Need purchasing advice

[rayzorsharp]

This is great. Just the kind of input I'm looking for. I've got some selling to do but will wind up with about $25k to put towards a car. I'm not so sure I want to build one from ground up but I would have no problems removing the body and making any mods I deem necessary. I'm not so concerned about complete authenticity as I an being able to get in it and driving on weekends and to shows...maybe even 300-400 mile trips. I like high performance but I'm not looking for something to take racing or ultimate horsepower. I attend some events where there is a lot of slow cruising in heavy traffic so I'm not even against running an automatic, although I might consider using a manual looking shifter setup just for appearance. (just random thoughts here)
I understand about the eBay cars since you dont know how it was built. If I see something interesting I may contact you guys to see if anybody knows the car and can give some input. Hopefully I can get some good pics of the car being built. That would always be nice. Color doesn't matter that much as that's how I make my living. What I'm picking up mostly from you guys here is the frame and how well it's built. I've seen some cars listed with donor car frames. Not so sure if that's good or bad. I'm guessing a built frame would be more appealing to the eye.
I definitely need to go drive one or two to make sure this is right for me. Maybe I'll get a call soon on the Fac 5 car. Only about 40 miles from me.
Keep the suggestions coming and if I have any questions I'll certainly be asking away.
Thanks a lot guys.

[edwardb]

Originally Posted by rayzorsharp

I've seen some cars listed with donor car frames. Not so sure if that's good or bad. I'm guessing a built frame would be more appealing to the eye.

I personally haven't seen anything with a complete donor frame. What you're probably seeing are designs that list donor frame components, e.g. suspension parts, rear axles, engines, trans, etc. Examples include BMW, Jaguar, Ford Mustang, Corvette, etc. But the mainline brands mentioned here all have their own custom frame around these components. Sometimes they are donor (e.g. used) but many times also new components from those brands.

Your budget is going to limit your selection to only a few options, e.g. something started but not finished, already completed basic build, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Just be patient. There are some good deals out there. New of any brand is probably out of reach.

[rayzorsharp]

Originally Posted by edwardb

I personally haven't seen anything with a complete donor frame. What you're probably seeing are designs that list donor frame components, e.g. suspension parts, rear axles, engines, trans, etc. Examples include BMW, Jaguar, Ford Mustang, Corvette, etc. But the mainline brands mentioned here all have their own custom frame around these components. Sometimes they are donor (e.g. used) but many times also new components from those brands.

Your budget is going to limit your selection to only a few options, e.g. something started but not finished, already completed basic build, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Just be patient. There are some good deals out there. New of any brand is probably out of reach.

I feel sure they were just talking about sub frames or something. I saw Corvette frames mentioned in a couple of ads but these cars also had Chevy engines which I have no interest in at all. A Cobra just loses something when you start doing that...in my opinion. I'm not trying to get anything started there.
One particular car I was drooling over and it sold for $24,500 is this one from eBay. It has a real 427 side oiler and looks impressive to me anyway: Replica/Kit Makes : Cobra 427SC Replica/Kit Makes : Cobra 427SC | eBay
It's too late now but does anybody know anything about it? Based off what you see, do you think this was a good deal?

No, I certainly don't expect to get anything close to new. But there does seem to be an abundance of these cars for sale and very few of them selling. Anyway, I still have to get the funds together and I will certainly be patient. I appreciate the input from you guys.
Thanks,
Ray

[niceguy]

I made a list of items that I wanted my cobra to have and developed a very detail inspection check list/score sheet and bill-of-sale before I started searching for a cobra. It didn't matter to me how long it took me to find a Cobra that satisfied me and one that had a fair price that fit my budget. When calling about Cobras for sale, I used the inspection sheet to ask questions and took detail notes of each call. I used a 1/2 inch three ring binder to keep all my prospect cobras and notes organized.

I started searching for a Cobra late July and purchased my FFR Cobra last Sept. All I can suggest is take your time and do your home work. Make a list of prospect Cobras then call them. I sorted my down to 21 Cobras out of 100s and purchased the 5th one I inspected because it score very high. I flew to Florida to inspect the Cobra I purchased; the airfare was small investment compare to what I was spending. Again it didn't matter to me whether it took a month or a year.

Some Websites I used
427 Cobra Country--Ford AC Cobra replica manufacturers SUPER-SITE
CarsOnline.com: Shelby Cars For Sale

Good Luck...