we'll see...

Thinking more about the reliability issue - maybe owners are overdoing the power thing and end up putting what are basically racing motors in road cars - forgetting that racing motors need constant rebuilding and the power will over stress road going components - all leading to the need for constant maintenance.

I doubt if many of the racing Cobras in the 60's exceeded 400 - 500 genuine horsepower and now 600 to 700 is common from what essentially is 1960's technology.

If that's the case then maybe one should expect regular breakdowns.

Getting back to the question of why so many Cobra replicas are sold with low mileage, I'll offer two answers. First, no one needs a Cobra for routine transportation. Thus, it is almost always an impulse buy driven by the emotional back part of the brain rather than the rational front part of the brain. It feels really good to fantasize about one, shop for and buy one. Then, when the initial glow starts to fade, you discover that you can only drive it when you have have both free time and good weather. After a while the emotions that drove the purchase are sated and the rational front part of the brain begins to weigh the value of owning such an impractical and seldom used car. About the same time, the emotional back part of the brain will see something new it wants, so selling the seldom driven Cobra will become a means to having something else. .... BTW, I escaped this trap by being single and retired. I can drive anytime I like, and I do every time the weather cooperates.

The second reason I suspect many Cobras are sold with low mileage is that some people enjoy the appearance of their toy more than driving them. When you drive you car it will get dirtier and dirtier. If you are a real stickler for appearances, you can easily spend three hours cleaning for every one hour spent driving. I think some guys like that show car look, and that is hard to maintain when you drive it. So they clean it once, park it until the next car show, and ultimately tire of sitting in the hot sun all day just to collect cheap plastic trophies. That's when it goes up for sale.

These opinions are those of the author and may not reflect the opinion of anyone else.

I use to wonder about this too, but not anymore. After ~12 years and just over 27000 miles I've seen many fair weather friends come and go. Some get it, and some don't. Have a nice day :D

double post.

He's not complaining - he's being objective. Not many guys on here that are more enthusiastic about their Cobra than Patrick. Plus - even in my few years here I've seen a fair number of guys come in and are all gung ho to learn about Cobra's and can't wait to get their hands on one - for about 2 weeks - and then they dissappear after getting a dose of realism and seeing the price tag and the personal dedication involved in owning one. Most people are far better off putting their money in a new Corvette than building a big block Cobra. There is a lot of maintenance and up-keep on the cars and some of it can be frustrating.

for my excuses - yes, a lot of my enjoyment is in the build and working on the car and actual driving probably second. One other factor not mentioned yet is driving these cars in today's traffic. I live in a moderately congested area and that limits when I get the car out. It seems the biggest cause of someone being injured in one of these (or dying) - is from being stupid with the accelerator. I'm kind of old and not as stupid as I once was - but right behind that is the fear of being run over by a housewife in her Suburban while talking about lunch with the ladies on her cell phone.

If you want one - study up on them so you can buy one right. Then if it's as great as you think, just keep on trucking and enjoy the car. If not then they are fairly easy to re-sell and if bought right you shouldn't be out much.

Yes, that's right. Right now, I think my Cobra would have a 50/50 chance of making it cross-country. I haven't had to be towed-home in years. But she's still pretty temperamental. :LOL:

When I started my build I wanted a hot rod that I could take long trips in. My seat have extra padding. I have room behind the seat for stuff. Tilt steering wheel. Heater and a fan to bring in outside air. Extra pad under the carpet to keep the heat out of the interior. Boat carpet and vinyl that is mildew and mold resistance. I have logged over 600 miles in the rain. The longest was a return trip from London that was 360 miles.
Fuel injected mall block with 400 rear wheel horse power, 20-22 miles per gallon.

I have over 41,000 miles on my Cobra. I have driven it to the London Cobra Show the last 12 years. It's a 535 mile trip to London for us.
Almost every winter I change something on the Cobra to make it better. Sometimes it to fix something, like a motor or trannie. This past winter is was a upgrade to my TKO.

