2018 Last Frontier Alaska Cobra Tour


lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Several Forum members have asked me if I would post some photos from a 2,000 mile driving tour that the owners of four original Shelby Cobras set out on through the stunningly beautiful state of Alaska last month (July 2018).

Those on the tour included Tom Cotter (NC) and his son, Brian (GA); David Karpik (AK), and his wife, Katy Rice (AK); Dave Wagner (MI); me (DE) and my wife, Felicia (DE); Woody Woodruff (NC); and Carl Westphall (AK).

To say that the tour was exceptional would be a gross understatement! Tom Cotter probably summed it up best when the Associated Press interviewed Tom about the grizzly bear "attack" on his original 1965 Shelby Cobra... "Best vacation of my life!"
(Note: I have included a link to the AP story below.)

I highly recommend the trip to all whom enjoy driving their cars on wonderful roads that traverse through breathtaking scenery and vast expanses of wide open space!

The point of posting the photos is not so much the Cobras as it is the scenery. I am hopeful that those whom might be contemplating a trip, such as this one, might be encouraged by the photos.

I must apologize for the quality of the photos after they were uploaded to the Forum... a lot of them were cropped mercilessly during the uploading process. There is probably a very simply way of fixing this, but I have no idea what that might be.

Additionally, I had intended to caption the photos so that those interested would know where each photo was taken, but I didn't see a simply way of doing this.

Oh; and because I believe that it is safe to assume that the Ford GT Forum is populated entirely of car guys and gals, I have included a few photos from the drive through the Canadian Rockies on the way to Alaska. Dave Wagner and I did some pretty cool car stuff along the way to Alaska... not the least of which was having the opportunity to drive Lee Miller's brand spanking new Ford GT! I have not reposted the photos that were taken while Dave and I went speeding off with Lee's new GT.

Lastly, the photo of the lovely lady, with Ford's 1-2-3 1966 LeMans finish tattooed on her arm, was taken in the Canadian Rockies, not Alaska... just sayin'; for any single guys on the Forum! Unfortunately, that shot was taken in portrait mode, and it didn't upload so well... she is wearing a Ford Racing hat in that photo!

All the best,
Lee Cross

https://www.postregister.com/news/n...cle_97a0a2b3-39cd-584a-80c0-b3e43d7dd736.html

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twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
I saw the spot about the bear. Photos are stunning!
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,694
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Just incredible. I savored every photo. What an amazing trip, in any car- much less four original Cobras. Thank you so much for taking the time to share everything with us!
 

Propdave

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 11, 2016
124
Calgary, Canada
Wonderful photos. Looks like you got a tour of Fred's car collection during your stop in Calgary. Thanks for posting.
 

Flatrod

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2008
153
Anchorage, Alaska
Lee,
Great Pictures!! Glad you guys enjoyed your time here!
 

digman1

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 8, 2007
391
Dallas Texas
Thanks for taking the time to post these amazing photos. What a trip ! So glad you all are getting these time capsules out on the road.
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Wonderful photos. Looks like you got a tour of Fred's car collection during your stop in Calgary. Thanks for posting.

Fred and Nancy are wonderful people... they put Dave and I up for a few days. As you can see, we took a nice run out into the Canadian Rockies in the Cobras with Fred and Nancy.
 

TO AWSUM

Ford GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 4, 2007
1,506
Niceville FL
Wow, what a great adventure. Thanks for sharing. I own a 427 S/C Cobra replica manufactured by Unique and couldn't imagine driving it that far. Looks like you may have had a safety trailer following your adventure in case of a break down and probably to haul luggage.
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Thanks for taking the time to post these amazing photos. What a trip ! So glad you all are getting these time capsules out on the road.

I cannot imagine having a Cobra in the garage and not driving it! One of the photos shows CSX2393's odometer rolling over to 136,002 miles. I meant to take the photo at precisely 136,000, but, when you are driving in such a stunningly beautiful place, you tend to get distracted frequently!
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Wow, what a great adventure. Thanks for sharing. I own a 427 S/C Cobra replica manufactured by Unique and couldn't imagine driving it that far. Looks like you may have had a safety trailer following your adventure in case of a break down and probably to haul luggage.

Safety trailer? Are you kidding me??!! You simply decide what spares you might need and divide them up among the Cobras! The one photo shows Dave Wagner with his head in the boot of Tom Cotter's Cobra while he changes out an electric fuel pump that failed. Luckily, Tom was carrying a spare!

Also, each car carries it own luggage. Dave Wagner and I don't even bother carrying convertible tops with us. If you are getting wet, you are not going fast enough!
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Lee,
Great Pictures!! Glad you guys enjoyed your time here!

I am SO jealous of your roads! What fun you must have in your GT! Well, at least four or five months out of the year, anyway!
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
I saw the spot about the bear. Photos are stunning!

Thanks! I am certainly no photographer! Those are all android photos.
 

Joe Dozzo

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2006
763
Canon City, CO
Fantastic photos of a great state on a road trip of a lifetime in priceless cars. Wonderful story!
 

TO AWSUM

Ford GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 4, 2007
1,506
Niceville FL
Ic2006, have you tried posting all of your pictures on Dropbox and then sharing them through a link here?
 

TO AWSUM

Ford GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 4, 2007
1,506
Niceville FL
Safety trailer? Are you kidding me??!! You simply decide what spares you might need and divide them up among the Cobras! The one photo shows Dave Wagner with his head in the boot of Tom Cotter's Cobra while he changes out an electric fuel pump that failed. Luckily, Tom was carrying a spare!

Also, each car carries it own luggage. Dave Wagner and I don't even bother carrying convertible tops with us. If you are getting wet, you are not going fast enough!

Funny. I've been wet in mine many a time and had my feet sitting in 6 inches of water while driving. Saw the red 427 Cobra being loaded into a car hauler, so I assumed it had been following the crew.
 

Ed Sims

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 7, 2006
7,850
NorCal
Absolutely an amazing adventure Ic2006! Great photos!

Ed

PS If Joe D & Flathead get NGTs then there could be a NGT in Alaska!
 

Austinj427

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2018
61
Colorado
Fantastic photos Lee!

Thank you for posting. I enjoyed all of the,
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
SIf you are getting wet, you are not going fast enough!

Ha! How true! I had CSX4005LA before I got my GT. Rain would flow over the top of the windshield, but stopping at a stoplight was a treat. Even at highway speeds the car was hardly watertight. It would run down the windshield and then leak in around the door.

Oh, and there is no defense against hail. The hail got in the car even when moving! I had 4" of quarter sized hail inside. I was wearing a hat but my ears got smacked up pretty good.
 

lc2006

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 10, 2011
140
Centreville, Delaware
Ha! How true! I had CSX4005LA before I got my GT. Rain would flow over the top of the windshield, but stopping at a stoplight was a treat. Even at highway speeds the car was hardly watertight. It would run down the windshield and then leak in around the door.

Oh, and there is no defense against hail. The hail got in the car even when moving! I had 4" of quarter sized hail inside. I was wearing a hat but my ears got smacked up pretty good.

Life is good in a Cobra!!! Water comes in everywhere; even with the top up!

The 2017 Cobra 1000... 26 original Cobras, zero convertible tops!

IMG_6497.jpg
 

Joe Dozzo

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2006
763
Canon City, CO
Absolutely an amazing adventure Ic2006! Great photos!

Ed

PS If Joe D & Flathead get NGTs then there could be a NGT in Alaska!


Your lips to Ford's ears!!!!!