View Full Version : Vintage photos of Daytona development
Austexican
12-11-2013, 07:39 PM
I don't know whether many of you have seen these photos. I found them fascinating.
http://www.davemacdonald.net/gallery/closeups/daytonacobraconstruction.htm
first time builder
12-11-2013, 07:55 PM
Thats great ! Thanks for sharing !! Boy that first chassis wasnt much .
Kenny
bil1024
12-12-2013, 06:31 AM
Cool!
tirod
12-12-2013, 10:02 AM
That first chassis was exactly what the Roadsters were using. It was a requirement under the FIA rules, and exactly how SA was tweaking Enzo. Ferrari had campaigned a rule change to allow their prototype bodies, which kept them in the lead previously. Shelby just did to them what they were doing to others and it paid off.
Nobody was being required to make thousands of road cars to make them "legitimate" GT cars, so special one off cars were becoming the standard in that class. In the day, "Grand Touring" were really luxury/sport coupes for driving around Europe on a leisure filled summer. That led to some competition, which led to race cars, which led to the whole thing being terminated with another rule change.
John Dol
12-12-2013, 12:51 PM
I'd seen these pics before but never noticed the split vent holes in the nose or the lack of side vent holes.
It's amazing that I have been messing around for 5 years (and probably have 2 more to go), when they actually build a new car in 4 months!!
John
Movieman
12-12-2013, 04:41 PM
Thank you VERY much for this!
Fluge
12-13-2013, 11:48 AM
I too like to look at these pictures.
John
There were a lot more people contributing to the build than you have working on yours. I think the side vents, rear spoiler, side scoops all came out after they put the first car on the track...each likely has a story of how it came to be.
Marc
Garry Bopp
12-13-2013, 10:50 PM
Thanks for posting the link. Always enjoy the period photos of the coupe and it's history.
Garry
WIS89
12-14-2013, 09:20 AM
It's pretty amazing how this car came to be.
Can any of you imagine driving 180 MPH in that car? That frame and body offers little to no protection. WOW.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Regards,
Steve
Don Wright
12-14-2013, 11:21 AM
Good find - thanks for the link.
dawjr
Austexican
12-14-2013, 11:57 AM
If you click on "Home" at the very bottom of the page, the link will take you to other pages that cover the career of Dave MacDonald along with some excellent photos and videos of racing in the early 1960's at Sebring and other tracks.
Jester
12-14-2013, 12:26 PM
Great post
Thx
CraigS
12-16-2013, 08:02 AM
Just showing my lack of in depth coupe knowledge here but two things struck me in those pictures. 1- I had forgotten that the coupes were built on the old leaf spring chassis. 2- The windshield is quite short and the roof panel seems to have some 'low in the front' rake to it in side view. that had to help. Thank you for the link.
Austexican
12-16-2013, 12:33 PM
Just showing my lack of in depth coupe knowledge here but two things struck me in those pictures. 1- I had forgotten that the coupes were built on the old leaf spring chassis. 2- The windshield is quite short and the roof panel seems to have some 'low in the front' rake to it in side view. that had to help. Thank you for the link.
Only the first coupe was constructed that way. Pete Brock says it was faster than the five bodies that were made in Italy. The first body was built at Shelby-American and the top of the windshield was lower than the roofline where the driver's helmet would be located. Pete Brock says that the Italians "improved" his design.
If you click on "Home" at the very bottom of the page, the link will take you to other pages that cover the career of Dave MacDonald along with some excellent photos and videos of racing in the early 1960's at Sebring and other tracks.
Didya see photos of some of his paychecks and prize winnings??? 3 bucks an hour....