Replica Kits

[MastaK6767]

Hello my name is Kyle and I am in the process of researching different types of kit cars because I want to build a Shelby Cobra. My price range is around 26,000-28,000 dollars, and I want to use a new 302 engine. If you have any suggestions I would be happy to hear them.

Thank you
Kyle

[Bumpster]

In my opinion the best thing you can do to get educated about Cobra replicas is to go to car shows and talk directly to owners, especially those who built their own cars. You have to get some direct contact with cars and owners, ask questions, look over and under the cars, sit in them, and ride in them. You will find most Cobra owners willing to spend time to help you, because we were all in your position sometime in the past.

Bumpster

[sllib]

Kyle;
Welcome to Club Cobra. I started out in 1998 with the the same idea and budget as you. I followed every post on this site, went to a ton of car shows (including Carlisle four times), visited most of the top manufacturers, and even took a three day course on building Cobras. I moved from an apartment to a house with a two-car garage and began to save every penny for my "Cobra fund". Now, five years later, EVERYTHING has changed. I have a Unique deluxe pallet kit in my garage that cost more than my original budget. My 302 magically changed into a 427W stroker with a Dart big-bore block and AFR 205 heads, each costing more than I originally intended to spend on the whole engine. As things are going now, I expect to finish my Cobra in $25,000!! So, my advice is: do your research, talk to people, stay on this site, and save your pennies. Good luck,
Bill Stradtner

[luke-44]

Kyle - become familiar with the "search" function on this site and how to really use it - it is an absolute wealth of information - your question has been asked hundreds of times - example - ERA vs SPF, FF5 vs Shell Valley, Which Replica, etc, etc. Try diferent search phrases and then pour through the results.

You should be more confused than ever after that.....

[Lowell W]

Hi, Kyle,

The best place to see and compare Cobras and talk with the owners/builders is at Spring Fling. Now that The Fling is "ON" again, my advice is to plan a road trip to London, Ohio for the third week in June. The days to see the most will be Friday and Saturday. Check around the hotels on Saturday morning and bum a ride in the parade. Most any Cobra owner who's there by himself will be happy for you to ride along and if there was any doubt in your mind whether you wanted a Cobra, a ride in the parade, amidst 100,000 or so thundering horsepower will make you a believer.

In the meantime, check www.cobracountry.com for a list of manufacturers and contact the ones which look interesting for their sales brochures. On Cobracountry, you'll also find Curt Scott's "Guide to Cobra Replicas" (not sure of the exact title), which is a great source of information and well worth the twenty bucks or so. Depending on your level of interest, you may want to stop and visit a couple of the manufacturers and check out their operations on your trip. Also on Cobracountry is a list of classified ads for Cobras. Checking this list periodically will give you some idea of what's popular, how other guys have built their cars, what's available for how many dollars, etc.

As stated above, there's a vast wealth of information here on CC; use "search CC" to look for comparisons, answer specific questions, etc.

As with anything else, there's so much more to "Cobras" than meets the eye of the uninitiated, and the sky's the limit. Some guys build very nice Cobras for $20K or less; some spend many (MANY!!) times that.

Lowell

[grumpy]

Kyle,
Lowell couldn't have said it better, a "original" REPLICA Cobra or a KIT daily driver in the shape of a COBRA is a decision often swayed by other preferences.
grumpy

[MastaK6767]

Thanks a bunch for all your input you have all been very helpful and if you think of anything else please let me know.

Thank you very much
Kyle Reid