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Kirkham Motorsports

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  #21 (permalink)  
Old 01-01-2018, 03:47 PM
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I have to agree.

If you are thinking of buying and the funding/logistics/health status exists then the resounding voice in your head should say ‘My God yes, I need to have it now, I can’t get this fix anywhere else...all of the details will sort themselves out and obviously be worth it.’

If you don’t hear that voice above everything else, then what you really want is a new Corvette/motorcycle/boat...and you’ll probably be happier.

I’m perplexed when I hear/read ‘I had a Cobra but it was too scary/impractical/hot/temperamental/high maintenance/loud/cold/incredible so I bought a brand new ________ from the local ________ dealership.’

Then again...I’ve simply concluded that the art and experience of a Cobra cannot be obtained ANYWHERE else.

Last edited by BCJ; 01-01-2018 at 03:56 PM..
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  #22 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 07:24 AM
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Think Harley ....most of these cars are toys....not real cars...and are the 3rd or more option.... to be driven on a given day..... and in perfect weather... for a few hours... on low volume traffic..... rural roads.....they have no practical value and are almost as dangerous as a motorcycle.

On the other hand they are fun and are really pretty simple to maintain or repair... and cheaper than a mistress ....
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  #23 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 07:52 AM
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... and one of the keys to being a happy, long-term (think decade or more) owner is that you have to really enjoy working on these cars.
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Old 01-02-2018, 12:41 PM
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Unless I missed it I didn't see in your posts that you have ever sat or rode in a Cobra replica. I would probably give that a try first as they are pretty bare bones and raw. Especially with side pipes. I admit I had almost zero time in Cobras (a FFR was one brief exception) before building mine but I have a couple mid-60s muscle cars including a 427 Vette coupe so I was pretty much aware what to expect. My ERA is actually easier to drive and smoother than the restored Vette but you're more exposed to the elements in the Cobra roadster.

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. ERA sells finished rollers and pallet or roller kits - but the serial number plate is coded to tell you if it was shop assembled or owner assembled. Not sure about the others as far as partial assemblies and coding.

Be aware side pipes are cool looking and iconic - but they are loud - both to your neighbors and to the driver. They are also blistering hot after running a couple of minutes and apt to burn you a time or two. They may be fun at first but unless you are a pretty hard-core performance person, you may be far less fond of them after awhile. Unfortunately, undercar exhaust system cars are far less common although they do pop up now and then. Superformance has sold a number and ERA & Kirkham a few. There are some FIA and slabside (small block) cars around with undercar exhaust also.

Any of these cars will occasionally need some work or maintenance - so if you aren't particularly handy with adjusting clutches, setting timing, adjusting a carburetor, changing out a hydraulic cylinder, trouble shooting a charging system, then you really need to first find a trust-worthy mechanic who has some experience with older car systems. A lot of young mechanics don't know a thing about carbs, distributors, adjusting Hurst linkages, etc.

Good luck with your decsion
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Old 01-02-2018, 01:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DanEC View Post

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.
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Old 01-02-2018, 01:23 PM
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OP hasn't been back, probably scared him off
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  #27 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by twobjshelbys View Post
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.
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Old 01-02-2018, 02:29 PM
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The few, the proud,...
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Old 01-02-2018, 02:39 PM
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The few, the proud,...
No, rather than Marines, I see us as being more like good Rabbis discouraging a conversion.
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  #30 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 03:32 PM
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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!
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Old 01-02-2018, 04:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twobjshelbys View Post
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.
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  #32 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 04:42 PM
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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.
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  #33 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 06:46 PM
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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.
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  #34 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by patrickt View Post
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.

Last edited by olddog; 01-02-2018 at 07:10 PM..
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  #35 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 07:22 PM
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You have to eliminate the money side of the equation and, instead, focus on the individual. Regardless of whether they can afford the car, and, regardless of whether they actually do buy the car, if they show serious interest in owning the car, even if in fact they can't because of finances, or, in fact, never do, only one in a thousand is actually cut out to own the car for any more than a token amount of time. You may have spoken to a dozen who were seriously considering buying one because they could, indeed, afford one. But, behind them were hundreds more who had the same level of interest, maybe even more fervent interest, but not the cash. When you take that entire group, only one in a thousand is suitable to own a Cobra for any length of time. They all might think they are, but they're not. Make sense?
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Last edited by patrickt; 01-02-2018 at 07:24 PM.. Reason: typo
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  #36 (permalink)  
Old 01-02-2018, 07:37 PM
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If anyone is thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I should get a Cobra, or perhaps I should get a new Camaro convertible instead," they should immediately run down to the local Chevy dealer, and put themselves out of their misery by opting for the maintenance-free performance and all the creature comforts modern technology offers.

Because a Cobra looks different, feels different, drives different, performs different, sounds different...even smells different. Like no other car I've experienced.

And when you pull up next to a shiny new Camaro convertible in your Cobra, it's funny how the Camaro just sort of vanishes and becomes invisible to anyone else on the street...
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  #37 (permalink)  
Old 01-03-2018, 03:09 AM
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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!
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  #38 (permalink)  
Old 01-03-2018, 05:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt View Post
You may have spoken to a dozen who were seriously considering buying one because they could, indeed, afford one. But, behind them were hundreds more who had the same level of interest, maybe even more fervent interest, but not the cash.
Well, since you included the homeless, Drug addicts, the welfare class, and the poor, I now realize that was a very optimistic viewpoint indeed. It might be closer to 1 in a 100 million, because I have met few people who do not love the Cobra.

When people come to this sight seriously intending to buy with $40K budget in there back pocket, you sometimes seem to treat them the same as the people who will never follow through anyway, which I do see a distinction. However on the other hand, you do provide a great service by explaining what a Cobra really is, and have saved people from wasting money on a fantasy that would have been a waste of money when reality hit. Hmm.
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Old 01-03-2018, 07:23 AM
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Originally Posted by olddog View Post
However on the other hand, you do provide a great service by explaining what a Cobra really is, and have saved people from wasting money on a fantasy that would have been a waste of money when reality hit. Hmm.
My feeling is that true Cobraphiles can not be dissuaded, come Hell or high water.
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Old 01-04-2018, 05:30 AM
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testing.

This posting worked, but a successive posting did not appear and I received the same message as I did before that the post has to be reviewed before it will appear on the thread. I returned to this post which initially only said "testing" and was able to edit it and add what I am writing now. Evidently quick back-to-back posts are first reviewed? This is the fist time I've been able to post in 3 days and now I will have to wait to post again? Can anyone direct me to the administrator of this forum where I can find out what I'm doing wrong or to what's happening?

Thanks, Dan

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