Coddington Cobra

Boyd Coddington is an automotive industry legend in the hot rod arena.

As a farm boy in Idaho, he traded a shotgun for his first truck, a ’31 Chevy pick-up, at the age of 13. That was just the beginning.

After moving to California, Coddington reinvented the hot rod in the ‘60s, and became known for building the most celebrated rods in the world. From there, he launched a successful wheel company, and today, his Boydster kit rods, Signature Series Woodie, and Signature Roadster are critiqued as among the most creative and artistic in the industry.

You have seen his custom hot rods on TV and in the headlines for years. You may even own one of his famous designs—as part of the Hot Wheels™or Matchbox® collections. The name Boyd Coddington is synonymous with the hottest custom street rods in the world. He has designed and built custom rods for wealthy enthusiasts such as Tim Allen, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and Michael Anthony of Van Halen.

After recording an unprecedented fifth win for the title of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster for the DuPont “Smoothster” at the 46th Annual Grand National Roadster Show, and then adding title number six a year later, Coddington is now considered the undisputed leader in the hot rod industry. His ‘34 Ford Aluma coupe is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Coddington-built automobiles include Cadzilla, the Led Zephyr, Smoothster, Che’Zoom, the EldoRod, the Coddington Little Deuce Coupe, the Boydster series, and his current AlumaTruck, which are considered to be works of art by many. But those are hot rods and kit or component rods. Now, Coddington has fully embraced the kit car industry with his new 427 C/I Cobra replica.

In collaboration with Image Auto Works (IAW), Boyd Coddington’s Garage has developed its new 427 C/I Roadster, combining Coddington’s legendary attention to detail and Don Borders’ equally noteworthy two decades of Cobra replica building. The car is available in complete assembled component form, with “Indy” billet aluminum pin-drive wheels, and the 427 C/I, as well as all of his other cars, is available in kit or component form as well as in turnkey mode.

Debuted at last year’s AHA—Knott’s Berry Farm kit car show, the Coddington Cobra shown here, owned by Arizona resident John Pfaffmann, created a sand storm of excitement. Pfaffman built his desert Snake to add to his collection of Ford musclecars. With a passion for cars since he was 2, the 40-year-old made this his first full build.

To the custom Boyd 90-inch-wheelbased chassis, Pfaffmann added a Salisbury IRS, a 3:54 ring-and-pinion ratio, moly half-shaft custom axles, Watts linkage and, polished billet suspension components. For safety and handling, he installed Carerra coilovers, Eibach springs, Coddington / IAW front suspension, and braided stainless steel brake lines. Pfaffmann chose Wilwood vented rotors, a Flaming River steering box, and a Coddington/IAW custom steering column to complete the package, then covered his Trigo 15x7.5 front wheels and 15x9.5 rears with Goodyear Eagle tires.

This Snake’s power comes from a ’65 Ford 427 sideoiler V-8, that now has a displacement of 430 ci. The block was machined and deburred by IAW and is accentuated by Lemans steel rods, Arias 10:5.1 pistons, and TRW bearings, oil pump, and rings. A Crower solid cam and lifters and twin cooling fans finish off the engine compartment that includes a polished manifold, oil cooler, alternator, valve covers and breathers. The combination puts out 550 hp at 5,500 rpm, and 540 ft-lb of torque at 3,700 rpm.

Two-inch headers and Borla Racing mufflers provide the exhaust for the system that uses a ’65 Ford four-speed transmission.

But what most people see is the 427 Cobra replica shell made of fiberglass, with an aluminum hood scoop and Howe aluminum radiator. The bodywork was done by Don Borders at IAW, who painted the shell PPG Brilliant Silver, with a red, white, and blue stripe, covered in acrylic urethane.

The interior is appointed with a custom leather and aluminum dashboard, Smiths gauges, a MotoLita steering wheel, a Raydot rearview mirror, black Connolly leather upholstery, and a 1-5/8-inch steel rollbar.

This classy new Cobra replica has a curb weight of 260 pounds and has blazed down the track at 160 mph.

Pfaffmann is thrilled with his Coddington Cobra. He said, “It is patterned after the original No. 6 car, which has the most racing heritage. This is a very good reproduction of the original, made even better with upgraded suspension and polished components throughout. I added the red, white and blue stripe for a patriotic theme.”

And watching this car cruise the streets of Southern California, it looks patriotic indeed—a wonderful version of America’s most exciting sports car— from one of America’s most exciting car designers.

The new Snake in town is exciting, and Coddington’s arrival on the Cobra scene is exciting news for hobbyists.