Cobra Owner Wannabe

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by DanEC

If you are looking for a shop built car you are probably looking primarily at Backdraft, Superformance, Kirkham, ERA, - I may be missing someone, maybe Hurricane and Unique.

There are some FIA and slabside (small block) cars around with undercar exhaust also.

Really. Totally forgot about Shelby American, eh?

He doesn't state his budget but I'd guess an aluminum car (Kirkham or Shelby) is not in the hunt.

But if you're willing to spend the bucks on a Superformance, you can find some Shelby fiberglass units for the same price.

Shelby also sells FIA and Slabside 289s.

[twobjshelbys]

OP hasn't been back, probably scared him off

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

OP hasn't been back, probably scared him off

I would say that less than one in a thousand people who show a real interest in owning a Cobra are actually cut out for owning a Cobra. Maybe less.

[rodneym]

The few, the proud,...

[olddog]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I would say that less than one in a thousand people who show a real interest in owning a Cobra are actually cut out for owning a Cobra. Maybe less.

I'm not certain if this is a pessimistic view or a little on the elitist side.

Of course I only know myself for certain, so how could I possibly judge this opinion. I see a few hundred people at the London Cobra show every year, but I doubt in 10 years of ownership that I have met more than a dozen people seriously considering purchasing a Cobra. A few hundred would love to have one, but are in no position to buy one and admit as much. So when you are saying a "real interest" do you mean the "I would love to own one" crowd or are you meaning the "seriously considering purchasing" crowd?

I ask because of the dozen I talked to who where seriously considering purchasing a Cobra, 3 did, but one sold the car without completing it. The rest I haven't seen and assume didn't purchase.

On the other hand, I can see how nobody followed through to ownership after they talked to you.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Really. Totally forgot about Shelby American, eh?

Yeah - I did. Hard to explain that one - huh? I was sort of reluctant to mention Kirkham because from his post I think they are out of his budget and if so, so would be Shelby American probably. But my bad.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Yeah - I did. Hard to explain that one - huh? I was sort of reluctant to mention Kirkham because from his post I think they are out of his budget and if so, so would be Shelby American probably. But my bad.

Shelby fiberglass cars are in the hunt, especially when you consider that they tend to appreciate over 3-5 years. SPF holds its own, others don't do as well.

[LG57]

Kill joys!! You should be ashamed of yourselves for warning someone off all the hot sweaty fun that can be had in one of these!

[SN8K IS Wife]

My husband picked up his dream car of 50 years in September 2016. We picked it up and drive it home 785 miles. Even brand new there are small problems oil leaks, smith gauges need I say more, brake relay. Remember they are custom cars no two are the same. If you are not going to do the maintenance services and repairs then find a great mechanic. We had the mechanic lined up before we picked up the car. Yes, it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. But I am ready to go any day any time, driving or shot gun.

[RB60]

Granted, I'm a new owner of my Cobra and have only put a few hundred miles on it this past fall, but this is what I told a friend who asked me what I thought of it...
I said it is very loud and obnoxious, steers like a 50's Mack truck yet handles like it's on rails, the brakes are hard and almost need both feet to stop it quickly, when you crack the throttle it takes off like a bullet and could give an unsuspecting passenger whiplash, is hard to get in and out of, rides like a skateboard on a stone alley, exhaust fumes engulf the cockpit at stop signs and red lights, has no creature comforts whatsoever, no power steering, no power brakes, no A/C, no radio, no top, not even a glove box although it does have a heater but who needs one and it's probably the most fun I've had with my clothes on since, well, I don't remember when.
He said he definitely wants a ride in it!

[hotrodyankee]

Well I just had to chime in. I am a retired certified mechanic and a great metal fabricator/ Tig welder. I built all kind of cars from drag cars to street rods, as my hobby. Always wanted to have a cobra, so last fall I bought a B&B that was built in 2001. It needed some TLC that I have been doing since I bought it. Its a great car now and I enjoy driving it. At 5'7", the car fits me well. Its scary fast with a Dart Iron eagle sportsman block based 351, AFR 205 heads, and Eagle rotating assy. 525HP, 520 torque, to mention a few engine parts. There are some good used cobras out there, so take your time and find the right one like I did. With buying a used one, as all used cars go, they will need some work/ maintenance . Good luck! PS I LOVE MY COBRA!

