New to Cobras
 

Hi guys!

I grew up around Mustangs and Fords and have raced for several years now ('04 SC GT with all kinds of mods) but I have gotten arid of my baby and have acquired a 2008 F-250 SD in hopes of using the truck to pull my next track/weekend car. I am now looking into building either a Ford GT or Cobra S/C via a kit from somewhere. Who know, maybe my wife will let me build both eventually:)

Does anyone have any experience with building the kit cars and have any recommendations on a company to use to buy the kit? I am also wondering if it is better to start with a basic package and work through the upgrades as I complete a certain stage or should I be looking into a turn-key car?

Tough to beat the price of a used car right now. A lot more bang for your buck. I pretty much built my car. Even on a tight budget I could pick up the same car & be miles ahead in my bank account if I had bought these days.

ditto:CRY::CRY::CRY:

If you really want to go racing with it, consider the new TD (Track Day) car from Backdraft Racing. You can set it up for street use as well, but when you get to the track it will have all the advantage.

Details and pricing: http://www.backdraftracing.com/TDspecs.asp

If you have any other Backdraft questions give me a shout.

Buying or building is always up to the end user. Which kit to buy or build ultimately depends not only on your end use, but on your maximum budget. For a track car, a small block would be suggested. If you want to be able to build from the ground up, check Factory Five and Hurricane as they both have a good starting point for a track/street car. If you want something to just drop a motor in, check Superformance (SPF) and Backdraft. Not quite sure what you want yet, that is fine as well, take your time and look around. Better yet, sit down one day and really think about your true wants and needs, at that point you can then tailor your search to fit what you really want. Either way, welcome to Club Cobra.......


Yours In Fords,

Bill S.

Bbrell,

I noticed you are in Colorado so I thought I would reach out to you. I agree with the other post on the used car market. Building yourself can be expensive. I have some time on my hands these days and I will be back in Denver in the next few days if you want to talk more.

Kramer

PS...I am up in Westminster (CO), but the Mile Hi Cobra Club is a large organization so a lot of folks here can help you if you are getting into the Cobra market. We have a our annual meeting coming up on January 9th. Might be a great place to talk to some folks about your new ride.

The Mile Hi Cobra Club annual meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 9th.

Club Auto
11100 W. 8th Ave.
Lakewood CO 80215
http://www.lemaymuseum.org/page.php?id=76


Kramer

Thanks for info everyone!

Even though the economy is in the tank and I can probably buy one for dirt cheap, I am leaning toward building one myself so I can have a project to work on with my dad and brother.

Jay, are the backdraft cars set up mainly for road track racing or drag racing? I am mainly looking to take a few passes down the strip here in Denver every once in a while but won't be my main reason to have the Cobra. I want a "Sunday" car to go cruising with my wife when the weather is nice and still be able to put down some good runs on the track when I get a chance.

Bill, if I wanted to build from the ground up what kind of budget should I be expecting? The research I have done so far has added up to around $50k-$100k for the build on an S/C....does this sound around the right ball park?

Kramer, I will probably head up there to the annual meeting on Sat. to check everything out and see what is all out there! I would like to catch up with you there to talk for a bit if that is cool.

With that said, What is your general budget & what type of car do you want to end up with(Track Car, Saturday Driver, other)? Knowing exactly what you are after is the biggest decision. Once that is determined a couple mfg's will likely stand out for you. Is wait time an issue? Do you want the car to look 100% accurate? There are so many nuances with these cars, it's really good to spend some time studying before deciding. Get out to see some of the cars & ask as many questions as you can. Be annoying...well, not too annoying;)

Well basically I am on my way to Japan again in a month or so (I am in the Army). I am starting a savings account while I am there so when I get back I can start putting together my project (whatever it is going to end up being). I am starting my research now so I can make really informed decisions when I decide to shell out the money. I am shooting for a budget around $70k or so for the complete build. I am thinking of getting an engine around the 600-700 HP range out of the crate and then maybe add a super charger or nitrous kit to get a few more ponies out it when I might need them. I want the option of making a few passes on the track from time to time but I don't want the car to be set up mainly for the drag strip but be set up for cruising on the weekends and taking it to shows.

Wait time isn't really an issue cause I am going to buy most of the parts while I am in Japan and have everything delivered to my dads shop so when I get home we can jump right in on the project.

As far as looks goes, I would like to keep it as original looking as possible with a few modern touches here and there. I looked at a couple of websites last night that dealt only with era styling and I like the looks of those.

I will try to not be too annoying:) but I will ask quite a few questions just to make sure I don't end up messing something up and I want to buy a good quality kit from a reputable company so if I need to spend more to get it then I will:eek:

bbrell,
Have you ever driven 600-700HP, 2300 pound short wheel base car before? These things can swap ends and get you in trouble very quick. My advise would be to meet up with some local clubs and maybe take a ride in a high HP Cobra. Also think about going to a driving school close to you that can teach you the in's and out's on driving cars such as these.
That said, I hope you get what you want and that you and your family have fun building which ever kit you buy.

Be safe over there and remember they drive on the other side of the road. My youngest son spent 2 years there (Navy, F18 E-F mechanic attached to the Kittyhawk). When he came back stateside he almost got run over a couple of times because he was used to driving on the other side of the road.

Again, Be safe and thank you and all of the service men and women. We are proud of you all.

Terry,

I have not driven a short wheel base with high HP as of yet. I know the power to weight ratio is insane alongside the short wheel base. I can never seem to get enough HP with any of my toys so this will be a new adventure for me:) My buddy has a 91' LX coupe with a 383 Stroker and T-88 turbo...I think he is a little over 900 HP right now and I was going to build something along that line but my wife pointed out that everyone at the track has something similar to that, so I started looking into something with high horse power and a lot more class like an S/C:cool:

Japan is great! I spent a few years over there already. You can always tell when someone new to Japan is out driving cause they turn on their windshield wipers when they want to turn:eek:. Everything in the cars over there are opposite of the states except for the shift patterns (you shift with your left hand but 1st gear is still left and up...never understood that one).

Thanks for those kind words! We don't hear that from too many people anymore since the election last year. I actually had some weirdos throw a fountain drink at me while I was coming off of the plane in uniform last year on my way home from Afghanistan. They were yelling at me how I must be a rapist and baby killer cause I wore the uniform.

Brell,

I hope you can make it to the meeting. If so, say hello, I will be the taller younger guy with a light blue Cobra jacket on. As my wife would tell you, I research things to death before making decisions so I can give you some good insight into the Cobra experience.

If you can't make it, PM me and I will give you my contact information so we can chat.

Kramer.

Check out Factory Five Racining...love my build.