Midstates 427SC Cobra
Onyx Black/White stripes
—a concours-calibre tour de force—

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

After spending months travelling all over the United States visiting the top companies that manufacture Cobra replicas, I finally encountered Bob Kallio, owner of Midstates Classic Cars, in Hooper Nebraska. I was immediately convinced that his Cobra replica kit was the best of the (crowded) field. Purchasing his fine entry would be as close as I would ever get to possessing and owning an iconic Shelby Cobra. So in the fall of 2002 I purchased a kit, and started on a journey that took me 6 long years and over 6,000 man hours to complete.

The award winning Midstates Cobra you see here is the result of that journey. Shortly after completion it was featured in Kit Car Builder magazine, (April 2009),  and since completion it has only logged 2,618 miles, (4,212 km).

It has won multiple car show awards, the most prestigious of which was the Best Paint award at the 47th annual Boise Roadster Show. That paint finish is nothing short of spectacular!

—Under the Hood—
Ford Racing SVO 460 big block V8

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

• SVO B460 Cobra-Jet V8, 535 hp
• aluminum cylinder heads
• cam specs: 0.562” lift, 0.588 ex. duration, 234° in, 244° ex.
• premium [pump-fuel] friendly
• Canton ‘Road Race’ pan, with trap doors and pickup
• crankshaft oil scraper and windage tray
• McLeod aluminum flywheel
• Edelbrock RPM ‘Air Gap’ intake manifold.
• MSD ‘Pro Billet’ distributor [6AL ignition box concealed behind instrument panel]
• Demon 825 cfm carburetor
• brand new Edelbrock aluminum high-performance water pump
• brand-new chromed 140-amp alternator
• polished SS (stainless steel) radiator surge tank
• polished aluminum pulleys
• polished turkey pan
• Earl’s remote oil cooler… ducts hot air below the radiator, not through it.
• insulated fuel lines to and from the tank
• Weldon aircraft-grade electric fuel pump and filter
• Flex-A-Lite electric cooling fan and variable speed controller
• custom-formed fan shroud

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

—Gear Train—

• TKO 600, 5-speed transmission, 0.64 OD
• Lakewood safety bellhousing.
• Centerforce ‘Dual Friction’ clutch
• McLeod aluminum flywheel
• Currie narrowed Ford 9” rear axle, posi, 3.50:1, gear ratio
• driveshaft safety loop

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

—The Cockpit—

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

• Superformance genuine (German) leather-upholstered seats
• leather instrument panel cover
• AutoMeter ‘Cobra’ replica instruments with reverse-winding speedometer
• driver seat track-adjustable
• Rolls Royce wool carpets, including the trunk.
• heater/defroster
• cold air ducted to each footwell with dash-mounted controls
• fully insulated cockpit [both sides of the firewall]
• custom self-cancelling turn signals
• high/low beam selected with functional turn signal arm, tip switch
• Mota-Lita wood rimmed steering wheel
• custom dropped footboxes to give you more legroom
• halon fire extinguisher mounted between seats
• Simpson quick-release lap belts
• driver’s shoulder harness mount installed, not currently used
• custom fuse box—accessible from driver seat
• period-correct reverse facing shifter arm
• period-correct AC foot pedals
• easy access to back of the instrument panel
• adjustable wing windows and tinted visors
• convertible top and tonneau cover included

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

—Body, Chassis, Suspension, Brakes—

• powder-coated rectangular tube frame
• Aldan adjustable coil over shocks
• front springs: 450 lb./in.; rear: 400 lb./in.
• all inner fender wells covered with rubber to prevent damage to the mirror finish
• Wilwood brakes, 12.2” vented rotors front & rear
• front brakes, 6-piston, drilled and slotted rotors; rear 4-piston plain rotors
• polished SS (stainless steel) brake lines
• pedal box with custom-made arms, with balance bar, and dual Wilwood master cylinders
• Currie Ford 9” rear axle, 4-bar adjustable
• Mustang II front suspension, rack & pinion steering, tubular upper & lower A arms
• anti-roll bars, front & rear   

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

—Rolling Stock—

• Period-correct Superformance Halibrand-style pin-drive15″ wheels with genuine knockoffs. Knockoffs drilled for safety wire.
• Brand-new BF Goodrich Radial T/A rubber, P235/60Rx15” front; P295/50Rx15” rear

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

—Other Premium Particulars—

• polished SS sidepipes by Stainless Works. Also, their SS scrubble [stainless steel machining scrap] that Stainless Works employs for sound dampening in the sidepipes, won’t deteriorate or blow out like fiberglass eventually does.
• headers ceramic coated
• custom SS fuel tank with baffles, by Rick’s Tanks
• custom-made rubber grommets for rear bumper support tubes where they enter the body
• fuel pump is externally mounted low on the tank and draws horizontally, directly from the sump to eliminate cavitation
• 100 and 10 micron fuel filters make future addition of fuel injection painless
• fuel pressure regulator can be used for carb or injection, just change the pressure spring
• brand-new Optima red top battery
• kill switch in trunk
• battery cover to prevent cargo shorting on battery
• titled as ‘1964 Cobra replica’
• convertible top and tonneau cover included—still in original packing
• car weight: 2,850 lbs. [1,293 kg] with fuel: LF680#, RF682#, LR746#, RR742#
• balance: front 48%, rear 52%

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

Click on the photo above to see it at a much larger size.

It should be self-evident after viewing all of my photos of this gorgeous Cobra that this is not just another Cobra replica.

With the undercarriage finished as nicely as the more observable parts of the car, you can appreciate why it took over 6,000 hours of intense labor and applied skills to build this one-of-a-kind Cobra. Every detail of this car is well beyond normal standards: each part has been painted, polished, plated or otherwise finished to near perfection.

Because you’re a Cobra lover, you have a natural love for mechanical concepts, you enjoy understanding how things work, you love to see how mechanical problems are solved, and you fully understand how challenging it is to stuff a big-block powerplant into a sports car and yet make all the systems function correctly.

I have done all of that and I hope you can fully appreciate the result. If so, I’ll be glad to show you the car in person.