A Midwest StandoutIt was a difficult task to choose the Car of the Show from among the stellar Snakes that participated in the first Cobra Tour. Some had awesome power setups, others had trick suspensions, and several had wonderful cosmetics and modifications.
The choice came down to a car that had it all, Gerry Phillips' MidStates 427, complete with ghost flames and ghost checkerboard on the hood.
Phillips, a resident of Larchwood, Iowa, assembles aircraft fuselages for a living. He spent 18 months on this build, during which time he narrowed the rear by 5 inches, built his own four-bar setup out of aircraft 4130 chrome-moly steel, built his own front suspension, installed a 9-inch Ford posi rear, powdercoated all chassis parts, and popped in an '88 Mustang 302 H.O. aluminum engine that he had stroked to 332 ci. He added GT40 heads, had his engine balanced, and installed a Ford Racing fuel injector system to gallop out 360 horses.
However, the thing that set this ride apart from the others was its awesome bodywork by Genesis Autoworks of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Artist Randy Haberer ghosted back light-red flames on the quarter-panel of the Candy Apple Red-Pearl-and-White Pearl-striped Snake. To the hood he added a ghosted checkerboard.
The car is a standout. Inside and out, top to bottom...a proud choice for the first Cobra Tour Car of the Show.