Cobra Daytona CSX2299 at Le Mans 1965

[Gramps46]

Did you ever wonder why the nose on the Gunze Sangyo Cobra Daytona seemed a little flat?  We know the model was based upon CSX 2299 when owned and restored by Michael Shoen and the kit even included his Arizona license plate.  (photo - copy right Michael Shoen)

When I built my GS kit I added a bit to the nose to get what I consider a more correct shape.  OBTW I lengthened the wheels base too but that is another story.

 

The answer to my question above is pretty obvious when seen after the 1965 Le Mans race when it was returned to Alan Mann's shop in England. Since CSX 2299 continued to race after Le Mans in Europe it is reasonable to assume the body repairs were done while at Alan Mann's shop.

It is presumed the dog that tried to cross the track at Le Mans did not survive.  However, some historians claim it was not a dog but a slower car.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Gramps46

[Dave B]

Gary, I'm disappointed you didn't build it with the crumpled nose, just kidding!!

It's a great build, tks for sharing.

Dave B

[1959scudetto]

Excellent model, Gary - looks great even without the front damage :-)

[cobraman]

Beautiful model, well done !

[Rich Chernosky]

Excellent model Gary, and the background information is great. Always cool to know these little tidbits of info. So...if anyone ever questions the authenticity on the nose of my build I can tell them this story.  Thanks

[Pierre Rivard]

Nice, very nice. Please please please post more pics!

[Gramps46]

OK Pierre here are more pictures of my build of CSX2299.  In addition to rounding over the nose I stretched the chassis to a true 1/24.

[cobraman]

Thanks for the extra pics .

[Pierre Rivard]

Thanks Gary, really a beautiful build. The mods really work, looks like it was molded that way.

[Brudda]

Man that’s beautiful 

[Bainford]

Beautiful Daytona. Nice work on the corrections and details.

I smiled as I read your opening line because, Yes, I did wonder about that flat nose on the Gunze Daytona. It was the first thing I noticed when I opened my new kit in the early 90s. It didn't quite seem to match reference photos, and I wondered if it was patterned off of a damaged car. I didn't think much more about it until, one evening in the late 90s, I was watching the 1965 flick Redline 7000 and was amused to see one of the characters was driving a Daytona Coupe as his daily. Cool. But then, I watched in horror as the dude stuffed the Daytona in a ditch nose first. From that point on I had wondered if the Gunze car was patterned after the movie car. Not the case though, as I later learned the movie car was CSX2287, which has unique coachwork relative to the other five, and as you noted, the Gunze kit is patterned off CSX2299.

[1959scudetto]

Nice pictures, Gary - when correcting the wheelbase: did you have to stretch the body also ?

[Gramps46]

Helmut,

I stretched the model by using the 1/24 Monogram 427 chassis as the standard and put longer chassis tubes in the GS chassis.  Then for the body I added strips of styrene to both the cowl and bonnet to get the length to match the chassis.

[vamach1]

Here is one of the Gunze kits built box stock for comparison.

[vamach1]

5 hours ago, Bainford said:

Beautiful Daytona. Nice work on the corrections and details.

I smiled as I read your opening line because, Yes, I did wonder about that flat nose on the Gunze Daytona. It was the first thing I noticed when I opened my new kit in the early 90s. It didn't quite seem to match reference photos, and I wondered if it was patterned off of a damaged car. I didn't think much more about it until, one evening in the late 90s, I was watching the 1965 flick Redline 7000 and was amused to see one of the characters was driving a Daytona Coupe as his daily. Cool. But then, I watched in horror as the dude stuffed the Daytona in a ditch nose first. From that point on I had wondered if the Gunze car was patterned after the movie car. Not the case though, as I later learned the movie car was CSX2287, which has unique coachwork relative to the other five, and as you noted, the Gunze kit is patterned off CSX2299.

CSX2287 has a bizarre history from the Salt Flats records to movies to the National Register.  I have seen the car several times at the Simeone museum in Philly and at the Washington DC auto show where I got to talk to Pete Brock for about 30 minutes.

Edited August 19, 2022 by vamach1

[1959scudetto]

Small addendum to your fascinating story, Rex:

Standing beside CSX2287 on the Bonneville Salt lake is famed land speed record holder Craig Breedlove, who dueled with Art Arfons for the record  in 1965 (recommended read: Samuel Hawley’s book  SPEED DUEL: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE LAND SPEED RECORD IN THE SIXTIES)

Breedlove achieved a record speed of 555,485 mph on November 2, 1965. This was temporarily beaten 5 days later, when Art Arfons drove Green Monster to an average speed of 576 mph, before Breedlove once again broke the record with his landmark 600 mph run 8 days after that.

As the time window for record runs is very short (salt surface, weather conditions) and Breedlove had some days left, he used his booked "salt time" to the fullest,  talked his wife into putting up a female speed record  of 308 mph with Spirit of America, and then he drove the  Cobra Daytona Coupe to the aforementioned 25 speed records. These actions had also the purpose to strain/ruin the surface of the salt and prevent his competitor from hitting back immediately.

So the record stayed with him until 1970 (Gary Gabelich/The Blue Flame) – when trying to establish a new record in 1966, Art Arfons survived a 620 mph crash with his Green Monster which was totally destroyed at this occasion.

Edited August 20, 2022 by 1959scudetto

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[fireguy14]

Very nice!