which Cobra in the Historic Pics - Chevron Gas Station on SAI LAX - 1965

[Szabo]

Hello together,

i hope to find more information about the Cobra shown on the Pics from Gas Station in LAX

- the 65 GT350 i cant identify
- both cars wears License Plates
- the Cobra has 1? DLR 4101 License Plate, which means it was registerd at "Hi-Performance Cars"
  from Shelby and Lew Spencer


i am not very good in all the technial things but i try to named it

- the car has a dark paint, maybe black
- the car wears halibrand wheels
- it is not a automatic
- it is a street model

is that engine setup normal or something special ?

When we found the Number of the Car, i can read the Time Frame when the shooting
was made on the LAX, which should be a good story for my LAX Thread.

Thanks for all, any thoughts are welcome

Greetings from Germany

Szabo

[98SVT - was 06GT]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9331827,-118.4043339,104a,35y,163.49h,45.02t/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0

Other questions - the pumps are gone but it looks like they were near the corner where the blacktop and cement met (near yellow car in link). The power sub station is still there. Were these Chevron PR shots? El Segundo is to the south side of Imperial Hwy. It was/is a Chevron company town.  https://elsegundo.chevron.com/about/history The airport is a separate department within the city of LA (harbor and Water & Power are their other revenue producers) they have their own inhouse photographers and archives - as would Chevron. Has anyone contacted them to do a search? I know that LA DWP has scanned a lot of their photos and put them on file (searchable) at the LA city library. Chevron had 3 pumps Red-White-Blue. Blue = regular Red = premium and white = 104 octane.
The beauty of Dealer and Manufacturer plates is that they are not "registered" to a car but to a company allowing them to be used on any vehicle in their inventory. SA probably still owned the 427 but it was being used as a demo by/for HiPerf Motors.
Are the Mustangs parked out front recent deliveries from Ford before they went out back and into the build sequence?

[Cobra Ned]

The 427 Cobra pictured could well be CSX 3118, which was a black prototype that was shipped to Shelby American in April of '65 and was one of the first cars completed, as well as the first black street car. Unfortunately, there is nothing on the cars' invoices that tells us which wheels these early cars were initially equipped with, hence identifying the car with any certainty might be tough.

[Szabo]

Hello and thank you for your replys

@Cobra_Ned

thanks for your thought on CSX3118, it would fit perfect but was it a automatic or a Shifter?

the Car in the Picture is for sure a Shifter, the automatics (only 4 build, right?) have a T-Handle Bar ?


@98SVT-was 06GT

Good Eye, this is exact the Point were the Gas Pumps stand

i searched for ours for "Chevron" PR-Shots or Advertisment, i only found this Ad but it is a different Plate, no Pic from
the Shooting is showed and a different Gas Pump

i came not on the idea to contact such a big company for some Pics 50+ years ago...

The Shelbys in the Backround are fresh GT350 "R" or Comeption, they waited to made to R-Configuration

[crossboss]

FWIW,
My dad (now deceased) worked at the Standard Oil (Chevron) plant in El Segundo during the late 1950s through mid 1975-ish. As a kid, were would go to the annual pick nicks on the property. All kinds of neat cars would show up. I do remember seeing some Cobras. Also, my dad would have a Chevron gas card account (free gas!), and would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station. Kinda a neat connection to all this (?). Also, since I am from the South Bay/El Segundo area it was a great place to grow up. Right in the heart of Shelby country!

[98SVT - was 06GT]

FWIW,
......would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station.

I tend to think these were installed just for SA. They were within their fenced area and only 2 pumps. Probably regular for all the trucks the white pump for the Cobras and GT 350s. They probably also got race fuel from 76 - I think they were the only source in SoCal in the 60s.

