CSX2000

[BGlover67]

What color was it painted originally? 

[Dan Case]

What color was it painted originally?

A custom mixed yellow. It stayed yellow until after the first rack and pinion chassis cars were completed in the summer of 1963. During the summer of 1963 there was a photographic collection made in black and white comparing CSX2000 still in yellow with a new unknown chassis number white car from multiple angles. I read a claim that the photograph series was made specifically to compare the latest street production car version to CSX2000. Side by side lots of differences are apparent. Some of the pictures from that session are posted on 'The Henry Ford' website. At some point it got over sprayed with a deeper color yellow. What no one seems to know is were the two yellows done in the same time frame. There were written claims that the original paint job did not fare well in California sun and it discolored in places.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/6779632258/in/album-72157629443596499/

Contrary to mythology the car was only painted in a color three times in the 1960s, first a light custom yellow (was there a light yellow primer back then ??), then a deeper yellow, and then a custom blue. More than a decade later after the car suffered some minor front coachwork damage it was very clear that only two colors of yellow paint and one blue one over them were in place.





One source claimed that factory work orders indicate that one road race and one drag race (CSX2427) Cobra were painted the same deep yellow (second layer in the picture) in 1964.

A picture Steven Juliano sent me of CSX2427 while the original owner still had the car.

[propayne]

From Tom Cotter's excellent book " Dean Jeffries, 50 Fabulous Years in Hot Rods, Racing & Film" -

On putting the first coat of paint on CSX2000, Jeffries says; "The body was a disaster, all heliarced and torched up. I had to cherry the body up first....I had only three days from start to finish. I worked by myself. I asked Shelby what color he wanted, and he said, 'Any color you want.' So, not knowing if it was right or wrong, I painted it pearl yellow because I had heard on TV that yellow stood out best."

Story also goes that for payment, Shelby gave Jeffries a Weber-equipped high-performance 289 and a four-speed gearbox that he put in his Manaray show car.

BTW, Jeffries also named and painted James Dean's "Little Bastard" Porsche 550 Spyder that he was killed in. And I'm sure has most of you know, up until his passing he also had the GT40 that was given to him by Ford.

- Phillip

[Dan Case]

From Tom Cotter's excellent book " Dean Jeffries, 50 Fabulous Years in Hot Rods, Racing & Film" -

On putting the first coat of paint on CSX2000, Jeffries says; "The body was a disaster, all heliarced and torched up. I had to cherry the body up first....I had only three days from start to finish. I worked by myself. I asked Shelby what color he wanted, and he said, 'Any color you want.' So, not knowing if it was right or wrong, I painted it pearl yellow because I had heard on TV that yellow stood out best."

Story also goes that for payment, Shelby gave Jeffries a Weber-equipped high-performance 289 and a four-speed gearbox that he put in his Manaray show car.

BTW, Jeffries also named and painted James Dean's "Little Bastard" Porsche 550 Spyder that he was killed in. And I'm sure has most of you know, up until his passing he also had the GT40 that was given to him by Ford.

- Phillip

More than one person has been quoted saying something like the first yellow paint developed discolored areas in it quickly.

[Shelby_r_b]

Great info from all - thanks for sharing!

You hear so many stories about 2000 being repainted multiple times. It's great to get the real story on which colors were used.

[Dan Case]

Great info from all - thanks for sharing!

You hear so many stories about 2000 being repainted multiple times. It's great to get the real story on which colors were used.

http://www.saacforum.com/Themes/default/images/bbc/orderlist.gif

You are welcome. Multiple researches endeavor to sort out myths, legends, and facts but after just one printed specific inaccuracy gets in public it will never go away.  Many times the facts are boring but occasionally the story that can be put together through photographic collections and document searches over time are much more complicated and to some more interesting than what has been published.   

Cobra wise one only starts with the Registry. It might point you in the right direction or not.

[J_Speegle]

More than one person has been quoted saying something like the first yellow paint developed discolored areas in it quickly.

If it was a pearl yellow that would explain allot. Those materials didn't hold up well at all to sun exposure and time. Few painters would use them on anything but show cars. Have a car that was shot around 69-70 and the color fades in and out even in white as well as modeled (s?)  all over the place along with cracking in areas. Related I'm sure many of us older fellows recall what old real candy color cars looked like also. 

[BGlover67]

Great info from all - thanks for sharing!

You hear so many stories about 2000 being repainted multiple times. It's great to get the real story on which colors were used.

Yes, thanks for answering that.

[Richstang]

Here's a few photos I had on file noted as CSX2000 from back when it was painted yellow.

(I'm not certain the Terry Bagley photos are CSX2000 for certain...different license plate than what I previously saw on it)

[propayne]

Betcha Road & Track has a lot of color photos on file somewhere - extras from that cover photoshoot.

Thanks for posting those Rich.

- Phillip

[A-Snake]

(I'm not certain the Terry Bagley photos are CSX2000 for certain...different license plate than what I previously saw on it)

Yes, that is CSX2000. You can always ID it by the 'unique' bumper uprights. Also the gas cap location.

[Shelby_r_b]

Here's a few photos I had on file noted as CSX2000 from back when it was painted yellow.

(I'm not certain the Terry Bagley photos are CSX2000 for certain...different license plate than what I previously saw on it)

Thanks Rich!

[Richstang]

(I'm not certain the Terry Bagley photos are CSX2000 for certain...different license plate than what I previously saw on it)

Yes, that is CSX2000. You can always ID it by the 'unique' bumper uprights. Also the gas cap location.

Thank you Ned. I should have caught those matching details.

Dan mentioned some side by side photos with CSX2000 comparing to a production unit.
Here's a few of those I had saved from the Freidman Collection on the Henry Ford / Flickr site.

[A-Snake]

(I'm not certain the Terry Bagley photos are CSX2000 for certain...different license plate than what I previously saw on it)

Yes, that is CSX2000. You can always ID it by the 'unique' bumper uprights. Also the gas cap location.

Thank you Ned. I should have caught those matching details.

Dan mentioned some side by side photos with CSX2000 comparing to a production unit.
Here's a few of those I had saved from the Freidman Collection on the Henry Ford / Flickr site.

FWIW, I'm not Ned

[Richstang]

Oh!...damn those alias's