65 Cobra I bought wrecked in 72 and it's CSX serial number proves it. It had no motor in it at the time. Since it wasn't complete, I could do whatever I wanted to it and I did. It's been fully restored, with a race diff, 6 speed tranny, and a FE 427 side oiler, which is race built. All neoprene chassis bushings, 6 piston brakes front and rear, and I'll put It's 750 HP AC/FE against the dog motor replicar any day. I blasted an LS1 powered Cobra kit last summer. Only a loser would put a bow tie in a Ford even if it is a replica. Upgrade the diff, shocks, brakes, and tires on the real snake and see how it goes then.

[@uptownsamcv]

AWESOME!! those Cobras look so good!

[@hanshoogendyk5783]

To be more equal, the red car should been run as you bring. With about the same power and weight. But then in true hotrod fashion let's cheat. Let's put on cheater brakes, semi slick tires, cheater diff. And up the horse power. While keeping the original car on rock hard tires and tired brakes. An original 427 could do the 1/4 in 12.2 seconds and 0...100...0 in 12.8 with Ken Miles at the wheel

[@rodc4334]

On the one hand sure, but it is a kit car, anyone could have built it just like that from the get go. I do wonder how the original would have done with better tires.

[@ElricX]

I'd love to own either one of them! I'd have to paint it blue with the white stripes though.

[@johnmoton4808]

Factory -Five with aftermarket parts, which most people would not put on simply because they like a little power and looks from the kit If you're going to do this do it right use the parts that come with the kit and then put them head-to-head.

[@markseaman4750]

I haven’t gotten to the end yet but, was there any effort to equalize the tires on the cars? By that I mean equalized in age. The tires on the original car are probably quite a bit older than fresh ones on the FFR.

[@rodshop5897]

I was thinking similarly: the tires probably made a big difference in every test. Well, just gonna have to do it all over again!

[@SDwriter.and.surfer]

Everyone's thinking the same thing. This video is largely a promotion for FF, obviously.

[@larrycrossan6713]

This is my old car originally sold at marv Tonkin Ford in Portland Oregon its csx3288 it had a 428 motor and a special George BARRIS paint job nice to see its being enjoyed

[@lib556]

I'd be happy with a Factory 5... but... an original Cobra? That'd be the best. Although, I'd be afraid to drive it... or park it anywhere or...

[@scottyb6765]

Nicely done. Nice showing of the upgrades and the comparison. Nice of the real Cobra owner to put his car through the paces for all of us to see too. Thanks for the video. I love this car.

[@myrmeko]

Who even thinks that a 7 liter engine from 60 years ago could be making more power than a 5 liter engine from today? There is replacement for displacement. It's called optimizations. It went from almost 70HP/L to almost 100HP/L. Can you even tune the 427 to reach close to 700HP N/A? If you get the best 427 Cobra, you get 485HP. You'd still need 215 more. Maybe with a custom EFI with port injection for each cylinder, so a completely custom intake manifold. A dual ram air filter setup like on the new Mustang. Compression raised a little, but since you have no knock sensors, might be a little hard to tune. Idk... Could it be possible to reach 700?

[@Canadiancarguy1987]

if i had the coin i would buy one of these Kit Cobras for sure!

[@mattmoshercom]

would like to see it go up against a 427 S/C original....would be a different story....

[@rodc4334]

$40 grand. Wild! Wonderful to see the original! Wonder how it would have done with better tires.

[@wg5768]

You couldn't buy that car for 40k!

[@donaldgrant9067]

I didn't watch all of it but did they put premium leaded gas in the old Cobra? If not the old one doesn't have the compression that it did when leaded gas was around.

[@ianbrown9082]

For me it has to be the early narrow body with wire wheels

[@3644Darrell]

I have a friend that has an original 1965 427 Cobra. It has little plaques on the dash of the places where it was raced at.

[@icGhost81]

I know it's not really necessary to point it out but when the guy was going on about perception of small displacement motors I couldn't help but wonder what a twin turbo flat six would do in that car ohh if I had the disposable income lol that would be fun.

[@charlesbraun8867]

A factory 5 with a ton of upgrades. A whole lot of apples and oranges. A nice factory 5 add .

[@josephf593]

Thought the original ac 427 cobras ran low 12s @ around 116-18 mph..... 92 mph trap for a 480hp car wtf?

