For fans of REAL Cobras!

As long as I was digging through my old photos looking for Maserai Ghibli pics, here's one that I took in 1985 from a car show at Big Jim's Automotive in Jacksonville, Arkansas. (long gone; torn down years ago.) The Cobra is the real thing. The owner had a hand written cardboard sign on the car during the day that said "Aluminum body! Do not lean on car!" Therefore, I would say it's the real thing. The interior was pretty filthy; dirt, grass and Coke cans on the floor. Please analyze the photos and see what info can be extracted. Also at the same car show was a 1969 Yenko Camaro. I remember the Yenko being listed in the local paper for $6900. If only I had the cash back then.
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I don't know enough to spot the fakes, but typically the steering wheel will have the Shelby Cobra emblem. Can't tell if this pic has it or not.

Anyhow, I'd venture to guess that it's the real deal. The only reason I say that is because in 1985, Cobras weren't worth anything near what they are worth now. I'd say that was a $20,000 car in 1985...absolutely wild guess there.

Also, the vast majority of the fakes out there are based on Ford's Fox platform, which the 79-93 (and, to some extent, the 94-04) Mustang was built on. The non-Fox Cobra clones are pretty expensive, and I'd guess that in 85 the cost of building a clone would have been comparable to the real thing. Also, there were so few Fox mustangs on the road in 1985 that it would not have made a whole lot of sense to butcher one to make a clone.

Just a lot of speculation on my part, but I'm guessing it's the real deal.

 

There were kits in 1982 I know because my dad wanted one and it was $12,900 without engine/drivetrain/wheels so if a real one was worth $20K that doesn't make sense to build a kit.

This one appears to be a 289 not a 427 to me. Something about the fender flares both front and rear looks wrong to me with that flat edge. Most are flared out like a german WWII helmet, but I might be biased on that from looking at all the kits. I know the ERA kits offered the option to shave off the fender lip, but I'm not sure on the originals.

 

well I looked on the web and the 289's seem to have that flat fender edge. This is a real one.
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The 427 has a large hump right in front of the rear wheels.

 

It's a 289 all right. Easy to tell from the interior shot. The shifter on the 427 cars comes through the tunnel much farther back and angles forward. From the exterior shot, easy to tell by the fender flares and the wire wheels. 427's had alloys--either magnesium or aluminum.

 

Shelby steering wheels are a dime-a-dozen. There are much better ways to identify a real one.

 

They call the flat fendered Cobras slabsides. The photo looks like an original one except for the roll bar. It looks like it has too large of a radius at the top and only the FIA 289 cars had the forward support bar on them. The photo below is an original FIA Cobra.
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