What Manufacturer to look for??

[rdstar2001]

Hey there! I am new to this forum. I looking for information on a good all around kit. I will list what I personally am looking for in the kit.

Looks - I am all about the looks of the Cobra. I am not concerned with the speed or anything like that.

Ride - I want a nice comfortable ride.

Cost - I do not have a ton of money to throw at a kit, so I am looking for a good quality kit that wont cost an arm and a leg. Something I guess that would be considered a good starting point, a base for me to upgrade somethings later. Or maybe you experienced Cobra replica owners know better. Please fill me in.

Difficulty - I looking for a kit that isnt the most difficult to put together. This will be a father son project with myself and my father (who has the expereince in auto work, I have nearly none).

Please let me know anything you can about these kits and how they perform and assemble. I really appreciate your feed back!!!

[Jim Dandy]

Jeremy, There are alot of kits out there. Most manufacturers offer an acceptable kit, but unless your a whiz it will take you longer to put it together than they say. The high end companies are ERA, Superformance, Kirkham and a few others. They make very nice cars and you can get them in various states of completion. I choose B&B manufacturing and I am very satisfied with there product and I've had alot of fun putting it together. B&B is a middle of the road kit as far as pricing and they are very helpful when questions come up. Most all manufacturers are very good with helping their customers. There are alot to choose from so take your time and do alot of research. Travel to the different makers and see their product first hand and ask alot of questions. Even a "cheap" Cobra is not cheap.... Jim

[excelguru]

Jeremy,

You should also contact Unique Motorcars. I should begin by telling you that I do not work for Unique. I don't even own a Cobra yet. But I have spent the past 10 years researching and deciding who to hand my folding money to when the time comes.

Looks - Unique's replica is very close to being an exact copy from a visual standpoint. The only other replicas that are closer to original would be ERA (more expensive) and Kirkham (much more expensive). The differences are very minor and are simply impercievable to about 99% of the population.

Ride - Unique has a very well designed suspension and the ride is not harsh. This is true for most all of the "blue chip" manufacturers (ERA, Kirkham, Superformance, B&B, et al). Please bear in mind that NO cobra is gonna provide the plush ride of, say, a Honda Accord.

Cost - Unique is VERY competitive from a cost standpoint. Please take plenty of time in this area to make sure you're comparing apples to apples as closely as possible. Create a spreadsheet. Unique's "Deluxe Pallet Kit" is extremely complete and very well priced.

Difficulty - This is probably one of Unique's strongest selling points. Their assembly manual is simple and to the point. No fabrication. No welding. It's probably one of the most straight-forward assembly manuals you're likely to find. In fact, you can even download it from Unique's website! So download it and take a look for yourself.

Hope this helps.

Keith

EDIT - I forgot one very important thing...

People - The first time I visited Unique was about a year ago. I had just turned 29 at the time, so that makes me a tad younger than the "typical" person planning to buy a car of this calibre. Upon meeting Alan Weaver (the company is owned and run by the Weaver family), I was quick to inform him that I was probably a couple of years away from making a purchase.

This fact did not change his attitude at all. He was very happy to show me around his shop, answer numerous questions, and even take me for a spin in one of the 289 cars. While Alan and I were having a Q&A session, Alan's mother (Jean) sat down with my wife and started going through a bunch of photos from the previous year's Cobra Fest.

Basically, they treated us like we were part of their family. That sort of thing goes a long way with me. These people are simply some of the nicest people you're likely to meet. To be fair, I've also heard the same about the fine folks at ERA. It's been my experience that all the best companies are run by people who are just plain nice folks.

[Jim Werth]

I agree with Jim Dandy. I went with B+B. I think the car is so easy to put together that you wont even need an assembly manual. But they now offer every step on a CD. Great car!! Jim

[Campy]

Double post, deleted

[Campy]

I can appreciate the budget restraints!

You've got to buy the Complete Guide to Cobra Replicas available at the www.cobracountry.com

I am a realist and I think it wise and responsible to factor in your cost when deciding on a kit.

I purchased a Shell Valley kit. Their products have improved greatly! I am completely satisfied. Two reasons that weighted heavily on making my decision, no donor parts and at the time Shell Valley was giving you a chassis at no charge! I saved $2000. I suspect many manufacturers will discount their kit upon your asking, but you will have to investigate this yourself.

Here's the scoop. My total cost, about $24,000. Total time to build a touch over three months.

I have copied excerpts from some of my previous posts responding to similar questions.
************************************************** **
"This is probably the most difficult question to answer. I've done a lot of research before and after I purchased my Cobra kit.

The absolute first place to start is to buy the "The Complete Guide to Cobra Replicas" and read the 10 rules. You can find the guide at www.cobracountry.com

How one prioritizes what he wants and expects varies from buyer to buyer. For myself, I didn't mind doing some engineering and fabrication. This afforded me considerable savings. Some guys would rather pay the extra and not have to bother with it.

If I had to do it all over and money was no object (read $55,000 big ones! less engine and tranny) it would be without a doubt a Kirkham Engineering Kit. Check it out here These guys have an all aluminum body with exact replica parts of the original."

************************************************** *
***** Allow me to add a few remarks about the kit *****
I did my homework before deciding to purchase with Shell Valley.
The experts tell not to solely consider price when deciding on a manufacturer. While this is true, I am a realist. I found Shell Valley to be modestly priced (especially if you get in on one of their promos). Of course you can spend a whole more money on some of the other manufactures kits, but that doesn't mean you will necessarily get more. The choice has to be yours.

Their standard body is rock solid, I could imagine what the Kevlar is like! I could honestly say that there appears to be no skimping. I understand they are working on new body molds. You might want to look into purchasing the kit with a body from one of these new molds.

Please feel free to email me at my home if you have any questions.

Paul Campanale
pcampjax@telocity.com