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

[Jerry Clayton]

# 100 in 20 1/2 hours

[rdorman]

Make that 101

[What'saCobra?]

Most Cobras are a bit frantic and mildly exasperating from time to time.

They take a bit of patience and perseverance to enjoy. They can even be embarassing and frustrating depending on preparation and demands.

But, when they are nice, they are indeed nice. Some days things just go so nicely and the ride is perfect (or the race is just perfect). Other times, it isn't the same fun and my to do list gets slightly bigger as a result.

Well, sort of like an aircraft, about 1 hours use for perhaps 2 hours preparation/repair/changes. (Nothing like helicopters, where each hours use requires perhaps 5 hours effort.)

Remember, they are fundamentally British cars, with big improvements in reliability from FORD. Yet, they are idiosyncratic and a little fussy. Skill helps. Money is necessary. Work is mandatory, sometimes just to get home.

Not an all weather car, i could never quite understand how open roadsters were ever originated in the UK, where the weather is so frequently soaking.

To really enjoy my Cobras through the years, took the occasional patience of Job; what's else today, Lord? There was always the hope of making enough improvements to get it to really handle just right (rather elusive, but occasional) and not overheat with that beastie up front. Or make a good hot start. Or not understeer (without throttle). Or not oversteer with a little. Lots of tire combinations, lots of ignition systems, lots of "prodifications". All "fun" to the interested.

Sometimes, i would prodify it beyond the radiator limit, change the rad and finally have enough power to have rear carb bowl feed problems, then when that was fixed the oil pan baffles were not quite enough... you get the idea.

It was always a work in progress. The car will demand your involvement or it will be a hangar queen.

It is intense, if you are really a driver and it does not suffer silly foolishness mildly. Most folks that scare themselves silly quietly decide to sell it after a while for whatever reason.

Sort of like flying. Or horseback riding. Get back on, get some dual instruction on outside spins transitioning to inside spins, get some seat miles. Otherwise, it isn't fun anymore.

Many great cars have been done by guys that aren't really that hot to drive them, but love to build them. Many hot drivers used Cobras to spingboard to bigger and better iron (aly?).

There is no single route to our own Nirvana, but building or driving the ideal Cobra is certainly one of them for some of us, dispite any disappointments and delays along the way. There is a certain degree of suffering that will be required as the price of joy along the way. Lots of patience is a real aid, because you can tolerate the imprefections of what is, in order to plan for what it might become.

You have to like the smell of wet leather, wet wool rugs and burnt oil vapors off the pipes and gaskets. You have to learn what nice balance means in a road machine, no matter how fast. You have to accept that if you DO wave at some one, they are gonna feel good the rest of their day. And, therefore, you need to wave a lot! Make 'em happy, says i. ('Specially if you pass 'em on the right here in the US of A. A nice wave is good politic.)

Not everyone will agree, however. My first wife couldn't stand it. Certainly couldn't stand me. Can you imagine anyone not being simply enthralled with riding shotgun position in a rough & clapped-out 289 factory team race-car, with open side pipes, going sideways on the hilly roads of southern New Hampshire in the frosty fall, passing 36 cars at once as they were gawking at the changing foliage?

Fortunately, not all leaves are wet, nor all corners bumpy.

(Can't quite recall that girl's name...)
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Nice thread, mostly. Please keep.

[Jerry Clayton]

outside spin transitioning to inside spin----never done that but I do know a B720 loses 14000 feet in a one turn spin

No I wasn't flying it, I was standing in the cockpit door as a student F/O was getting Dutch roll instruction with stall warning disabled---back when training was still done in planes

Jerry

[What'saCobra?]

Yoikes and egads!

[cobrarkc]

In 1979 I had saved up a bunch of money and wanted to buy myself a hot car. I had been driving nothing but 60s Cougars and Mustangs and was looking for something over the top. I was really considering a Porshe 928. A girlfriend of mine called me up and said she saw this hot Cobra kit at the Coliseum in NY so I went to check it out. It happened to be a Contemporary. From that moment I knew that that was the car I was looking for. I spend the next 6 months researching the kits that were available (there weren't that many) I won't go into them. For my own reason I chose the Contemporary and placed my order for a Deluxe home builders version. I had to do alot of fabricating and tweeking but I never regreted one minute spent working on the car. I use to wake up from dreams over driving it before it was finished. That was 1980. In the next 27 years my had ups and downs. I was forced to let it sit for years at a time for various reason the last one being 2 years ago it was in a flood and I basically had to rebuild it. I myself would have never regeted or looked back at any of my misfortunes just used them as learning experiences.
Are these cars for everyone? No way, that is what make this a special group but some people need to find out for themselves.
All I know is even when the car was out of commission all Ihad to do was go out to the garage it it could make a bad day better. I will always own my cobra until I can't turn the key anymore!

