I'm Stephan Moran, welcome to my Cobra webpage.  I'm an Air Force veteran, a retired trauma surgeon, and I did automotive safety research at UAB's Mercedes-Benz Crash Injury Research Engineering Network (CIREN).  I continue to preach automotive safety on my podcast Cars on Call Podcast.  Take a listen on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.  What you hear may save your life or a loved ones.  Click the logos or social media icons to check it out.

My earliest car memory is my French mother burning rubber coming out of the neighborhod in her '65 Mustang Fastback and cruising with the top down in my dad's Sunbeam Alpine.  I've been a lifelong gear head since.   I'm a Ford guy through and through and depending on the weather, I daily my F150 or Bullitt Mustang.

Having worked with my hands as a trauma surgeon, I transitioned to wood working in retirement.  See my work at The Wood Surgeon.

Sentinel Moment

Like many others, I was snake bit as a 15 year old boy when I saw an AC Cobra for the first-time in the movie Gumball Rally in 1976.  The Cobra was driven by Michael Sarrazin as Michael Bannon and Nicholas Pryor as Professor Samuel Graves and they went on to win the race.  

In 2012,  I went to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, more commonly known as the Monterey Historics, which was commemorating the  50th anniversary of the AC/Shelby Cobra and I saw CSX3243.

In the movie Gumball Rally, there were actually 2 different original authentic 427 Shelby cobra's, freshly painted GuardsmanBlue.  CSX3243 was the primary car used for most of the movie sequences.  However the nose of the car was pranged while shooting the Los Angles river basin scene and CSX3255 was used to finish the needed film footage. In the "Gumball Rally" movie, in an interesting slip from "continuity," you can see the injured CSX3243 entering los angles on the freeway with a damaged nose.  The next scene of the movie reveals a pristine guardsman blue Shelby Cobra racing through the LA river channel.

CSX3243, The Gumball Rally Movie Car

Cobra Fever

Back to 1990, when I saw my first Cobra in the wild.  I was living in Kettering, Ohio where I was doing my general surgery residency.  I was outside mowing the grass at my house when a 427 SC drove by.  The neighbors told me where the owner lived in the neighborhood so I went there and introduced myself.  I don’t remember which replica kit it was but I knew I’d have one someday.  In the meantime, I bought a 1960 Austin Healy Bugeye Sprite that had a 1275 cc engine upgrade. It was my poor man's Cobra.   I enjoyed it for several years and sold it before my first assignment to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster Missouri.

Once again I became consumed with Cobra fever.  The Complete Guide to Specialty Cars authored by Curt Scott became my bible researching which replica to buy.  I called Curt several times for his advice and guidance.  There were a lot of shady vendors during this era and Curt was awarded ‘The Moto Award Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in Automotive Journalism’ at the NAJA (National Automotive Journalists Association) in 1995.  Curt now runs the No. 1 shopping mall for Cobra buyers and sellers: cobracountry.com.  After doing all of my research, my top choice for a replica was an ERA or Hi-Tech Motorsports.  Looking in the classifieds and Hemmings, the ERAs and Hi-Techs were out of my  price range.

Dream Realized, Temporarily

In 1994, I found a completed Unique 427SC in Porsche Guards Red with Wimbledon White Stripes and a 351 Cleveland with a Toploader transmission in Virginia just outside of Washington, DC.  I bought the car sight unseen over the phone and flew to my parents in Annapolis.  My father drove me to pick up the car and I drove it back to their house.  The next day I went over the car mechanically prepping it for a road trip back home.  I drove over a thousand miles in 2 days stopping overnight at the Schulte's  house in Dayton.  When I arrived home, I couldn’t hear out of my left ear, my left eye was irritated and watering, and my right foot had a first degree burn. 

Like all other SC owners, I burned my leg on the side pipes multiple times as well did my friends and kids I took for rides despite all the warnings.  I grew tired quickly of the boy racer look, the loudness, and burnt legs.  In 1999, I sold the Cobra knowing one day I’d have a Roadster (Street) version.

Delvering the car to Bob Hubsch, RIP my friend.

The Cobra that Got Away

In 2002,  I shook hands to buy this AC Mark IV Street with a 427 side oiler which several years later fell through (rest of the story to be told at a later time).  Life intervened and the dream of a Cobra was put on the back burner again.

Cobra Fever Relapse & Why I Chose ERA

During COVID, I started planning again to build a Cobra.  This time I wanted a gentleman’s Cobra, an oxymoron if there ever was one!  Ideally, I wanted an AC289 Sports which was the European version of a 427 Roadster with a small block.  Only 27 were made and the distinguishing features that appealed to me were a much narrower rear end and a cleaner front end without an oil scoop.

AC289 Sports Cobra, COX6111

Because the bodies were all hand-made on an English wheel and they were routingley damaged in transport to California requiring repairs, no two Cobras are exactly the same.  Original cars aren’t even close to being symmetric.  However, the 427 Cobras share a fundamental design and shape that is easily recognized as “original”.  In addition to the body, the rake of the windshield and an angled radiator are two other identifiable features.  Looking in the cockpit, the originals had floor articulated pedals and a reversed shifter.

In my research, there were a lot of new replica manufacturers to choose from.  In choosing a manufacturer, the most important thing for me is how true the body is to the original.  Here’s how I think about it.  You see a Cobra out in the wild (not a concours or at meet) and more than likely  it’s going to be a replica because originals are worth millions and are trailer queens.  The closer the Cobra gets,  I’m looking at the shape for visual clues that clearly identify it as replica.  If the body looks original, then I look at the angle of the radiator.  Perfect body, laid back radiator, is this an original?  Then I look at the foot pedals.  Wait a minute, they’re floor articulated, this could be the real deal!  Gentle knuckle on the body work when the owner isn't  looking, it’s fiberglass, it’s an ERA or a continuation Shelby.  If it's aluminum it's original, Kirkham, or a Kirkham bodied Shelby continuation.  

