Fire Victim: Superformance Shelby Daytona Coupe
The Superformance brand of recreations are among some of the most sought after in the industry, known for their exacting details and a close working relationship with Carroll Shelby. This particular example is a Shelby Daytona Coupe, also known as a CSX9000, and is a burn victim with damage contained to the cockpit and canopy area. Find it here on eBay with a $35,000 Buy-It-Now and the option to submit a best offer.
This model also carries the distinction of not only being licensed by Shelby but also entered into the Shelby registry. So, if a bit more provenance is important to you in your replica acquisition, the Shelby Daytona coupe could be a good place to start. The seller says the rest of the shell is fine, with unaffected running gear and suspension. Speaking of, Roush Performance was the shop behind the Ford-sourced mills of varying displacements.
This example makes do with the largest option of all, a 427. No word on whether it runs or drives, but we’d love to hear it fire up. In addition to being known as the Shelby Daytona coupe or CSX9000, these are also called the Brock Coupe as racing legend Peter Brock – who designed the original Daytona coupe – was retained to transform his legendary road car into a modern performance vehicle with Shelby’s blessing.
The seller speculates this was his car pre-fire, and it does look like at least a replica of the replica. I’m sure the Cobra was used in multiple motorsports events; after all, that’s what it was intended to do. But did a poorly installed motor lead to an engine fire, or did a rogue electrical failure cause the interior to perish? Who knows, but the bigger question is whether this pricey Superformance Daytona coupe can be rebuilt. What do you think?
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Comments
That car does not run nor drive
Doubt its the same car, as the untouched car has different exhaust as well as proper headlight cover seals. In addition, the headlight covers screw mount locations appear to be different. Fire also made it past the canopy, as the visibly damaged flutes, manifold, and injectors say otherwise.
Sorry to be Mr. Negative, but I always find it to be disengaging when someone claims one thing, but the photographs they use as proof tell a different story.
Also, it is pretty darned shady to sell a damaged car without showing the full extent of the damage. IDC what a car looked like before it burned up, I want to know how it looks after.
$50K, including damaged engine and trans?
No thanks, I’ll just keep my memories of riding in the original Daytona, complete with California ‘Manufacturer’s’ plates, when it was new.
interesting approach: $35K, oh by the way if you want the engine and trans that’s another $15K. Sorry, I don’t see that being a $35K chassis.
Someone will undoubtedly offer something but I sure hope it’s not $35K for the chassis or $50K for the whole thing.
Wait, wait, riding in the original Daytona???
Please share more of the story. I have been in one of these and it was loud, hot, uncomfortable, and incredible fun.
SMS, when I was a kid, I used to regularly spend Saturdays hanging around Carroll Shelby’s shops, most often in the workshops at his dealership on La Brea Ave in Los Angeles. It was an easy ride from home on my ultra-exotic, 24″, single-speed JC Higgins bike.
Cal kindly gave me the run of the place, as I was keen to learn everything I could about engines, etc. I’m sure OSH would have fits if some kid tried to do the same, today.
At any rate, one day, I spotted this really cool looking coupe in the dealership workshop and moseyed in to have a look. Sho’nuff, it was a Daytona Cobra, complete with the previously-mentioned ‘MFR’ plate on the back.
When asked if I wanted to go for a ride in it, it must have taken me almost a nanosecond to say, “Yes, please!”
Strapped into the passenger’s seat, the driver/mechanic shot up La Brea and then onto Highland Ave. I just hung on for dear life with an ear-to-ear grin. You’re right, SMS, it was hot and noisy!
I’ll never forget Carroll’s kindness in allowing me to hang out with his guys and just learn stuff. Interestingly – well, for me, at least – I was corresponding some 25 years later with a mutual friend and suggested that the ex-Texas chicken farmer probably wouldn’t remember me. A couple of weeks later, I get a reply, saying, “Actually, Peter, he does. He said that you were the little kid who asked a thousand questions. He was surprised that you’re living in NZ and sends his regards…” I feel honoured to have known him.
