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Hi Joe:
From my perspective, buying a Cobra is a wonderful entre' into the sports-car and hot-rod worlds, both at the same time. Our Cobra reproductions offer us the true escape vehicle both, when we can and cannot drive them. We can dote on them, change things, debug and refine items in the car which collectivly makes the Cobra more of a reflection of ourselves.

I was in your shoes not that long ago... likewise, like you, I once had a Corvette split window coupe, all original too. I was looking for a real nice Cobra and looked at quite a few of the makes. Kirkham, Shelby, ERA, Superformance and TeamC.

Luckily, I ran across a 12 year old ERA 427 S/C that was for sale by the original owner. The car was meticulously maintained and perfect in nearly every way. In fact, if I was going to order an ERA it would have ended up just about like #375 xcept I would have (like you) opted for a roadster vs the S/C with rollbar and side exhaust. The 289 roadster is a nice looking car as is the 427 roadster.

There were some minor things that I have been working on with the car, but that, to me, is half the fun of ownership, especially in the winter months when we pretty much cannot drive these beasts regularly. Southern Ohio, as you know is not Southern by any stretch of the imagination. I went to Miami of Ohio and Oxford was one of the coldest places in winter I have ever been. So, that said, consider the Cobra akin to a motorcycle with two seats, side by side. I think you will get the picture.

From what I can see, there are alot of owners of Cobras who are as fanatical as the previous owner of my car. So, take it from me, there are some really nice Cobras out there to pick from both new and previously owned.

I would caution you on one aspect of the replica. The modern replica is not an investment vehicle in the true sense of the word investment. Some of the parts/pieces in some Cobras are somewhat escalating in value (original 427 Side Oilers, 428 CJs) but frankly, the modern replica Cobra is meant to be driven and enjoyed. That said, some day down the road, should you ever tire of it, or whatever, you will probably be able to get most of you money out of it, assuming you maintain the car well.

So... should you buy one? Forget for a moment which one... that answer can only come from you. Yes there will be nagging doubts. Do I need this thing... God NO. None of us NEED the Cobra... but frankly, we all WANTED the Cobra...now that I have my ERA, I can say it was a great move....

Buying one is just a part of the ride... enjoy the process.