Some of it is "percieved" value, but in many cases some of it is in real value or beneifts or features! Some Cobras are SO different than others even if their "equally" equiped you can't compare them!

Assuming both cars were nearly identical in options, add the additional criteria: identical in deminsions. Now it's a new ball game!

A Stallion West Coast Cobra long wheel base/wider/heavier car "equally" equiped and compared to a Classic Roadster would be a fair comparison of "value". But either of these two compared to an ERA or an SPF is impossible because of the fundamental differences in body style!

A JBL is also a little longer. Could we then be compare it to a West Coast or a Classic Roadster car long wheel base car? CANNOT! The fundamental chassis design of the JBL is TOTALLY different than either the West Coast or the C.R. (or anything as far as that goes)!

So the cars to compare can't just be "equally equiped", they ALSO need to be competing for the same basic market "niche". The BIG attraction to FFR is price, plain and simple! The BIG attraction for the Kirkham is "true to original design". IMPOSSIBLE to compare these two cars even with the SAME dimensions!

Of the CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CARS ON THE MARKET TODAY:

Kirkham vs Shelby? OK, thats fair!
ERA vs SPF? Yeah, that will work!
FFR vs ?? Help me out here guys,,,,what would be "fair"? NO FLAMES, it's a serious question!
Hunter vs Back Draft? One uses Chevy IRS, the other BMW IRS! That might be "fair"!
Classic Roadster vs West Coast?

Add some more comparisons, now I'm curious.

Ernie**)

Whether or not it is worth the money is up to the beholder, or, to be more accurate, the spender!

Real 1,

Of course I'd trade it even up... Then I'd sell it back to you, buy another Casio and pocket the difference... or buy some new toys for my car....

respectfully....

Let's see: the Queen of England has the brand name/title/value (QUEEN). But the local "hottie" librarian, (who may be a spot-on lookalike of the Queen of England ), has the 36C-24-34 body, and can be had for the price of a nice dinner and a few drinks, and rides in the Cobra! Now, you cant spend any of the Queen's "value", or she would not be Queen. I would choose the librarian!

Ron - Feeling a little "punchy" today ?? You do a great job as moderator, and we all appreciate your conviction. However, the above remark seems a bit snide when a simple "Keep it on topic fellas" would have sufficed...Just my .02 :)

...with the "usual suspects" present... I figured I'd go right to Defcon 2 :D

Ron,,,,good call and NOT over done. Looks like we need another dose of the stuff in fact!

SOOOOO,,,,,,,,,What car would be a FAIR comparison to FFR? Thats a tough one because the "builds" vary so widely.

Ernie

I agree with Ernie on this one. Ron actually showed some more of his humour today!

Even within a kit or manufacturer, lots of differences exist. A SPF, for example, can be had without stripes, hardtop, oversized wheels, lapbelts, fuel cell, etc. The quality and type of engine and trans can vary greatly. Special additions and modification can be made. No two cars are the same. You have to know what the cars has, how it was made, and how it was maintained. My engine has a lot of quality on the inside that is not apparent on the outside. You have to decide your willingness to pay. If the package is not worth it to you, then you do not have to buy. The asking price for some cars is too high based upon alternatives. Some owners, just like home owners, ask more than they expect to get or they are unrealistic in their price. On the other hand, if you know what you value, you can get a good value in what you finally get.

...of course you guys agree with Ron, his "humour" wasn't directed at you...You guys remind me of that popular self righteous "clique" of high schools jerks that gang up on the less admired fella only to make themselves look better...Or has life just come full circle for you ?? :3DSMILE:

So Agro 1.....

Which car would you compare an FFR to for "value"?

Ernie

when i read this earlier today at my office laptop, i thought "why does every inquiry about this or that Replica have to have some folks jump into the Real Vs. Replica, or this one is better than that one arguement.

The original question remains. I think you have to see/sit-in/ride in as many as you can before you happily write your check to get any one of them. As i have told people for years, "the best car is the the best one for you."

Buying any replica is a big big decision, and warrants careful thought and consideration. That said, i have rarely heard of any replica owner who wasn't very pleased with their decision.

