New to the Cobra world? Have you always dreamed of having a Cobra? Read carefully.

[rokndad]

I have what one would consider the "higher priced" models of the Cobra family of cars since most everyone on this site watched Gary's ads for CSX 4758 in the For Sale section. But I have been on all the fences rsimoes has talked about. I have been married to the same girl for 32 years tomorrow and she has "put up" with my car "thing" even before we were married. I built my '34 Ford Tudor with a complete '70 Vette running gear in her Mom's garage before we were married!!! We got married in that car and it was sold two years later as the down payment on the house we lived in for 30 of those 32 years. She cried as the dentist from Newport Beach and his family happily rode away from our rental in it. A month later we bought that first house.

I've owned 5 Corvettes (all new) since 1971, the last being a 2001 Convertible which I sold last month to help finance the Cobra. I'm a Vette guy...always liked them and owned them. A total Chevy fan and the new Vettes perform extremely well. But I always wanted to be a "Cobra Guy" since I saw that first one on Whittier Blvd in 1964. Now I am. And I couldn't be happier. There's just something about a 427 SO in a little two door roadster with loud side pipes that is viceral and unexplainable to us old drag racers and noise junkies.

It smells up the garage, it's hard to start, it leaks, it's incredibly loud, I've burned my leg three times (one really badly) and although it was a "complete" car, I've spent a lot in things I wanted to do already. And on some things I didn't want to do. There's not one week where the UPS man hasn't left me a present on the front porch.

These machines are crude and not for the faint of heart. If you don't do your own work, they can be very frustrating and expensive. If you do your own work, they can be very frustrating and expensive. I happen to love wrenching on these things and have broken out my tools I've owned since the '60's to play with this car. This is essentiallyl 60's technology with some modern "lessons learned" thrown in for good measure.
It was my wife who pushed me over the top to quit looking and talking and wishing about having one and I have her to thank for participating in the acquisition. She loves that I tinker around in the garage or on the web looking for help or something I want to get for the car to further make it my own. And we get to meet a lot of interesting people in our outings.

This is not an investment, but it is a satisfaction of something that is hard to describe, if one is like me in their late 50's who grew up with these *****in cars just out of reach from the time we were teenagers to the present. Well, I'm in. And I'm going to be in for a long time. I simply love this car and most of the folks I've met so far that in some way were connected with the sport or had an interest. It has to be something in your family that is not a necessity but a wish....and for a lot of us the wish has come true. I hope you find peace with your future decisions, and best wishes to you and your family.

[nmayes]

Rob,

I am going to miss your posts on Club Cobra, and I am sorry for your bad experience with your cars. I am fairly new to Club Cobra, but I look forward every night in viewing and reading about the cars, their problems and the many answers and suggestions that come from Club Cobra members. This is a great source for information. I have been building cars all my life, I have owned many muscle cars including Corvettes. These cars rarely had power steering, air-conditioning or radial tires. They didn't drive the best down an old road, they followed the ruts, they rattled, they squeaked (especially Corvettes) and were extremely fast and fun to drive. In owning these types of cars you have to have a passion for them, and a mechanical knowledge of what you have. (not just knowledge) I am talking about hands on experience with building the project and being involved. That is what makes these cars so special. I too have seen your Kirkham on e-bay and the for sale section of Club Cobra. What a beautiful car, I don't think I have seen many that looked as good as yours.
Good luck with your new Corvette.

Neil

[hi-tech cobra]

Your whining is irritating. The first word that comes to mind is: metro-sexual.

I'm working on my 3rd cobra. The first two were a labor of love, the 3rd will be the same. It's called a hobby. Stop taking advise from your wife and your 3 year old (what does a 3 year old know! I bet if you asked him "Should daddy sell the cobra and buy you a truck load of chinese toys with free lead paint?" he would say yes.).

If it were up to my wife, I would be chained to her 'honey do' list. There would be no cobra. She pressed me one day to sell it, I told her she would go before the cobra did. The subject has not resurfaced.

My side oiler was built by an 'expert'. When it imploded, I didn't whine...I learned how to rebuild it myself. If you want a trouble free car, buy a Toyota. A cobra takes work but so does my yard.

Theology 101: God has much more to do in the world than make sure you are completely happy with your cars.

