Highlights
- Freshly restored
- 2-litre Pinto, manual transmission
- 30,967 miles indicated
- New leather interior
- Historic vehicle status
The Appeal
Bigger isn’t always better. While the Cobra may be synonymous with a V8 drivetrain, the V8 models are also unruly beasts – a handful to drive and offering the potential for the kind of accident you can see from space. So when Pilgrim started offering an AC Cobra replica kit that took the Pinto engined Cortina as its donor, it seemed to offer the perfect combination. Cobra looks, sprightly and engaging performance, 30mpg and significantly less chance of going backwards and upside-down through a hedge at 150mph. It’s a win-win.
Here we have a lovely example of the Pilgrim Sumo, lovingly built in the late 80s/early 90s using the owner's Cortina as the base, and recently restored by the vendor (who is the niece of the builder). It looks to have been finished to a very nice standard, with a fresh leather interior and new paintwork. As such, this curvaceous roadster is primed and ready to go, ready for its new owner to enjoy the spring and summer sunshine.
The History and Paperwork
- The donor car was first registered in March 1980
- Believed to have been transformed using the Sumo kit about 1990
- Built by the vendor’s uncle and used as his daily for some years
- Garaged for many years after the owner took ill
- Acquired by the vendor in 2010
- Restored over the intervening years – just 300 miles covered since the restoration was completed
- 8 owners from new
- 30,967 miles indicated
- Historic status – tax and MOT exempt
- Current MOT to January 2024
The Interior
- Newly fitted bream leather upholstery to the seats, dash and door cards, with blue piping to the seats
- Newly fitted blue carpets with matched ‘Cobra’ branded floor mats
- New blue Sabelt four-point harnesses
- New wood-rimmed steering wheel
- Alloy gear knob and handbrake cover
- Smart blue-tinted sun visors
- Full complement of gauges, including oil pressure, water temperature and voltmeter
- Apparently, the speedo rests at 20mph, so will need to be professionally recalibrated to give an accurate reading
- We’re told by the vendor that everything else works just as it should, with no issues
The Exterior
- Full respray in metallic blue, with classic white over-stripes
- The paintwork presents very nicely, looking to be well finished and smoothly applied
- Glass fibre reinforced plastic bodyshell shows well, with no cracking or damage we could discern
- The chassis and floor are galvanized, and so are well protected from corrosion
- A new black vinyl tonneau cover comes with the vehicle
- All of the brightwork, from the bumpers and over-riders to the rollover hoop, looks to be in good order, with minimal wear or pitting we could see
- Underneath, the car looks to be in good order, with only a little surface corrosion to the drivetrain components in evidence
- Classic five-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels adorn the car, with black finished centres and polished barrels/lips
- We’re told by the vendor that the tyres are new, with Altimax HPs to the front and General Grabbers to the rear
The Mechanics
- 1,993cc four-cylinder Pinto engine
- Twin choke Weber carburetor
- K&N performance air filter with stainless steel box
- Ford ‘Type 9’ manual five-speed transmission with quickshift kit
- Recent service including plugs, fuel filter, fluids, new gearbox oil seal
- The vendor notes that the engine bay may need some cosmetic work, but that the car runs and drives just as it should, with no mechanical issues
Summary
Sure to attract admiring glances and expressions of open-mouthed wonder wherever it goes, this smartly finished Cobra replica would be a truly excellent way to enjoy Britain’s B-roads and a few car shows this summer.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
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