Advice for a New Buyer

[byronpete21]

After almost 20 years, I am getting close to obtaining my dream car. Of course the car I want is out of state. My question is how many of you out there drove your newly acquired car back home. Is that really an option? Is shipping it home the best way to go? I value the wisdom and knowledge on this site, any advice is most welcome. The car I am looking at is about 8 hours away.

Regards,
Byron

[fordracing65]

I would ship it until you get it all sorted out. But if you really want to drive it go for it. I drive my cobra everywhere. If you have triple aaa or similar service if you break down just get a tow. That's what I would do. I would love to drive 8 hours in a cobra I just bought.

[Dimis]

Depends on the purchase. But at the same time, ask yourself:
Meh, what's the worst that could happen?

Congrats on the purchase, pics please, and a documentary of the trip home.

Best wishes.

[Ron61]

If the weather is good and you have had a chance to drive it a short distance and everything seems to be OK, then I would drive it home. If you aren't sure and it doesn't cost a fortune then either have it hauled or get a trailer and go bring it home that way.

Ron

[1795]

As long as you went over the car well and are sure that there are no major problems with the car, go for it. I drove mine back home bout 6 hours in February. It was 45 egress at the start of the drive and 34 degrees with some high winds by the time that I got home. The smile was frozen to my face and I would do it again!

How long of a test drive did you take and how comfortable of a car was it? If you do decide to drive it home, figure on 10 miles per gallon for gas and budget/plan accordingly. I would bring a couple extra quarts of oil just in case, as you will not knowhow much the car might leak/burn oil. Sunscreen, lots of it! Depending on where you are driving and cell phone service, you should have a couple cans of fix a flat, tire plugs and glue and if you have an accessory outlet get a small 12 volt air compressor. Even if you have AAA, if you get a flat in a remote area you may not have cell phone service. Remember, cobras do not have spares. I always carried around materials for taking care of a flat tire just in case.

Have fun, let us know what you decided to do and post pictures!

[csw]

After waiting about the same amount of time to purchase my car and having about the same distance to drive home, I'm glad the dealer talked me out of driving it home. It costs me about $500 to ship on an enclosed trailer. Remember you might have to sort a few things out, not to mention the weather (rain and sun) if it doesn't have a top, the nice comfortable seats, and the wind. I'd hate to see the buildup of ones dream crash because of a bad memory right off the bat. That being said, I really considered it, but only with a buddy and a trailer trailing me just in case something happened as I thought that would be a great first memory.
Congrats and good luck with whatever decision you make! Details of the car?

[lnfletcher]

Get a big bottle of sun block, smear it on heavily and drive it home and have a great time doing it!
Don't pass up on the experience because of fears! Like someone else said, what's the worst that could happen? You'll have a cell phone (and charger) and insurance!

Go for it!

[fastd]

To me would depend on distance and how confident you are that the car is properly sorted. What type of person is the seller? If a private seller, then you can kinda of get a feel for what kind of person he is and how well he maintained the car.

I'd try to test drive for 30-60 minutes, let it sit for 45 minutes and see if it starts easily to see what kind of problems show themselves.

I drove mine home from Rhode Island to nj when I bought it. It was great.

[fastd]

Give us some details about the car and we could maybe figure what kind of shape it's in.

[dallas_]

I'd say it somewhat depends on where you and the car are.

I'm pretty sure I would not enjoy driving extended hours in the heat that some parts of the country are experiencing.

[kevins2]

Depends on your stamina. If you go for it, plan to make rest stops periodically, more than you would in a "normal" car. Also, bring ear plugs. Even if the exhaust is relatively quiet (for a Cobra) the wind noise gets brutal after a while and will contribute to wearing you out faster, not to mention the long term affect on your hearing. Know what you're getting into, think it through and determine if you're up for it and if it's right for you. If it is, you'll have a great time and a good memory.

[Antny]

Been there done that, never again. Now I just rent a uhaul car trailer and bring em home before I jump behind the wheel of an unknown car. The risk simply isn't worth the reward, there is plenty of time to drive it AFTER you've convinced yourself that it's sorted out well. Trailer rentals are cheap. A highway flat-bed tow bill...ISN'T!

[jhv48]

I drove my first cobra 3 hours to get it home. Got stuck in freeway rush hour traffic and ran into a rainstorm.

Never again. Trailer it home. Then take it on small excursions until you are completely comfortable with the car and its power. You don't want to have to make an emergency maneuver in a short wheelbase, over powered unfamiliar go cart until you are used to driving it.

Resist the temptation to do the eight hour cruise home. These cars are not like jumping into your suv, turning on the air conditioning and music and enjoying the miles in comfort.

if you want your first drive to be thrilling, do it from home.

[Joe's Garage]

If it were me ...
- you have seen and driven the car (part of due diligence)
- seller has disclosed no issues that would prevent you from driving the distance home
- no storms blowing across your path home

--> then go for it.

