Well if 'authenticity' is not a factor in a 'replica' then why not use a Honda front wheel drive system? Or maybe a VW in the trunk? After all, it's only a 'replica'. In fact, following THAT logic, add a nice ricer wing to the back, maybe some neon lights under the side pipes, chrome everything, wooden dash, crushed velvet interior (red would look nice). Now that were on a roll, throw some 18" wheels on that puppy and some modern shifter that sticks straight up. Heck it's only a 'replica' so for safety you might consider a roll cage all around, for paint how about gold metal flake, heavy on the flake.
Now just WHERE do YOU draw the line? Something that becomes little more than a caraciture of a Cobra or something that actually approximates the 'look', 'feel' and 'soul' of a Cobra?
We all draw the line somewhere, and frankly, the typical 'line in the sand' of what constitutes a well done replica has gotten so far out of hand I don't know why some people even bother to build one! Just buy a BMW and be done with it!
...this 'rant' isn't about choosing a 385 or an FE or a small block, it's about THINKING through the process and doing the best you can within your budget. Running a 385? OK, can we at least get some decent looking close to period correct wheels on it?
