Replacement for Cobra

[D111]

replace it with another cobra everything else is lacking and will leave you wanting.just recently had the opportunity to drive a 2012 500 Shelby GT disappointing nice-looking but disappointing the sensory excitement was not there. I don't believe there's anything else quite like the COBRA experience it fills so many different desires all-in-one package and that package can be exactly what you select

[fjrgary]

there is no replacement for a cobra!

[emberglo66]

LOTUS ELISE!!! Luv the look I still have not driven one but have been told they are great fun to drive, and every owner i have spoken to have praised them as reliable!

Lotus Cars

[wkooiman]

I've never driven or ridden in a Cobra (next on my list), but I currently have a 72 Pantera and an 01 Viper GTS ACR. I used to own a 67 428 Mustang, and many other average cars.

The Viper feels like a Vette. The Vette is a better car, due to being more mature, and having higher production numbers, but the feeling is pretty similar. The Viper has the long hood feeling, and it generally feels like a heavier car with more power, but the two are pretty similar. You can buy Gen-1 or Gen-2 Vipers for the mid $30's all day long.

The Pantera is amazing, especially once it is updated. They have the same problems you'll find in any 40 year old car, but once you take care of the basics they are extremely fun. A slightly warmed over Pantera will *smoke* nearly any stock car on the road, including a Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari 512TR, and just about anything from Porsche.

The Pantera community is very good too. A few hours after I bought my Pantera, there were 2 owners at my place checking over my car and telling me what I needed to address.

It is a different feel from a Cobra (assuming, since I haven't driven a Cobra). It has a short hood, so you can see the road really well. It feels like a 500HP go-kart. It is comfortable, does not kill your ear drums, and is pretty reliable once sorted.

A stock Pantera will hit 160mph fairly easily. Most every other car I've driven seems to hit a wall around 110mph. My Pantera pulls hard to 130mph (track time), and wants to keep going. It feels very stable over 100mph.

There is some bad press on Panteras, but most of those problems were resolved very early. I don't really care about the bad press. It keeps the prices artificially low.

A Pantera in pretty good shape, but not sorted is in the mid $30's. You can find them cheaper, but you have to look. A sorted Pantera is in the mid/upper $40's. And then you can personalize it - different seats, wheels, etc. If you spend your money wisely, $60K would get you a terrific Pantera.

It would not be a replacement for a Cobra. They are very different. They compliment each other very well.

I would have included GT40, but you can't get a GT40 for $60K. Otherwise, it would be a perfect compliment to a Cobra. Most people use a 351W variant, but you can build them with an FE. I have a friend with a Superformance. It is a rocket. It even uses pin drive Halibrands.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by wkooiman

The Pantera is amazing, especially once it is updated.

Now I think this is a very smart choice.

I would add a couple of others.

1. A fully restored Sunbeam Tiger MK1 or MK1A or a driver MKII.
2. A Porsche 993 (1996-1998) Twin Turbo. The 993's are the last of the air-cooled Porsches.

[wkooiman]

If you do your own work, the maintenance costs are low. Once you have it sorted, you mostly just add gas, check oil, brake pads, coolant, etc.

The engine is American (351C). The second most popular is 351W (392, etc.). I've seen or heard of 429/460, 427FE, BBC, SBC, 302 Ford, and even Chrysler Hemi.

The trans is a ZF 5-speed. It is expensive to repair (avg $5K), but they are very strong and reliable.

The rest is very cheap, but you need to talk to the Pantera group to save a lot of time finding parts. The rear wheel bearings, for example, are an enclosed ball bearing design. If you go to Autozone, they'll shake their heads. If you go to a bearing supply store with the correct part number, they'll sell all 4 rear bearings for under $100. The front wheel bearings are the same as 67-69 Mustang. Once again, if you go to Autozone and ask for bearings for a 72 Pantera, they'll say, "What?" If you say, 67 Mustang wheel bearings, they'll have 'em.

On the other hand, if you don't do your own work, you could spend a lot of money educating the local mechanic.

And if you want to check one out, there are owners all over the place (even Hawaii, Sweden, Canada, Japan, and Alaska). They'll even let you drive one. They are just as cool as the Cobra owners.