[Michael P. Wole]

Who gives a rats ##$ Its a Cobra...had the dream...now have the car. Drove one back in 1965 and never forgot the deep down gut level feeling..heart racing, eyes tearing...why am I saying this??? If I (we) have to explain it you wouldn't understand...same with Harley Davidson's..oh well..think I will go wax my British Racing Green with white strip toy.
Poor planning on someones part usually creates a crisis down the line for someone...in this case one in the same.

[Dangerous Doug]

One man's crisis is another man's heaven. He had three bad experiences, but there were three good deals on Cobra's to be had by someone. Someone saved a boatload of money by purchasing those cars. What was it, a 30% discount on a no-hold's barred Kirkham? What a deal!

My brother bought his dream car---a nice, used Corvette. Drove it for 2 years and lost 25% of his original investment when he sold.

[STL Mark]

We've all followed Rob's exploites on this forum. While I agree with most that posted on this thread - that a Cobra is not for everyone, etc., etc., etc., - He (Rob) does have some legitimate complaints. Ex - a SPF roller (with show quality paint) on order for months - shows up with swirl marks and body damage. Would anyone here pay 45K for a new and damaged chassis? And then wait another 9 months? How about a custom (and very expensive) engine with water in the oil. What do you think? Maybe 25K+ for a bad motor? Then he steps up to a KMP - gets the best of everything - spends ANOTHER 100K+ and still has to deal with the same sort of body and finish problems, engine leaks, linkage problems. For the kind of money that he spent - that/those cars should have been perfect - perfect! They should have sorted out those issues before delivery. It is ridiculous to sell a customer a $130,000 custom car that hasn't been sorted out. So - IMHO - I think his experience should be a wake-up call to (not owners) but the industry and suppliers.

Even if his last car was perfect in every way - he may have still dumped it - I don't know - but at least he would only be able to blame himself instead of SPF, KMP, Keith Craft, and all the others.

[SP01715]

I have owned many cars including two Vettes and my SPF Cobra is by far the most fun I have had with a car.

I had some bad experiences and have lost a lot of money over the years playing with high dollar high performance offshore boats but I would not paint the whole industry with the same brush. I also have had some very positive experiences as well.

As far as SPF in concerned, they have been one of the best companies I have dealt with. My car has been great, and the Roush motor has been great as well.

[joey_hv]

uh, one more thing...

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by STL Mark

We've all followed Rob's exploites on this forum.

There's a couple hours I'll never get back either.

[nevermind65]

I just bought a second one a few weeks ago. On my first real drive home, it started to pour down rain. I was sliding all over the road, the car had about 1/2" water on the floor, and the rain was stinging my face because I was hauling down the highway trying to get home.

When I pulled in the driveway, my wife walked out and said "That's the biggest smile I've ever seen on you".

I have nothing against newer Corvettes. I see lots of them at the car shows. Most are driven by 80 year old men. You really have to be young at heart to drive a Cobra. When I'm 80, maybe I'll look at that Corvette....or shoot myself.

[clayfoushee]

Originally Posted by nevermind65

I just bought a second one a few weeks ago. On my first real drive home, it started to pour down rain. I was sliding all over the road, the car had about 1/2" water on the floor, and the rain was stinging my face because I was hauling down the highway trying to get home.

When I pulled in the driveway, my wife walked out and said "That's the biggest smile I've ever seen on you".

I have nothing against newer Corvettes. I see lots of them at the car shows. Most are driven by 80 year old men. You really have to be young at heart to drive a Cobra. When I'm 80, maybe I'll look at that Corvette....or shoot myself.

80, yeah right, you should check out the demographic around here. I bet, there isn't 2/10ths difference between the Cobra replica and Corvette demographic.

[Excaliber]

I suspect as much Clay, wouldn't mind having a new Vette myself, parked right next to my Cobra of course!

[TButtrick]

Holy crap. I agree with Mr. Wole. Wait until you have to deal with a REAL crisis during your little pathetic journey through life. If you only knew what some people have had to endure.

[767Jockey]

I must have missed it - does anyone know what Rob's car eventually sold for? That was one sweet Kirkham.

[STL Mark]

I think around 90K

[fsstnotch]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

I must have missed it - does anyone know what Rob's car eventually sold for? That was one sweet Kirkham.

Actually, according to some of the people in this thread... It was a $100+k POS with poor fit/finish and a bad engine built buy two of the best names in the business.... Whoever paid 90k must have gotten robbed...

[bnewell]

it sold for $88K