Another Question

[cosbytnkid]

Been looking more and more at SPF. I starting to warm up to them but only one thing bothers me. Most builders have about 5" road clearance. The SPF only has 3 1/2" clearance. Does this affect how you drive them on the road? That kinda scares the heck out of me. Is there a way to increase clearance or do you just live with it? Also another question to SPF owners. If you had to do it all over again would you still go out and buy another SPF? How are they for fit, finish, and overall quality?

[double ugly]

My third cobra is an SPF. It's the first one I can back out over the curb at the end of my driveway at a 90 degree angle and not scrape the underside somewhere. The bellhousing is higher in the chassis, I guess, and the clearance is better. The SPF is a great car and handles well. Don't worry.
John

[Bill Wells]

my spf is an earlier car, built in 1996 . it has 3-1/2 " clearance at lowest point, under the bellousing . In 15,000 miles it has never hit on anything , or scraped . granted , some high speed bumps have to be taken at an angle at slow speeds but that is a rare event . many other cars have similar clearance distances, it is not that big of a deal . just look ahead .

the suspension has some adjustments to it. i could raise mine 1 or 1-1/2 inches if i wanted to , but like the lower level look in the wheel wells so why bother .

there are many spf owners who are on their 2nd or 3rd spf, one with over 100,000 miles ( Hal Copple's ) . If i was to buy another Cobra replica it would be another SPF .

Fit and finish on my car remains very good despite its age . The fit and finish on many brands are also good,but I have had good , correction- great, enjoyment of my car, the dealers and their parts and service support - when rarely needed .

Shop around - check all the brands out - price compare for what you want your car to be for you and your usage intentions . Then bite the bullit and just ENJOY it . Bill.

[Rick Parker]

You will have to dodge the Alligators.

[Madmiles442]

Hi Rick,
I shopped for 4 months, looking at different Brands. The SPF offers the best fit and finish for the money. There are cheaper makes, but from what I have seen, you get what you pay for. I am very happy with my SPF and would buy another and another.
I have heard and seen good things about Backdraft as well.
I would suggest attending a local Club meeting and you should be able to see several makes side-by-side. After repeated viewings, you'll be able to notice the differences.
You can search for threads on this site for lots info comparing different makers.
Good luck.

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by Madmiles442

You can search for threads on this site for lots info comparing different makers.

12K miles and never hit anything anywhere on my SPF. Here is a link to my Excel spreadsheet with active links to all Cobra manufacturer's web sites.

List of Manufacturers

[cosbytnkid]

Fellas I just want to say Thank You for all you input. The only hang up I had was that ground clearance thing, but from the sound of you all that doesn't seem to be an issue. So again Thanks!

[Semper Fi]

I have a 2002 SPF and the fit and finish is top notch! I had my car at the Temecula "Rock N Rod" run (Temecula, Ca.) last weekend. There were over 700 cars at the show! My car won an "Award of Excellence". It was the only Cobra there to win that award.

I looked at some other Cobra's at the show (there were about 10) and they were "cheezy" looking compared to the SPF. I had a chance to compare my car to another brand side by side--there was no comparison!!

[CWizard]

You gotta watch out for nose rash! At least I do. I have scraped the paint off the bottom of the nose more than once. I've learned to back into parking spots or stop well short of the curb, and to be cautious when approaching a dip, like at the entrance to an up-hill driveway. No other problems. BTW, on my car the low point is the bell housing, not the nose. As for the second question in the original post, yes, I would buy an SPF again. I've had excellent support from both SPF and my dealer.
Jerry

[Lowell W]

I have 20K miles on my SPF and like it a lot. I wouldn't say there's any one "best" car out there-depends on your criteria-but to me, the Ford IRS with the upper and lower wishbones and the extra room in the cockpit were big pluses; also the availability of the car as a turn key minus. Like probably everybody else, I play the "What if" game from time to time and I keep coming back to SPF, at least for the way I use the car. I'm more interested in having a dependable, (relatively) easy to live with sports car that looks pretty much like a Cobra, than an identical replica, although I do understand the guys who prefer more authenticity.

My frame rails are about 4" to 4-1/2" from the ground, so, yeah, the bellhousing must be at about 3-1/2". I did scrape the bellhousing once, at very low speed, pulling into a driveway on a speed bump which was hidden by a shadow. I do angle up sharp driveway approaches but you get used to looking out for stuff like that. Also dodging the dead coons and 'possums in the middle of your lane...

At this point in time, I think the Cobra replica market is so competetive that any of the currently available kits or rollers can be built into a very nice car if you take enough time, lavish enough attention and spend enough money. Do SPF's have issues? Sure: Every now and then when I'm working on my car, I find something that makes me go "Jeez...now why did they do THAT?", but I'd guess you would find that on any car you didn't build yourself.

Even now, as a Cobra owner of four years, I could be happy with any of several Cobras but I still feel the car I have fills my current needs best.

Good luck,

Lowell

[Commodore]

The minimum vehicle ground clearance in many states is 4". Are SPF owners just sneaking through the inspection requirements or adjusting up their ride heights for VIN inspections? Ct will point us to the trailer if any part of our car is below 4" during a VIN inspection. Maybe they don't check a SPF's ride height because the side pipes sit a bit higher than some other replicas which makes the car look like it is in compliance with the 4" requirement?
RB

[Mark costello]

I couldn't agree more with the coments by the SPF owners. As I detail mine ready to sell I realize how well designed and the fit of everything. Its been a great car for us. Yes there are others brands that are great but I would still purchase another SPF.

[bnewell]

I would buy another SPF in a heart beat. The only reason I didn't after I sold SPF1299 is because I wanted an aluminum car.

If I was in the market for a non-aluminum car, it would be a SPF hands down.