PS: Chevron still does the picnic for employees and has movie nights for the whole community (fund raiser for Rotary) at Chevron Park. Yes that's a skeet range on the left side.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/324+W+El+Segundo+Blvd,+El+Segundo,+CA+90245/@33.9154719,-118.3989252,295m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2b1699ce4f751:0x61756d3520eb67e0!8m2!3d33.9158769!4d-118.4190241?hl=en&authuser=0

[crossboss]

FWIW,
......would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station.

I tend to think these were installed just for SA. They were within their fenced area and only 2 pumps. Probably regular for all the trucks the white pump for the Cobras and GT 350s. They probably also got race fuel from 76 - I think they were the only source in SoCal in the 60s.

PS: Chevron still does the picnic for employees and has movie nights for the whole community (fund raiser for Rotary) at Chevron Park. Yes that's a skeet range on the left side.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/324+W+El+Segundo+Blvd,+El+Segundo,+CA+90245/@33.9154719,-118.3989252,295m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2b1699ce4f751:0x61756d3520eb67e0!8m2!3d33.9158769!4d-118.4190241?hl=en&authuser=0

Yep, thats the park! Btw, my family used to live on Whiting St. Just Googled it, and its now worth $2.270 MILLION!!
"Back in the day", the only people who lived in El Segundo were Chevron employees, lower income, hippies, and surfers. What a difference the mid 1980s made for those 'Yuppie millionaires' who started buying in the area...

[98SVT - was 06GT]

FWIW,
......would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station.

I tend to think these were installed just for SA. They were within their fenced area and only 2 pumps. Probably regular for all the trucks the white pump for the Cobras and GT 350s. They probably also got race fuel from 76 - I think they were the only source in SoCal in the 60s.

PS: Chevron still does the picnic for employees and has movie nights for the whole community (fund raiser for Rotary) at Chevron Park. Yes that's a skeet range on the left side.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/324+W+El+Segundo+Blvd,+El+Segundo,+CA+90245/@33.9154719,-118.3989252,295m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2b1699ce4f751:0x61756d3520eb67e0!8m2!3d33.9158769!4d-118.4190241?hl=en&authuser=0

Yep, thats the park! Btw, my family used to live on Whiting St. Just Googled it, and its now worth $2.270 MILLION!!
"Back in the day", the only people who lived in El Segundo were Chevron employees, lower income, hippies, and surfers. What a difference the mid 1980s made for those 'Yuppie millionaires' who started buying in the area...

I have a friend who lived just off main in a condo - it's now 1.3 I think he paid about 600 in the early 2000s. If you really want sticker shock look what the Venice canal area has done. That was a place no one but the lowest of low lifes would go in the 80s when you could buy a tear down for 10-12 grand.

https://www.siliconbeachedge.com/listing?rect=null&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oyYBhDGARIsAMZEuMvKh1vriftQBhGyEj82B9JadwjkVYeG7-tPx8PYiom70gOwHuFL4tsaAuMcEALw_wcB&purchaseType-For-Sale-Rent=1&listingSort=RELEVANCE&layoutType=grid&pageSize=24&keywordType=neighborhood&zoom=14&page=1&key=Venice%20Canals%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA&utm_source=bryanshortgoogle&utm_content=zillow%20venice%20canals

[Side-Oilers]

Hello and thank you for your replys

@Cobra_Ned

thanks for your thought on CSX3118, it would fit perfect but was it a automatic or a Shifter?

the Car in the Picture is for sure a Shifter, the automatics (only 4 build, right?) have a T-Handle Bar ?


@98SVT-was 06GT

Good Eye, this is exact the Point were the Gas Pumps stand

i searched for ours for "Chevron" PR-Shots or Advertisment, i only found this Ad but it is a different Plate, no Pic from
the Shooting is showed and a different Gas Pump

i came not on the idea to contact such a big company for some Pics 50+ years ago...

The Shelbys in the Backround are fresh GT350 "R" or Comeption, they waited to made to R-Configuration

Notice the regular CA license plate on the front of the Cobra in this pix.  So, I'd assume it's an owner's car, and not one provided by SA.

