[falcongtho3]

The car at the center of one of most bizzare and tragic stories of all time is now on display at a car museum in PA.
Although I do not live anywhere near the area, if there's any chance of me getting up there I will go see it.
It is the Cobra Daytona once owner by Phil Spector (yes, that Phil Spector), and is also the holder of a number of land speed records set at the Salt Flats driven by Craig Breedlove.
Anyone who is familiar with the car knows it was stored away for many years in a rental storage unit, and Spector had even had '427' painted on the door, even though it was always a 289 powered car, as were the other 5 Daytona Coupes. The lone 427 Coupe project would not be completed for many years.

http://www.simeonefo...ite/?page_id=17

[roger-SAI]

I've read the story. Quite an interesting history. It was a great read.

[06VistaBlueGT]

Funny you should post about the Cobra. I just visited the collection a few weeks ago, and have ALOT of pictures of CSX2287 as well as alot of other AMAZING cars in the collection. Just gotta resize them, and get time to post. If I have time after work tonight, I'll post them up. The collection belongs to a very respected neurosurgeon, Dr. Fred Simeone. He has over 60 historic race cars in his collection and they are simply stunning!!! I'll bring my camera home and post the pics up tonight if I can. The pics are AWESOME!!!

[robertlane]

Good find. I was wondering when it would show up.

[shelbymotorsports]

Are you sure that is #2287?

Below a pic of what it looked liked when it was pulled out of storage. Notice it looks quite a bit different. No graphics. No roof dent. No missing paint. Exhaust different?

[shelbymotorsports]

Well looking around Google it appears this Simeone Foundation Museum is owned by a neurosurgeon and it was a neurosurgeon who purchased the car.

If it is the same car, which it appears to be, I think the ol Doctor took away from the cars history by restoring it. Perhaps he wanted to distance the car from the Phil Spector years but if it wasn't for Spectors wackiness this particular car wouldn't have achieved the cult status that it has.

The cars history is its history, why pretend it didn't exist? But thats just me.

Steve

[falcongtho3]

I'll agree that not restoring it would have been the way to go, but it's his car now. I've been a Daytona Coupe nut for many, many years and had the pleasure of putting my eyeballs on two real Daytonas in my lifetime. (Not literally...but you know what I mean) The book about them (Daytona, The Racing Cobras) occupies a prominant place in my living room, as does the Exoto replica and a number of other replicas. Soon, one the current roll of film gets developed, I'll post up a photo of a Daytona Cope poster I've never seen since acquiring it in the early '80's, along with a number of watercolor prints.
The story of the 'lost' Coupe needs to find its way onto the big screen somehow. It's the greatest racing story, with the most tragic human ending of any story I've ever heard.

Either way, restored or not, it is great to see it in the public eye again.

[twobjshelbys]

falcongtho3, on Jul 24 2008, 07:42 PM, said:

Soon, one the current roll of film gets developed,

I think I'm getting close to have developed my last roll. I have a Nikon F2 that I use but now my D100 is just more convenient, and with the D3/D700 (full frame sensor) I can use all of my old lenses so one of them is on the new toy list. A new camera might take priority over a mod (but it'll have to be the list of post Kenne Bell S/C for the BJ SGT.)

[falcongtho3]

I'm using a Pentax K1000SE. I bought it for myself as a high school grad. gift in 1979. It's been around the world with me (literally), and continues to perform too well to put it away. I've got a lot of friends who shoot digital, but I seem to often get the shots they can't. They seem to be changing batteries more often than I change film rolls!

[06VistaBlueGT]

shelbymotorsports, on Jul 24 2008, 06:53 PM, said:

Well looking around Google it appears this Simeone Foundation Museum is owned by a neurosurgeon and it was a neurosurgeon who purchased the car.

If it is the same car, which it appears to be, I think the ol Doctor took away from the cars history by restoring it. Perhaps he wanted to distance the car from the Phil Spector years but if it wasn't for Spectors wackiness this particular car wouldn't have achieved the cult status that it has.

The cars history is its history, why pretend it didn't exist? But thats just me.

Steve

Trust me Steve, I've seen it, and its the REAL DEAL!!! It is CSX2287!!!

[shelbymotorsports]

06VistaBlueGT, on Jul 26 2008, 05:18 AM, said:

Trust me Steve, I've seen it, and its the REAL DEAL!!! It is CSX2287!!!

Yup I'm convinced its the one. I just wish they had not done a partial restoration on it.

Steve

[HIGHFLIGHT]

http://shelbyamerica...collection.html

If you haven't seen this collection you need to if you are in the area. It is located just outside of Boulder off of Diagonal Hwy going towards Longmont. My son who lived a 5 minute walk from there kept telling me about this car museum I might want to go see. They have one of the 10 or 12 J cars. The long body GT40 that was so very fast. A good friend (Bob Olthoff) of mine raced the Willment Daytona (CSX2131) in South Africa. Only open on Saturdays.

[Shelby101]

This car is featured on Jay Leno's Garage right now.
He drives it and likes it!!!!!

[06VistaBlueGT]

HIGHFLIGHT, on Aug 23 2008, 10:16 AM, said:

http://shelbyamerica...collection.html

If you haven't seen this collection you need to if you are in the area. It is located just outside of Boulder off of Diagonal Hwy going towards Longmont. My son who lived a 5 minute walk from there kept telling me about this car museum I might want to go see. They have one of the 10 or 12 J cars. The long body GT40 that was so very fast. A good friend (Bob Olthoff) of mine raced the Willment Daytona (CSX2131) in South Africa. Only open on Saturdays.

Yeah, I gotta go out there one time soon! My dad's good friend's old GT40 is sitting in the collection. Its GT103, the 1st to ever win a race (the blue/white car). He sold it to Symbolic MotorCars in California a few years back and they restored it, to the same paint job as what it was when it won the Daytona race. From there it was acutioned off during Monterey weekend a few years back. BOY, I MISS THAT CAR!!!

[06VistaBlueGT]

Shelby101, on Aug 23 2008, 11:04 AM, said:

This car is featured on Jay Leno's Garage right now.
He drives it and likes it!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up on the videos. I've been waiting for them to appear. Funny story about those videos? When I visted the museum with my 9 other friends from our Mustang Club (badponyclub.com), we went on Sunday (10 mustangs out back). When we walked in to sign the book, I saw Jay's signature up top! I asked the lady at the desk, "Is this for real?". She said he and his wife (Mavis) stopped by Saturday to look around (was in A.C for a stand up show). We missed seeing Jay drive the Cunningham, Dupont and Daytona Cobra by 1 day!! BUMMER!! Still a great place to visit thought.

[falcongtho3]

For those that might be interested; CSX2601 is being listed for sale through a company in Arizona. Anyone want to call and see the asking price?

[Son of GT]

falcongtho3, on Sep 6 2008, 06:32 PM, said:

For those that might be interested; CSX2601 is being listed for sale through a company in Arizona. Anyone want to call and see the asking price?

The one being sold by GTC Mirage? 2.9 Million!

[falcongtho3]

That would be the one!
Only $2.9mil.??? The market must be getting soft...