Original Equipment Clocks (street Cobras)

[Dan Case]

There is some confusion in the world about the electric clocks installed in new Cobras. As Cobra subjects go, clocks are fairly simple.

CSX2001-CSX2200 used a Smiths® brand clock with adjustment features above the horizontal center line and text on the lower face "MADE  IN  ENGLAND".




CSX2201-CSX2589 used a Cobra only clock made as customized version of a 1962 Ford Galaxie clock. Provided by Ford Motor Company and installed by A.C. Cars Ltd.



Clock
S1CS-15000-A (12-23-66 parts book)
Electrically driven clocks installed in CSX2201 and later street car chassis by A.C. Cars were Ford sourced and Cobra unique. (In the last known issue of the 1965 edition of the SHELBY AMERICAN PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT book the HIGH PERFORMANCE AUTOMOBILE PARTS lists on page 63 dated May 31, 1965 lists the original assembly as "S1CS-15000 Clock, Electric w/Chrome Bezel Ford".)  Evidence suggests that a finer quality of deep drawing steel was used for the front shells for Cobra parts as the lens bezels were visible when installed. The exposed when installed bezel area was brilliantly chrome plated to a very high visual standard. Outside of Shelby American, Inc. during the Cobra era the only Ford service part available was the C2AZ-15A000-A clock service kit for a 1962 Ford Galaxie. Galaxie clocks can be reworked to get the appearance of the S1CS-1500-A Cobra clock. Their motor cases can be separated and the front case and bezel area can be reworked. The zinc-zinc dischromated finish of the Galaxie piece must be chemically removed, the steel must be polished for the bezel areas that will be seen after installation, and new high quality decorative chromium plating must be applied. (The front cases of Galaxie clocks were apparently made with inexpensive steel that often had many physical and appearance defects. The quality of the steel was not important for this part for Galaxies because the front bezel was not an appearance item. The front cases were stamped out and given a low quality zinc plating and dichromate conversion to prevent significant corrosion. The front lens bezel area of a Cobra clock was in a critical appearance area because it was exposed as installed in a new Cobra. Special provision for fasteners were hidden under the leather covering dash fascia panels and British spacers and fasteners to mount a clock in a Cobra were supplied and installed by A.C. Cars; the Galaxie clock kits did not include these mounting parts.


The original Cobra S1CS-15000-A clocks I have examined were made long after the last 1962 Galaxie was produced.