Cobra quandary - Page 2

Snake Psychosis · #1 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 06:27 AM

'morning all,

I haven't been posting much as I havent' learned enough to make any sort of informed statements on a regular basis. I have, however, been dutifully snooping as much as possible with regard to what sort of Cobra that I will end up wanting to acquire.

To that end, I have come to a point where I'd like some opinions on more of an aesthetic plane. You see, I've been vacillating between the 427 Roadster and the Coupe. I realize in the end it's basically a matter of taste to the recreational driver, but I'd like to get input that perhaps I haven't thought of yet.

As such, I've listed some of the pro's and con's of each below, and I'd appreciate whatever input you folks might be able to provide. Who knows, perhaps it may sway me in one direction or the other.

427 Roadster Pros
1. Sexy all day...even to those that don't know a stinking thing about cars.
2. Fast as hell, but then the coupe is too, so that's somewhat moot depending on the circumstances.
3. Convertible, with the options of hardtop or softtop.

427 Roadster Cons
1. An open air car on a trip over 100 miles might be a bit much if you don't like the wind beating the hell out of you for hours on end.
2. Loud...but then, the coupe is too, so again, that's a wash. (personally, I'm sick of how quiet my Cadillac is, so that'd be ducky with me).
3. No room...from what I've read, some roadsters are not exactly roomy, and I've been told most drivers end up with their heads slightly over the top of the windshield.

Daytona Coupe Pros
1. Sexy all day...but usually to those that actually know what the heck it is.
2. Fast as hell, and from what I've read, with identical engine setups, the coupe is faster due to aerodynamics. That, however, is a moot point if I never take it to the track to utilize those characteristics. Besides, where besides the track am I going to be tearing down the road at 200mph?
3. Hardtop...for those that like the lack of turbulence a hardtop can offer, this is a plus. Some people tire of roadsters after a while of wind beating on them. This does not, however, suggest that you can HEAR better in a coupe vs. a roadster. The other plus about this is that it's more weather friendly...I live in the northwest, and believe me, noone can predict the weather around here for more than a few hours at a time.
4. Ease of work...from what I've been able to figure, working on a coupe would seem somewhat easier than it would be for a roadster. With its tilt nose, engine access seems quite simple, and the fear of damaging the paint or body due to work on the motor would appear reduced. Maybe I'm wrong on this, but the roadster looks like you'd have to contend with treating the fenders with kid gloves while you try to work on the plant.

Daytona Coupe Cons
1. Heat...from what I've been able to ascertain, unless you buy a Superformance with the AC already installed, you're going to cook. Roadsters seem to be notorious for retaining heat in the cockpit, and without an auxilliary AC system, or proper venting, enjoyment might be brought to a minimum.
2. Loud...as I said before, so is the roadster, but with the enclosed cabin, the coupe seems to have the potential for creating hearing loss over extended use. As I've seen some people say in here........"What's the point in a stereo?.......all you do is spend your time saying "What? What?" anyway!"
3. Lack of recognizability...face it, we like these cars because they have a certain appeal, and we like that they appeal to the general public too. The coupe, while instantly recognizable to any motorhead, is generally somewhat of a mystery to Joe Public. I've actually seen a coupe replica at a show, and wanted to just stand back and watch people for a bit. Sure enough, I got to hear some of the standard comments..."What is it?" "It's a Jaguar!" "It's a Ferrari!"............while this is somewhat amusing, I also watched the owner, and their mild look of discontentment at the fact that people don't know what the heck their car is.

I realize these are mostly aesthetic concepts, but that's kind of where my mind is at the moment. There are other reasons to consider either car, like resale, but I wanted to keep the scope of my current line of blathering fairly focused. In any event, I appreciate whatever input you folks can provide.

tim