Great story BB, thanks so much for sharing. Nice to read about one of my heros being a good guy too.
You’re from L.A. and you moved to New Zealand, or you moved back to New Zealand?
Does your spelling of ‘honoured’ come from assimilation? I I thought it was usually because people ‘learnt’ to spell it that way from the start…?
Roman, I was born and raised in SoCal to parents who were born in ultra-exotic Bronx, NY.
Living in L.A. in the 1950s-70s meant I had the chance to meet a lot of interesting motorsports, hot rodding, old car, and motorsickel folk. I was also a subcontractor to some of the country’s speed equipment and accessories suppliers, as well as being a freelance motoring writer.
I moved to NZ in 1981, hence the use of ‘British’ English in my posts. It’s kind of the expectation ’round these parts, although I apparently speak ‘American’ when I’m working as the track announcer at the local drag strip. I guess I just can’t get away from speaking ‘Traditional US Hot Rod’ when I’m in the booth. LOL
Nope!
$35K for everything? Maybe… but not just for the chassis and partial body. There might be $50K (or more) worth of professional work needed to bring this one back to pristine condition. Used ones sell for about $130K.
Well if the flatbed come with it…
Can I keep the keys to the car or is that extra?
How about the air in the tires?
You want extra for engine in a burnt out hull car with a salvage title ?
Gosh that’s a great deal let sell my kidney and one arm and get back to you . Lol 😂
Don’t hold your breath insurance flipper who got this for less than seven grand most likely five 💰
Talk about creative photos designed to show little to potential purchasers. The seller sure is looking for a sucker who wants to be parted with his/her money very quickly. I can easily go down to my garage and start up my S1 E-Type Coupe (with 30k miles and no rust), and take her for out for a drive. And I paid less than this for her a couple of years ago.
Well for a start seller is offering choices on eBay which isn’t allowed ,oh well
.. pics dont even match …
I don’t see that engine runnung again yntil it’s been thoroughly gone through. Both rear carb throats melted during the cabin blaze.
Many, many years ago when the SEMA show was in it’s infancy. I was walking down a corridor to the restroom when Mr. Shelby was walking the other way. (It was just us 2 and no one else there) I said that I did not intend to bother him. But I just wanted to shake the hand of one of my idols. He was extremely congenial and we spoke for at least 30 minutes. I had already been impressed by the man before the meeting. But I will never forget the feeling after we departed. “What a truly nice man!” To this day, when ever I see or hear his name. The cars and the racing leaves my brain (my wife will tell you that is impossible) and the conversation with one of the nicest people that I have ever met comes back to me. RIP Mr. Shelby, the world misses you!
Wayne, that must have been in the days when the show was in Long Beach. Thanks for sharing your story.
I used to be a SEMA member, amongst other things.
Mr. Lavery… “No word on whether it runs or drives”? Really? Are you serious?
On a vastly more interesting note, I have a personal connection with one of the originals. The woman I mentioned in another Barn Finds thread: https://barnfinds.com/price-documentation-1978-cadillac-seville/
has a sister named Christa. Both were startlingly beautiful women. Christa looked a lot like Crystal Gayle. She was/is married to a man named Mike Shoen.
We all lived in the Scottsdale / Paradise Valley area of Arizona. I remember distinctly when Mike bought his first Daytona coupe at auction in the mid-1970’s. One of the car magazines (Car & Driver, I think) interviewed the man Mike was bidding against. That gentleman stated that the reason he quit as the bidding reached $80,000 (at that time period, you could buy a Lola for $3,000 – I was offered one at that price) and let Mike have it, was that he got the impression that he was bidding against someone who had no limit. He was correct. Mike is a member of the family that started U-Haul.
Mike would at one time own 3 of the 6 (7) ever built. If you’d like to see more, Mike has written a book on the Daytona Coupes, “Cobra-Ferrari Wars 1963-1965 by Michael L. Shoen” (highly recommended reading), and produced a small (less than 12 minute) video on YouTube that you will thank me for turning you on to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPnxFe7WqZI
One time he showed me around a small part of his collection, and I had goosebumps the entire time.
