Shelby Daytona Coupe

[duggan]

Hello All,

After owning one of Dave Brookes wonderful creations for 4 great years and 10,000 miles, I thought it was about time I got it a stable mate.

Say hello to the Daytona Coupe - build will be complete in the spring and we’re about a year in. Spec is as follows:

Exact copy of the 6 Shelby Daytona’s built in 1963/4
Aluminium body
Will be FIA HTP and can be raced at all of the top motorsport events
Knight Racing top spec 289 V8 (1965 block with dyno’d 437bhp)
RW Racing Services race spec Gearbox and Diff
Race spec Koni dampers
Magnesium wheels with Dunlop Racing historic tyres
Period correct interior
Historic colours

Firstly though - meet RAK1T:






And the Daytona Coupe build:











And then finally how it’s going to look when finished and painted:






Will keep the thread updated as it comes along and let me know if anyone has any questions!

Edited by duggan on Saturday 25th November 19:26

[duggan]

Thanks for all of the kind comments - it really is a wonderful experience building a bespoke car

The one thing I’m mulling over is the colour. In period they were raced in two shades of blue (Viking & Guardsman), white and Red (see below) and I’ve always thought Guardsman looks the best on the cars, but I’ve started to think that a maroon (period AC colour) with cream stripes and bronze wheels/side exhausts would look amazing? Are there any photoshop experts who could mock that up? I tried AI but it doesn’t quite get what a Shelby Daytona looks like!

Various period colours:






…..but seeing this AC Ace in Maroon, got me thinking (always a dangerous thing)



……and this is as good as AI could manage as a movk-up:



What do you all think?

[duggan]

I am edging more to “traditional” Guardsman Blue as they look so good in that colour.

From a cost perspective, it’s like anything that is bespoke and it’s a little too easy to get carried away.

Dave will build a 427 Cobra for £115k OTR which is essentially my RAK1T car (unpainted), although I do have FIA wheels/Goodyears and performance brake upgrades, so around £120k.

From a Daytona Coupe perspective, a “Standard” car is £150k OTR, but this is unpainted, with a 302/347 engine, a 5-speed box and not an FIA car.

[Deep Breath] My car is FIA compliant and a front-runner spec, so needs a 289 on webers, 4-speed T10 and various other bits, as well as being painted. Bearing in mind the Peter Knight engine is mid-five figures, I think we will be in the £2-220k when complete and all sorted. Cry once as they say

[duggan]

As can probably be seen from this thread, I do like to drive RAK1T - if the weather is good on the weekend, I’ll be out in it!

A few more pictures of RAK1T and will get an update from Dave for the weekend

[duggan]

I’ll dig out the spec of the engine and post up - safe to say it’s got the best of everything from Knight Racing Services to achieve that figure - it’s bonkers that they were pushing out 375bhp in period works spec!

Also the Koni’s are direct from them.

Update on the build from Dave too - engine is now in!

[duggan]

Interior well on its way, exhausts now done and diff arrived at DBR last week.

I’m heading up for a seat fitting next Saturday and the first start of the engine

[duggan]

aeropilot said:

Love the Cobra.....I assume it has a proper FE and top-loader in it..?

Must say I'd prefer a 427 with the steering wheel on the correct side of the car, especially with that cranked gearlever to operate, and the fact that all 427 left the factory as left hookers.
I couldn't leave it unpainted though, it would have to get shot with Guardsman Blue though, so as to look like CSX3243

I like the idea of doing the Coupe maroon, would look nice I think and be different.
What about doing it this Ford Vintage Burgundy (Ford code M1632) though, which was a '64-66 colour used on the Galaxie, and would have likely been the one used by Shelby, had they decided to paint one of the factory cars in a maroon shade...?

That is a lovely colour, but on a poll with my car buddies Viking Blue was the choice and my favourite too - so going with that

And the Cobra is the full fat 427 / Toploader!

Edited by duggan on Saturday 2nd March 20:34

[duggan]

DodgyGeezer said:

Mr Tidy said:

RAK 1T looks fantastic, and that Coupe replica looks like it will be stunning.

I'm not in the least bit jealous - well OK maybe a little bit.

Looking forward to the updates on the build.

not jealous? fk that! Jealous AF <grin> Seriously that's an impressive toy collection there - colourwise, red looks good, just not with black wheel (IMO)

I’m a bit of a bike fan too - but that is a whole different thread on PH…..

[duggan]

964Cup said:

What were you up to in Muswell Hill on Friday?

Doing the grocery shop last Saturday!

Edited by duggan on Sunday 3rd March 14:20

[duggan]

Seat fitting today - what a machine!





Seats are going to look like this - saw it on a 50’s Frazer Nash at an auction and thought they were just perfect!

[duggan]

aeropilot said:

Looking at that method of entry, and I think I'd be needing an appointment with my chiropractor straight afterwards if I tried getting into one at my age

Once you are in it’s fine - this was its first start yesterday

https://youtu.be/J2NWXMe3bWw?feature=shared

[duggan]

V41LEY said:

Had the pleasure of being woken up this morning as RAK 1T was parked outside my house ! Assume you were staying overnight in The Pointer ?

I’m sorry - I tried pushing it down the road, but was pointing in the wrong direction - lovely village and good for an overnight before the Motorsport Assembly at Bicester Heritage! The Pointer does lovely food too

[duggan]

Whilst staying at the Pointer, a lady who runs an Art Studio over the road came over and gave me the below picture - she’d taken it at the Scramble the year before





As a bit of a Daytona Coupe Update, DBR are now working on getting the car through the Test to get it Road registered too - not an easy task for an out-and-out historic racer…

[duggan]

So a bit of an update - we are beginning to close in on completion and the car is now complete and ready for its IVA retest (it passed most of the 4.5hr test, but struggled on the emissions and a few minor reflector positions - all rectified by Dave).

With fingers crossed, we’ll get through that and then next weekend I need to head up to choose the paint colour…..









In other news, took RAK1T down to LeMans 24hrs again - ran like a Swiss clock there and back and drank 369 litres of fuel!

The cars and bikes are now in storage, as I’m getting a few modifications done on the garage in prep for the Daytona Coupe arrival - can’t wait!

[duggan]

tadaah said:

Nice to watch it coming along.

My 289 was jostling for position with it but lots of bits have slowed it down, not least a cracked head on my freshly built 289 lump.

Ho hum!

Miss my 427 too. Glad yours gets so much use! Hopefully I'll use the FIA289 a lot more

Ah - Dave did mention that! The amount of money I have spent on the Peter Knight engine in mine, I’m hoping for a bit of luck!

I’m up next weekend to see Dave, so no doubt will see your car - will take a picture.

[duggan]

nordboy said:

That's come along quick, well, seems to be quick, I'm sure times dragging for you?

It’ll be two years by the time it’s safely in my garage - Dave is a perfectionist!