Anyone familiar w/ Frank Carrol in Fla?

[LudicrousSpeed]

Originally Posted by Dinobyte

As I said to you once before...a nice M5 seems right for you.

Good luck...we will miss your insight and humor on these boards.

Eh? I'm not going anywhere. I still love the car. The few Cobra meets I've been to, I've met alot of really neat people- plus all you losers on this forum

Theres alot of wisdom & passion for great cars here. I enjoy just trolling & reading all the posts.

And ya know, it wasnt meant to be right now. But I still lust after the car, and I will have one when the circumstances are better. It'll just have to be part of my 5 or 10 year plan.

I really appreciate all the good info & insight, this is a cool community, even if I dont have a Cobra...yet.

[xena2006]

If you need to finance it, you should look for something other than a Cobra. Just my 2 cents.

[kopride]

Originally Posted by xena2006

If you need to finance it, you should look for something other than a Cobra. Just my 2 cents.

Even when lenders were free-er, a few years ago, even a late model used car, was a more difficult proposition for most lenders. They usually wanted higher interest rates, more money down, or additional collateral. I had a client in the leasing and financing business of high end used cars who went totally belly up when the market changed. There, the manufacturers started certified leasing and used car programs that included subsidized rates.

Remember that most lenders, other than a small local S & L, have a warehouse line, which they pay back by selling the packaged debt to investors, hedge funds, etc. If packaged mortages are risky in this market, imagine what a portfolio of debt backed by kit or replica cars would look like to a potential investor. I just can't imagine Barrack Obama bailing out an investor in kit car backed debt as part of any recovery or stimulus plan.

But I also can't imagine anybody starting to look at these cars for purchase not realizing that financing would be a dicey proposition, and that they needed to be in a position where they were prepared to pay 80+ percent in cash with perhaps a small signature line to close the gap.

Go out and try and lease a new car nowadays and you will see the difference. These manufacturers don't want to be sitting with a big inventory of late model cars to sell and compete with their new cars. Its a new day.

[Cashburn]

I can see it from both angles... and that is fine. I have had this happen to me before. You are given a deposit on a car and bring it to an event for the customer, something on their end falls through. Now you are out that sale and any sales of the particular car at the event because it was "already sold" or "on deposit".

Now if you also had the car listed on eBay and pulled the listing because you received a deposit for it ... well then again another venue and opportunity lost.

The car and the financing were not for you, end of another cobra story.

[cbreez]

It's funny, now you are told " the car is not for you" or "buy a M5"...what ever it's BS...

they are replica cars...not originals...

business is business my friend, don't lose sleep over it.

[Dinobyte]

Originally Posted by cbreez

It's funny, now you are told " the car is not for you" or "buy a M5"...what ever it's BS...

they are replica cars...not originals...

business is business my friend, don't lose sleep over it.

Hold on, I'm about to sneeze......ahhhphuckyou....excuse me...

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Dinobyte

Hold on, I'm about to sneeze......ahhhphuckyou....excuse me...

I'm sorry, I must be juvenile or something. I laughed hard on this one, I almost cried.

This thread kinda reminds me of the infamous, the notorious, the one and only "rsimones." Another nice guy that learned that the Cobra isn't for everyone.

Did the SPF Cobra you took through Malibu & on the PCH have a windscreen and power roll-up windows?

Just joshing around. Late night humor. We wish you the best.

Doug, good catch on Patrick's comment about the Cobra being built for one and him having two roll bars and all.

[Cashburn]

Actually based on my ability to read and comprehend it was clear from LudicrousSpeed's post that the car was not for him. I know it was between all those big words and stuff...

[patrickt]

Yes, our Cobras seat two... but they're built for one. Better he found out now, than later on down the road.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yes, our Cobras seat two... but they're built for one. Better he found out now, than later on down the road.

They're built for one, so that means that they only need one roll bar.

Seriously though, there's got to be fair number of short term owners that buy on a whim and realize sooner than later that it ends up being one of those "oh shix, what have I done" moments.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

Seriously though, there's got to be fair number of short term owners that buy on a whim and realize sooner than later that it ends up being one of those "oh shix, what have I done" moments.

Yeah, you see them on Cobra Country with less than a thousand miles on them... all makes, all models. And of course, there was that one priceless incident of a couple of years ago that Rodknock mentioned where the guy built his dream car (+$100k) and then realized it was not for him. That thread was brutal. So brutal in fact that Jamo had to lock it down.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yeah, you see them on Cobra Country with less than a thousand miles on them... all makes, all models. And of course, there was that one priceless incident of a couple of years ago that Rodknock mentioned where the guy built his dream car (+$100k) and then realized it was not for him. That thread was brutal. So brutal in fact that Jamo had to lock it down.

