Cobra Owner Wannabe

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by patrickt

An absolutely complete 100% turnkey from one of the major names will have less issues than a car assembled by anyone else, generally speaking. A roller from one of those companies, with the drive train dropped in by one of the well-known assemblers, will have less issues as well. A turnkey, or a well-assembled roller, owned by a Cobra fanatic, with about 5000 miles or so on it, and who must now let her go because of financial or health reasons, will have the fewest issues of all. That said, if you're going to drop 50, 75, or a hundred grand on one of these toys, you should pay to have the car professionally checked out. There are crooks in this hobby, and if you get duped in to buying a flood car, or one with a "beautiful" FE that needs a rebuild, you're going to be angry. It won't be the end of the world, but it will put a pall on your purchase.

What he says.

Buying a roller will give you huge piece of mind. Many self-built cars are wonderful cars, but finding one and verifying that it is soundly built and won't cost you an arm and leg to make it work make a roller with a professionally installed drivetrain worth alot.

The same applies to buying a new roller and getting the power train installed. I've never met a Cobra owner that didn't have some "sorting out" time, and if you're not patient and close to your builder/installer or a tinkerer yourself it can be a trying experience. 5K miles might be on the high side from an experienced installer, but there will be some downtime. That's why a used already done car with a good pre-purchase inspection is worth it.