[WildBill3]

???????? is this the first 3 cars u have ever built,ever here **** happens,i kinda thought that was the rule.After seeing James Yale,s car id put it up against a vet anyday for fit and finish!!!JUst dont cry a river over things that dont work out.Our car isnt perfect far from it,but we can be proud we didit ourselves and im not paying some shop 120 bucks an hour to work onit either.THe Busted knuckle wrench gang!!!hhhhoooooraaaa

[ng8264723]

I followed your for sale adds here and ebay. I saw the price drop and cringed myself. I have to say it made me nervous. I have been looking at different makes for sometime. I've visited FFR/ERA and looked over all I see at shows. The Kirkham cars have always been my favorite. I have never seen one in person but they are gorgeous in the images I've seen. I admire their attn to detail. I recently ordered one. I am on a bit of a payment schedule though. Your experience frightens me more than a little. I think you went overboard on your last build. The car was/is outstanding but alot of the expensive bling was not reall necessary. My car as ordered was $54,000 without the powertrain. I think that it better to start with a more modest build. The $5,000 Kirkham differential is around $4,000 more than a rebuilt Jag rear. These things can be eliminated b/c they won't have that much return value. As far as the driving experience I hope mine is more pleasurable then yours.
chris

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

With all due respect, I think you had no idea what a high performance or race car is all about. Corvettes are great (I've had mine for 22 years), and you are better off with it. Your expectations of a Cobra were purely romantic. They are hot, noisy, rough riding and they rattle. They are very expensive and not intended for profitable resale. So what else is new? I also noted that you don't work on your own cars, which is not conducive to owning a Cobra. When and if one of my kids or my girlfriend were to tell me they don't like my car (Cobra) I will tell them they don't have to ride in it. I have it for me! I didn't build it for profit or resale. If, God forbid, something happens and I have to sell it, then that's tough sh_t for me.
This guy had some tough luck I'm sure, but to dump a Kirkham for a Corvette tells me he wanted the Corvette all along.

[bobcowan]

Sounds like - unfortunatly - you learned too many hard lessons all at once. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

But, you're absolutly correct about what a Cobra really is. Yes, it's the coolest car ever built. If watching one go by doesn't raise your pulse just a little bit, your serum testosterone level needs adjusting. Driving one at speed just makes you laugh out loud.

BUT - it's loud. It's smelly. It's hot. It's cold and wet. It can be a bumpy ride. There's no stereo, A/C, or power anything. It's a seat, a motor, 4 wheels, and that's about it. You can't just jump in and go. You'll be constantly messsing with it to get everything just right. You'll easily spend as much time under it as you do in it.

Above all - It's the perfect car for me.

[lemans24]

everybody told me i was nuts. no roof, no a/c, no radio. those were the exact things i loved about these cars. as raw as you can get it. i bought my
kirkham because it was as close to original as reasonable money could get.
i was 5 years old when real cobras were winning races. when i look at mine
i think about that group of guys, 40 plus years ago, who made the mold for what we see today. a few years ago we went to lemans, just being there
thinking about shelby and his guys winning was incredible. now i'm going
to sit in my car...

[Hal Copple]

Poorly thought that one out. Lost everything, not to mention about four years of my life. Ran off with a lawyer when i was in Vietnam.

As for the Cobra thing: i wanted one for most of my life. My particular Replica has given me and my son more memories than we could ever hope to have had any other way. I drive it just about every day. I get soaked, sweated, dripped on, sunburnt, smell of exhaust, and have spent a fortune on upgrades and modifications.

But then i don't boat/fish/hunt/golf/etc, all i have time for is my interest in cars, esp the one in my garage.

Some day i will have to hang up my keys. I want to walk into the sunset knowing i did it.

My first wife i think has been married since about 6 more times. Some relationships are doomed to certain failure. As was yours with your Replica.

Either one wants the librarian with glasses, or the augmented exotic dancer. Both entail compromises.

Wish you well, sincerely,

[CBattaglia]

One word....

If you are looking for luxury.....This is the wrong place for you.

Ya corvettes are nice, but you will never get a thumbs up from a Ferrari in a Corvette (happened to me last saturday, I love it)

[RedBarchetta]

And as Hal Copple has so elegantly stated, "A Cobra is about as crude as a medievel battle axe and attracts more attention than a dead body in a parking lot."

Amen, brother!

[Mister]

I am sorry for your woes.

My, our, experiences, probably in large part as a result of differing expectations, have been very different. Yep, we had a few "issues" before delivery but nothing serious and in hind sight probably just normal snafu's. We have had very few problems since delivery.