That gentleman for months asked questions about almost every nook and cranny on his car. He spent $127,000 on his Kirkham and then sold it for about $88,000. It had a KC/CSX 527ci (+/-) engine and literally had everything option you could think of, including heater, defroster and top. Noted Cobra restorer, David Wagner of MI, finished it for him. It was top-of-the-line in every way. I think he subsequently went back to and purchased another Corvette. He only had the car for maybe a couple of months. A slightly different story, but very sad indeed.

[Dinobyte]

I say the Daytona Coupe may be to little ladies liking....no wind, they can have AC...and it is technically still a Cobra...and depending upon how large the kid is, you could fold them up and stuff them in the back...

[Cashburn]

Doug and Dino just hit this one out of the park....

[patrickt]

You know I was thinking about this last night, and again this morning. I was remembering Rsimones and how depressing threads like this are. I was even driving my Cobra this morning slowly through some back roads (the type that have 10 MPH warning signs before curves) and thinking "Even with this bad cold that my kids gave me, a nice solitary Cobra ride adds years to my life and spirit." Most of us have families, and kids, and we don't get as much time behind the wheel as we'd like (maybe that makes it even more special). But I honestly believe that a Cobra (if it doesn't kill you) will add years to your life, and add to your quality of life as well. Threads like this are like little kids giving up on Santa Claus, or scenes of poverty in Appalachia, it depresses me for days. There should be a black-box warning around them or something so it doesn't kill our moods....

[LudicrousSpeed]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know I was thinking about this last night, and again this morning. I was remembering Rsimones and how depressing threads like this are. I was even driving my Cobra this morning slowly through some back roads (the type that have 10 MPH warning signs before curves) and thinking "Even with this bad cold that my kids gave me, a nice solitary Cobra ride adds years to my life and spirit." Most of us have families, and kids, and we don't get as much time behind the wheel as we'd like (maybe that makes it even more special). But I honestly believe that a Cobra (if it doesn't kill you) will add years to your life, and add to your quality of life as well. Threads like this are like little kids giving up on Santa Claus, or scenes of poverty in Appalachia, it depresses me for days. There should be a black-box warning around them or something so it doesn't kill our moods....

Guys, I'm sorry! Dont get depressed! I still get to go to tha meets & get lotsa right seat time. I'm still gonna enjoy the company of all you gearheads & car freaks, cause I'm one to.

Tha Dream is not dead!

[RodKnock]

Lud, you rode in a SPF that day, maybe taking a ride in a BDR will change your mind, since they're probably a different Cobra experience. I haven't ridden in a BDR, but with all the BMW stuff, they might yield a more enjoyable ride for you. Cashburn has previously stated that the two cars (SPF and BDR) are for two different clienteles. Just a thought.

I agree with Patrick, there is something about the open air ride in a Cobra that makes everything alright in the world.

[LudicrousSpeed]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Lud, you rode in a SPF that day, maybe taking a ride in a BDR will change your mind, since they're probably a different Cobra experience. I haven't ridden in a BDR, but with all the BMW stuff, they might yield a more enjoyable ride for you. Cashburn has previously stated that the two cars (SPF and BDR) are for two different clienteles. Just a thought.

I agree with Patrick, there is something about the open air ride in a Cobra that makes everything alright in the world.

Oh no, you got me wrong. I loved it. The pure brutal nature of the car is what draws me. I love the Loud/Hot/Cold/Wind/Vibration/Smell...

The drive I did up the PCH was Great. At the end I was cold, my ears were ringing from the wind buffet & exhaust note, my eyes were a little watery, and there was a little 'buzz' here and there from the vibes.

It was very similar to taking the Harley out on a long ride through the desert (or anywhere for that matter). Man, that thing would BEAT ME UP. But you enter this state of mind were the wind noise, the vibes, the heat coming up from the rear cylinder- it kinda puts you in a trance- and Hammers the stress right out of you. The MIND goes away and the senses take over. And when you get to the other side, the end, youre DONE. You dont even want to look at the bike. But youre clear. The reset button has been hit.

I work in a field were I NEED that to stay sane.

BUT (and this is the BIG But), not everyone needs to be Hammered clean. My Wife doesnt, my kids dont, and they're most of who I am. I want to take them along. I want them to enjoy the journey as much as I do.

I could have gotten the loan with JJ Best, all I had to do was sign the paper. Wouldnt have been a financial strain whatsoever. Their terms sucked. And from a Smart Money standpoint it was a No-Go.

So I'll wait, save up the cash, get the kids a little more grown, and dive in with a little more wisdom next time.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

I agree with Patrick, there is something about the open air ride in a Cobra that makes everything alright in the world.

OK, you convinced me. I'm going to fire up the Cobra and take it for a drive up the Coast this afternoon. Like I needed convincing.

[Cashburn]

My head/hair is still numb from a tough morning at the office... drop one off and pickup another for upgrades.

You won't see one parked in front of a shrink's office, unless they own it.