What you get for more money is not necessarily what is imporant to you.

On the watch thing, my wife gave me a Titanium Breitling Aerospace last week. This is a watch, not a piece of jewlery.

I never had anything to wear nearly as nice as this. Except my Beret many many years ago.

I am so excited about the rescue of the PFC Jessica from her captivity. Many years ago, when i was an A Team commander in the 5th SFG, some of my men had been on the Son Tay prison raid, into North Vietnam, yielding no Americans, but hundreds of dead NVA. They really regretted the "failure" of the mission.

I think this shows to the world, and our military, that no soldier, no matter what rank, will be left behind. I have a hunch the mission commander told the men on the way in "we bring her out, or we stay there with her."

I think back to some of my friends who went MIA, and were never heard from again. I wish we could have found them.

My son is picking up his yellow Porsche Boxster this weekend.

Ernie,

I'm stuck for an answer on the comparison for an FFR..
Some of the best looking cars I've seen were FFR and some of the worst also...
I've been following a FFR Spec race build on a daily basis and I think it's a great kit... The body seems a little thinner than other brands I've seen but in this application it does the trick...

Seems like an easy question until you think about it for a minute.

Re: Huge price difference
 

Ernie - Blue Rooster never said anything about value. Value is a very subjective term. A homeless guy would "value" his cardboard box much more than I would seeing as how I just threw a bunch out...
The "differences" is the operative phrase here, and we all know that underneath the skin, there are quite a few major differences that allow such cars like ERA, Superformance and SAI to command such higher prices. But to me, knowing that my car was built by professionals who do the same thing day in day out and take great pride and care in BUILDING the car - well - that is where I place said "value". For me, knowing that the car has been put together well and will STAY that way is where I really place the worth.
The motor, driveline, suspension and accessories are of added importance, but secondary in my opinion to having a well built automobile because those componets are also very subjective to exactly HOW the buyer will be using his car.

DaveR,
I haven't been called a "newbie" in quite some time! :D To answer your question however I sold my Midstates for personal resons....like when the stock market tanked on my investments for my kids college funds. But I did manage to parlay my ownership of a Cobra replica into other ventures which have paid off and continue to pay off. Some day I hope to own another Cobra, but at least I got my satisfaction out of the one I did own.

Cheers
Jim

Please don't go there . We have had enough of the long forums for a week now. :CRY: :CRY: :LOL:

I hate to be obtuse. But you get what you pay for...

casaleenie,
That IS a tough one! FFR has their little corner of the market sewed up, there is no comparison, lol.

Agro1 , good point! It is the differences that make the,,,,,,,uh,,,,,,,,difference. Some are built ONLY as rollers, thus, you can be more assured of a quality build right from the start. A car like that IS going to cost more money, period! Most Cobras are offered as "Kits". A Classic Roadster built by DV instantly gets my attention, I KNOW it is a quality built car. If it was a "kit" built at "home", I got a LOT more questions to ask! Hard to say WHICH one might be the better car for the money though!

I want to RACE! So, I WILL seriously consider an FFR, buy it cheap and thrash it! But then again, you can't beat JBL for raceing, but scared to death I might "hurt it"! BIG $$ difference! I want a BIG Cobra with plenty room for a daily driver, but I want it to be "correct" as possible.

Man, you just can't have it ALL!

Hal is right, it is a very personal decision and no matter which one you get, it's gonna be SO cool.

Ernie

Not to extend this subject or anything:D but another fact to look at is how a car looks in real life. I have noticed that in pictures the different cars body lines are far more pronounced than in real life. Example: After doing a lot of picture browsing on line I had decided that I really didn't like the lines of the FFR cars. However when I actually saw one in person the lines of the car didn't bother me & I actually was impressed with the car as a whole. Granted that wasn't the car for me but one should really do some research before deciding

Hey, Agro1, if I had agreed with you, I would have posted that. I have agreed with, AND disagreed with, just about everyone on this forum. Ron's remark was on the mark, with the bunch of posts about watches, and was directed to all who posted about watches, and not about the thread's title of "Price differentials."