Newbie to the Cobra world

[twobjshelbys]

Do not build a kit or buy an unfinished kit unless you are more in love with building a car than driving it. If you want to build there are lots of other cars that are easier and less costly to build. In addition, as has been mentioned, it is true that the love affair with a Cobra can be short lived. Don't invest all the time in building one only to find it wasn't for you. Buy a "starter car" to determine if you are a true Cobra match, then build if you want. In addition, building one takes LOTS of tools you don't have and will cost a small fortune to buy. I've discussed this several times recently, use search. I don't feel like repeating it. In a nutshell, making a Cobra your first fabrication task is a kit waiting to be sold for pennies on the dollar and YOU WILL NOT SAVE ANY MONEY!


Buy a car that has enough miles to be "sorted out".

Consider a 289-based design (one derived from a Shelby CSX2000 series) that uses the "small block" engine. They have all the horsepower you need for driving the street and while it will still whisper "I'm going to kill you" when you turn the key, it's not nearly as likely to do so as the 427. You only need 400hp (I'm using need in stead of want) for a street car and these 700hp Cobras are only about bragging rights since you can't effectively use the horsepower at the wheels. And something like that will exchange front and rear end in a heartbeat.

Reliability (with a true 60's power train) and Cobra are mutually exclusive terms. They are a tinkerer's delight or nightmare depending on which side of the knife blade you lean.

Don't think you're going to find a Cobra for 20K. Occasionally real deals do show up but for the most part anything in that price range is going to be a disappointment. Just to baseline, if you're building a kit you should allocate 20K to the power train.

Choice of period correct or modern power train is up to you, but a Cobra with a Coyote will demand a lot less in resale. On the plus side a Coyote will be closer to your desire for a get in and drive and never worry about tinkering with the engine car.

Never buy a Cobra from just an ad, even if you get a third party PPI. I "tried on" several Cobras (as I describe it, you WEAR a Cobra, not sit in it) and found that on my first choice the steering wheel hit me in the lap. Don't get one that doesn't fit. Buy locally or be prepared to get on an airplane. One exception: For the factory built cars like Superformance, they are very repeatable, so if you find one of a certain vintage and "try it on" and it fits, others of that same vintage will be OK. SPF moved stuff so different generations do vary.

You don't say where you are. Before buying any car check with your local DMV over licensing requirements and especially ask about the emissions and safety inspections. While it's a 65 Cobra, some states consider the BUILD DATE no the "most closely resembles" date unless you argue with them. Especially California and other states that are adopting the CA rules.

Use the forum index and go back a few months. This isn't a new topic and has been discussed many times.