How many of you dreamed of becoming a race car driver when you were kids? Like most gearheads, I certainly did, but sometimes our lives take a different course than intended and our childhood dreams become merely positive thoughts that we fondly talk about as we age. Every so often, fortune smiles and a lucky opportunity comes along that allows us to get back in touch with and fulfill one of those nostalgic memories. This sweet 1965 Cobra was built to spec for NASCAR’s all time fastest lap holder, Bill Elliott. In keeping with his unrelenting need for speed, it has been equipped with an Ernie Elliott built Ford 358 NASCAR engine, a race bred drivetrain and race only Goodyear radials! A track developed car, built for a legendary NASCAR driver and powered by real NASCAR engine that was built by a legendary NASCAR engine builder; how’s that for ‘living the dream’?

Professionally finished and assembled in 1994 by Tom Diantonio of Hi Tech Performance, this ’65 Cobra was built for Bill Elliot’s personal use and would eventually become the first in a series of 4,000 cars. The car is so well done that it caught the eye of Ol’ Shel himself and Tom Diantonio was eventually lured to work for Shelby American, and charged with building continuation Cobras. The cars gel coat that is as smooth as a freshly blown piece of glass and provides an excellent foundation for the cars dynamic red paint. The result is a bright and glossy hot rod that literally glows in the daylight and is very reminiscent of the Fords and Dodges Bill Elliott has piloted around NASCAR tracks for the past 35 years. In fact, the car is so well done that it could almost be accused of looking rather simple; but when you’re driving around a Cobra with a race spec drivetrain and race only Goodyear radials, anyone who dares to underestimate just how serious this car is needs to have their head examined.

At the front of the car, like-new chrome trimmed headlights sit above correct Lucas style chrome trimmed parking lights and traditional front bumperettes. Above the aluminum trimmed grille opening, a smooth fiberglass hood features locking hood latches behind a functional ram air hood. On top off the cars slick fuselage, a single black roll bar complements a traditional polished fuel filler and a new glass windshield in a great looking stainless frame. At the sides of the car, awesome chrome side pipes sit below finned aluminum air extractors and provide a classic grandstand vibrating NASCAR sound. At the back of the car, chrome trimmed tail lights sit on either side of a chrome tag bracket above two more matching Cobra bumperettes. At the corners of the car, a set of machine finished aluminum Halibrand wheels with traditional style chrome knock off center caps ride race only 26.5×8.5 front and 26.5×10.5 rear Goodyear Eagles.

Tilt this Cobras red hood and you’ll find a NASCAR spec, Ernie Elliott built and tuned 358 Ford motor that has a sky high 8,500 RPM redline and produces 860 horsepower! Now, if you know anything about the Elliott racing family, you know about the brutal power that Ernie Elliott motors produce. As one of the most successful engine builders in NASCAR history, his motors have driven almost 100 Fords to victory in multiple motorsports divisions; and in 1987, one of those mills carried his brother Bill to the fasted lap ever recorded in NASCAR history at 213 MPH! This Cobra’s 358 is fed by a Holley 4 barrel carburetor that sends fuel from a racing spec fuel tank into a Ford Motorsports Jack Roush aluminum intake. At the sides of that intake, awesome finned aluminum “Ford Motorsports” valve covers sit above ceramic coated headers that were likely custom built specifically for this car. Ignition is entirely handled by MSD with an MSD Blaster 3 coil sending power through an MSD 6TN ignition box to an MSD distributor that’s equipped with MSD Super Conductor wires. Accessories include: a race proven dry sump oil system, a heavy duty aluminum radiator, braided fuel lines and coolant lines throughout and a reusable K&N crankcase breather. The cars minimalist aluminum engine bay is nice and clean featuring an official Shelby body plate and fresh satin black paint on the underside of the hood.

When you have a serious race bred motor under the hood, you have to back it up with some excellent, track ready drivetrain components and suspension hardware. This car’s slick fiberglass panels are mounted to a sturdy tubular chassis with a modern tubular double A-arm front suspension and a Hyperco Racing independent rear suspension. Bolted into that tubular frame is a Jehrico 4-speed manual transmission that sends power to a rebuilt Ford 9 inch rear end with tall 3.73 gears. Performance coil overs and Wilwood brakes at all four corners make this car as fun on the road course as it is on the circle track, and a manual steering rack provides an authentic Cobra low speed cruising experience. Aesthetically, the underside of the car matches the new and freshly clean look of the engine bay with a sea of aluminum floor and braided hoses that is periodically accentuated by the cars satin black frame and satin black suspension components.

Cobra replicas, especially this one, are built to be performance vehicles above all else; and nowhere is that more apparent than inside the cars cockpit. Behind an awesome looking wood rimmed and polished aluminum AC steering wheel, SW gauges provide the driver with accurate and reliable readings for every aspect of the NASCAR motor. There is no heat, no radio and no glove box, just gauges and switches that pertain directly to driving the car. In front of the wheel, performance oriented leather bucket seats with four point Simpson safety harnesses ensure that you’ll be locked into place when you stand on the gas, and new black carpet covers the floor and transmission tunnel where you’ll find a chrome emergency brake and a chrome Hurst shifter that’s topped with a simple white cue ball. At the sides of the seats, the same black carpet that covers the floor is glued to the inside of the doors which are operated by simple chrome door handles. On the passenger’s side of the dash, a silver Bill Elliott autograph hovers next to a red Bill Elliott signature plate that bears the cars “0” serial number signifying its status as Bill’s personal transportation. Out back, a custom fabricated aluminum trunk cleverly conceals a track ready oil system and still has enough extra room to pack a small cooler for race day.

Included with the car is a signed bill of sale from Bill Elliott himself and a promotional school folder that has been autographed by Bill, Ernie and Dan Elliott (Bill and his two brothers) and includes both an autographed picture of Bill sitting in the car and a picture of Bill autographing the car’s dash.

We’ve sold a ton of super nice Cobras in our time, but this bright red monster HAS to be right up there with an original aluminum bodied car on the ultimate performance and appeal scale. With a NASCAR spec engine and 860 horsepower, it’s a serious sports car that delivers absolutely scary performance. If you always dreamed of owning and driving a race car, but never got around to building one, this spectacular combination of Shelby and Elliott racing technology is just the second chance you’ve been waiting for. Call now!