I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for the owner. A project like this should have some deliberate thought given to the planning, design, build cycle. Someone else commented about more money than brains or something to that effect. Dead on target!!
Hey, we are all over 21 (some of us by a lot) by now we should be able to figure out a lot of these issues without blowing the amounts of money this guy did. Don't cut corners in your planning, design, build cycle unless you personally can pick up the slack. Bargain basement deal hunting will almost always leave you unhappy.
This is a hobby it is not an investment in some type of regulated security. You will always loose money the first year on any vehicle. If you are looking for an investment go to the securities markets! By the way if you keep your toy, drive it and enjoy it (and take care of it) you will be pleasantly surprised at its value five ten or more years in the future.
A little more time spent on the different websites and this guy may have learned most if not all of what he paid so dearly to discover. I suggest any newbies who are thinking about doing a Cobra take a look at this website =>
http://cobra4me.com/ read the words. Sergio does not sugar coat or misrepresent the car and he basically hits most if not all the significant issues in his entertaining, yet real, introduction.
As so many have already said these very attributes are what endears these cars to us. If this don't light your fire definitely don't go camping. Sergio winds up his webpage by saying,
"...very, very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Cobra Replica demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses.
But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."
For those of us who care so much for the car and the experience (they are inseperable) we draw particular pride of ownership and accomplishment from these modern day incarnations of that original Supercar conceived by Shelby ... The 427 Cobra.
Ed