79 Cobra 351

[RichV]

We were having a couple of beers over some car talk and ran across something I had totaly forgotten about.

A few years back I ran my SVO at the local Ford Day and spoke to a guy in line. He had a very curious car. It was a 79 Cobra. Not anything out of the ordinary you think. But, it had the same type of exterior trim as a Pace Car but with Cobra lettering and badges (no pace car decals or anything but the body/spoiler was same). Instead of the 5.0 badge it had the typical "standing cobra" badge with a "351" affixed to the bottom of the snake. The interior was plane-jane, nothing special, if I remember red. No Recaros, just plain seats of the year. The owner said it was all factory original. The car was in so-so shape with a restoration in need, but all looked factory. The interior had the snake with the 351 badges as well.

Anyone seen one of these?

I think I remember him saying it was Canadian.

Rich.

[evlgt85]

Highly, highly, highly doubtful it was born that way. That's far more far-fetched than the 82 Canadian carbed 2.3T GTs and RSes (which actually do exist...albeit just barely).

Anything can happen over the years to a car, and many a tall tale is spun and re-spun to make legends.

[gtluke]

maybe it was mexican and not canadian? cause wasn't dr svo's car born with a 351w with longtubes or some crazy crap?

[hemicuda]

1979 Cobras which came to Canada were the same as the ones that were sold stateside. Cobras (refer to Hissing Cobras - cause his is the best specimen out there now) came with Turbo 4 or 5.0L V8. Same V8 as offered in 1978 Cobras and King Cobras II's.

Now if this car looked like a Pace Car, with the Cobra on the hood and the word Cobra on the side of the rear spoiler, then it was a 1980 or 1981 vintage Mustang with the Cobra appearance package. Ford basically took the Pace Car and made it a Cobra, with the Recaro seats now being optional, as well as the T-Bar roof which was on the actual Pace Car.

These cars only came with either the Turbo 4 again, or the anemic 255 cu. in. V8 which was new for 1980. The V8 was only available with a 3 speed auto. These cars didn't sell very well up here because it was the same period as the '80-81 Z28 with Air Induction which sold like hotcakes since your couldn't get a Trans Am with a big block anymore. Everyone here was buying those cars.

Sound like this guy took an '80-'81 model and modded it to look factory. Sorry bud, but no 351's were offered up here in Canada. Trust me, as a young teenager in the early 80's, I visited the local Ford Dealer almost weekly.

[RedFox82]

Yeah, the only 4 eye cobra that had the look of the pace car, was the 80-81 cobra package. the 79 cobra was a lil different. and like said above. the 79 had either the turbo 4, or 302. and the 80-81 had the turbo 4, or 255.

Us canadians got some different things... but definatly not a 351 :cry:

[Travis T]

Very good information, except for this line

as well as the T-Bar roof which was on the actual Pace Car.

Only 3 Pace Cars had T-Tops, all the others had sunroofs.

[RedFox82]

Very good information, except for this line

as well as the T-Bar roof which was on the actual Pace Car.

Only 3 Pace Cars had T-Tops, all the others had sunroofs.

And those 3 were the real pace cars, is what I think he was trying to say.

[hemicuda]

Thank for the clarfication Red. Yes, that's what I meant by 'Actual'. The other 11,000+ were Replicas. I know, I own one.