This 1964 Shelby Cobra is one of approximately 528 Mark II examples produced between 1963 and 1965. CSX2231 was initially configured for street use and remained with multiple owners through 1978, when the next owner purchased the car after it had been parked for some time. It was modified for track use prior to the 1990s with a replacement 292ci V8 as well as a hood scoop, fender flares, and a roll hoop. The current owner purchased the car in 2004, and a subsequent refurbishment project involved stripping the car to bare metal and repainting the body in blue with white stripes. The engine was built to 292ci and modified with cylinder heads developed for DeTomaso and Shelby’s abandoned P70 project as well as quadruple Weber carburetors and tubular headers feeding a dual side-exit exhaust system. Shifting is via a Tremec five-speed manual transmission, and additional equipment includes 15″ Halibrand knock-off wheels and disc brakes. Inside, low-back bucket seats trimmed in black leather are accompanied by a wood-rimmed steering wheel and Stewart-Warner instrumentation. This Mark II Cobra is now offered on dealer consignment with removed components, refurbishment photos, awards, and an Illinois title.

Having retired from competitive driving due to a heart condition, Carroll Shelby instead began an endeavor to create a European-style sports car with American V8 power. In 1961, Shelby secured a partnership with AC Cars in Surrey, UK, to build a variant of the AC Ace that would be completed by Shelby in the US with engines supplied by Ford Motor Company. The resultant Cobra model was introduced in 1962, with the first 75 examples powered by a 260ci powerplant before production shifted to the use of Ford’s 289ci unit.

Noted to have left the factory in white, this example was modified for track use with a hood scoop, fender flares, a roll hoop, a Monza-style fuel-filler cap, and an external shut-off switch at some point prior to a vintage race at Road Atlanta in 1989. It was later disassembled and stripped to bare metal before being repainted in its current color scheme of blue with white stripes as part of the aforementioned refurbishment in the 2000s. Bumper jacks, dual side mirrors, wind wings, and a dual side-exit exhaust system were also added.

The 15″ Halibrand wheels are secured via three-eared knockoffs and are mounted with BFGoodrich g-Force Sport tires, as is a matching spare stored in the trunk compartment. Mark II Cobras utilize a rack-and-pinion setup, and stopping is handled by four-wheel disc brakes.

The cockpit houses fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in black leather with a color-matched dash. A multi-point harness is fitted for the driver, and additional features include black carpeting, AC-branded pedals, a sliding rearview mirror, translucent sun visors, and a fire extinguisher located in the trunk.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel was refreshed under current ownership and sits ahead of overhauled Stewart-Warner instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and gauges monitoring oil temperature, coolant temperature, amperage, fuel level, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 33k miles, approximately 4k of which have been added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown.

The car was delivered with a 289ci V8 and later fitted with a race-prepped V8 when it was modified for track use. Following the current owner’s purchase, the Ford V8 was built to a displacement of 292ci by Barry Sale of PHP Racengines in Wauconda, Illinois. The engine is equipped with cylinder heads developed for DeTomaso and Shelby’s abandoned P70 project as well as quadruple Weber carburetors, tubular headers, an oil cooler, and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan. A 2007 dynamometer report can be viewed in the gallery below and the removed cylinder heads are included in the sale.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The removed four-speed transmission is included in the sale.

Photos documenting various stages of the refurbishment completed under current ownership are viewable in the gallery along with a number of period photos.

A number of spare and removed components will accompany the car including a four-speed gearbox, a radiator, an intake manifold, cylinder heads, six wheels, brake parts, and more.

The selling dealer has relayed that while at the original selling dealer, the car rolled off a trailer into a tree, resulting in damage to the right-front and leaf-spring mount. The first owner reportedly purchased the car as-is and commissioned Art Hoyt to repair the bodywork, during which time the chassis number in that area was removed. The car was then stripped to bare aluminum by the original owner and, according to the car’s SAAC registry entry, remained in that configuration through a change of ownership in 1989. Additional chassis stampings around the car are displayed in the gallery below.

From the seller:
I spoke to the original owner of the car in the registry, who is now 85 years old and quite lucid. The accident noted in the registry actually happened at the dealership when the car had 27 miles. But this was not a driving accident. The car rolled off the trailer into a tree, damaging the right front. It also broke the leaf spring mount. Frederick Sisson bought the car as is and brought it to Indiana, where he had an expert aluminum body guy, Art Hoyt, repair the bodywork without any replacement of aluminum or the use of bondo. Art was Jerry Hoyt’s father.

Jerry was 1955 Indy Pole winner and died later that year. Art also purchased a new wheel and tire. When the car was finished, the bill was $280 without paint. Since Frederick could only come up with the $280, he decided to take Easy Off oven cleaner and strip the rest of the car to bare aluminum. So basically from new, CSX 2231, while born white, was actually driven all over the country by Frederick in bare aluminum. He went to Canada, Watkins Glen, Chicago. Got caught in the snow. Didn’t matter. It was his only car and he used it. Plus, it was in complete unmodified condition in and out, fenders and all were as delivered. It wasn’t until the second owner did the car get a hood scoop and painted blue.