need help on buying a cobra

rustyBob · #1 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 07:24 AM

Nice looking car....but the ad says its already SOLD....
not a "traditional" lookind Cobra BUT not everybody goes for that look.....
as for the price....there are a lot of cars on the market now which means
theres plenty of stock to choose from....i think you could do better on a
more "traditional" looking Cobra then add your touches to it....
good luck on your search and keep us posted on your findings....
and welcome to CC....

Don · #2 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 07:27 AM

duc996.......the inspection, registration, emissions, obtaining insurance, Bills of Sale etc., for kit cars/replicas may or may not be the same as regular production vehicles in your state. Might want to become familiar with your states regulations as a first step, i.e., no surprises after the purchase.

The For Sale section in Club Cobra and Cobra Country will give you some comparisons and availability.

427 Cobra Country--Ford AC Cobra replica manufacturers SUPER-SITE

duc996 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 07:57 AM

Yes I put a deposit on the car and I am gonna go look at it. The car is sitting on superformance showroom. Them and roush own the car. I guess it was a show car for superformance and jack roush. It has 87 miles on it. The car has all the factory warranties which r the one year on the roller and the 2 years on the motor. From what they told me roush built the whole car. I will inquire about all the regulations in my state. What should I look for when buying one of these cars etc... Also what do you guys think about the price?

jhv48 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 08:02 AM

Do a search on that engine, and that fuel injection system in particular.
Isn't this the one that had all the fuel injection teething problems?
If all the bugs have been worked out, that's a beautiful car. Make sure the torque curve matches your driving style. Some apparently don't like to cruise below 2000 rpm. So, if this is your driving style, you might want to take that car on a long city drive to see if it fits your driving style. Might be a little finicky at low rpms, but if that doesn't bother you then go for it.
As others have said, you can buy a fully sorted out used SPF for 40-50K, but if this is the one you want, get it.

duc996 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 10:24 AM

Is there anything else I should look for?

cobradvm · #6 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duc996

Is there anything else I should look for?

If you're looking at spending that amount of cash, I'd be looking at a Kirkham. Not that much apart.

427 KMS/SC Info

twobjshelbys · #7 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhv48

Do a search on that engine, and that fuel injection system in particular.
Isn't this the one that had all the fuel injection teething problems?
If all the bugs have been worked out, that's a beautiful car. Make sure the torque curve matches your driving style. Some apparently don't like to cruise below 2000 rpm. So, if this is your driving style, you might want to take that car on a long city drive to see if it fits your driving style. Might be a little finicky at low rpms, but if that doesn't bother you then go for it.
As others have said, you can buy a fully sorted out used SPF for 40-50K, but if this is the one you want, get it.

I had lots of problems with this engine, and Roush never did really make it right for me. I shipped the Cobra to them and they did lots to it (cleaned up installation) but when I got it back the engine still didn't run right. I ended up having the work done locally and offers to support (both technically and with a partial reimbursement for work I had done at Roush) vaporized.

Be absolutely positive it works for you. Get a dyno run. Most likely it will be OK at low altitude, but I would be cautious if you plan on high-altitude driving.

RodKnock · #8 (**permalink**) 04-17-2011, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhv48

Do a search on that engine, and that fuel injection system in particular. Isn't this the one that had all the fuel injection teething problems? If all the bugs have been worked out, that's a beautiful car.

I agree with this comment. There are both Roush built-FE's and Roush-built Windsors that have had issues with both their injection setups and leaks. Search this site.

With 87 miles, there's no way that car has been sorted out. It takes a whole lot more mileage than that to get most or all the teething problems solved.

It's a beautiful car, but I agree with the "WAY too much money" comments. You'll probably have to overpay to pry it from a manufacturer/dealer's hands.

Take your time. Don't rush.

This is more my style. The rumor has it that the seller of this Kirkham, an early car (#21), wants $85,000, but you won't suffer much, if any depreciation.

Replica/Kit Makes : Kirkham 427 | eBay