[@strongereveryday2302]

Thats called a scared, crappy driver.

[@lashss]

12.2@118 mph from period tests. Fragile, old, original car on old, original tires that a cat couldn’t scratch.

[@travislostaglia8861]

Most of the road cars came with a 428 they were still badged as 427 but it made the cars a little more reliable and a little cheaper

[@lashss]

@@travislostaglia8861And a lot slower

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

First of all you meant to say SC 427 Cobra. The original car used in the video was NOT a SC 427 side oiler powered car. It was a 428 powered version. This is why they never raised the hood and why the car doesn't have side pipe headers. It has exhaust manifolds on it similar to a Galaxy 500. 428 was a 375 hp engine and that number was gross horsepower not net horsepower.

[@user-rm7kb3il6x]

i dont want to sound sacrilegious but as legendary as the old 427 is, i can always tell the difference between a factory 5 and an original based on the rear wheel track. the og, is set well into the rear haunches while the factory 5 actually fills them up well. and for that reason, as amazing as the original is, i actually like the way the new one looks in a vacuum

[@salvatoregiovanni8967]

Something is wayyy off with that original 427’s engine. Even with Tasca at the helm, it ran 14.3@93. With those trap speeds at a 2,300 lb curb weight, it’s making well less than 200 hp.

[@johnforeman634]

When you first mentioned the price I thought, wow, that’s really cheep. Then when you listed off what doesn’t come with it I just laughed uncontrollably.

[@themike97_58]

Typically ppl who build these use a donor car for the engine, drive train, etc which keeps cost down. Add $5k-10k for your donor car and your still under $40k in parts.

[@Riley_1955]

Both are absolute beautiful cars but for myself I'll take the replica FFR.

[@seektruth8662]

I wish you had done the test again with race slicks, it would eliminate all the tire differences between the two and show their real performance potential.

[@markseaman4750]

“Rock hard street tires” ok question below is answered. Fresh tires on the original would have made a big difference.

[@juanc5149]

I remember lining up against a factory 5 replica in my slightly modified 1990 240sx. Turbo 4 cyl vs unknown v8. I got him. But I’ve also ran faster times then this factory 5 shown in the video with that car.

[@johnstaley2573]

According to the definition of replica that I found is exact copy. I could live with a modern engine but if you were going to compare handling the cars should have had the same suspension and as close as possible identical frames. But you didn't ask me.

[@therusticcollectionebaysto7028]

New sub ! Liked ✌️🙏😉😉

[@ohane1]

Tires!!! Unfair. Crazy that I have a 4700lb SUV I built that crushes both 1/4 mile & 0-60 for $20k total. C'mon put an LS awd in one. One day I want to, love those cars.

[@thefakerscritic1397]

Not a fair competition using different drivers for the slalom. Some are good at it and some aren't. You are testing car against car not driver against driver.

[@yokoshemp]

As I recall the original 289 Cobras were just as fast as the 427. Lighter so not as much hp needed.

[@freman007]

And a lot easier to get that power to the ground. There is such a thing as too much power (especially on archaic rubber) and the 427 comfortably jumped over that line.

[@stevelinahan8022]

289 was lighter and was set up for road courses and faster in those races than the big blocks. The 427 and sometimes 428 was heavier and did better in drag races with their race versions. The standard 427/428 was like this one. Big motor but not a lot of tuning.

[@gearheadted9210]

no way the 427 only ran 14.3 comon guys,my '73 Buick regal ran 14.8 with a stock smog 455 geez

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

Car in the video was made with a 428 engine and had exhaust manifolds on it. Notice it has no side pipe headers on it.

[@kidamere2408]

weird slower times then my 18 460 hp gt that weighs 3600lbs

[@BROCKWOOD64]

I find it interesting that they chose a 1966 428 version for this comparison. The most plebeian street version of the original vs an 'anything goes' replica. I have no issues with the thinking behind this choice back in 1966. Street cars with street manners just makes sense when trying to sell them new. Add in a more modern frame stiffness, suspension, brakes, transmission & engine tech: It's a no brainer even against the original 427 SC. Now the question becomes: What does it take for a modern replica to beat out in every test the 1 remaining Super Cobra 427 with twin turbos?

