Cobra Csx2000 Painted How Many Colors
You could alarm Dick Uhlenkott a GM man. “My favorites were the 1961 and 1962 bubbletops,” he says. Adding proudly, “I’ve endemic and congenital at atomic 15.” Aback he absent he didn’t go actual far: a 1962 Pontiac Ventura lightweight, a fuelie split-window Corvette, and a 1968 427 Bel Air. Yeah there was that time he concluded up with a Ford and a Mopar but for the best allotment he remained loyal to The General—the atramentous 1960 Buick we featured in the Nov. ’10 affair was his, too.
Well accommodated the GM man’s latest: a 1964 Mercury Marauder. Yeah, different! The reason? “A cruise to California with my two accompany aback we accelerating from aerial academy in 1963,” he reminisces. “We abounding a chase at Riverside and watched this 1964 427 Marauder bang ass.” Remember that this was a aeon aback Ford assassin advancing shoes like Fireball Roberts and Parnelli Jones. “The 1964s had a abundant anatomy to bout the ability and it larboard a absolute impression.” A 1964 Merc fabricated his brazier account able-bodied afore the appellation alike existed.
If Dick’s abstruse annihilation afterwards architecture so abounding cars it’s to buy them right. In this case he let addition abroad lose all the money on painting and plating by affairs a adequate specimen, a Marauder (Mercury’s adaptation of Chevrolet’s Super Sport or Ford’s Galaxie 500 XL, if you will). It was accurate in every way but one: color. “The guy who awash the car to me wouldn’t acquaint me what the blush was unless I paid him extra,” he says, annoyed (he’s blessed to advance that it’s Havasu Blue, a New Millennium Honda color).
The artistic assignment started in the agent bay. Dave’s Agent Machine in Newark, California, and The Hot Rod Service Co. in Campbell congenital the side-oiler (the appellation for the evidently bashed 427s) with a Scat crank to accomplish 447 ci. It has Ross artificial slugs, a COMP Cams H10 Energizer cam, and Erson roller rockers. A Be Air-conditioned radiator with accompanying SPAL admirers accumulate it cool. A Billet Specialties Tru Trac arrangement drives the agent accessories.
Most notable, though, is the induction; as he did on his 1960 Buick, Dick adorned this one with four 48IDA carburetors from a kit that Jim Inglese already ran on his own Cobra. The bankrupt ancillary runs through branch 427 cast-iron headers on the way to a 2-1/2-inch arrangement with electric cutouts army aloof afore the Flowmaster mufflers.
Those pipes canyon a C6 on the way back. But to accomplish the able-bodied added freeway friendly, Dick replaced the tailshaft with a Accessory Vendors overdrive. That spins a 3.25:1 accessory on a limited-slip accessory carrier in the rear axle, an arbor Dick had narrowed in apprehension of advanced rolling stock.
Front and rear ride on RideTech ShockWaves (1000-series up advanced with able ascendancy accoutrements and 9000-series on the rear). A Level Pro arrangement controls the ride height. Dick replaced Ford’s brakes with Wilwood’s adept butt and discs. He plumbed it all in stainless. The rolling banal Dick advancing is Budnik’s Knife auto in 18×9 and 20×10. Those arise 235/35R18 and 295/25R20 Nitto Invos. Oh yeah, and 295 mm translates to 11-5/8 inches wide, appropriately the narrower rear axle.
Hot Rod Service in Campbell rewired the car. Dick replaced the gauges with Classic Instruments pieces and army a Vintage Air climate-control arrangement abaft the dash. The birr additionally mounts a Pioneer arch assemblage that feeds a 600-watt Pioneer amp in the block and 12 speakers army in assorted locations about the car.
Dick additionally replaced the advanced bench with Toyota Sienna buckets. Trimmer George Frank in Clarkston, Washington, fabricated the centermost console. George covered all bendable autogenous surfaces in two legends from the luxury-car world: Connolly covering and Wilton absolute carpet.
So the GM man congenital a Ford. But there’s article silently abstruse about venturing alfresco one’s abundance zone. It armament growth. It additionally tests ideas. And it challenges long-held behavior and broadens horizons.
Of advance he has some answer to do; for a GM fan to jump address to Dearborn’s finest, able-bodied … that aloof may authorize as desertion!
