Need purchasing advice

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by rayzorsharp

Hey guys! This is my first post here. I've always loved the Shelby Cobras and I've decided it's high time to fulfill my dream. I'm a Shelby fanatic all the way. I'm currently driving a Shelbyized Maverick Grabber. It's a neat car but not what I really desire. It shows nicely and runs high 6's in the 8th and is a lot of fun but it's still not a Cobra.
My big question for you guys is strictly about opinions. I have never owned or even driven a Cobra. I'm not even sure I'll still want one after I drive it but I really don't think that's going to happen. Everyone has an opinion which kit they think is best. I most likely can't afford the best car out there but I would really like to know what you guys think would be the #1, #2, and #3 Cobra kits on the market in that order. I'm getting ready to go look at a Factory Five car as soon as the guy gives me a call. I've also noticed there are an awful lot of Cobras on eBay and a lot of them seem to be very reasonably priced. If I start looking at cars on the Internet I would like to look past the poorly built cars and go straight to the better ones. I do manage a body shop for a living and I'm very capable of working on the body if needed but I've heard of nightmare cars and I really don't want to get into one of those. So please guys, if you don't mind, give me your opinions on the better cars and also the ones I need to stay clear of.
Thanks...and hope to be here often!

What are your planned uses and. Urgent like?

[DanEC]

You need to provide more information. Are you a slave to originality or more in the street rod or custom category? Do you want IRS or is a straight axle OK? Do you want a real kit where you do nearly everything or are you wanting a partially assembled car or roller? What do you intend to do with the car primarily? What is your budget range?

With this information you will get a lot more useful and targeted advice.

Dan

[mkassab]

my opinion is simple after I did tons of research and talking to many.

My entire write up is at this link Mark's Build - Unique Forums and why I chose what I did. See the "General Preperation for the Build".

Net net is Unique Motorcars for the Cobra and B2 Motorsports for the engine and drive train.

You'll have no 2nd thoughts.

Good Luck,
Mark

[crASH]

I'm going to chime in as a kit shopper, too.

I read the Unique build manual available on-line and then purchased and read the FFR build manual. The Unique build manual that I saw didn't seem to go into as much depth. I undertand they make great replicas, I just wonder how much a new owner might be left to his own devices on a build, by comparison to an FFR build with the larger community out there.

[Ron61]

All of the above questions and answers are good but if you live where you can go look at some Cobras I would suggest that you do that. The problem with buying from ebay and places like that is pictures can look great but the person who built the car may have junk underneath for suspension and such. As for the best kits which may be out of your price range I don't think you can beat the Shelby or Kirkham Cobras. However ERA, Superformance, and I think Factory Five can be built to just about as good as the others. They will just never have the name that the Shelbys and Kirkhams do. The cars are basically as good as the person that built them. Some are great and others aren't to good. So I wouldn't worry so much about the brand as I would being able to look at the car and see how well it is built and if it has the things that you would want. Remember, the people that build these cars build them to suite what they want and like and it may not be the same things you want or like.

Ron