Replacement for Cobra

[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.