[Tommy]

Matt -
The good news is that a Cobra will provide all that you're looking for in a cruiser that saturates the senses. Mine has been far more fun than I ever imagined it would be. I also think you'll be able to find a car that looks very much like you want.

The bad news may be ongoing maintenance. Since you don't want to do this yourself, you'll want a car that is either very reliable or can be easily maintained by a local mechanic. As every Cobra replica is constructed of unique components, it's very difficult to generalize about them, but many of them require more maintenance than contemporary cars. Part of this is due to the fact that they replicate 1960's technology; part is due to the fact that many Cobras have high performance parts (e.g., engines) that are not optimized for reliability; and part is due to the fact that we often allow these cars to sit idle for weeks due to bad weather. The bottom line is that you need to find a trustworthy mechanic who won't mind working on a car made of a wide selection of custom parts and parts from several other cars. When you find your mechanic, have him check out your car before you buy it.

Good luck with your search.