After some two years of construction time, Mike and Addam had a finished Cobra in 2002. From 2002 to 2007, the Bells experienced several mishaps with the used 428ci Ford big-block mill they bought and had built at some engine shop in Ohio. Mike finally gave up trying to use the tired old 428. With several rebuilds to the block, the engine's cylinder walls had been bored too many times and were too thin to enable the coolant to keep the engine from overheating. The guys opted to dump the 428 in favor of an all-new Genesis Performance Castings aluminum 427ci side oiler engine. They stripped all the accessories from the 428ci engine they could use and sold the old block to a salvage yard. Mike and Addam finally finished the engine/trans installation one day before departing Utah for the AHA Knott's Show in California, and the subsequent first-ever KIT CAR Performance Day held the Monday after the Knott's Show in '07.
The fact that the Bells didn't have sufficient time to sort out any teething issues is reflected in some of the data we recorded at Performance Day. They've since addressed a clutch pedal travel problem and installed a brake master cylinder with the appropriate proportioning valves for the disc brakes utilized on the car. Now, their Shell Valley Cobra 427 SC goes, shifts, and stops as fast as it looks. It may not be as swift as the jet helicopter father and son Bell are currently building in their garage, but it's assuredly much safer.
Vehicle ManufacturerName: Shell ValleyPhone Number: 402/246-2355Web site: www.shellvalley.comCar Owner: Mike Bell of Sandy, Utah
VehicleYear and type/model: 1967/2002 Shell Valley 427 SC Roadster
PricingPrice of Kit: $12,592.00Total Price as Tested: $50,000+
ChassisFrame: Shell Valley box steel frame 2x4 inchesWheelbase: 90 inchesRearend: Ford 9-inch solid axle, 3.50:1 final drive ratio with Powertrax locker and Moser 31 spline axlesRear Suspension: NASCAR-style triangulated setup using four aluminum radius rods and aluminum adjustable coilover shocksFront Suspension: Unequal length A-arm setupShocks: Shell Valley aluminum adjustable coiloverRear Brakes: Shell Valley Ford Explorer discFront Brakes: Shell Valley 12-inch discBrake Lines: SteelMaster Cylinder: Triple Wilwood setup with in-cockpit proportioning valveSteering: ididit column with rack-and-pinionFront Wheel Make & Size: PS Engineering 17x9 with Trigo knockoff adaptersRear Wheel Make & Size: PS Engineering 17x10 with Trigo knockoff adaptersFront Tire Make & Size: Bridgestone Potenza 245/45ZR17Rear Tire Make & Size: Bridgestone Potenza 285/40ZR17
BodyPaint Brand/Type: PPG Intense Blue Pearl coat with white stripes and hood meatball, with red pinstriping; bodywork and paint by the owner in a friend's body shop and paint boothWindshield/Glass: Shell ValleyTop: CloudsRollbar: Shell Valley chromed with shoulder harness crossbar mountBumpers: Shell Valley nubsLights: Shell ValleyMirrors: Finish Line bullet typeEmblems and Trim: Finish Line badgesFuel System: Holley Fuel pump and regulatorFuel Tank: Shell Valley 20-gallon baffled
InteriorGauges: VDO Classic (included in Shell Valley kit)Wiring: Painless (included in Shell Valley kit)Steering Wheel: Nardi (Finish Line)Seating: Corbeau high back with Cobra letteringUpholstery: Shell ValleyMaterial: Black vinyl