Is This Shelby Cobra’s Polished Copper Body Unique or Just Weird?

When’s the last time you saw a metal-bodied Shelby Cobra, let alone one finished in polished copper?

Such is the case for CSX 4602. Part of the 4000-series Cobras that are, essentially, continuation models built almost identically to the way the original Cobras were built back in ‘60s, this one had its body hand-built by Kirkham Motorsports—an option for customers …

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Even though I'm the one who suggested the piece, I'm still on the fence. Like, honestly, the modern oil filter bugs me the most. 

Can it breathe through the miniscule air filter was my first thought. I have seen enough wraps that a full copper body looks cool but it's almost passed off as not real off the cuff.

It's forking awesome. 

And I'll bet the electrical system has no issue with grounds. 

Tarnish keeps coming to mind. :)

I've seen this done a lot in video games, but not in real life. I'm all for it.

That is awesome! Copper is probably my favorite metal from a looks standpoint. 

NermalSnert (Forum Supporter) said:

Tarnish keeps coming to mind. :)

That could actually be even cooler depending

I absolutely love it, but I can't think of any place where you could drive it.  The second it comes into contact with any salt at all, it'll start to green.

Is it actual copper, or is it that electro-painting metallic stuff?  What do they call it... spectrachrome?

I would've done a matte finish on the copper with polish stripes. Copper looks it's best when it's almost bronze

It's gorgeous.

But I was an art major, so I'm pretty sure my opinion shouldn't count.

Would you like fries with that?

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) said:

Can it breathe through the miniscule air filter was my first thought. I have seen enough wraps that a full copper body looks cool but it's almost passed off as not real off the cuff.

We had a Cobra replica on our dyno once. Took off the air filter and got 40 hp.

To answer the question posed by the headline - it can be both unique and weird. It's an art piece.

In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :

I agree.  Gorgeous.  I did some underhood plumbing once with copper as a neat accent.  It lasted about 6 days before it looked like crap.

It's great until you have to take care of it.

I wonder if you could clearcoat it to keep the look but not have to worry about it turning green?

I love the copper.

I dislike the air filter.

Anyone want to bet it was built for the same guy who had the Copper Caddy built by Dave Kindig? 

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

I wonder if you could clearcoat it to keep the look but not have to worry about it turning green?

 

Would wax help preserve the finish? 

I like weird automotive things, but I don't care for that.  

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Is it actual copper, or is it that electro-painting metallic stuff?  What do they call it... spectrachrome?

It's genuine copper. And I remember reading that they needed special copper with some sort of ultra-low oxygen content or something and the only way to get it was in an absurdly large order, like waaaay more than you needed to make a single Cobra body.

The same shop also built one with a bare polished aluminum body and a complete billet-aluminum chassis. As in the entire frame, brackets and suspension pickup points, were all hewn from a single block of billet. 

It's both at the same time.

That is beautiful... love it.

NickD said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Is it actual copper, or is it that electro-painting metallic stuff?  What do they call it... spectrachrome?

It's genuine copper. And I remember reading that they needed special copper with some sort of ultra-low oxygen content or something and the only way to get it was in an absurdly large order, like waaaay more than you needed to make a single Cobra body.

The same shop also built one with a bare polished aluminum body and a complete billet-aluminum chassis. As in the entire frame, brackets and suspension pickup points, were all hewn from a single block of billet. 

I was wondering if you could actually take regular steel panels and electro/chem-plate them with copper or similar. Actually I'm sure you can. I was actually wondering if they did that or if they handmade new pieces from solid copper. 

It's beautiful, but the 17 year cicadas are coming back this summer. One drive and it would look like a golf ball.