Built from the Marsh Models kit, this is the car that ran in Nassau 1964 with Ken Miles at the wheel. This was the first "purpose built" big block (390 cubic inches) Cobra. It was called the flip top because the body was hinged at the front and back and could be opened like a clamshell for access to the mechanicals. Evidently, it was opened for access often as the Shelby team nicknamed it "the Turd"! It also didn't handle very well. Not surprisingly, the car did not finish the race do to engine failure.

Being a Marsh kit, this was an easy build. The body and tires are resin and the remainder is white metal or photo etched.

The chassis/interior was painted with black lacquer primer. The seats were painted with Model Master interior black enamel. I like to use several different shades of black for a subtle contrast.

After priming, the body was sprayed with Duplicolor Sapphire blue metallic lacquer from a spray can. This paint is made to be used with a clear coat so three coats of clear lacquer were then applied. It was then lightly sanded and rubbed out with Novus #2.
After the body was mated to the chassis, the decals were applied. The tire decals were coated with clear flat acrylic to cancel out the shine and make them look painted on.