Cobra Hunting and Difference between newer and older SPO#

[mikeylikesit]

Gidday

As my hunt for Cobra is now really building steam, I have pretty well narrowed my focus to looking for a used SPF. This is based upon the last 10/15 years of casual review and research, in that the SPF fits the bill for what I am looking for in a Cobra.

As I am in Canada and may be looking to import a US car into Canada, I have to look at SPF that are at least 15 years old.

In several threads I have noted that some members talk about the better SPO builds running between #1800 and 2500.

As I am probably looking at a #500 to #900 build, I am wondering what the differences between the older and newer builds are?

My cobra will be a street driver. It will be driven on long and short trips. It needs to be a good blend of power/handling and braking, and I am quite content with 400 to 450 engine HP. I will not track race the car.

That said, I am looking for the right questions to ask in terms of specific upgrades/updates that either may have been done, or that I need to make allowance to have done after my purchase.

Was there also body style changes/adjustments made from the earlier to newer cars or just refinements on chassis/suspension etc....

Thanks in advance for any advice, and I am sure I will be relying heavily on members here for a lot of input, and please bear with me as I may be asking a lot of newb questions going forward.

Thanks and regards

Mike

[ACademic]

Starting around #600 or so, there were some significant standard factory-installed enhancements that continue even to this day. Things like Wilwood brakes on all corners, a dropped footbox for the driver's side (provides more leg room) and a chrome roll bar. If you want a mod motor than you're better served with a newer chassis that moved the steering rods more outward for clearance. Nothing wrong with buying a 15 year old SPF as the build quality has been very consistent with each iteration. Those mid-late #600's should have been built in 1999 (or around that time), so that would help you qualify for that. Check the rear shock towers and make certain they have the RT upgrade from Cobra Valley. If not, plan on that being your first enhancement.

You will also want to check the coil overs, as the older cars had AVO's and the bushings tended to wear out prematurely. Later cars came with Bilsteins, which were an improvement but not valved right for the car and the spring pressures were also not optimized.

Again, just plan on some suspension upgrading to make the car safer and more fun to drive (if the previous owner hasn't done same).

[jcam]

Mike,

Have you checked out cobra country.com? The latest listing is SPO No. 626 and qualifies for a trip across the boarder. There are also some later model SPO Cobras listed that are already in Canada.

As stated earlier, regardless of the build number. The rare shock tower brackets need to be upgraded for safety. Randy at Cobra Valley can steer you in the right direction on he suggested upgrades.

Good luck with your search.

I drove my SP Cobra this morning and it is the best purchase I have ever made.

Jamie
SPO1359

[mikeylikesit]

Originally Posted by jcam

Mike,

Have you checked out cobra country.com? The latest listing is SPO No. 626 and qualifies for a trip across the boarder. There are also some later model SPO Cobras listed that are already in Canada.

As stated earlier, regardless of the build number. The rare shock tower brackets need to be upgraded for safety. Randy at Cobra Valley can steer you in the right direction on he suggested upgrades.

Good luck with your search.

I drove my SP Cobra this morning and it is the best purchase I have ever made.

Jamie
SPO1359

Thanks Jamie, yes I get alerts from Curt at Cobra Country and yes I saw 626, and its a beauty, mikey likes it...
Canadian SPF seem very overpriced, even with US exchange rate I may be able to find a better car in US
Mike

[vatdevil]

SCOF would be your best source of info on issues with various car number ranges. Keep in mind there are issues that occurred with later numbers only. My car, 522, had damage to the rear shock mounts (replaced) and a torn diff mount ( replaced with new crossmember). These are known issues with my car number. I also upgraded half shafts, which were stronger in newer car numbers.

[SunDude]

Originally Posted by mikeylikesit

Thanks Jamie, yes I get alerts from Curt at Cobra Country and yes I saw 626, and its a beauty, mikey likes it...
Canadian SPF seem very overpriced, even with US exchange rate I may be able to find a better car in US
Mike

Generally speaking, Superformance MkIIIs with a chassis number of 600 or lower should be eligible ...or close to it ...for importation to Canada. Just check the paperwork first.

And yes, Canadian SPF prices are significantly higher than in the U.S. But the upside is they also hold their higher value too, so once you've stepped up, your "investment" should be pretty "safe."

Then again, I'm also noticing U.S. prices climbing of late.

[mikeylikesit]

Thanks for the advice all

Mike

[mikeylikesit]

Ended up getting SPO 2169...as they both would have ended up costing me the same

Regards
Mike