Backdraft Racing Cobras

[Boudy]

Tim: Don't worry about catching flack buddy, you know what they say about opinions, "We all have em' and they all stink."

Replicas are glass, Cobras are aluminum. End of story. It blows my mind when manufacturers do this... OK, OK, I'm yankin' your chain. But come on...

You mention engineering, the BDR is engineered to be one of, if not the best driving cars available. It took 92" inches to achieve it. ERA is known for origionality(don't make me bring up the glass thing again) and that is thier market. Different cars lend to different buyers. The BDR is built to drive, on and off the track.

Resale, now that's a different subject. The only cars you see given away is kits that were thrown together to begin with. Otherwise, these cars do very well on resale and they stay close to the origional purchase price. An SPF will always sell for $12K more than a Backdraft for as long the there is a $12K difference in the retail. Both are excellent cars, one just takes more to get it off the showroom floor, that's why there is a price difference on resale.

Also, in a different category, if you have to build a car yourself then I agree that a non-donor FFR is a good choice.

Boudy

[EngineerMan]

Boudy, get my email?

[Boudy]

I'll get it now.

Boudy

[SSS]

Again, no offense intended, but

this is a skinny fender:

[SSS]

And this is not:

[Boudy]

SSS: None taken. I'm with you pal, that is a skinny fender.

However, that yellow car is a 2002, the 2003 cars were widened in the rear. There is a new site launching soon with all the new cars on it.

Boudy

Here is a new one:

[Mestizo]

Hey SSS,
The BDR guys changed body style some time ago and the new ones are not the ones shown in their brochure or on the website. The rear flare is now larger and the lip is gone. Just FYI. Also, the pictures don't do the real thing justice, even the old style. It is very good looking live. I personally prefer the look over the ERA which overdoes the flare in my opinion. The nicest I've seen in this regard is the AC Autocraft factory built (UK) aluminum body that supposedly is molded with the original tools and it looks more like a BDR than an ERA.

[CobraDan]

Mestizo,
Join the Deep South Cobra Club and get together with 170 other Cobra owners or enthusiasts.
http://www.jerryscobras.net/Join_Us/join_us.html

When Reg came to Florida he thought it would be a nice place to live but not sell Cobras, boy was he wrong. He has sold over 40 Cobras in our state alone the last time I talked with him. We have a lot of those owners in our club. Everytime I look at the BDR Cobra it looks better.
Dan

[SSS]

Redone rear? Cool. There was a red CSX (original I guess) at SAI when I visited last year, and it had an extremely flared fender which I also thought was overdone. Still, it looks aggressive and that's cool in my book.

[Rogers]

E-man,
This guy Boudy, Robert Boudreaux, looks to be your guy. I drove to Tulsa 2 weeks ago to meet up with him. I wanted to drive a 345 hp car, I just sold my silver classic with 425 hp. I liked his demo car although it had some fine tuning yet . Overall...I made the trip to also check this guy out. When your preparing to drop major cash...and have to go Cobraless as well, I wanted to be sure who I was dealing with. I can personally say this guy would do anything in his power to make sure I'm happy with my car. I also get the feeling this guy will give the same support after the sale. He is just getting started...distributing these cars so he really will do lots to make you feel good about his product. He is not just a salesman. I also think he knows just what he is getting into....this car will be so hot, its going to blow all others out of the water. I've been around Cobras for a relative short time...4 years. and have built 2. I was with Nuke427 2 weeks ago at a car show...he took me for a ride...we were at 100mph and that car was as solid as a factory BMW. Again, you will like dealing with Boudy...call him and you'll see what I mean, also he's either a Texan or a Coonass....I'd deal with both in a heartbeat.

[Edley Rondinone]

Is the suspension BMW? How well does the suspension hold up? How is the ride compared to American-based suspensions?

[EngineerMan]

I have decides that i will purchase a backdraft cobra, but first I have to recover from my motorcycle accident. I am having a very hard time holding back because i really want one very badly. I am finished with bikes and I want to get into this hobby ASAP.

Boudy you will definately be hearing from me in the future.