I enjoy the very basic nature of a Cobra and it has lived up, or down, to my expectations. We have traveled up and down the east coast in it. Yep, Savanah was a tad warm in June and the Dragon was a bit brisk in November. Having made both trips in a "modern car" and in the Cobra.........for me there is no comparison. The Cobra trips were much much more involving and much more pleasing to me.
I think that it would be wise for anyone to carefully weigh the pros and cons of such a large expenditure. I also think it would be wise for a prospective purchaser to very carefully consider his, or her, expectations of the Cobra experience.
I wish you well with your new car and hope you have a much more pleasant experience.
Mike

[JUS BIT]

It's really too bad that you had some bad experiences with the 3 Cobra replicas you had built. I'd have to agree with Patrickt that it all depends on who you surround yourself with in this industry. It's the Hot Rod industry and you've got the best people in the world and some of the worse, unfortunately. Luck just was not on your side.

I have personally built 3 Cobras myself and worked on dozens. They are all different and unique in their own way. You can have a Show Stopper Cobra or a Daily Driver, I've seen it all. But, it's the passion that the owners and newbies have for the car itself that drives us.

Yes, there are Cobras with problems. Nothing is perfect. It's a custom built automobile with high performance parts. And any Cobra owner can tell you that it's pretty easy to enjoy your Cobra a little too much, especially when it comes to the throttle. But, plain and simple, it's a Hot Rod. If you go to a classic car show and look at he rides you'll know what I mean. Or, if you've ever owned any other classic cars, you know what I mean.

For the newbies out there, don't let one bad experience ruin it for you. Ask around the Cobra community, go to Cobra gatherings, attend Cobra meets and you'll see that there are way more positives to this than negatives.

Finally, the depreciation in any automobile is going to depend on how inflated the original price begins with. Whether it is a new Suburban, Lexus, Corvette, or Cobra replica. But I can tell you, if you stay moderate in your building price, you will not loose as much as stated the first year, and the following years will not depreciate hardly at all.

By the way, didn't the C6 Corvette have thousands of recalls for the roof "flying off???" Just a thought about perfection. Great car, but it still has issues as everything else.

Thanks WildBill for the kudos on my Coupe, much appreciated...

Bests to all...

James

[Rick Parker]

BUT - it's loud. It's smelly. It's hot. It's cold and wet. It can be a bumpy ride. There's no stereo, A/C, or power anything. It's a seat, a motor, 4 wheels, and that's about it. You can't just jump in and go. You'll be constantly messsing with it to get everything just right. You'll easily spend as much time under it as you do in it.

Above all - It's the perfect car for me.

THANK YOU BOB!

The perfect equation

Its a frigg'n "Hobby" with wheels!

[jmimac351]

People definitely need to read what this guy shared and realize that there are two types of people who should own these cars:

People who can build them / work on them

or

People that have enough money to pay someone to do so without complaining about it.

If you are not willing or able to do one or the other then you are in over your head with these cars. Meanwhile, with God's good grace I will own a roadster, coupe, or GT40 until the day I die. The stares are not misplaced.

[xlr8or]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

People definitely need to read what this guy shared and realize that there are two types of people who should own these cars:

People who can build them / work on them

or

People that have enough money to pay someone to do so without complaining about it.

If you are not willing or able to do one or the other then you are in over your head with these cars.

I think the title of this thread should be: "New to the Cobra world? This is how not to do it"

[Tony Aprile]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

People definitely need to read what this guy shared and realize that there are two types of people who should own these cars:

People who can build them / work on them

or

People that have enough money to pay someone to do so without complaining about it.

I have a similar saying...There are "car guy's" and there are "guy's with cars".

Car Guy's can build, upgrade or at least maintain there machine and are willing to investigate and repair to there ability and shop/garage conditions.

Guy's with Cars will drive there vehicles and gas up.....they will pay to have all problems repaired and probably cleaned.

A Cobra is a high maintenance vehicle...as in any vintage high performance vehicle or muscle car. Guy's with Cars beware...if your not willing to chase down some problems and do some of the repairs, then please don't complain, because they do happen.

Rob's experiences are not unique to fellow Cobra owners, although they are far and few in between...unfortunately Rob had several....

[Glen T]

Thanks for your thoughts. It doesn't change what I believe a cobra to be. I do think in terms of value lost, these are kits, not the real thing. If you lost 30%, then I think you did fairly well given that is sounds like all the labor was farmed out. So what really happened is the hard parts kept their value, but the new owners were'nt willing to pay for the labor on your cars. Good luck with your Vettes, and thanks again for your input.
Glen

[Rick Parker]

What are you doing riding in one of these "Unsafe 600 HP 2100lb Race cars" with your 3 year old child? Is THAT being responsible?

[jperickson2001]

Wow. Sorry for your troubles. I guess I was lucky. I got an 8 year old Factory Five Cobra, drove it 2500 miles back to California in 2 days, and have been driving it about 340 days a year for two years strait and love every minute of it with no problems at all. Good luck with your Corvette. -John