Hi Mike and welcome to the madness!
Like you, I began my Cobra replica search in earnest about six years ago. I looked at resale, complete cars in Canada and the U.S. and gained a pretty good understanding of the ins and outs. I bought my Superformance MkIII about five years ago and
LOVE IT.
There are plenty of Cobra replicas in Canada, from various makers. The quality varies widely, from high-quality authentic cars to undrivable crap. It'll take time to find the right car, but there are some nice ones out there.
There are lots of nice older cars in the U.S., but few that will have the proper paperwork to prove they're at least 15 years old. You might want to read through some of my previous posts on the importing process.
Insuring Cobra replicas in Ontario is tough. Very few insurers will cover them. Lots of owners find themselves on Facility Association. On the other hand, my Superformance -- being a factory-made car -- qualifies for a terrific collector car program with Zehr.
I try to keep tabs on the Cobra replicas that come up for sale across Canada. Some of the owners I know, many I don't. But I might be able to help you locate a nice car.
By the way, there is a Cobra for sale in Cobourg right now. The ad doesn't specify which maker it is. It has a Chevy 383 stroker with an automatic transmission, and the seller is asking $45,000. I don't know this car or seller personally.
Autotrader ad:
1966 AC Cobra for $45,000 in COBOURG | autoTRADER.ca