1970 SCJ Torino Cobra

The history of this SCJ Cobra is somewhat typical of the stories we have all heard before about high performance models of that era. Its original owner was a police officer from Connecticut who liked to drag race. He went for the lightest and fastest combination possible: a bench seat column shifted C6 Cobra with 4:30 differential in Competition Yellow. adding few options other than am radio and 15” RWL tires. See the Marti Report. The original owner raced it from day one and later added more serious performance mods and even had some help from the dealership that sold it. Crestwood Ford. A photo. with factory sponsorship on the quarters. span>  from Oct. 1971 is in the listing. The original owner was pretty successful as those decals in the qtr glass in the Oct. 1971 photos are class wins. I was able to locate the old class win trophies AND the bell helmet he raced with and display them with the car at shows. See the trunk photo. which also contains the signature of the stylist of the Torino. Bill Schenk.

Sometime in 1972 the original owner sold it to the second owner who I have yet to locate. He owned it until 1974 when he lost it in a poker game to the third owner! The third owner had it for about a year and sold it to the fourth owner in 1975 who kept the car until he died in 1987. It sat for most of this time and in 1989 his estate sold the car to the fifth owner who had it for 9 months . He got the car running and performed some minor body work and put the car in primer before passing it to the sixth owner. who painted the car. The sixth owner did not have the car long before it was sold to the seventh owner in Illinois. As I stated at the outset. up until this time the history was typical of a high performance model of the day. It was never a daily driver and its low mileage was put on it a ¼ mile at a time. But this is where the story gets interesting.

I believe this Cobra may be the single most published regular production Cobra in the world. It has been featured in no less than 4 magazines/journals and 2 book! So why all the press for a low option. regular production Cobra?? You see. sometime between owner number 6 in Connecticut and owner number 7 in Illinios the Cobra acquired some special equipment and an additional emblem on the rear filler panel to the right of the drivers taillight : “TASCA FORD” This Cobra was represented in most of these publications as one of three Tasca prepped Cobras! The story behind the Tasca prepped Cobras was outlined in March/April 1995 Muscle Car Review. The added equipment referenced included radio delete plate. flat circular shock tower plates. traction bars. headers. electric fuel pump. A pillar mounted “Stewart Warner by Ford” Tach. and fuel pressure gauges and switch panel. just to name a few. In any event. it makes for some interesting reading.

The car has appeared in FCA magazine in Nov. /Dec. 1995. and  Nov/Dec. . 2009;  Muscle Car Review in April/May 1996; MustangTrader 1998; Musclecar Update Newsletter in May/June 1999; a Soft Cover coffee table book entitled . “Muscle Cars: The Meanest Power On The Road” in 2002 and a hard cover pictorial book entitled “American Muscle Supercars in 2008 .
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When I bought the Cobra in 2006 I knew it had a death rattle that I thought was a rod knock and turned out to be 3 cracked pistons. I had a complete “old school' rebuild done with an HM solid camshaft and 11. 3:1 compression. I detailed the engine bay and also reunited her with the correct “windowless” 15X7 painted steelies. dog dish caps and fresh bias plys. per the Marti Report. that had been removed by a previous owner. A deluxe Marti Report is included in the sale.

It is a very nice driver that draws a crowd anywhere it goes. Bonafide Ford Muscle. from the pinnacle of the muscle car era. with top dawg powertrain and the most desirable color. The centerpiece of any Hi-po Ford Collection. Voted  Favorite Ford by the Hemmings staff at Musclepalooza XII.

I am motiviated and have listed with the lowest reserve price ever offered for sale. For the price of a run of the mill Chevelle or Camaro you can have an exceptionally rare example of the best high peformance big block Ford had to offer for 1970.

If you have any questions call Greg (917) 751-3051 or if you want additional photos email caminsorule@aol. com

Also published at eBay.com

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