In North Alabama we can drive our Cobras in the winter. If we have real bad weather it's doesn't last more than a few weeks. We have a Turkey Day Run every Thanksgiving and a New Years Day trip also. Most of the time it's a couple hour and a hundred mile trip.

We have a couple of our members who drive their Cobra a couple times a week, year round.

A Cobra is not a car for everyone.
But for me, it's the perfect car.:)

Dwight

The 385 series was a better engine imo . If I had wanted an FE I woulda put one in my car . I am a Windsor fan by the way. So I have a stroker 351 with over 500 hp. If you
can afford the all aluminum 427 FE that would probably be the ultimate in FEness.

Several good points here...

If you have one, you'd understand.
It's mostly the journey when owning one, makes you smile every time you see it.
Pulling back in the driveway, you'll be glad it stayed together for the entire trip.

I've had both big and small block cars. The big block without question sounded incredible, but I love the small block. Something to be said about stopping buy the local auto parts store and picking up an "affordable" part.

I'm in Florida, I drive it year round. When it's close to 100 degrees, I drive it because I love the car, not because it's fun. Some CC members are fortunate to have significant others that share the same passion, but some don't. Tough to sell that nice ride in a Cobra when you're sweating and/or getting rained on before leaving the street.

Again, easy to ask questions as to why they can be a PITA when you only see them at the car show at their best. It's the behind the scenes part that most didn't know they were signing up for.

That said, I'll always own one.

So, does a 408 or 427 small block really sound that much different than a 427, 428 or 429 big block? Not trying to stir anything up, just seeking opinions from those with experience with both.

Yes, a big block 427 sounds much different than a small block with the identical cubic inch displacement. This is because the sound is not a function of the bore and displacement cavities, but rather from the surrounding iron (and pipes, mufflers, etc.). Think of it as a bell, a large iron bell, that tolls at a perfect pitch. The beautiful sound of that iron bell is not because of the size of the inside cavity, but rather because of the size, curvature and makeup of the bell itself. Just imagine if that beautiful iron bell was only a half inch thick -- it would sound terrible, but the cavity beneath it would still be the same.

I think a lot of people end up selling their cars because how raw they are compared to modern sports cars. They are loud, you get wind buffeting in your ears, you stink like exhaust fumes, and they ride rough (relatively speaking). Doesn't bother me, but others are put off by it after a while. My biggest problem is that I'm always finding something to upgrade or tinker with on it.

I agree, Cobras are raw - which is precisely the reason I wanted one. Modern cars are wonderful, but they also insulate you from the fundamentals of the driving experience. Both of our daily drivers are Infinitis (G35x & FX35) and, while they're great performing luxury cars, you're somewhat disconnected from what happens between rubber and road. Not so in a Cobra.

Driving the Cobra also brings the recognition they get wherever you go. I've lost count of the number of people who comment favourably, give a thumbs up or want to take a picture of the car. There's something to be said about driving a vehicle which resonates so well with so many people.

I'm kind of partial to the winning sound of the "small block" Cobras... ;)

Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2012 – Shelby Cobra Race Results

Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2012 - Shelby Cobra Race





[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK_IhFsqgAU]$7.0m Shelby Daytona Cobra Great SOUND! - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqQrpnpXj4]Nurburgring Aug 2010 Cobra incar footage - Bill Shepherd Mustang - YouTube[/ame]



.

What would the actual weight difference be between a small block 408 and a big block 427?

With aluminum heads, manifold, water pump, light weight internals, and aluminum flywheel, my FE is within 50 pounds of an original, all stock, 289. That's the equivalent of a few gallons of gas.

real man talk. definitely a cobra guy.

but truthfully, if you're under 40 years old, these cars are like your daddy's Oldsmobile. They're fun for a while but they are limited in comfort and safety

Factory Ford 427 Sideoiler 650lbs
Factory Ford 351W 470lbs


Deduct for aluminum heads and intakes on both if attempting an apples to apples comparison.


Bill S

This coming from a Nissan Leaf owner who has never owned or driven a Cobra. Keep riding the subway with your bags of cat litter. :LOL: