1965 Shelby Cobra Tribute

- Classic Roadsters 427SC
- Ford SVO 351 Crate Motor
- Cobra R 5 Speed Manual Transmission
- Ford 9" Rear End
- 4 Wheel Disc Brakes
- Adjustable Coil Over Suspension
- Red Over Black Interior

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1965 Shelby Cobra on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 140 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“(Replica fabricators) took the original recipe and made it much spicier....” - Dyler.com

The Dyler people continued: “Elon Musk may have sent a Tesla Roadster to space, but that endeavor does not even come close to what Carol Shelby did to AC Ace. By shoehorning a Ford V8 and racing the little roadster from an obscure British manufacturer, he elevated the car to cultural icon status. There are very few cars that are so easily recognizable and so sought after. Few other cars are also so often replicated. But that is not a bad thing.

“There are obvious advantages to owning a replica of a classic car. First, it does not cost a fortune (only the fortunate few can afford a real Cobra these days). Second, one does not have to worry about damaging an irreplaceable piece of history. Besides, it can be modified to the owner's desire with no guilty conscience. Usually, the replicas sacrifice the authenticity and authentic experience of the original. Yet it may not be the case with Cobra.”

Offered here is a 1965 Shelby Cobra Replica in red with white racing stripes over black. Properly constructed and imbued with highest-quality components (well beyond those available to Carroll Shelby back in the day), this sportscar perfectly captures the Shelby Cobra ethic. The current mileage reading is 9,866, and the overall condition is excellent.

First things first: Not all replica cars are created equal. Far from it. One of the key measures of quality lies in the caliber of the key components, particularly the drivetrain. This Cobra scores very high on that basis with its build, including Ford SVO 351 crate motor, Cobra R 5-speed manual transmission, Ford 9-inch rear end, 4-wheel disc brakes, and adjustable coil-over suspension. The other key metric is the reputation of the company that created the assembly kit. In this case, that was the respected Classic Roadsters company with their 427SC offering.

The exterior red paint on the fiberglass body is the result of professional application. The finish is perfectly even and smooth with very high gloss across every surface including the underside of the hood and trunk lid. There are no flaws in the paintwork and no signs of wear or damage anywhere on the body. The choice of non-metallic red paint makes for a period-appropriate statement on the car's curvaceous bodywork. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, please be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The racing stripes are perfectly applied and undamaged anywhere. The chrome finish—including on the front bumperettes, grille surround, headlight surrounds, windshield trim, racing mirror, door handles, driver-only roll bar, and rear bumper—is uniformly excellent and free of wear. The brushed-metal finish on the fuel-filler cap, side-vent vanes, and side-exhaust pipes is equally impressive. Windshield glass and all lighting lenses are clear and free of cracks. Badging is limited to the correct Cobra emblems front and rear and the “427 Ford Cobra” fender emblems. American Racing® 5-spoke, chrome 15-inch wheels are mounted with Mickey Thompson® Sportsman 245/60 raised-white-letter tires. Wheels and tires are pristine and the open-wheel style affords good views of the disc-brake rotors and calipers at all four corners.

The car's interior is equally impressive and captures the period Shelby vibe perfectly. Simple, black-upholstered bucket seats show no damage; full RJS® safety belts are mounted. Matching door trim is flawless. Black cabin carpeting has been well-maintained. A Grant® GT wood-rim steering wheel frames full analog instrumentation including a Smiths® 180-mph speedometer to the right of the steering column and a Smiths 8,000-rpm tachometer to the left. Five auxiliary gauges—for oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, alternator output, and fuel level—are located on the center of the dash above toggle-switch controls. (The use of proper—and expensive—Smiths gauges is another indication of the quality built into the car.) The shift lever for the 5-speed manual transmission is mounted atop the transmission tunnel. The trunk is properly finished with a black carpet mat. Billet-aluminum hinges support the trunk lid.

Under the front-hinged hood (secured by rear turn pins), the Ford SVO 351-cubic-inch V8 crate motor fills the engine compartment. A chrome air-cleaner cover, bare-metal intake manifold, and “Ford Motorsport”-identified polished-metal valve covers add to the performance look and feel. Viewed from below, the chassis is straight, clean, and complete. The quality of the build is further evident in the frame construction details, side-exiting exhaust routing, the engine and transmission surfaces, and coil-over suspension components.

The car's State of Michigan-assigned VIN sticker remains properly mounted.

While the more than 140 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '65 Shelby Cobra in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

In one sense, every original Cobra was also a purpose-built “kit” that took a British body, American V8, and selected components, and brought them together for a unique performance-dedicated sportscar. The resulting elemental, perfectly raw experience is every bit as appealing today as it was a half-century ago. And in the case of this red-and-white execution, arguably more exciting.