Please Help Value Car

[RUFdriver]

90% of the roll bars in Cobras are cosmetic, the hoops won’t do crap in a real crash. If you’re seriously tracking these cars you need a full on cage. Any bolt in roll bar is cosmetic IMO. I had a backdraft once and the passenger roll bar was barely bolted in , finger tight and basically worthless. UCC uses actual DOM roll bar tubing( the old Lone Star design) but they’re still bolted to the frame so no better or worse than what else is out there.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by RUFdriver

90% of the roll bars in Cobras are cosmetic, the hoops won’t do crap in a real crash. If you’re seriously tracking these cars you need a full on cage. Any bolt in roll bar is cosmetic IMO. I had a backdraft once and the passenger roll bar was barely bolted in , finger tight and basically worthless. UCC uses actual DOM roll bar tubing( the old Lone Star design) but they’re still bolted to the frame so no better or worse than what else is out there.

Sorry, but that broad a statement is a bit misguided, there are several replica companies that design their roll bars to be functional. FFR, ERA, Contemporary, SPF, Kirkham, Unique all design their bars to be functional and not just cosmetic. It is their design in engineering that calls in to the attention to detail of the manufacturer. Yes, some companies do not spend the time to design their cars with more safety features appropriately, the pictures from the car manufacture that the OP has posted appears to be one of them. Sad, but still true, no matter what brand you are loyal to or not. Your money, your choices, not something I'm trying to sway anyone on, just pointing out what I see, which is what the OP requested so we could potentially assist with a value. Form and function, as well as cosmetics and mechanicals, all go towards that goal.

Bill S.

PS: Is that your car in the pictures above?

[patrickt]

MM is correct. But the sad truth about Cobra roll bars is that far more serious injuries are caused by BFT to the head resulting from relatively minor impacts than from flipping the car and collapsing the roll bar.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

MM is correct. But the sad truth about Cobra roll bars is that far more serious injuries are caused by BFT to the head resulting from relatively minor impacts than from flipping the car and collapsing the roll bar.

You're right. Rollovers are in fact rare (on the street, not so much on the track) but the chances of getting injured from your head hitting the roll bar are much higher than getting smushed in a rollover. In reality, you should always wear a helmet when in a Cobra. Remember, it is a race car.

The only greater safety illusion in Cobras is shoulder harnesses attached to a wimpy car-wide cross brace that could be bent with tug on it from the back side. And the fact that unless you're very short harnesses mounted there are lower than your shoulders (that's not good in case you didn't know it.)

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

You're right. Rollovers are in fact rare (on the street, not so much on the track) but the chances of getting injured from your head hitting the roll bar are much higher than getting smushed in a rollover. In reality, you should always wear a helmet when in a Cobra. Remember, it is a race car.

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

[Unique427]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

As you have mentioned in previous threads Patrick, having a bare roll hoop
and getting tagged from behind, you're trading whiplash for BFT when your
head makes contact. I recall the roll hoop was always intended to work
in conjunction with a safety helmet to mitigate BFT when things go wrong.

[txaggie929]

I'm not delusional about the safety (or lack thereof) on these cars. Flipping it is a much lower concern than getting hit by another car on the road and having nothing more than fiberglass, next to no reinforcement, and no airbags to soften a blow. And I believe that would apply to pretty much any Cobra replica out there.


Thanks to those who have provided insight on some things I missed. Like I stated, I'm pretty new to these and not a purist by any means.

[RUFdriver]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you can tilt your head back and touch the roll bar then you should pad it (and that padding on mine is the Summit Racing stuff which is actually a little better than pool floaties). Remember it was only a couple of years ago when the guy was showing off his Cobra's performance in the country club parking lot and slid in to the curb. Minor damage to the car but he died from BFT to the head -- just from showing off at the f'ing country club.

There was a guy at the Texas Spring meet with bolt on pads on his roll bars for head protection, looks not bad, I think it was an older ERA build. That’s why Club Sport Porsche models are never sold in the US, Porsche is pretty clear about roll bars and helmets only.

[RUFdriver]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Sorry, but that broad a statement is a bit misguided, there are several replica companies that design their roll bars to be functional. FFR, ERA, Contemporary, SPF, Kirkham, Unique all design their bars to be functional and not just cosmetic. It is their design in engineering that calls in to the attention to detail of the manufacturer. Yes, some companies do not spend the time to design their cars with more safety features appropriately, the pictures from the car manufacture that the OP has posted appears to be one of them. Sad, but still true, no matter what brand you are loyal to or not. Your money, your choices, not something I'm trying to sway anyone on, just pointing out what I see, which is what the OP requested so we could potentially assist with a value. Form and function, as well as cosmetics and mechanicals, all go towards that goal.

Bill S.

PS: Is that your car in the pictures above?

Nope, mine is not for sale Bill.