[Pelledan]

Hopefully I’ll once again be able to post. I don’t know what is limiting me and I have not heard back from this website administrators. There have been a number of responses and I do appreciate each one. There have been responses that alluded that I may be better off with a Camaro or a Corvette rather than a Cobra. Cobra’s are in a class by themselves and therein lies a portion of their appeal to me. There is nothing else like them on the road where Camaro’s and Corvette’s are plentiful and in comparison, they are simply just another automobile. Granted a mass-produced product is embellished with every comfort feature known to man where the Cobra’s creature features are at best utilitarian and austere. It’s not a practical mode of transportation for every day travel, but neither is a motorcycle as it too has its use limitations. In our younger years the wife and I logged over 100K miles on two wheels before we gave up the sport 5 years ago. Some of you refer to Cobra ownership as a hobby and that leads me to believe that a good amount of your time is spent working on it rather than enjoying driving it. I don’t know the reasoning for that, but I hope to avoid the need to wrench on it. Should it require some out of the ordinary maintenance or repair I would enlist the skills of a duly qualified mechanic who is familiar with this type of vehicle. In reading this entire thread I would probably be best off buying a new Superformance but a new one is beyond my financial comfort zone. I will need to continue to look for as late a build year as possible (and affordable) whose color and engine choice is to my liking. I have sat in a Superformance and I fit well, so personal fitment is of no concern. I have both time and the patients required to find what I’m looking for and now that I am aware of what needs to be sorted out, I’ll know what to look for should one come to my attention.
Thanks, Dan

[Cashburn]

Originally Posted by Pelledan

Hopefully I’ll once again be able to post. I don’t know what is limiting me and I have not heard back from this website administrators. There have been a number of responses and I do appreciate each one. There have been responses that alluded that I may be better off with a Camaro or a Corvette rather than a Cobra. Cobra’s are in a class by themselves and therein lies a portion of their appeal to me. There is nothing else like them on the road where Camaro’s and Corvette’s are plentiful and in comparison, they are simply just another automobile. Granted a mass-produced product is embellished with every comfort feature known to man where the Cobra’s creature features are at best utilitarian and austere. It’s not a practical mode of transportation for every day travel, but neither is a motorcycle as it too has its use limitations. In our younger years the wife and I logged over 100K miles on two wheels before we gave up the sport 5 years ago. Some of you refer to Cobra ownership as a hobby and that leads me to believe that a good amount of your time is spent working on it rather than enjoying driving it. I don’t know the reasoning for that, but I hope to avoid the need to wrench on it. Should it require some out of the ordinary maintenance or repair I would enlist the skills of a duly qualified mechanic who is familiar with this type of vehicle. In reading this entire thread I would probably be best off buying a new Superformance but a new one is beyond my financial comfort zone. I will need to continue to look for as late a build year as possible (and affordable) whose color and engine choice is to my liking. I have sat in a Superformance and I fit well, so personal fitment is of no concern. I have both time and the patients required to find what I’m looking for and now that I am aware of what needs to be sorted out, I’ll know what to look for should one come to my attention.
Thanks, Dan

Depending on your budget a new Backdraft might be an option?

[patrickt]

I see that ERA #532 is for sale on cobra country. Beautiful car with a very nice FE under the hood. It looks to be built in 2001, and while it does not have the newest mods (those started with #731), it would be a wonderful car to own and you would certainly enjoy it. It's likely nicely sorted out now and would probably require minimal maintenance. The price is reasonable at $80k.

