Cobra Daytona 1965 Le Mans

[Gramps46]

1965 Cobra Daytona CSX2606

For the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans Shelby had a problem fielding cars in the GT class.  He had more Cobras than entries.  A deal was struck with Alan Mann in England to prepare CSX 2602 and provide drivers, Sutcliffe and Harper, using an entry provided by the Swiss Scuderia Filipinetti racing team.  The entry would need a new paint scheme of course, red with a white stripe.

The Bartoletti transporter loaded in England for the trip to Le Mans.

The transporter at Le Mans ready to unload, though in scale.

Model photos

The model:
The model is a 1/24 Lindberg kit with a 1/25 IMC Cougar II chassis.  The longer AC style Cougar chassis matched the Lindberg body and had poseable front wheels.  The 5 spoke Halibrand wheels are Gunze Sangyo and the decals are available on-line.  Various changes were made to vents and scoops to update the body from the 1964 configuration to the 1965 specification.  A special thanks to Mike Sells who decades ago sent me this partially built kit when he focused on smaller scales and built the body of the Bartoletti transporter.
 

[cobraman]

Another great looking Cobra. I am interested in the trailer (?) you have the Cobras loaded on. Do you have a complete pic. I love the Cobra transporter and I believe I saw a die cast version of it but it was way expensive as I recall.

[Gramps46]

Ray, the transporter is a scatch built Bartoletti body that Mike Sells built, and I put it on a modified AMT Ladder Fire Truck chassis.  Still need to finish it off though with the interior of the cab and lettering.

Exoto made a 1/43 model of it.

[fireguy14]

Both are simply stunning! Well done!

[vamach1]

Very nice as always.  I do not have definite plans for my Lindberg kit so you have sparked an idea and I may go that route with mine.

[Rich Chernosky]

Gary...considering what you started with ...this turned out to be  a real beauty...well done

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[Bruce Scully]

This is a great looking build , a lot of nice work in this .

[Phildaupho]

Very impressive Lindbergh IMC hybrid Daytona. Very handsome. 

[Dave B]

Great build Gary, the Lindberg kit, with a little work and Gunze Sanyo wheels builds into a nice kit.  I built the Ford France Daytona from one.

Dave B

[cobraman]

20 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Ray, the transporter is a scatch built Bartoletti body that Mike Sells built, and I put it on a modified AMT Ladder Fire Truck chassis.  Still need to finish it off though with the interior of the cab and lettering.

Exoto made a 1/43 model of it.

Love that !  What a great way to display some Cobra's.

[Gramps46]

9 hours ago, Dave B said:

I built the Ford France Daytona from one.

Dave B

I would like to see your Ford Of France build in white.

[Gramps46]

On 9/1/2022 at 1:50 PM, Gramps46 said:

Ray, the transporter is a scatch built Bartoletti body that Mike Sells built, and I put it on a modified AMT Ladder Fire Truck chassis.  Still need to finish it off though with the interior of the cab and lettering.

Exoto made a 1/43 model of it.

Update - dug out some decals and updated the photo.

[Pierre Rivard]

Another cool car from your productive bench Mr McNutt. It's watching so many of your builds and the fascinating stories that encouraged me to migrate from Nascar to road / endurance racing builds.

Keep posting builds and putting them in context with the stories. I learn so much from you.

[unclescott58]

A nice batch of Fords. I didn’t know Linberg made a Cobra coupe model. I’ve never understood in the past why that car had not been made in 1/25th or 1/24th scale. Now I find that it has? 

[David G.]

Spectacular work on the entire set!

David G.

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[cobraman]

40 minutes ago, unclescott58 said:

A nice batch of Fords. I didn’t know Linberg made a Cobra coupe model. I’ve never understood in the past why that car had not been made in 1/25th or 1/24th scale. Now I find that it has? 

I happen to have one to show you in my Cobra collection . Here is the box . Typical Lindberg kit but from what I have seen the body is pretty nice . 

[Lobo2me]

Nice job! I've always been a huge Cobra fan and you did a great job on the transporter and models.

 

[Gramps46]

This is the Lindberg kit in its original 1964 guise.  Built, several decades ago, to look like CSX 2287 at Daytona.

 

[cobraman]

That sure looks good.

[Bernard Kron]

Those are both beautiful models, and resourceful elaborations on the donor models. Bravo! I recently won a Daytona Coupe resin body on eBay. It was mis-advertised as a Ferrari and, luckily for me, overlooked. It turned out to be a beautiful casting and I suspect was based on the Lindberg Snap-Kit posted above since the hood is molded in place. There is no glass so the resin will be quite a challenge to build even if it stays as a curbside. There is a full-detail Gunze Sanyo version out there but both the Gunze and the Lindbergs are rare, keenly bid and expensive. Perhaps I'll keep an eye out for the Lindberg in the hopes its more humble provenance will yield an affordable example. Is the #11 car in you wonderful updated photo the Gunze Sanyo? It looks slightly less "squashed" in the windshield area than the Fillipinetti car.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Bernard Kron

[Gramps46]

Yes, the #11 is a modified Gunze kit which I lengthened the wheelbase and rounded over the nose to match CSX2299 before the smashed in nose at Le Mans.  Thanks for the kind words too.

[slusher]

Outstanding!

[Jim B]

Nice Cobra. Well done.