cobra ownership thoughts/questions

[joe s]

OK; now that I'm reaching the point of considering a real automotive toy, I'd like to express some of my feelings and ask for your comments. I've looked at this website for some time and you all seem to be a good honest group of car lovers, and Cobras in particular, of course.
I've been an auto enthusiast all my life and do own/have owned some nice cars. A few years back I made the 'mistake' of walking into a Superformance dealership (Ross, Ohio) and was totally smitten. Every so often I go in there, occasionally taking a test drive, and having a pining, sick feeling in my gut for a week or 2 afterwards - you know the feeling I'm sure! The Cobra has always shared a spot in my heart with the mid-year Corvette - I've owned and enjoyed a '67 Vette and have missed it - sold it 10 years ago. But, it was a old car, restored but old nevertheless, and I became somewhat paranoid driving it ie is it going to get chipped, is it going to start showing its age, etc.
The Cobra, SP in particular, is, however, NEW, and durable, and separated from the worries of classic car ownership in THAT sense. You can really drive the thing.
I think I'm over the 'real' vs replicar thing. There's no way I could afford a real Cobra, let alone be able to drive it as often or as indiscriminately as I would the SP. It IS, as you all know, a fairly good chunk of change in any case. I figure it'll run at least $50K to buy new.
I've noted someone stating in the 'for sale' forum that the market is soft; is that the general consensus? I've noticed resale is not great; you can get a nice (and I'm talking SP here, since that's the only brand I'm really considering) pre-owned Cobra for low to mid $40's, a significant hit on a typically pampered, low miles $55-$60K car. Not that I'm buying it for resale - car ownership shouldn't be like that - but it is something to consider. I don't have the time, space, know-how or equipment to do any assembly on my own. I want a finished car - just need to add the motor/tranny ala SP. Unfortunately, the Cobra I would like is the roadster style - right terminology? - ie with rear exhausts and a higher reving small block - more the 289 style. It appears that this style, at least as far as I can tell, makes up approx 5% - 10% of Cobra replicar sales, so a used one is probably out of the question unless I get awfully lucky, both with brand, equipment, color etc and timing.
I'd like to drive the thing a lot as well, and the weather in S. Ohio is marginal for this.
So, no real concrete questions; just a bunch of thoughts I hope many of you have shared. Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
From what I gather, for the money, the Superformance product is probably the best product for an authentic Cobra - comments?
This may be new car buying jitters, but it is a lot of money. I just don't get the thrill out of $50K modern sports cars that I get every time I see one of these Cobras.
Thanks for any comments!
Joe