[@BradThePitts]

My best guess is what they "chose" is what was actually available for hire.

[@larrysmith6797]

Because there are A LOT OF ORIGINALS TO CHOOSE FROM.

[@user-ps6gu5xo4k]

Mr Shelby didn’t like the 427 in the cobra. He said that it was too heavy and changed the handling of the car. Today you can build a 289 to get over 500 hp, so there is no need for a heavy FE engine.

[@kensmith5188]

Considering the Shelby is 50 years young I would say it held up very well. Wouldn't expect it to be better than the latest tech.

[@oliveringram3056]

You realise what a monster this was back in the 60's.

[@paulclosuit4032]

So , the original cobra is a street model with narrow sunburst wheels and tires. Why not use a 427 sc with a side oiler with side exhaust etc.

[@paulclosuit4032]

My replica is an ERA with a stroked 427 center oiler , solid lifters with high rise heads and intake. Just like the early comp cobras before the side oiler came out.

[@chrisgarretson6045]

No shit if you're going to try it against a cobra do it with one ment for the track not one that'll just take u to the store

[@user-br9zy4mx7t]

If you love an original as well as a kit you never stop playing with it my only real concern would be the cooling

[@joeymccullough2716]

The comparison that I would love to see is between a Coyote 5.0 & a 427 Windsor. Wonder how that would turn out?

[@normanschwartzjr2564]

I agree in that comparison. It would be GREAT.

[@culcune]

Since Ford offers both, the 460 Windsor is the same weight, price, and has 40 more 'free' hp. Plus, the valve covers don't state, '460', and I don't believe the latest 427 Windsors state '427' either. The 460 would be my pick, and I would simply tell everyone that it is a 427 big block, lol.

[@BROCKWOOD64]

@@culcune Can't mistake a Lima (385 Series 429 / 460) for a FE (427 / 428). So, I'd recommend, 'Bigger' as an appropriate answer......

[@culcune]

@@BROCKWOOD64 Both the 460 and 427 crate engines do a GREAT impression of a 351 lol

[@tabcobra]

The 460 small block is a Windsor, not a 385 series, which is a big block.

[@outlet6989]

One more speed test to do. What time will it take to change the spark plugs?

[@BradThePitts]

Likely 15 minutes on the original, and 30 minutes on the new car, but the new car won't need them until 100,000 miles. In a Cobra, that time will probably never come.

[@victorbeebe8372]

The original small block corba handle better than the big block from what been told. So is thid comparison apples and oranges?

[@blanchae]

Kudos to the original Cobra owner for letting his car be thrashed about. Fun comparison.

[@lawrencefoster2120]

We are indeed in the" golden age of car's".

[@GroovyBabyYeah]

It’s a 428 powered 67 it looks like. Some of the 427s came with those. Awesome car and still fast but not being driven the best and with the best equipment (should be 13’s) and it’s not the famous Cobra side oiler which would’ve been a far more accurate comparison

[@metoo3918]

I havent driven one of these, but Im a bit shocked at how slow the time and speed was for the FFR. The car is under 2500 with driver and a supposed 500hp. Ive run 9mph faster and and 11.23s with a heavy G8GT on low-profile street tires and 565whp. Im guessing I had 600ish hp at the crank, but I also had another 1600 pounds. That said, Im still gonna get a Cobra.

[@daleliske9757]

The problem with a Factory 5 replica is the frame, it twists a lot with the torque from a modern engine. That's why Superformance is the ONLY aftermarket builder that is backed by SHELBY , because they are built with a fully boxed frame and then every nut and bolt is the same as Shelby.

[@Kevin_747]

Great infomercial.

[@johnszwede8516]

I have a superformance cobra with a 720 hp and 1000nm LSA with Avon period style race tyres it’s a fn beast ! hooks and shoots like a bullet

[@bobm9509]

They're beautiful cars. What do you do for a living?

[@johnszwede8516]

@@bobm9509 hey bob thanks mate . I help small businesses , usually young entrepreneurs get off the ground and then work an exit after 2 years of working with them on there business . Fashion and health and beauty space typically .

[@bobm9509]

@@johnszwede8516 I'd love to have one of each of their cars. I'm astounded how unknown that company seems to be amongst gearheads. Good luck with your fantastic choice.