Keegan: ClubCobra is a good place to start, but it appears some of the advice so far has been intended tongue-and-cheek.
When it comes to buying a Cobra what you want to spend dictates the choice of Cobras. You can probably find a good deal on a used one, but choose wisely! There are large variances between manufacturers and builders. If you choose to build one plan on spending $50k and up, depending on what you select. Aluminum bodied with a 427 side-oiler? I think you'd be pushing $100k+. I think I am in my ERA 289FIA about $60k, but I stopped counting a long time ago.
I think most of us have stopped counting. Multiply what we tell our wives by 1.35 and you'll be closer to the truth.
That being said, I have seen older fiberglass Cobras for sale for $30k. Unfinished ones (uh, yeah, be careful in THAT territory...) for about $25k. Remember that paint can be about $8k for a "near show-quality" paint job.
Building your own is pretty fun, but only if you have the time and can wait. I worked on mine slowly over 4 years, and my build was gated by my ability to burn cash. Life can throw you some curveballs, too. Mid-build on mine, my son was diagnosed with Leukemia and went through two years of intense chemo. Working on my Cobra was a nice distraction, though, during that particularly trying time.
Take a look at the Cobras for Sale section here on CC. Take a look at Cobracountry.com. Check and see if there is a local Cobra club, and go talk with people. Check out the Cobra and Shelby books on Amazon.
I have an ERA, and their web site is
Era Replica Automobiles - Makers of the 427, 289FIA, and GT40 replicas. Very happy with my Cobra. I went with the 289FIA, which is more svelte than the 427 Cobra. And, the 302 is the "correct" engine for the body style. The guys at ERA are very helpful.
You may also want to check out Kirkham, Superformance, Factory Five Racing, along with the ERA. Most of the Cobras I see are one of these makes.
Most of all: Take your time. The Cobra I purchased is very different than what I set out to buy. I had to save up to buy my original "kit", and in that time I was a man obsessed (still am, incidentally), but I learned quite a bit and this redirected my efforts to my ultimate selection of ERA and their 289 FIA.
Have fun!
DD