Chris Craft Cobra With A Red Bottom And Fin? WHHHHHHAAAAAAAT?

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Artist depiction. As in photoshop

Didn’t see that coming did ya? One of the most iconic parts of a Chris Craft Cobra is its special gold paint. Fin and black and white, gold alligator interior. But not this one off special Hemi Cobra, which was ordered with a Red Interior. We have reported on this red interior Cobra before, at Skaneateles NY.

It has a red interior, but for some dumb reason I didn’t photograph the interior?

And now The Katz’s Cobra King is restoring the Cobra King!, and discovered the Red Bottom? Yes, And possibly a red fin! YES, A Red Fin.

The King and the King!

Love the contast

LOVE

HEMI!

After this discovery the Terry Fiest and Seth bat phone was on fire. Is this possible? YES! You could order whatever you wanted. Like Burger King. Have it your way.

We also have this video of the boat being flipped, and the shots yesterday and the one of the kinda interior that I had from NY.  So? The question is, do you stick with the special way it was ordered? Or do you have the gold on?

Artist depiction. And you know what? It’s actually kinda cool. Like bad ass cool.

18 replies
  1. Matt
    Matt says:

    To me, I am a sticker, but the red is gonna have to be pure technicolor red. The correct red they used will make a huge difference. Once again, research on the colors and the colors that CC would have used is the fun part of this project. And Katz’s is the right place that sort of research. I pity the internet! HA

  2. George N Burgess
    George N Burgess says:

    The B.S.O. D-6982 (Boat Shop Order) for 21 ft. Cobra BR-21-006 lists all standard and requested changes to the boat. It does list the upholstery color as “Flame Red” also listed is:
    Cradle-Painted- Gold, Bronze-MCC-on Runners, Show-Boat-Cockpit-Cover-Installed-Upholstery-Flame-Red-Trimmed In White Instead Of Standard”
    There is no listing for Red Bottom color or Red Fin color, so these changes are made after the boat left the factory. The Cobra left Algonac on 2/2/1955 to go to Dale Yacht Basin Boat Hoist Siding, New Jersey

    • Matt
      Matt says:

      Thanks George. The red bottom paint is below the gold? I wonder if it was an error at the factory and corrected at the factory?

  3. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    Sorry, been away for a week on Band-Aids, but that is not the kind of thing you want to read about.

    I was actually wondering if the red paint was on Proto, but that would have been old news and we are knot allowed to talk about that.

    • Troy in ANE
      Troy in ANE says:

      Also sent in a report a couple of weeks ago about the Boothbay Harbor Antique Boat Parade on July 1st, but I guess that was even more booring than Wednesdays story about nothing, and we were even flying the SOV flag.

      Sinfeld made a TON of $$ doing stories about nothing.

      Good to be back, but ready to “Go Boating” again!

  4. Murdock
    Murdock says:

    Remember, you could purchase a bare hull and do what ever you wanted.
    Witness Jim Street’s Cobra and his take on customization.
    Was the only Cobra I’ve ever ridden in that didn’t have a “torque twist” (they would flip) with the motor turning one way and the tranny going the other.
    The engine sat flat too………………………..

  5. Art
    Art says:

    A few years ago Pete Beauregard, owner of the Algonac Harbor (the original CC plant), bought a Cobra from Texas and it had a dark blue fin and I think blue interior. I don’t know if it was researched, but is now the “correct” gold with snake skin interior. BTW it was very ugly in blue.

    • Dennis Mykols
      Dennis Mykols says:

      I looked all thru my photos for the pictures of me and Pete Racing side by side down the North Channel. I was in my HackerCraft and Pete was in the Blue finned Cobra. I think it was his first long run with the Cobra. I also think Matt was riding back with Pete and had to get towed in.
      Not to brag. but my 460 c.i. Ford beat that big Caddy engine.

      • George N Burgess
        George N Burgess says:

        Pete’s Cobra was in Woody Boater June 24, 2012. The article was entitled “The Perfection of the Imperfection of Woody Boating”

    • George N Burgess
      George N Burgess says:

      Pete’s boat is number BR-21-033 that was shipped from the factory 4/11/1955 complete less engine, but was equipped with parts for a 285hp Cadillac. The boat went to R.E. Olsen Co., Stockton Calif. The upholstery was Tolex Gold and the fin was Gold. John Mecom had the fin painted blue to match his larger vessel.

    • Richard Amos
      Richard Amos says:

      Here’s to the Blue Finned Cobra club.

      My dad’s boat (I’ll never call it mine) is the #9 hull 18’ Cobra. When it joined the family in 1974 it was sporting a blue fin. It was painted over the gold at some point and the white original upholstery was died black.

      Sadly it’s lived it’s life, since being purchased in Portland, Oregon, in one of two garages only once seeing water and that came out of a hose.

      There’s a remote chance I’ll get it to the ‘Show in Idaho’ mid September. Mr. Cobra says it would be a great place to break out the boat.

  6. dreed
    dreed says:

    I remember this boat from the Skaneateles show. It had just come from a restoration done in the 1000 islands by I believe was St. Lawrence restorations. No red fin at that time, just the red interior.

  7. Greg W
    Greg W says:

    I have driven Jim’s Cobra at speed and it was indeed an exceptional running,handling boat. Jim always claimed it was ordered without finish, engine, and upholstery. The Hull card indicates that only the engine was deleted.

    • George N Burgess
      George N Burgess says:

      Jim told me he rode in my Cobra when Joe Kabot was the owner, and Jim said it was the best riding Cobra that he was ever in.

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