[George Snyder]

Well Guys,
I am happy to see so many people with positive things to say about Backdraft. These comments surely reinforce the decision that I made to select a Backdraft.
Unlike others here, that do extensive research before deciding, I purchased mine on an impulse. The decision took 1 week. I did no research at all. I never even knew there were so many different manufactures. I liked the looks of the car, the finish, and the materials (BMW) used. One week later I got to drove one and ordered mine immediately.

At the Cobra Revolution we have recently in PA, mine was the only BDR there. I am sure that next year that will certainly change. Good luck to all with their BDRs.
Take care,
Bud

[brainbugnj]

Hey guys..have a few questions on the BackDraft.....

What type of front suspension is used?

What type of rear is in the car? ratio?

What type of brakes/rotors on the car?

Are all of the replacement parts availible easily?

Car says ready for T5 can a tremec be put in?

how long is the wait for one right now?

how are the wheels that come with the car? 17s worth it?

what options if any did you guys get?

thanks - Steve

[Boudy]

Hello Steve: The BDR uses 1993 325i series front and rear suspension. The car is set up identical to the 325i with the exeption of a little toe-in that makes the rack drive like power steering and also a little camber change in the rear to get the tires flatter to the pavement. It even uses the front sway bar which builds in anti-dive. The rear comes standard with a 3.10 non-locker. BMW calls it a non-locker but it's really about an 80/20. Gears can be changed to 3.49 or 3.91 if track times are most important. The car has 4-wheel power assisted disc with vented front rotors and parts can be had at NAPA. We buy enough Tremecs to sell 3550's for about the same price as new T-5s. The TKO fits but needs a different driveshaft yoke. Team III wheels are standard on the cars with 10's and 295/50's in the rear and 8's in the front. The 17" option is awesome, just look at the black/silver car posted above.

There is a 4 month lead time for a car, you pick the color. A car ordered now would be here in mid October or so. If it's not a custom color or something, it can sometimes be had sooner.

Rogers: Thanks for the kind words.
BTW: I'm a coonass transplanted to Texas for college. Kinda liked it, kinda stayed.

Boudy

[brainbugnj]

Thanks for the answers....

what is a stock t5 rated for HP wise? 425HP ok?

also can you guys do the gear change before delivery? to 3.49?

I should give you a call on monday are you guys in the office?

one more question anyone know where I can get a pre-emission block 72 or older? 351 would have to be 70,71,72.....

any ideas?

[CobraDan]

Reg Dodd had three BDR Cobras at our DSCC meeting at Silver Springs, you could have climbed all over them and gone for a ride with you driving. The one I liked best was black with a white stripe with white meatballs, and a 600HP engine and red interior. This one was loaded and had a price tag around $42,000. In November Reg will be at our Reptile Roundup in Lutz, Florida.
Dan

[Mestizo]

Dan, Thanks for the referral. I will check it out.

Rogers, I agree with you I think BDR's are going to be the hottest deal around. That's also part of why I bought one. On a percentage basis I think it will hold its value better than anything out there even if they go up some.

[captain]

I am glad to see all the BDR owners are happy with their cars.
I saw my first BDR at the Atlantic City Show in Feb. It looked like it was put together in the backyard in the winter.
If you add the missing parts that come with a superformance, what then is the difference?
I disagree with the notion that $12,000 less in price will bring $12,000 less at resale. ERA's were bringing $55,000 at resale until superformance came out. Then used parity brought the ERA down to mid $40,000's since they are very similar in quality as a Superformance when built by ERA.
The marketplace DOES know quality and sets the price.

[Boudy]

brainbugnj : Don't know what the T-5 is rated for. The early 70's block will be a crap shoot at the salvage yards. Good Luck.
Call anytime:
(817) 703-1475
www.Hi-PerRods.com

Edley Rondinone: The standard suspension will take a pounding up to 500 HP. Beyond that, we recommend the sport suspension upgrade which consist of BMW M3 Racing components.

captain: It would take about $3,500 to option a BDR exaxtly like an SPF. Knock-offs, brass windshield from, and some other minor things.

Boudy