[Pelledan]

Thank you for your suggestions of available Cobras. I'm still in a quandary regarding which way is best for me choose a manufacturer. Many companies will and have supplied kits for the owner to assemble and I see that some owners pass that kit along to a builder that assembles the car. This concerns me as that process is rife for problems, literally down the road. How many cars does this builder assemble in a year? This question is pertinent to all like builders of these cars. Do they do 5, 10, 20 in a year? Plus there are many of these companies throughout the country that do this. Due to the very low volume, I see this as a process where the final product could have many issues. Superformance builds the rolling chassis complete. To me that means the same employees build the same rolling assemblies in a given year. Unless their employment office is a revolving door, I would think that the finished product was assembled by a group of individuals well experienced in the process. To me that translates to a far lower potential of issues at the retail level. Is there such a thing a quality control is Cobra builds, or are they just assembled and out the door they go?

Thanks again, Dan

[66gtk]

Patrick mentions test driving - I would warn you that driving these cars isn't easy to the uninitiated. For that reason, many selling owners (including myself) would likely NOT allow a test drive to most interested parties. A ride along is perfectly expected, though. I'd also accept a full purchase price "deposit" to allow a test drive, but if you break it, you buy it (:

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 66gtk

Patrick mentions test driving - I would warn you that driving these cars isn't easy to the uninitiated. For that reason, many selling owners (including myself) would likely NOT allow a test drive to most interested parties. A ride along is perfectly expected, though. I'd also accept a full purchase price "deposit" to allow a test drive, but if you break it, you buy it (:

That's a good point. Clear that up before you fly out. But, I would think most owners would say, "OK, if you're flying in, then I guess you're serious. Since you've never driven one of these cars before, we'll drive together to the empty stadium parking lot and you can drive it around there."

EDIT -- "... and in the meantime, I'll wire an ignition kill button to a deadman switch that I'll hold in my hand while I'm in the passenger seat."

[Pelledan]

Man, you guys are right on the money! As far as answering my own question, I guess I need to look for an owner who is similar to me. A daunting task for sure, but there may be a few out there like me. Finding one who is ready to separate themselves from their passion would be the issue. While I have sat in a Cobra (Superformance) I have never actually driven or was a passenger in one. However, I have been vicariously riding along side many drivers via Youtube, and with eyes provided by GoPro. Gopro provides the ride "feel" via how it vibrates during the ride. The bigger the cam/engine, the more the camera vibrates while idling. While the road quality appears to be very good, the camera picks up the firm suspension do to small imperfections in the pavement. G-force in acceleration is picked up by the front end angle, and of course the sound of the exhaust that sings opera to me. Yes, I would have to be a very serious buyer for someone to throw me the keys and I fully understand that. If I was the seller, I would feel the same way. However, I know enough about dynamics to understand that 500 HP in a 2400 pound vehicle translates to "Use extreme caution while operating". It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that this type of car can easily get away from your control. Once spring gets here I hope to have the opportunity to speak with some current owners. I know there is a Cobra owner very close to me (don't know exactly where) as I saw the car last summer in a local Cruise Night where I live. It will take time for me to find what I'm looking for, but I have the patients to wait.
Thanks again, Dan

[Ozzie Goat]

Dan - where are you?
Roy

[Mark IV]

Dan,

Remember that probably 80% of the US population is not close to a Superformance dealer. You don't need to take your car to a dealer for service or warranty work. Most (90%) of my sales are to people 500 miles or more away, France being the furthest to date. We will arrange with a shop in your area that you are comfortable with to provide warranty service if required. Any decent shop, hot rod/musclecar shop can do the work; these cars are from the age of iron and are not complex (save for some of the new EFI systems). I would say less than 20% of the chassis' we have sold have ever had a chassis warranty claim. Now part of this based upon a proper build out by the purchaser or a good installer. The installers we have used all provide good workmanship and quality materials and then properly test the car.

Even a build out as complex as the GT40 can be done by an owner with reasonable mechanical skills. Double checking and common sense go a long way.

We recently had a shop that replaced a slave cylinder on a customer car where the real repair needed should have just been an adjustment on the pushrod. We paid the shop directly for the work so the customer was not out of pocket. The issue was actually an "installer" responsibility but as we recommended the installer we took responsibility and made arrangements to resolve the issue. The point is we will do what it takes to make it right under the warranty.

So don't let geographical concerns make you write off a new car.