Went for my first ride in my new ride (SPF2708) yesterday to get it inspected by the state and get it titled. Had a close call at the DMV, at first the gal behind the counter was unfamiliar with a "kit car" situation and had to go ask the supervisor (oh-no!) what to do. After a bit of discussion got the title with registration at $80 for two years -- whew. Got it titled as a 1965 Ford roadster. For awhile they were talking $1200 for one year before it got staightened out. Glad I don't have to do that too often, I couldn't take the stress.
Anyway, my daily driver is a 1994 Lexas ES300, so I'm not used to much performance. When I got in this car and the engine was started and we took off and down the freeway the only thing I could compare it to is when Wile E. Coyote took the Acme Leg Muscle Vitamins:
Cobra Make, Engine: Cobray-C3, The 60's body lines on todays chassis technology
Posts: 2,302
Not Ranked
Sandy,
Congrats !!!! Welcome too your new addiction. I know we all remember those first few moments she came to life and can keep hitting replay in our mind. ENJOY
Jeff C
Congatulations Sandy, where are you located in the Phoenix metro area? Join us other cobra owners. Well all have our group gatherings somewhere each week. Us NW people meet Tues and Sat.
No, they didn't tax based on current value although they considered it for awhile hence the $1200/yr registration fee being thrown around momentarily. The key was that it be classified as a 1965 car rather than a new car. If it was a new car then the fee would have been $1200, but they were nice enough to classify it as a 1965 and thus get the $40/year rate. We had all the invoices and they looked at them but evidently the computer values the car as if it were new in 1965 then depreciates the value over 43 years in this case and comes up with the registration fee -- $40/yr. which I think is a minimum.
BTW I took a video of the car after we got back from getting the title. What you can't see is it's 108 degrees outside and we just finished a, ahem, "spirited" 10 mile run down the freeway then some stop and go traffic to get back to the shop. I overheated but the engine didn't - stayed nice and cool, unlike me. The engine had been shut down for just a minute after the run when this video was taken and may have something to do with why it looks like it's starting rich.
I live out in the Chandler area and am definitely looking forward to getting together with you guys. The car still has a couple of minor paint flaw issues that are being taken care of and different valve covers going on, but then should be ready to go by the time it cools down a bit around here.
Hi Sandy, Welcome to the gang. If you haven't driven a higher performance car let me suggest that you take it out to a vacant parking lot and do a few really tight turns until it spins on you. What you need to do is to get comfortable in it and know when to expect the rear end to come around. The best way is to do it until you can recognize the capabilities of your car and yourself. Enjoy.
Follow Danr55, he graces us with his presence on occasion. We meet at 83rd Ave and Lake Pleasant Pkwy in the Safeway parking lot. When hot out, like now, after 4:30 till about 8 or 9pm west end of 400 car lot.
There are probably closer cruises for you, like in Mesa and Scottsdale.
AZ Bob
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Classic, 428 FE CCX 3069
Posts: 7,501
Not Ranked
Well the REd One is coming down this weekend for a camectomy, and a radiator caratotomy. Major surgery so it will be ready for Laughlin.. I would be happy to ride over to the dark side with one of you guys if you really want to meet "those" people.
(He He He!)
By the way, that looks a lot like the car formerly owned by Greg Schroeder. Is it? If not, does anyone know who bought Greg's car?
__________________
Dan in Arizona
CCX3209
"It's a great car and I love it, but it doesn't do 'SLOW' very well."
Cobra Make, Engine: Black CSX 4910, Roush 511 8 stack
Posts: 1,205
Not Ranked
I am right on the 101 up north so I am not too far from either one. The pavillions is about 10 minutes from me. sadly, I am cobraless from an unspecified amount of time until Anthem and Roush get my car back on the road. Once that happens I will be there. Hopefully you hold it against me that I am an east sider!!
Nobody should have to pay taxes on a kit car / assemlbed car the first time it is regitered and it is Texas Law. GM, Ford, Lexus does not pay taxes on the cars they build it is the subsequent owner, ie, general public that pays the taxes. This triple and quadruple taxation needs to stop.
Congrats on your new ride, do yourself a huge favor and stay out of the throttle until you are on a 4 lane road by yourself.
You know, I really appreciate the driving tips being given here, they're great ideas and I need all the help I can get. I can tell these are tips being given from experience which is invaluable. I'm gonna put out a request for driving tips on the general All Cobra Talk area of CC and get as many as I can get. Thanks. Maybe we can all benefit from each other's tips.
Sandy....if you want to get to know what your car can do, take it on the track on Oct 4. Go to NASA.com and look for the HPDE (high speed driving experience) at PIR the weekend of Oct 4, 2008. It has 4 classes to drive in and it's a blast. Not many, if any, of the guys do this. I try to track mine at least one time each year. Oct 4 will be that day.
I plan to go sometime with my car. I just got my car on the road (~100 miles now), I didn't think it was that fast, then realized I just drove like a granny and discovered the second half of the gas pedal range I was not using.
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