Shelby Cobra 289 Car

This kit is a nicely detailed model of the early slab-sided Cobras. As is the nature of the Shelby AC Cobra, it is very compact and can be challenging to get everything to fit correctly. The only significant issues with this model kit are that the steel axles are too long for the narrow body, and the included “stock” tires are too wide to fit under the fenders without sticking out. This is the earlier Cobra body—no fender flares to accommodate wide wheels. To remedy this, I shortened the axles and sanded the wheel backs until the wheels and tires fit under the fenders and snug against the brake discs. The kit has two white-line skinny tires, two blue-streak drag slick tires, and four stock Goodyear tires. The stock Goodyear tires are wide-treaded, making them more appropriate for a racing version than a stock vehicle. I replaced the stock tires with two from my spare parts box paired with the included white-line tires for a more “in-scale” stance and appearance. The body had prominent mold lines that needed sanding, and there was some flashing on other parts, but it was easily cleaned. Overall, this builds into an excellent model of an early Cobra. It can be easily customized with included parts to add a hood scoop, Weber carburetors, or ram tubes with some modifications to the hood and engine. The kit’s 289 cubic inch Ford V8 offers three different carburetor and intake options and two exhaust options. If AMT included a complete set of skinny tires, it would be a 4-in-1 kit (stock, racing, drag, or full-custom). Despite the challenges, I enjoyed building the kit and am happy with how it came out. I rate the kit four stars due to the necessary modifications to make the wheels and suspension fit inside the body and the lack of a complete set of skinny tires. I would not recommend this kit as someone’s first model because of the tight tolerances to fit everything inside the body. However, someone who has built other kits before could make this an excellent model.