Misconceptions

[Tommy]

Joe's Garage,
Your first statement is a fact that I agree with. All the opinions referencing "middle of the road" seem like indirect references to brand identity. Thus I will give them the weight they deserve. .... BTW, my comments were never directed at the quality of specific cars. I was commenting on the behavior of certain people.

[REAL 1]

Define "better".

Everyone has there own definition.

[Tommy]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Define "better".

Everyone has there own definition.

You are effectively asking me to provide a quantifiable way to compare all the cars of one brand to all the cars of another. I don't think that is possible. That is why it annoys me when people indicate one brand is superior to another. I have no problem with someone saying, "I like that car better than this one." It is an entirely subjective opinion that depends on what that one person finds significant in those two cars. But it stretches credibility to think that one person knows all the cars of two brands so well that they can compare them all and declare a winner. To me that smacks of someone trying to justify a purchase decision they have already made.

[jhv48]

One man's continuation car is another man's kit car.

I think all cobras, whether they are kits, rollers, continuations, replicas, or fakey-dos, are equally fun to drive. I bought mine for the fun factor. If I had an original, I would be afraid to drive it as I might just total a piece of automotive history. And isn't that what most of us bought them for? Not to pretend they are original, but to drive them and relive a time when you actually had to drive the car and if you screwed up, it would bite you. I know that whenever I'm driving mine, I can't think about anything else or I'll end up seeing where I've been more than where I'm going.
Just my opinion, of course, but mine has 23,000 miles after 6 years and it still makes me giggle when I start it up.

[mikeinatlanta]

Originally Posted by jhv48

One man's continuation car is another man's kit car.

I think all cobras, whether they are kits, rollers, continuations, replicas, or fakey-dos, are equally fun to drive. I bought mine for the fun factor. If I had an original, I would be afraid to drive it as I might just total a piece of automotive history. And isn't that what most of us bought them for? Not to pretend they are original, but to drive them and relive a time when you actually had to drive the car and if you screwed up, it would bite you. I know that whenever I'm driving mine, I can't think about anything else or I'll end up seeing where I've been more than where I'm going.
Just my opinion, of course, but mine has 23,000 miles after 6 years and it still makes me giggle when I start it up.

Would that be a middle of the road giggle?

[REAL 1]

Originally Posted by jhv48

One man's continuation car is another man's kit car.

I think all cobras, whether they are kits, rollers, continuations, replicas, or fakey-dos, are equally fun to drive. I bought mine for the fun factor. If I had an original, I would be afraid to drive it as I might just total a piece of automotive history. And isn't that what most of us bought them for? Not to pretend they are original, but to drive them and relive a time when you actually had to drive the car and if you screwed up, it would bite you. I know that whenever I'm driving mine, I can't think about anything else or I'll end up seeing where I've been more than where I'm going.
Just my opinion, of course, but mine has 23,000 miles after 6 years and it still makes me giggle when I start it up.

As to the first sentence I can't take issue with that depending ,however, how you define the term "kit" which has taken on several definitions. Around here its common place to see most lumping the Continuation Cobras in with "kits". This is mostly exclusively by those that don't own continuation Cobras (what a shock ). To me the term "kit" is a side show term they are caught up on or the other side show term they get caught up on.. "replica".

Cutting to the true essence of the issue for me (since this is an honest to goodness "mine is better than yours" thread) it can be said one man's Cobra is another man's fakeydo. The second paragraph of Jhv48 quoted above is a shining example of this.

He lumps all cars into the definition of "Cobra". Not so fast there bucko. How are you defining "Cobra"? If you are merely defining "Cobras" as that term has become generally accepted in the hobby than fine. The term in the hobby is generally understood to include not only original Cobras but includes car down through anything that just looks like a Cobra. These are all dubbed in the hobby a "Cobra". Fine. Yep. Get it.

However, if you are separating the wheat from the shaft and only want a car that is legally and factually a true Shelby Cobra and not a car that is just pretending to be one you have only two choices. Original Shelby or Continuation. Notice I didn't use "replica" or "kit". Again, those terms are really unimportant and a side show to me. Those two terms have taken on different meanings to different people and based on that cloud the issue as far as I am concerned for me.

You see I come from the perspective of having owned "fakeydos" (my perspective). Beautiful fakeydos but fakeydos none the less. An Exacalibur and and ERA. Both gorgeous and wonderful cars. However, for me what was best was not simply owning a car that looked like and pretended to be a Shelby Cobra but a Shelby Cobra. Legally and factually.

I had a lot of fun in my Excalibur and ERA and enjoyed driving them. However, for me I wanted the thrill of driving a genuine Shelby. That was the better car for me and makes it better for me. Maybe not you. Maybe you see it totally differently and to you the "only real Cobras were made in the 60's". That's fine. That's your view of it. Not mine.

From a purely brand prospective dealing with other vehicles, while one may say for example and hypothetically "all FFR's are better than all SPF's" I would say that based on varying builds and quality it becomes a silly statement in general. However, it again depends on the eye of the beholder. Maybe the person advocating FFR as the better car is of the opinion that the chassis design is better or the body shape is more appealing or the cost per fun quotient is better. Again, define "better".

Next time you are at a show or cruise night and "Cobra" owner (using the broad hobby definition) says "X" brand is better or he thinks it is better, instead of being annoyed ask him why he is saying that. He may have a supportable basis for that statement across the board or just as applies to him. Ask. I would. I would also let him know if I disagreed and tell him why I disagreed.

Just say'n.

[Joe's Garage]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

... if you are separating the wheat from the shaft ...

Always worth a laugh if you can bring yourself to read through another senseless diatribe from a man owned by his kit car replica.

"separating the wheat from the shaft", is that why all them hillbillies have missin' teeth, ain't too good at separatin' the wheat from the shaft

[REAL 1]

Originally Posted by Joe's Garage

Always worth a laugh if you can bring yourself to read through another senseless diatribe from a man owned by his kit car replica.

"separating the wheat from the shaft", is that why all them hillbillies have missin' teeth, ain't too good at separatin' the wheat from the shaft

Yes, to you it would be senseless. Not surprised.

And you own what again????

Envy/Sour grapes is tough to live with.

[jhv48]

If you want to really be factually correct, it's "separating the wheat from the CHAFF."

So if an original cobra is the wheat, you're calling all the rest chaff?
Makes perfect sense to me now.