“Tastes like chicken!” might describe grilled snake meat, but this 1966 Cobra replica in Heath, Ohio probably tastes nothing like chicken. A garage fire claimed the life of this once wicked snake. Hopefully it was insured! If you’ve got $8000 burning a hole in your pocket, the charred remains can be yours, according to the listing on Facebook Marketplace. That price gets you what’s left of the chassis, a 351C stroked to 388 cid, four-speed manual transmission, and a Ford 9″ rear end. Thanks to reader Darrun for sending this smoking hot tip.
The 1974 351 “Cleveland” V8 made over 500 HP according to the seller, enough to burn the tires in at least three gears with this lightweight Cobra body. Here we see evidence of the original yellow and white paint job. Either someone removed the aluminum radiator or the fire reached at least 1221 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand those ignition wires seem to have survived without melting. Perhaps someone made the radiator disappear using smoke and mirrors.
We rarely feature cars that you would call “done,” but here’s one that’s undeniably “well done.” The Midstates Classic Cars & Parts kit dates back to at least the 1990s, because that company was acquired by Shell Valley Classic Wheels in 1999, according to DIYFord. A car show placard from the listing describes this as Midstates’ “PROTO-TYPE 1ST CAR.”
Oh the humanity! Cars may not be human, but they are often given names and referred to as members of the family. My late Mother-in-law always named her cars, including an Oldsmobile named Melissa and a Fiero named Boris. Most people would call this one “Toast.” Do you have a burning desire to buy what’s left of this toasty kit Cobra? If so, fire away! Would you give it a rotisserie restoration?
I believe that restoring it would burn a big hole in the budget and singe your relationship with the significant other. That said if money was burning a hole in my pocket I would paint it GM Torch red with charcoal stripes or black with flames. Actually smoke gray with burnt orange stripes would be a hot combination.
There is nothing left to burn but air! Since there is alot of air, you would need a continuous fire to ignite the hunk of crap!
I sometimes wonder why charred hulks like this even make it to sites like this instead of heading straight to the crusher. It’s always been heartbreaking for me to see something end up like this. But maybe there’s hope…
Because, my friend, the words “crusher” and “Cobra” don’t belong in the same sentence these days. I agree, fire is the worst thing, for ANYTHING, and all we have here, is good our old pal, Mr.Greed. While I’m sure it’s a devastating loss, the insurance paid out, and this person, possibly due to the situation they’re in, wants, in true American fashion, “just a little more”. We can’t see the underside, there might be some parts, I wouldn’t want any in any Cobra I had ( as if), replica or not.
Judging by the asking price for this useless hulk, I’ll bet it was something HE was smoking that was the cause..
At least no one has commented on the “Patina”. This Cobra has been reduced to a Green Snake.
It’s a Cobra “Replica”!
Why would you spend a Hundred Grand to restore what was not much to begin with???
Ohh I like the Patina all right! If you shine it long enough, there will be nothing left!
Typical insurance company. Whoever works on this lump better have full PPE on at all times or their widow will have a difficult time collecting on the life insurance policy.
If the plug wires survived, then I see no problem with restoring the car. The rest will buff right out. Trust me…
The seller probably picked it up from Copart or another insurance clearing house. The “my friends shop” means a flipping is selling it.
There may be some salvageable parts, but for an $8,000 asking price it’s not worth the risk.
Steve R
Put some briquets in the interior and have a Car-B-Q.
Is that color Charcoal?
Might be “Burnt Orange”.
I do see a radiator in there so maybe not as hot as you think. All joking about toast,etc aside ,this is depressing. There but for the grace of God go any of us. Make sure your fire extinguishers are up to date. There was a massive recall on Kiddie’s for not working when needed. Ask me how I know.
Now it works :)
Another in the “Burn Finds” series.
Don’t count on much of the drivetrain being worth much. About all that’s worth anything might be the short block and the rear. The cylinder heads might be good if they were cast iron. Valve springs will be shot and no one knows how much water or fire extinguisher fluid went down the intake. The block may be junk. Trans? What kind was it? What’s the case made of? Aluminum has little tolerance to heat.
I’ve been thru TWO lightning-induced fires and lost a couple dozen cars. I’ve also bought quite a few vintage cars that went thru fires. I know what can be saved and what cannot be saved.
Based on these photos, what I see here is a car that went thru a “flash over” fire and as a result the interior caught on fire. The entire passenger compartment is shot. So is the body shell. The fire didn’t engulf the entire car long enough to create high heat problems under the hood.
Looking under the hood I see many items that quickly burn or are destroyed at low temperatures. On this car the rubber hoses, ignition cables, wiring, even the air cleaner is not totally destroyed. The carb is fine. The upper radiator hose to the header tank is still in place.
This entire motor & gearbox can be removed, cleaned up, oil/filter changed, perhaps replace some gaskets & rebuild the carb, but I am certain that this engine, assuming it was running well before the fire, will not be a problem. Same for the drive shaft and rear axle. The front suspension, less the rubber bushings, will also be OK. And those bushings still may be OK because the front tires didn’t burn. Nothing near the front suspension was hot enough to cause problems for most of the mechanical stuff. I suspect the entire chassis will still be useable as well.
The rest of the car is junk. Is the drive train, suspension and chassis worth $8k? That will depend on what kind of work was done to the motor.
Throw some marshmallows on it – it’s toasted.
My worst fear is a fire in my garage.
You are lucky.
Anybody got a spare Toyota truck chassis laying around that I can borrow?
Too soon?
“…this programme has been bought to you by the colour burnt and the letters P H U Q’d…”
Stick a fork in this one…
Sorry to see the loss. You can buy or build one way cheaper than fixing this.
That thing is beyond even yard art! and, asking 8k is just an insult, IMHO.
Someone should be playing taps…
Or ‘Hey Little Cobra’…
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Hey, little Cobra don’t you know you’re gonna shut ’em down!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pbO2rAHSD0&ab_channel=joltinjack
You could literally go out and buy a clone for $25 -$30k, that is a driver quality, especially with a lowly 351. This burned out hulk needs the crusher!
Lowly 351 Cleveland? It was not around for many years, but may have been one of Ford’s best engines. Too bad it wasn’t around for long, they were torque monsters. In comparison to a 427 FE or Chevy Big Block maybe lowly would be a good descripotion. 351 Windsor IMHO I would say lowly is a good adjective, . As for the car get a new engine or rebuild it, drive it as is, would be sure to get attention.
Can we get a cold start video?
Turn out the lights the party is over.
Ok I absolutely love Barn Finds. Look forward to I reading it daily. Why is this on there.
Because: 36 Comments and counting……
Bean me up again Scotty…………another waste of time ad for a pile of crap!!!
$8k??? Must be the difference between what he got from the insurance settlement and what he owes on it.
If it’s a Factory 5, you may be able to sort it out and order a body kit if you can save the frame
take the engine trans and rear end find hardware worth keeping then continue the burn if the wires survived the engine trqns and rear might be ok but not at 8k 3.5k max
Slap some new tires on it, rebuild the engine, drive to cars and coffee, be sure to get some attention.
You never know whatcha gonna git on Burn Finds! I think he done done done it!
Better get a parts list together if you need it for the weekend
It appears to be aluminum bodied and not fiberglass, somebody spent a pretty penny building this car. However I just don’t see it being worth restoring. Driver kit Cobras can be had for 30 grand or less and it’ll take more than that to get this one back.
Make beer cans out of it. 🍺
Having lost a car (not a Cobra, nor even a Cobra replica) in a fire, wherein my car looked about like this, I’ll repeat my hard-learned advice, posted here several times, over the years: WALK AWAY, WALK AWAY, WALK AWAY. Even those parts which can be removed from the car are not to be trusted. Let me ask you: If there’s enough heat to melt aluminum and glass . . . . . . . . .
that body did pretty well for a fire, My 73 Lotus Europa burned and there was nothing but fiberglass mat to be seen, no shape of any boby
Salvage.
Somebody is selling a title.
matt
To a fake Cobra though? Makes no sense to me.
Seriously this would actually cost to dispose of and should be paying to get shot, not expecting a bean for it.
A fake cobra vin is worth nothing unless I am missing something?
$8000.00? bwahhaahhaaahhhaa
I’ll bet you’ve got a high powered rolling chassis there that needs a clean up. I’ve seen numerous tub kits for sale for short monies that would mate rite up to that rolling powered chassis quite well.
fubar
If the fire got to 1221 degrees, fiberglass body would have burned off the car entirely. It is likely that the drivetrain is good, not that I am interested.
$800 topps!!!
I’ll pay you $800 to not look at this thing anymore!!!!!
I’lll give him $1,000.
LOL jay ouellette….Too funny…..
God, I love this site! This listing is the winner for funny comments, since I’ve been coming here. It really made my day, thanks to this tribe of jokesters!
unclemymy…..
Whose joking????
LOL
I believe the seller believes the unburnt power train is worth the asking price.
I can’t believe that so many of the commentators believe he is selling a vehicle for restoration.
Come on get a grip. if the power train is salvageable is it worth 8 grand +/ –
No, power train is not worth 8 grand.
Why not pull it and prove it runs?
Gets rid of the distraction too.
Cheech and Chong Up in smoke…
One too many zeros. 800 bucks. Maybe.
Nope…too many number 8 and still 0 is alot!