ERA was started by Peter Portante in 1981 and he made molds off of his original AC Cobra 427 Street, CSX3252.  Peter parked his replica next to a real one at a Cobra gathering and even Carroll Shelby couldn’t tell which one was real.

CSX3252 which Peter used to make the molds for ERA's 427 Roadster replica

Once again, for me ERA came out on top for fiberglass replicas.  In October 2021, I went to ERA to discuss my build with Peter and placed a deposit.  My thoughts were to start with the FIA and convert it into an AC289 Sports.  I’m not a fan of the shape of the front and fear fender flares on the FIA, but with some body work it could be done.  Peter wasn’t interested and wasn’t sure who could do the modifications. Knowing I had plenty of time before the build would start, I then started researching Cobras and discovered the “narrow hip” Cobras.  At Pebble Beach in 2012,  I saw two Cobras that had features I desired for my build. CSX3142 was the first narrow hip car I had ever seen in the wild and in addition to already having  been snake bit, I was now smitten with the svelte fenders.  The other Cobra I saw there was CSX4083 which is a continuation Shelby Cobra.  The CSX4000 continuation series could be ordered with fiberglass, carbon fiber, or aluminum bodies.  CSX4083 has a carbon fiber body and under the hood the rarest of, and for me the coolest of all Ford motors.  Ford only produced around 500 SOHC 427 ci motors and they are known the "Cammer".  The owner of this CSX4083 not only found a new original crate stock motor but he added the crown jewel 8-stack Weber induction system!  So after Pebble Beach, I knew my Cobra build one day would have the fenders of CSX3142 and an 8-stack induction system.

CSX3142, Original Narrow Hip Cobra

CSX4083, Continuation Cobra with the infamous 427 SOHC engine known as the  "Cammer"

"Narrow Hip" AC 427 Roadster (Street) Cobra

Early in the production run because of a supply issue with the Halibrand rims, Carroll Shelby had Peter Brock design wheels and the Sunburst wheel was the result.  Shelby was unhappy with the appearance of the wide-hip competition body when fitted with the new Sunburst 7.5” vs. the Halibrand 9.5”.  Peter Portante of ERA coined the term “dually look” to describe the wide-hip competition cars (looks like dually truck running 2 wheels instead of 4).  To make the cars look right with Sunburst wheels, the next 32 Cobras (CSX3125-3158) were built with narrower and tighter rear fenders and are known as the narrow hip Cobras.  Shelby later deemed it was not worth the added expense to make two 427 Cobra body configurations and the Halibrand wheels were again available so they switched back to the wider fenders.  

The narrow hip cars are not only the rarest of 427 Cobras but also the most aesthetically pleasing.  With their far more fit proportions they look like a proper sports car, along the lines of the original 289 Cobras and the later AC289 Sports.  With rear exhaust, no hood scoop or roller, and a Ceandess vs. the LeMans fuel cap, the narrow hip Cobras is a "gentleman’s" big block Cobra.  Though 400+ HP in a car with a 90 inch wheelbase weighing a mere 2,400 lbs is not very gentlemanly!  Of the remaining narrow hip cars, CSX3134 is reportedly the only one that has not been crashed or modified (see references page for the Hagerty web article). 

             While most 427 Cobras have suffered the indignity of having side pipes, hood scoops, roll bars, fender flares and other components of the Pamela Anderson Starter Kit fitted, CSX3134 remains in exact as-delivered 427 Street Cobra configuration.  

Hagerty

CSX3178 Cobra Roadster.  Carroll Shelby's personal car that sold at Mecum in 2021 for $5.4 million. 

Notice how the narrower Sunburst wheels look lost inside of the rear fender.   Peter Portera at ERA calls this the dually look; i.e. looks like a dually truck with 2 wheels instead of 4.

CSX3134 Cobra Roadster

Original & unmolested narrow hip with Halibrands

ERA828 427 Roadster with Sunburst wheels built by Bobby Crumpley.  Custom extended 1 1/2"half shafts to bring wheels out into the fenders.

ERA853 Narrow Hip 427 Cobra Roadster Build

I continued to research the narrow hip cars and found a posting from 2014 on clubcobra.com documenting the conversion of Eddie Clark’s ERA 427 Roadster to a narrow hip car by Metal-Morphus.

Ron Randall is the owner of Metal-Morphus and the company name comes from the proprietary technique his father invented bonding metal to different materials.  They additionally do custom and finish work for Factory Five Racing, Backdraft Racing, and Superformance Cobra dealers in the area.  Ron is a previous ERA owner, future owner, and he says ERAs are the finest of the replicas he works on.  That's all I needed to hear confirming my choice for  an ERA.

Eddie wanted a narrow hip car based off of CSX3134 and he had a set of Sunburst wheels.  Ron spent countless hours with Eddie shaping the front and rear fenders replicating the look of CSX3134.  Wisely and fortunately for me, he made molds of Eddie's  narrow hip Cobra re-creation.  Ron also has coated the insides of the hood and trunk of fiberglass replicas with aluminum giving the appearance of an aluminum bodied replica as seen in the pictures below.  I'm going to have Ron do the same aluminum bonding on my build.

ERA doesn’t move quickly, 2 years and 3 months after putting down a deposit, ERA853 427 Street is finally headed to Metal-Mophous for Ron to do the conversion. 

Metal-Morhpous ERA 427 Narrow Hip Roadster, Sunburst Wheels

ERA753 painted by Metal-Morphous with aluminum coating under the hood and trunk.  Click on the picture below to link to the build on this amazing Cobra.