No one says you have to rush home, take a couple of days and enjoy the scenery, you'll get to know the car and it will be a mini-vacation with your new toy.

[RodKnock]

Make sure you map out all the auto parts stores and the best shops along the way, just in case. And increase your AAA membership to premium status for longer towing mileage. And you'll need a backup phone charger as well.

Otherwise go for it, assuming it all checks out.

[SeanBrennan]

I did it, but that doesn't mean it was smart. I drove 460 miles- I had no problems at all and I still wouldn't do it again. I was lucky, but not smart. These cars vary in build quality and until you know that some suspension bolt is not missing or loose, it's just not worth risking. When you add up the expense to drive it back (flight out or car rental out for example) the net cost of having it shipped is minimal and in no way worth the risk and miles on the car.

[byronpete21]

So much good advice. I knew I was wise to ask. A little more details on the car. I am looking at the 289 FIA car that King Cobra has for sale just north of Atlanta. (Light blue, white stripes and webers) I will be hopefully making the trip soon to see the car in person, and hopefully purchase said car. Just trying to gather as much info as possible before making the trip. I currently live in Virginia, so the trip home would be a hot one. I have ridden motorcycles for many years, and have made several 1000 mile plus trips on my old Ducati monster. I would imagine a cobra trip would be somewhat similar. Loud, hot, and fraught with the potential for mechanical breakdowns. I promise, that whatever I decide, many pictures will be posted. Thanks again for the kind words.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by byronpete21

So much good advice. I knew I was wise to ask. A little more details on the car. I am looking at the 289 FIA car that King Cobra has for sale just north of Atlanta. (Light blue, white stripes and webers) I will be hopefully making the trip soon to see the car in person, and hopefully purchase said car. Just trying to gather as much info as possible before making the trip. I currently live in Virginia, so the trip home would be a hot one. I have ridden motorcycles for many years, and have made several 1000 mile plus trips on my old Ducati monster. I would imagine a cobra trip would be somewhat similar. Loud, hot, and fraught with the potential for mechanical breakdowns. I promise, that whatever I decide, many pictures will be posted. Thanks again for the kind words.

If it is THIS ONE

I'd have no issues driving it home. Of course things I'd want to check before hand would be the dates on the tires (last thing you want is a dry rot crack to let loose at highway speeds),anything over 7 years and I'd demand that they be replaced at his top of the market price point. Same goes for all fluids, brakes checked, cold tire pressures, knock offs safety wired, all the basics, etc.

Finally, if you do plan to fly in and drive it home, make certain you are ready. Having helped various friends move their Cobras by this method (NE PA to just north of Tampa, Fl was the most fun ), you'll need to pack certain things:

Suntan lotion
Various levels of clothing for different weather conditions and temperatures
Hat (baseball hat will do)
Aspirin
Sunglasses

Things to have on the trip back

Large bottle of water or Gatoraid (no soda, no coffee)
Snacks that can be accessed easily (3 Musketeer bars, energy bars, etc, no open bags of anything)

Other than that, yours is a simple day trip, if all of the above are in order, then you are pretty much ready to go should the car be in the same condition.

Bill S.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by byronpete21

After almost 20 years, I am getting close to obtaining my dream car. Of course the car I want is out of state. My question is how many of you out there drove your newly acquired car back home. Is that really an option? Is shipping it home the best way to go? I value the wisdom and knowledge on this site, any advice is most welcome. The car I am looking at is about 8 hours away.

Regards,
Byron

What is "your dream car" exactly? Saying it's a Cobra replica, kit car, etc, is kind of like saying your dream car is a Jeep.

There are Jeeps out there that will easily make an 8-hour road trip; and then there are other Jeeps out there that are designed for nothing more than driving up the sides of steep rocky canyons, and could barely drive 8 miles without repair work, let alone 8 hours...

Would I jump in and drive 8 hours in an "unknown to me" car that had a carbureted 500-inch, 600+HP big block, and a set of non-DOT racing tires on it? No way- You have no idea how hot that engine is going to get, How prone the car is to vapor-lock, or how well the cooling system is going to keep up, etc... I'm not saying there aren't any 600hp big block cars out there that could make the trip (there are many, many than could)- I'm just saying the odds are stacked against you in that scenario.


Now, would I consider driving a more "pedestrian" car that had a 350HP fuel injected small block, a newer battery, a good set of radial tires, and good brakes for 8 hours? Probably- Just as long as I knew the fan worked, and I was willing to take my chances with the weather, traffic jams, and all the other factors that were outside my control.

Good luck in whatever decision you make, and Congrats on your dream car!!!

[Dimis]

If this is the car...

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I'd be happy to drive it home.
18000 miles gives me the feeling there's a solid chance it's been well sorted.

Good luck with the purchase