Restoration of a 1995 Cobra R

[1995COBRA-R]

This particular car has been here for many years. Bill (Mr. Mustang, NJ) owned it for a long time. He then sold it to a guy near Autobahn C.C. (ACC) who planted it into a wall. This is number 99 of 250, but please post your restoration of a 95R. Please ask questions if you like.

The car is now owned by Gary Jones Motorsport in Hephzibah, GA (two hours from Roebling Road race track near Savannah, GA). Gary will soon post with specifics. He has my 95R in the shop as well as Dean's and Rob's formerly owned #82 car (now owned by Harry who lives near Charlotte). Harry will be racing the Steeda-built #82 car in vintage racing this year.

Here is what he brought back to GA from ACC: :-D

It needed a little work with a buff and polish. ;-) But he had the proper engine and most all of the correct parts. It also has (which is very important to racers) a SCCA logbook that shows it was raced before Bill bought it. :rolling:

He disassembled the entire car. The frame had been fixed properly, but the frame-shop had painted the engine compartment the wrong color of white. :shrug: So he sanded down the engine compartment and painted it properly.

 

[1995COBRA-R]

Then it took him a couple more hours to repaint the engine compartment and start installing parts.

The engine was checked (it checked well), and he spent another couple of hours installing the engine last weekend.

He will assemble all of the parts then paint it back to its original white color.

After he gets the other pieces together, he plans to bring it to VIR for the Cobra R Convention. Of course, I am sending this thread link to his clients so they have a shot on beating him at that event in an early Mustang. :burnout:

Don't tell them this, but he may be using a few tricks that he learned after he bought the #53 T-F Racing Zippo car:

 

[GJMCAR98]

Thanks for posting those shots Doc and thanks for letting me bring home your very nice 95R to use as a guide to put mine back together with. I promice I haven't used any parts from it ( YET ). I know this isn't the buy or sell section but since I have the R with race history I think I'm going to sell the TF#53 Just like it sits if anybody is interested...Gary

 

[93SVTCobra]

Thanks for posting the pictures. How are you planning on finishing the interior?

 

[GJMCAR98]

If I sell the #53 Zippo Car then I'm going to put a full cage in it with all of the interior intact except the seats. Race seat on drivers side and something nice that I can take in and out on the passanger side.If I don't sell the Zippo car then I'm just going to put a half cage in it for now with two nice seats in it so I can just drive it or go to a track event with it..I would rather go the full cage route if I can make somebody a deal on the #53. I really don't need a full blown racecar ( and I sure as heck don't need two of them ). I have plenty of those to drive that other people are paying the bills on Gary

 

[GJMCAR98]

For anyone that is going to the 24 Hours of Daytona we are taking 3 of cars down to run in the legends event before the start of the 24. The 1970 Budd Moore Mustang, A 66 Shelby and last but not least the 95 Cobra R Steeda 05 Car. If anyone is going to the event stop by and see us. My rig will be parked in the infield grass area between the old tunnel and the exit of turn 4. Can't miss us. This is where all the rigs for the vintage cars that are in the legends event will be parked....Gary

 

[grape]

i might be in a certain pit area for the 24, seems i'm kinda out of retirement, LOL.;-)

 

[flattrack53]

#53 is such a great number. I wish my 00r was that number.. just a lucky number. 6 amateur national flattrack racing championships with that number and sounds like your car Gary has the same kind of luck??? Must of had something to do with Herbie the Lovebug DOC,Keep updating us with more pics!!!

 

[r82of250]

Gee, I wonder what an Ex-IMSA Cobra R Clone car would be worth? Especially one with the famous "ZIPPO" script on it. Hmmmm.

 

[r82of250]

BTW Gary, the old 99 car is looking good! How many parts has Doc's R donated to the effort?

 

[mrmustang]

Gary,

Can't wait to see my old car back in one piece, it could not have a better owner/shop to make that happen :banana:epper::banana:


Bill S.

 

[GJMCAR98]

Thanks Guy's. Plan is to get the car together and have some fun with it. If I decide to get serious about racing it I'll build another motor, pull the original motor and trans out and set it aside to keep from hurting it. Zippo car is 15K just as it sits now with all the parts that came with it. All of the sheet metal is off the car from the doors foreward but everything is there and I've re-built the rearend and painted under the hood and chassis, installed gauges and MSD set up just to name a couple of things...Car has a lot of history and I have most of it documented....Gj

 

[1995COBRA-R]

Gee, I wonder what an Ex-IMSA Cobra R Clone car would be worth?

Dean,
That depends on whether or not the car has been upgraded with a new engine, rear diff, brakes, and transmission. If its fast on a race track with a completely new drivetrain? $35K-$38K.

Do you have any pictures of your old car #82 in its original livery?

As Gary mentioned, the car is going to Daytona for the "Legends" race at the 24 Hours of Daytona. We also call it the "24 Minutes of Daytona". ;-) The car needs to have the original graphics.

I beat they'd trade a free ticket for pictures. :-D

Bill,
Do you have any good pictures of the #99 car when you owned it? We'd really like to have them if you can find any.

 

[mrmustang]

Bill,
Do you have any good pictures of the #99 car when you owned it? We'd really like to have them if you can find any.

I burned a copy of them for Gary, he should have all of them. If not, I have a few from Lime Rock Park (November 2004), but believe those are on the CD as well.

Bill S.

PS: Now, the real interesting part is I believe I might have a NASA log book from that 11/04 event (only entry), but it is buried in boxes from my last move :bash:

 

[mrmustang]

 

[mrmustang]

Lesson learned, 3 laps is not enough to warm up race tires when it is 35 degrees outside ;-)


This is all I have from Lime Rock Park (11/2004)

Also spent time at Pocono and Watkins Glen with the car but have no pictures from those events



Bill S.

 

[tomshep]

Was the car raced in SCCA with the blue stripes?

Tom

 

[mrmustang]

Was the car raced in SCCA with the blue stripes?

Tom

Not early on, but I believe later in the cars career at Laguna Seca it had the stripes already on it. Gary has the early shots in the SCCA log book showing the major sponsor (TV station in Ohio) on an all white car.


Bill S.

 

[r82of250]

Doc/Gary

I have some pics of the R in its early days. Rob has copies of everything also, I expect those would have gone with the car when Charlie purchased it.

Dean

 

[GJMCAR98]

The pictures in the log book don't show them on there but Bill would know the awnser to this.I did a little more work tonight while the wife was at church.Installed the valve covers. Cleaned, repaired, re-taped then Installed the injector harnes and the heater water pipe. Tomorrow the upper intake is going on it...Once again Doc's car was a BIG help in all of this...Anyone have a set of front brakes from a 2000R laying around Gary