Prospective Owner... The Second Time Around

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Hello to all you Cobra fanatics. I wanted to introduce myself and get some thoughts down "on paper" for my future Cobra. Apologies for the long post, but maybe it'll help one of you help me! Or maybe it'll just help someone cure their boredom.

This is the second time I'm making this thread. I also posted almost 5 years ago, back in 2012. I was only 23 and had just finished school, was just getting started in my career, and lived in Saudi Arabia at the time. Now, I'm a lot more established in my field (although it's in a roller-coaster of an industry), am nearing 30, and my dad is almost 70. Cobras have always been dream cars for him and l, as a result, for me too. I'd like to... No... I'm GOING TO buy him a Cobra while he's still got some good driving years left in him. As soon as possible would be best.

I'm not sure what I'd like to purchase quite yet, but I have a few options in mind. Here are some interesting factors which are influencing my decision:

- I don't have the time to build something (I work away from home over 300 days a year). This makes a roller or turn-key pretty desirable

- We won't accept anything but a big block (I'm thinking Keith craft, lyrics, etc.)

- We tend to like correctness, but I don't mind a little "flair" in the design (backdraft) as long as the overall experience is still a blast and the product is still up to my quality standards.

- As a mechanical engineer by education, I have a great appreciation for what kirkham does with their chassis. It's easy to tell they're designed and built under the loving eye of an aerospace engineer. If money was no object, the choice would be easy for me. I'd buy the kirkham every time. Probably even over an original to be honest.

- Upon quick investigation at Barrett-Jackson, I find the quality of Superformance to be acceptable. I have seen the back drafts there as well and dont find much wrong with them either. I don't think they're quite up to par with the superformance, but that's the kind of thing I feel like I'd discover over time. I don't want to buy a backdraft and wish I would have gone with suoerofe, or buy a superformance and wish I'd gone with ERA, or buy and ERA and wish I'd gone with a Kirkham a few years down the line! It seems I've got to do some more research to really figure out what matters to me and how that balances with a budget.

- I like supporting manufacturing in the United States. It's just a personal principle of mine which I try to follow IF the quality of the product is comparable. If it isn't, I'll somewhat begrudgingly go somewhere else. Now that Superformance seems to have raised their prices quite a bit compared to a few years ago, it seems ERA might support my ideals in a financially comparable way. I'm figuring 100k for either one finished the way I want it with a very nice big block. It seems the ERA quality is a tad better than a Superformance too, so it seems like a no-brainer as long as the wait isn't too long for the ERA. I'd love to hear about anyone who thinks they'd be happier with an SPR than an ERA, and why you think so.

- If I was staying in my current position in my career, it'd be no problem for me to drop the cash for a Kirkham. However, I'm currently positioned to take a role which gives me a lot more responsibility for managing people and running the business, and also upward mobility (title-wise, at least), but which will require me to take a roughly 50-60% pay cut for a few years. It's all part of the master plan though. Merely a stepping stone toward much greater goals. Anyway, for that reason it seems something more in the SPR or ERA range of things would be the more sensible thing to do at this time.

I'm used to owning non-depreciating assets like 80s BMW M cars or Porsches, but this will clearly be a depreciating asset. If I can minimize that, it'd be great. That surely won't happen with any new options, however. The Kirkhams really seem to do well secondhand, but they also cost significantly more to build (im figuring on a minimum of $150k. I also don't know if they are offering rolling chassis only these days.. If so, that'd be a plus. If not, it's not as tempting.

Anyway, it also seems to me that an SPR or ERA bought used for around 50-70k is a good way to minimize the depreciation problem. I don't mind it if it's a little bit. I'd just be concerned about borrowing some money for a used one. I could swing that amount in cash after selling a few of my M cars, but I'd rather not have to do that. It'd be nice to have a financing option available so I can at least have the option to try and play the market and beat interest rates on a loan (rather than have the cash in the car and not be able to get a return on it at all).

Have you guys had luck with financing used SPRs or ERAs? How about a Kirkham? Would you not even recommend financing something like a Kirkham? Are most people buying in cash?

What other sage advice can you experienced owners give a guy like me? I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever I get, but I want to make the decision which will make me happiest in the long run too. I imagine I won't be happy about having to buy another Cobra years down the line if I want something different!

Thanks for your advice and I look forward to becoming a participating member no matter which path I take.