I know I’ve mentioned this before on other threads, but nobody (except me) can see the comment I left). Is there a problem?
I see it. Of course, I see dead things. No wait, that was in a Bruce Willis movie…
@George – !/2 hour after I posted it, neither my brother nor my friend could. Thank you for the input.
TriPowerVette,
I won’t go into the technical details, but to speed up the site, we’ve recently implemented a private caching system. While you might not see it, people with the newest cached version will. Try holding the shift key while clicking the refresh button. It should clear your private cache and download the newest version (at least in theory).
@Josh Mortensen – Thank you. I will try that next time.
Snort-laughed at “running gear looks nice”. I mean, one of the valve covers is melted on the end. The fuel delivery system is melted junk and the firewall and rear portion of the motor looks to have suffered some serious burns.
Of course, this car could be nice once again with a huge amount of cash and work. Obviously the seller is just a clueless human, but he absolutely deserves to be called out for badly misrepresenting a burned-up money pit.
photo tip #1 Never shoot your “for sale” car on a flat bed truck. The implied description is the car has lots-o-problems.
Call up Superformance to order a body, wiring and interior. Then start moving suspension over while the engine is on the bench being rebuilt. Just need to get that price down a little. These are valuable and beastly creatures!
This looks like a risky proposition for someone’s next project.
It’s great to hear positive stories about Mr. Shelby and how he interacted with young and older alike when he was not in the limelight.
The only Carroll Shelby Cobra I will ever own is the “last” Hot Wheels 1/64th diecast Cobra I received in the original packaging from his secretary for making a donation to his Heart Foundation many years ago. One could say I bought the Cobra, but that is not why we donate to causes we support is it? There was a promotion in some of the car magazines at the time to raise money for Mr. Shelby’s Heart Foundation. Those who contributed a certain amount would receive a gunmetal gray Cobra diecast while supplies lasted. At the time, the quickest way to donate was over the phone. I remember calling and making my donation and Mr. Shelby’s secretary telling me that they really do appreciate the donation. Then she said something like, I’m sorry, but we ran out of the Cobra diecasts (my heart sank) so I immediately asked if they would be getting any more in? She said no, the last one we have is the one that’s been sitting on my desk in rough packaging to show visitors who donate here in person. I told her that would not matter to me so would she possibly consider letting me have that one? There was a long pause and she said maybe, let me find out. I waited for what seemed like 10 minutes when she came back on the line and let me know I could indeed have the one on her desk. I was elated and still have it.
B.B.,
No, it was probably the first time in Las Vegas. The only things that I have ever done in Long Beach is watch the Grand Prix, visit he Spruce Goose, ( gone now) go on the Queen Mary tour twice and Dinner on the Queen Mary with the Race Drivers in 1978 (a really cool, fun thing!)
I’m just showing my age with the L.B reference, Wayne.
Sounds like you had some excellent experiences in that part of SoCal. Were you involved with the LBGP? Believe it or not? I never went, being more into classic sports car racing in the late 1970s and spending quality time at Briggs Cunningham’s museum in Costa Mesa, as well as my business interests.
You mean they put those terrible wheels on at least two of those cars???
Gidday from Australia, In September 2006 a very famous Australian Racing Driver Peter Brock was killed racing a Shelby Daytona. It is coincidental that the original Shelby Daytona was designed by another Peter Brock..
That was a sad day when Peter Perfect crashed. I had the chance to meet him at a motor show in Auckland in the early 1990s. Interesting guy with some interesting ideas (ref to a certain box he installed in his Commodores).
There is also a Kiwi connection to the Daytona story. A guy named John Ohlson worked for Cal on a part-time basis and was directly involved with the car’s construction.
Here’s a link for those of you wanting more information: http://www.themotorhood.com/themotorhood/2015/7/15/the-kiwi-and-the-cobra
20K with the running gear…tops.
I didn’t know they use MSD and Serpentine belts in ’64?
Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
Well Beatnik, we have more than a few things in common, as a child I lived in Burbank, around the corner from Tommy Ivo and within bicycling distance of both the Dean Jeffries and George Barris shops so I got to see the Batmobile and the Monkeemobile go together. Got my first ride on a motorcycle at the age of 13 on the back of Steve McQueen’s Triumph 650 Bonneville. Have spent more than a few miles in Australia – crossed the Nullarbor Plain in a 100 year old Rolls-Royce and a supercharged Mercedes 630K.
Ching-A-Trailer, it’s a small world. I used to own a house on Griffith Park Drive in Beautiful Downtown Burbank, which as you know, is only a few blocks from Ivo’s street. A lot of motor sports legends came from that part of SoCal.
FYI, Dean was a friend and George was an acquaintance.
I can’t say that I ever rode pillion with someone famous. In fact, never rode pillion and haven’t had a pillion passenger since the early ’70s (long story).
Your trip across the Nullarbor sounds a lot cooler than the one I did in the 1970s. Mine was in a Falcon; well, I think it was a Falcon. The red dust kind of made it unrecognisable…
I wonder if we knew each other – I graduated from Burroughs High School in 1971. By that time I lived right on Keystone St, across from the baseball diamond. I’d still get up in the morning and drive my Bugeye Sprite or Simca around the school a few times before parking it at the curb and walking in for classes
B.B.,
No other interesting things happening to me in SoCal. At the time (1978) I lived in the Chicago area. I was involved in autocross, ice racing and Pro-Rally and was running a couple of Goodyear stores. Before Goodyear I worked in the aftermarket accessories field. (Bilstein, Marshal, Momo, etc.) I literally fled the cold and ice and moved to northern Nevada. Was involved in the Carson City Intl. Pro-Rally and basically laid low while raising kids. Now building “different” vehicles, doing some driving instruction. (basic and high speed) and spending time running track day events with a vintage “souped up” spec racer.
Was lucky enough to do some very cool things and have had a very rewarding automotive career and playtime.
That sounds pretty damned good, Wayne. What kind of vintage racer are you running?
I was just saying to a buddy of mine in SoCal, looking back over the 37 years since I moved to NZ, I realised just how much I gave up to start a new life in another country, not that I’m complaining.
B.B.,
It is a Renault Spec Racer from the mid-80s. (For those of you that are not familiar google Ford Spec Racer) The Renault was the predecessor to the Ford Spec Racer. The Renault is now what what is known as a GENeration 1 car. It is hard for me to comprehend something from the mid-80s being a vintage race car.
I guess I am just getting old. I am partners with my ex-brother in law. We are old and not into the race for every point fight. (been there done that) But love being on the track with a bunch of fun guys using up fuel trying to get in a fast lap and dicing back and forth. Over the years we have made upgrades as we no longer have to be “legal” for vintage racing. So a very warmed over GTA 2.0 with the GTA close ratio 5 speed gearbox makes it loads of fun. (instead of a 1.7 low compression wide ratio 4 speed gear box that is “the rule” for stock) We have not had it on the dyno yet. But estimates are about 50% more horse power than the stock SCCA spec engine. (And we had been running a stock Renault engine. Not the SCCA hopped up spec engine for several years.)
We can run the season (usually 4 events) on one set of hand-me-down tires. And the car generally needs no care or maintenance during the season. (oil changed at the end of the season and tires changed at the beginning)
Cheap “racing” like LeMons (which we did once and had a ball) with a group of really fun people. When I was having to slave for a living. (retired now) I would come back to work a whole new person. When the helmet visor comes down so does my blood pressure.
Thanks for the pic and sharing your story, Wayne. That looks like a pretty damned cool machine to own/race.
Ching-A-Trailer, I went to Fairfax High School, a few miles over the hill from you, and graduated a year or so before you. Your handle on BF always makes me chuckle, as it’s soooo open to interpretation.
A big thanks to the moderators for letting us share our stories on this thread.
…Now back to the barn finds, that are already in progress…
I wonder if the chassis could have been salvaged. If so, I think this car would have been a good candidate for vintage Italian-style coachwork