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Originally Posted by elmariachi
I agree. If you really have $70-75k+ to spend on your first Cobra then you need to visit Kirkham and ERA.
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I guess I'm exploring the options to determine if going further and further up the price curve (which seems to be geometric and gets really steep really quickly) is worth it or not to me.
I can be a bit obsessive and seem to have high standards when it comes to automobiles. And over the years I've found I like to grow into things that initially seem a bit too much for me. On the other hand, I don't want another case of Porsche-itis where I can't drive the thing at all.
What I'm doing is giving myself a course in the different choices, so when I do decide I'll have a reasonable chance of getting what (at this time) is right for me.
Those price points really strain to the absolute limit the funds I've allocated to my car budget. At this moment pushing against the upper boundary to see what it feels like, before I may head back down again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elmariachi
I disagree. You need to worry about these things a lot. Anyone can fix fiberglass, and its tougher than a Texas mule. An aluminum-skinned car that is already a friggin' attention magnet is a different beast.
One other thing to beware of: You said you wanted no racing harnesses, rollbars or sidepipes. Its illegal in all 50 states to own a Kirkham without those items.
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Yeh, I can see how in the real world the brushed aluminum might draw even more attention than usual. It's easy to think of these cars in the abstract, on their own, as beautiful pieces of mechanical artwork.
Didn't know that about the roll bar and shoulder harnesses especially, that's a big bummer for me. Why is that, might I ask? I'd be curious if most police officers would know enough about the Kirkham to cite me for no roll bar, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AL427SBF
Money not being a consideration, the Kirkham seems to be the recognized "top of the line" replica. The Complete Guide To Cobra Replicas always gives Kirkham top billing. But this discussion did trigger a question - what are the chassis+body weights of the Kirkham vs. ERA?
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I'll check again, I was under the impression that the Kirkham is a couple of hundred or so pounds lighter than the ERA when similarly equipped.
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Feeling a bit self conscious at the moment. I don't want to come across as some wealthy woman who just throws money around. This is a big, big deal for me and I've saved for a long time to accumulate the money I have in my car fund (although buying a Cobra is a more recent development and that's why I'm doing my research now). I also expect more sacrifices in the future once some amount of those funds have been spent.
What I don't want to have happen is to have saved and sacrificed and then ended up with something that's not quite right, and feel bitter about that choice. For all I know, I might end up with a new SPF and a sweet running, lightweight small block/five speed street roadster. It's all open at this point.