Hi everyone! I wanted to thank all of you for the help you gave me in the past few weeks in my purchase of my first cobra!
I have admired Cobras for many years but had never thought about actually buying one for myself until watching a Mecum auto auction on the Discovery Channel and seeing one sell for $33K about 2-3 months ago; that was an FFR kit and it looked really nice and I couldn't believe that it was so inexpensive! That same night I started studying the different manufacturers, engines, transmissions and also honestly evaluating what my personal desires were in regards to a car like this. I spent the next 2 weeks reading every entry on this forum ( and the reason for my sincere thanks to all of you!) as well as on the different manufacturer's forums ( FFR, Shelby, SPF, BDR, etc). I also read a lot of the stories ( both good and horror stories) about member's builds and what it took to get a car built; I read about some of the common problems the different cars have ( they all have them! ); I looked at a lot of member's galleries identifying different manufacturers and features; I am an insomniac and any project or idea is enough to keep me awake night after night researching, scheming, planning, rationalizing and coming up with excuses to give the wife
.
Reading all of this information I came to the following decisions for myself:
- I decided that a ready built car either used or new would be best for me because I am unable time wise ( and probably incapable skill wise ) to build a whole kit and also because for me the car is what I enjoy: driving it, gawking at it, taking my daughter to school in it ( she asks me every day!), visiting friends with it, going out for a drive and happy hour with the wife in it, and NOT the build process. This point was perhaps the most important realization for me about how to go about buying a cobra.
- I wanted a car that looked good and did not care as much that it be a 100% perfect replica. IMO Most kits have minor differences that one has to really be looking for to see and the overall quality of the finished car was more important to me.
- I developed a taste for certain features that I liked most (visually) and wanted to get a car that had that certain "look" that had grown on me. Some of the items in this list included the more rounded rear fenders ( hips) of the 427 SC, knock off wheels, moto-lita steering wheel, an aggressive stance/look and it had to have side pipes.
- I wanted a more modern suspension for safety and better ride/handling but also an older style engine; I did not want a modern engine and the engine itself had to look and sound good!
- I wanted a daily and reliable driver rather than a temperamental power monster.
- I 100% wanted only one roll bar and a 5 speed manual transmission; These were 100% deal breakers for me at any price.
With these and other requirements in mind I started to look at both old and new and decided that among the cars that I could buy complete I liked the SPF and BDR cars better than anything else out there (In that order!). I also had a lucky coincidence of having a convention scheduled in Vegas at that same time and so I also visited the Shelby Factory and the BJ auction and got to see some Shelbys both original and continuation series as well as the aluminum Kirkham bodied cars and all of that contributed to further shaping my ideas about the car I wanted.
Being in Florida there is a surprisingly large number of Cobra kit or ready to drive Cobra replica manufacturers within 4 hours drive of my home so I decided that a car from one of these would probably be a good choice for me. At the end of the day I ended up buying a Backdraft directly from the manufacturer 30 minutes away from my home because the price was pretty much the same as buying a used one ( I got a really nice deal from them on a car they already had built and that had 50 miles on the odo). The car came with 2 years warranty and I can take the car back to them for routine maintenance or for troubleshooting the inevitable niggles that will come up. The car met most of my requisites and the ones that it didn't were things I could take care of myself and did not require re-engineering the car. It is very hard to change a body shape or suspension setup!
Since taking delivery of the car I have driven it every day that has not rained or that I have not been away for work; I drove it tonight to buy batteries and pick up Thai food and had 25 minutes of bliss while doing it
! The car is a pleasure to drive surpassing my wildest expectations and I am so glad I didn't listen to my wife who said: "you are not buying another car!"
2 days ago I drove out to finishline (yes they are in south Florida!) on my cobra and bought some of the items that I liked in other cars and that the BDR didn't come with: Moto-Lita style wheel, a bunch of badges for different parts of the car, tri-bar headlights and some other apparel and other silly items and I had a blast fitting them to the car; I'm getting the car closer to the "picture" I had in my mind and fixing the few shortcomings that IMO the BDR had.
I have also been amazed at how fast this thing drinks gas! wow! I am glad I really don't care and don't try to figure the MPGs because I know it has to be close to single digits!
I really think it's my right foot's fault and not the BDR's
I also already have a list of niggles for the Backdraft guys to fix for me when I take it back for service in the next few weeks so once again I am glad I got it from a place where I can get some service and help after the sale.
I know that most of this experience is probably 180 degrees from what most members on here look for but I wanted to offer everyone the benefit of hearing about the "other side" of this hobby;
Finally, here is my contribution to the cobra hobby: if you are out there reading this board trying to decide if a Cobra is for you then please believe me when I tell you that these cars ( all of the quality builds here ) are really a lot of fun to own and drive and they will blow your mind at the SPMs you will get ( Smiles per Mile ).
I get more thumbs up, people rolling their windows to look inside and talk; bikers wanting to talk, kids, women, men, everyone! The only person that is not suitable to own a Cobra is a person who does not want to talk to strangers because it is 100% inevitable! so if you are on the fence go out and buy one already! Coffins don't have drawers and you sure can't take any money with you to the after life so you might as well enjoy your toys here and now ( as long as it is within your means, obviously).
P.S. The wife loved the cobra from the first moment I brought it home and the only problem I have with her is that she wants to drive it every time we go out! She has even taken some of her own girl friends out in it and I suffer immensely while she is gone ( she is kind of a lead foot! and will probably get herself arrested sooner rather then later!
).
Thanks again to everyone and keep all of the good information flowing on this forum! This place is truly an invaluable source of experience and knowledge
New Cobra owner
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