Early 260 with full width racing windscreen in Dearborn. Did Ford test it early

[HistoryBuff]

I don't have a picture of it but in the b & w picture I saw it was a medium color car with a full width plexiglass racing windscreen about 6" tall, no metal frame on top , can't remember if it had metal support on the sides. It's a front 3/4 view I saw so can't remember if I saw side vents. Now my question is--from sources read long ago and forgotten, one story said Ford received an early car and one engineer spent 3 days trying to set up suspension. A second story i heard more recently is Ford bought three 260 Cobras and Ford engineers spent several days recommending off the shelf parts to correct problems they saw in the car. The only trouble with that second story is the second,  third and fourth Cobras went to Shelby's first dealer, Ed Hugus,  so is he the one that sold or loaned them to Ford? The reason I think the car was at Ford's Dearborn test track is I recognize that curvy (think snake from top view) brick wall is one I climbed to shoot a spy picture.

[SFM5S000]

The only two different "short" wind screens that I know is the full width version on the Flip Top and the individual versions found on the FIA and USRRC cars. (see pics)

Cheers,
~Earl J

[CSX2259]

One of the first Cobras to utilize a full width plexiglass windscreen was CSX2011, it had a "L" cross section of aluminum that the plexiglass mounted to with screws and then the "L" mounting base was secured to the body with screws there were no provisions for side reinforcements. I have the original from 2011 as it was replaced during a partial restoration.

[honker]

Here's a photo I have in my file of CSX 2011 (on the left #97) and CSX 2017 (#11) at green Valley, Texas in '67.

I think CSX2011 was at SAAC 12 in Charlotte in '87 ?

Mike

[Richstang]

I think the car in the Michigan location was discussed before.
It might have been mentioned as possibly CSX2002 or CSX2004

[6s2055]

Earl,
I remember when you took that picture of the Flip Top at Thunderhill! Remember taking Scott for a track ride in the car and the smile on his face!

[SFM5S000]

Earl,
I remember when you took that picture of the Flip Top at Thunderhill! Remember taking Scott for a track ride in the car and the smile on his face!

Terry,
Your memory is really sharp. That was a decade and them some ago. It's been a while. Hope you're enjoying retired life. Regards to Mrs K.
Cheers,
~Earl

[6R07mi]

I don't have a picture of it but in the b & w picture I saw it was a medium color car with a full width plexiglass racing windscreen about 6" tall, no metal frame on top , can't remember if it had metal support on the sides. It's a front 3/4 view I saw so can't remember if I saw side vents. Now my question is--from sources read long ago and forgotten, one story said Ford received an early car and one engineer spent 3 days trying to set up suspension. A second story i heard more recently is Ford bought three 260 Cobras and Ford engineers spent several days recommending off the shelf parts to correct problems they saw in the car. The only trouble with that second story is the second,  third and fourth Cobras went to Shelby's first dealer, Ed Hugus,  so is he the one that sold or loaned them to Ford? The reason I think the car was at Ford's Dearborn test track is I recognize that curvy (think snake from top view) brick wall is one I climbed to shoot a spy picture.

rambling account, is there a question here?
first read the registry ??

[98SVT - was 06GT]

The only two different "short" wind screens that I know is the full width version on the Flip Top and the individual versions found on the FIA and USRRC cars. (see pics)

Cheers,
~Earl J

I remember the "Pelican" (I never did find out why that was it's nickname at the time) from SAAC1 when one of the SAAC founders Royal Kreiger owned it. He lived nearby which is why Oakland was chosen as the convention site.

[shelbydoug]

The only two different "short" wind screens that I know is the full width version on the Flip Top and the individual versions found on the FIA and USRRC cars. (see pics)

Cheers,
~Earl J

I can't quite see the carbs in clear detail but aren't those a set of 58ida's?

[SFM5S000]

The only two different "short" wind screens that I know is the full width version on the Flip Top and the individual versions found on the FIA and USRRC cars. (see pics)

Cheers,
~Earl J

I can't quite see the carbs in clear detail but aren't those a set of 58ida's?

Doug, No. At the time I photographed CSX2196 (Flip top) the 58IDA's were not on the car. It had a 4 barrel Holley. USRRC car CSX2514 owned by Gordon Gimbal at the time were here at NorCal's Mini Nats which was held up at ThunderHill. I don't want to hijack this thread and bombard it with photos of both. I should just create a new post under 2000 series cobras.
I thought I did this piece before, but now that I think about it, I believe it was lost in SAAC Forum 1.0 crash.

Happy Holidays,
~Earl J

[shelbydoug]

I thought that I remembered the flip top as an original 58ida car and that posted pic wasn't so clear.

I think that when Shelby got the first MkII it came from the Brits with the 58's on it? Apparently the team felt that the single Holley was just as good and obviously easier to deal with.

The big Autolite Inlines are 2-1/4" throttles which are about the right size for the dual IR Boss 302 so I'm not sure where the issue was with them. 58's on 7 liters with IR should be about right?

Remington would have known. Just a mystery now? Thanks for posting.

[honker]

Here are some pics I have in my files of the Flip Top in early tests, tight image of the engine, not the best resolution.

Any I.D. on the people in the images ?

Mike

(photos: could be Friedman images ?)

Is this the same car that ran at Nassau late '64 ?

Did it start out with a 390, and later had a 427 ?

[Side-Oilers]

The guy on the left (top two photos) is wearing dark dress pants, not typical SA white workpants.  So, maybe an RIR person?  Or a friend of the crewman he's standing next to?

In the bottom photo, what's that in front of the RF tire?  Something to keep the flip-open hood from hitting the ground?

Note also the custom taillight lenses on the Impala with its trunk open.

[shelbydoug]

In attempt to answer my own question, it's hard to tell from these pictures what Weber carbs those are.
I think I remember pictures of the 427's on pallets with the 58's on them waiting to be installed that were previously posted.
That might be a good way to get proportion of the carbs in the car to determine the probability of what they are?