FOR SALE: 600 HP ’65 Cobra

Quint Meland is a friend of ours, we put a 400 inch Olds in his roadster awhile back. When he decided to put his Cobra up for sale, we offered to post some pics.

Quint likes big motors. While his high school peers in Southern California were still messing around with flatheads, Quint dropped a 303 inch Olds V8 in his Model A roadster and went racing. Extremely successful, even as a young gun, his drag strip days lead to a lifelong love of horsepower.
As a pilot in Viet Nam and later at TWA, Quint found himself at the controls of some even bigger motors, but his obsession with big V8s continued. When he eventually found the time to build a new car, it was no surprise this asphalt-stomping Cobra was the result.
Quint’s car is obviously not your garden variety, cookie cutter Cobra. As originally built, it combined a Steven Arntz fiberglass body with a Paul Bennett (Hayward, CA) tubular, race-car inspired chassis. At the time it was described by Sports Car Graphic magazine as “the most thoroughly engineered of all the (Cobra) replicars.” Arntz’s molds were taken directly off an original CSX3000 Series body while the windshield, headlights and taillights were all sourced from Shelby’s original OEM suppliers. Quint had the body thoroughly reinforced; unlike other Cobras that bond the body to the chassis, it can be completely removed. The paint is two-stage Mercedes Black and is a mile deep.
The Bennett-designed chassis features Indy-car-style torsion bar front suspension, a Sweet Manufacturing steering rack, and a fully-independent rear end with inboard disc brakes and a polished aluminum Halibrand quick-change center section. Brakes are 13 inch at the front and 12 inch at the rear, with J.F.Z. Racing calipers, a proportioning valve, and a Line-Lock. The chassis underwent further modifications at Magnum Force (Campbell, CA) where it was beefed up to handle the power and torque of the 500 inch Ford SVT motor Quint was having built for the car.

Quint didn’t quibble when it came to the motor. Good for 600+ horses, the Ford SVT block was loaded with a billet crank, Arias pistons, Carrillo rods, and an Ultradyne cam with roller rockers. The aluminum big-valve heads were ported and polished and the valve covers fitted with burn-down breathers. The polished SVT intake has been port-matched to the heads and features a massive 1150 cfm Holley Dominator double-pumper. A pair of Mallory Hi/Lo fuel pumps feeds it from a 16 gallon Jaz fuel cell. The exhaust exits through polished stainless side pipes with Supertrapp diffusers. An aluminum radiator and Meziere electric water pump combine with an Accusump and heavy-duty oil cooling system to help keep temperatures under control.

The two-piece aluminum wheels ride on safety-wired knock-off hubs and were built by famed Indy and NASCAR wheel-builder Bill Jongbloed at his original facility in New Mexico. Tires are Michelin XGT-Z: 255/40ZR x 16 in front and 315/40ZR x 16 in the rear.
A Ford four-speed toploader with a Hurst short-throw shifter is mated to the motor via a steel bellhousing/scattershield and a dual-disk Centerforce clutch.
Both roll bars are fully functional and the tubular space frame surrounding the cockpit has been designed to provide additional occupant safety. The cockpit is clean and straightforward and features beautifully handcrafted polished aluminum panels and dash. The seats are Argentinean leather with Simpson 4-point harnesses, the steering wheel is Moto-Lita, and the gauges are Autometer. The car was wired by Ron Butler Racing (Goleta, CA).
Legally registered in California since 2003, this Cobra has just 4200 miles on the clock and has never been raced or abused. It’s a powerful, well-balanced, and beautifully crafted automobile — but it’s not for the faint of heart. With its massive amounts of torque and thrust, a careless driver could quickly find himself sideways. It’s also not for the guy that shops at Big ‘n Tall stores. By nature Cobras are cramped and with its additional engine set-back, this one’s a non-starter for anyone over six feet. For the right guy though, it would be hard to find a more thrilling, street-legal ride.

SOLD