A "T" series CA plate would signify an early '67 registration date.  (Possibly a very late '66 date...I'm talking Dec.) 

[Side-Oilers]

FWIW,
My dad (now deceased) worked at the Standard Oil (Chevron) plant in El Segundo during the late 1950s through mid 1975-ish. As a kid, were would go to the annual pick nicks on the property. All kinds of neat cars would show up. I do remember seeing some Cobras. Also, my dad would have a Chevron gas card account (free gas!), and would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station. Kinda a neat connection to all this (?). Also, since I am from the South Bay/El Segundo area it was a great place to grow up. Right in the heart of Shelby country!

Hey Scott, you and I were nearly neighbors. I grew up in Culver City. My dad worked for Hughes Aircraft at both the Culver City and El Segundo (LAX) facilities.  He took me by the SA facility on Imperial numerous times to look through the fence and check out the cars. I remember those gas pumps and the big electrical power transformers/switchers visible from Imperial.

In the late '60s and early'70s, Hugh Hefner kept his Playboy DC-9 (all black with white bunny logo on the tail) tethered pretty close to the same area.

Here's a great circa 1968 short film showing the plane and what looks similar to the LAX facility in the background. Maybe Rich and Stephan and others can pick out some details.

Viewer Caution: Pretty girls (clothed) are included in this film.    https://youtu.be/HCZ0B_3yjh0

[Cobra Ned]

CSX 3118 was definitely a 4-speed initially.

[crossboss]

FWIW,
My dad (now deceased) worked at the Standard Oil (Chevron) plant in El Segundo during the late 1950s through mid 1975-ish. As a kid, were would go to the annual pick nicks on the property. All kinds of neat cars would show up. I do remember seeing some Cobras. Also, my dad would have a Chevron gas card account (free gas!), and would fill up at either the LAX location (prob the ones in the pictures), or at any Chevron gas station. Kinda a neat connection to all this (?). Also, since I am from the South Bay/El Segundo area it was a great place to grow up. Right in the heart of Shelby country!

Hey Scott, you and I were nearly neighbors. I grew up in Culver City. My dad worked for Hughes Aircraft at both the Culver City and El Segundo (LAX) facilities.

You and I probably squared off against each other in a stoplight drag race at some time.  Spent a lot of nights speeding up and down Pershing Ave.  Big street race scene there in the '70s and early '80s.  I think it was Thursday nights.  Everyone would cruise through the nearby Bob's Big Boy's parking lot on Manchester and "scope out" each other's cars.  Friday and Saturday of course, too. There was a local '39 Willys with a blown 440 that lifted its wheels on launch. That was big time stuff to us to witness on the street, back then.

And yes, I know that Van Nuys would occasionally see trailered full-on race cars in an industrial area.  But, for the West Side of LA, the Pershing races were almost always pretty damn good...and occasionally full-on badazz.

Van,
I will keep it short so we don't clutter the thread..when my parents divorced, I went to the Valley with my mom at around 6. All of my car stuff was there. So, I went from surfer dude to 'Valley boy..lol

[Szabo]

CSX 3118 was definitely a 4-speed initially.

Thank you very much, in my old 87 Registry stands it was an C6 automatic or better, it was sold as C6 Automatic car...

So, you say it was shipped to LAX at April 65, can you say how when work was finished and how long it stay in SAI
befor sell to the first owner ?

That would very help to narrow down the possible Timecode when it was CSX3118

thanks a lot

Stephan

[Cobra Ned]

CSX 3118 was not completed last Shelby American until August. But it became a test-mule for quite a while, and the automatic transmission was installed at some point, along with a small turbocharger. Jim Benavides used it as a company car, and it was finally sold "as-is" to Bill Kolb in '68. He said he changed it back to a 4-speed and sold it but the car supposedly had an automatic in it when it was stolen some  time in '81.