You must have a cool car to drive the iconic 2400 mile Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, right? I agree, so I’m building a Factory Five Racing replica 1965 Cobra roadster for the trip. The kit is excellent: I’ve built and raced several of them over the past 25 years, and this one is coming together nicely too!
I’ll tell you the story of how I came by this particular car another time. For now, I’ll show you a few photos and give some info on the build. The car has an instantly familiar look, having raced internationally during the 1960’s, bringing Ford Motor Company and a brash retired racing driver, Carroll Shelby, to worldwide fame back then. Maybe you watched the 2019 movie “Ford vs. Ferrari”? Well, this car is the brother to the cars shown in that flick.
Here’s approximately how my car will look when finished, based on others I’ve built.
What goes UNDER the skin of the Cobra body is what I’m most interested in. The mechanical and electrical parts move the car down the road; the body is just decoration! Here’s the frame and partially completed engine and interior compartments.
I’ll post more info and photos as progress occurs. This thing is almost ready to come off the jacks and roll under its own power. I’m hoping to drive it (legally) before August, 2023, then spend several months working the bugs out, in preparation for the C3 on Route 66 event in 2024. That trip should put about 6,000 miles on the Cobra by the time I return home, let’s hope they are trouble-free!
TEASER PIC: My car in the future!
