Funny, on most of my hobbies the building of the project tends to be the satisfying part. With the Cobra I was pleasantly surprised to find that the excitement didn't end there. I love this car! It has been the most amazing toy I've ever owned. I drive it to the tune of about 6k per year, and that's a fairly short window. In fact, I get irritated now when I have to work on it. Not because of the work, it's just the time off the road. These cars are made to drive, and I have the patina all over a polished Kirkham to prove it.
The analogy about the stone on a stick is so very true. A Cobra is HOT, LOUD, STINKY, and about the most fun one can have that is legal... (mostly)
They are not for everyone. 55% would not tolerate the gas consumption,
30% the lack of creature comforts, and 14.9999 everything else. It's the .0001% that can "tame" one of these beasts.
I've never looked back on the money spent. At this point I can't even conceive of parting with my Cobra. The friends I've made and the memories I have accumulated are worth one thousand times what I have in my build.
Just like many of the comments above:
I still feel a pit in my stomach when I crank over an engine that produces 700HP in a vehicle that has more in common with a go cart than a car. The crowds of onlookers is cool. It is fun to "make someones day" by letting them take a picture, or even sit in the drivers seat for a pose! Looking back I could have never imagined how interesting and enjoyable this journey could have been, and it continues...
len