Connecting Kit Car (and Replica) Enthusiasts Worldwide | KitCarConnection.com

The original prototype Cobra Daytona Coupe that has been missing for 30 years, was recently sold for over $3 million dollars. As one of six closed Coupe Cobras, the prototype had a interesting racing career, but that is where the story starts.

After winning the Manufacturer's trophy for Shelby American in 1965, the six Coupes were retired. Ford brought the GT 40 project to Shelby to take over. The instructions were simple enough, retire the Cobras and race & win with the GT 40's.

When Shelby Cobra was launched in 1960s, it was considered to be the most expensive and rare cars to have. Though 50 years have gone by, but the curiosity and thrill that we have with Shelby still remains intact. Shelby Daytona Coupe is loosely based on Shelby Cobra as the manufacturers remain the same but the product does only get better and better.

Shelby Daytona Cobra, the master piece that conquered Europe. This one was originally built for the 1964-65 racing season using the 289 Shelby Cobra roadster chassis in response to the Ferrari’s 250 GTO. The car with the two white stripes earned its title as the “super car”. This one is a legend which won Le Mans 24 hour race in 1964, and helped Ford win the World Manufacturers Championship in 1965, Cobra is certainly topping any mans dream car list.

The AC Cobra was an awesome race car.  But it had a weakness at fast flat out circuits.  The problem was a lack of aerodynamics. Enter 23 year old engineer Peter Brock who ripped off the Cobra body and slipped on a new curvy shell.  Instantly the car was 30 miles per hour faster and it took victory from Ferrari at Le Mans.

It’s typically a “man against machine” philosophy when it comes to spec racing but, when it comes to the ladies and the big celebration, I’d rather be driving a Cobra Daytona Coupe Spec Racer any day.  Just look at it and you will know. The idea behind spec racing is that success will be based more on driver skill and car setup instead of engineering skill and finances. Of course, that doesn’t say anything about how much better you are going to look when you cross the finish line in a Cobra Daytona Coupe instead of just about any other vehicle ever built. This will always get you the win with the ladies.

Being a member of the Shelby Daytona Millionaire’s club isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  One very unfortunate owner by the name of Phil Spector is about to see a whole lot of jail time in the coming years and there’s a lot of other stories about a wake of dead bodies and too many speeding tickets that may scare the pants off of you. There’s a real "dark side" to this millionaire’s club but somehow this car still attracts a whole lot of mystique which you can learn more about in the video on Youtube.

Whether you're in the beginning stages of actually building a replica car, or still doing your research and fact-finding with plans to build in the near future, one of the subjects you will undoubtedly devote the most time to is your new car's engine. And, most people begin this process by first determining if they want to custom-build their engine to their unique specs or install an assembly-line produced crate motor.

Both have advantages, with custom building yielding the results you specify and factory-made engines taking the guesswork out of the overall process.

With this in mind, ROUSH Performance, the leader in Ford powertrain development, has an impressive line of "crate motors." Painstakingly crafted by the winningest name in racing, these motors are not mass produced, but built to a certain stage, after which you can customize it to meet your individual needs.


The engines can be ordered from a catalog as are most crate engines, with customers given the ability to choose many of the engine's components. The engine is then hand-assembled by an experienced engine builder.

Talk about a win-win. It's the best of both worlds expertly brought together and blended by a proven, reputable team.

According to ROUSH Performance, the company offers nine base models of Ford engines, and 22 different variations. Carbureted and fuel-injected, as well as short and long-block versions are available. The base model, the 327SR puts out 350 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. torque. From there, it only goes up to an impressive 1,050 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. torque in the 588RX.

The same article also says that all ROUSH engines are available "with a natural finish or fully polished (this includes cylinder heads, intake manifold, front cover, water pump, valve covers, thermostat housing, pulleys, brackets and alternator if ordered with the package)." Additionally, any or all of the engine and components can be custom painted or completed with special finish (such as anodize, chrome or powder coat).

"ROUSH engines have been the best thing that has happened to the Superformance MKIII, Shelby Daytona Coupe and GT40. We have been using ROUSH engines for the past four years in our cars on the track and the street. They have a large range of engines that are reliable, powerful, well built and the support from the ROUSH team has been incredible. I personally have a 427SR in my own GT40 and can say that it’s awesome," said Lance Stander, president of Superformance LLC, Shelby Distribution USA and CEO of Hillbank Motors Inc. in a news release posted on the ROUSH Performance website earlier this year.

All ROUSH Performance crate engines come with a 2-year/24,000 mile warranty and each engine is sold as a complete package which includes air cleaner, oil pan, flywheel, flex plate and front end accessories.

It should also be noted that all of the ROUSH engines are shipped and ready to be dropped into the engine compartment and each comes with a CNC-engraved "Powered by ROUSH" plaque showing the engine's figures, along with the model and individual serial number. This plaque is designed to be mounted into the engine compartment.

The American economy and general style of living is at the onset of what is being called the most sweeping set of shifts and changes since the industrial revolution. Necessity is dictating that all of us rethink our product use and cycles in every category, and seriously come to grips with how we impact our home planet in the process. With the details of financially bridging the major car manufacturers in the States under consideration, I think an already growing trend towards individually built automobiles will exponentially develop into a major consumer alternative.

Lesher Motor Sports of Salinas, California, has been one of hundreds, maybe thousands, of small kit car and replica companies on the cutting edge of this trend - companies who are offering a more affordable version of cars for both racing and daily driving-- cars that can be customized to do a little of both, and with whatever options and features are wanted by each owner.

Since 2004, Lesher Motor Sports have been offering a high-quality kit in the all-popular Cobra/Daytona genre, fittingly dubbed their Daytona Coupe replica. This kit was designed by the well-known California replica maker Upstate Super Replicars, Inc., and Lesher has now purchased the tooling and manufacturing rights to produce the Coupes both in kit form and also as a turnkey replica. The original Daytona Coupe concept car was designed set up for racing; the first set of customers were people who wanted to build a show car that could wow on the track as well.

Customer Builds Mag-Featured Daytona Coupe

Prime example of such a customer is Roland Eddy of San Diego, who built one of Upstate Super Replicar's Coupe kits, and became a one-man advertising campaign for the kit, now made by Lesher. Roland's Daytona Coupe was built with the help of a top car builder, Joe LaPorte, and when finished, it won top awards in almost every major car show in the California area, including Knott's Berry Farm, and was featured in Kit Car Magazine. Joe's car is a race car at heart, and as its show career winds down, he intends to put it on the track to prove that it's not just a pretty face.

When these first Coupes, such as Roland's, got out and about, word got around about what a solid, quality kit this is, how easy to assemble, and, of course, everyone could see how stunningly they finish out. So the Daytona Coupe began to be a favorite of people who, were not die-hard track folk, but could definitely appreciate a high performance daily driver that looks like a raving racer in the classic Cobra-Daytona style.

The Options Go On And On

There are many ways you can have your Lesher Coupe and all of them make sense. First off, there are a lot of build options and features to select from --many from Lesher--and a world of others in aftermarket.

Lesher's inclusive basic Daytona Coupe kit comes at a price of $15,995. The tough frame and rolling chassis, skins made of boat-quality Ester Resin, engine mounts for either small or large-block Ford engines, performance suspension, and all else to assemble a remarkable automobile, are detailed on the www.leshermotorsports.com website.

Lesher Daytona Coupe dealers are also listed on the site, in case one would care to skip the build process and buy one outright.