[bentl11]

I wondered about this also until I had a chance to see both cars and to visit the factories where they are built. I have seen FF5 cars built by NASA engineers (not a joke, it was the most over-engineered/over-built car I have ever seen!) as well as just regular folks and that is why I went with B&B. There is such a substantial difference in the way the body and frame is designed/built that you would never consider the FF5 if safety is an issue. Even when the B&B is compared to a Superformance, I still believe it's a better frame after having spent a lot of time under the Superformance cars. I'm not knocking Superformance as they are wonderful cars, but you can get as good as/better bodies and frames with B&B. (one similar weak point in FF5 and Superformance are the silly paper-thin floors) No matter how well the FF5 is built, the design is just weaker and the results of this are body squeaks, chassis flex, (I've experienced this even in a FF5 built to aerospace standards by a NASA engineer!). And in a wreck, well.... the thought of a wreck in any Cobra replica is scary, but I would not put a loved one in a FF5, I think it's just too fragile. Yeah, you read about people racing them, but then again people race in Hyundais too. I have seen B&B's that have been wrecked and it's amazing how strong the car is. (So strong, that even in a bad wreck, (as one I saw) the car can be put back to almost new condition) Compare this to FF5...can a bare shell be bounced length wise without breaking into? Is coremat (or equivalent) used to reinforce the body as this is critical to a quality non-metal body? (Superformance does this too) No use of wood to reinforce the body? (yes, believe it or not, some use wood 2X4's in the rocker panels to hide their body strength problems) Steel floors to strengthen the chassis? Steel reinforced doors? And there are many, many other differences not to mention resale. Thirty-four K for a FF5 is very probably double of what the car is really worth, no matter what accessories or engine it has (side-oiler excluded). For a nice B&B, that's probably a good deal. Take the time to look at a FF5 and a B&B, talk to the factories (Bryan, Barry and Karen at B&B are great!) I spent almost two years selecting a company by flying aroung, watching videos, reading assembly manuals, looking at cars and talking to owners before plunking down the cash. The FF5 was the easiest to eliminate and was the first one I excluded....the last, before choosing B&B, was Superformance. (Admitantly, when I began my search I was biased towards the Superformance, and I'm glad I didn't buy it) But's that's a story unto itself, sure to generate huge flames.
Don't get me wrong, B&B's aren't perfect (really stinko gauges and you NEED the optional larger brakes), but the inherent goodness is there and the people at B&B really want you to be happy and enjoy the cars. I could write a book on the subject of selecting a car and I would choose B&B again. Should you have any questions, don't hesistate to email me...Best Wishes!