[richsd]

Originally Posted by ItBites

richsd,

I guess to many of us, a cobra is a car that looks like a cobra (BTW, an Ultima does not look like a Cobra). People ubiquitously can recognize a Cobra at 1/4 mile distance, but a side-oiler is just a powerplant, not the car. Most folks cannot recognize a correctly-equipped Cobra side-oiler from a schoolbus engine, so I wouldn't consider the engine to be, as you state, a key point that defines a Cobra.

And, what is the "spirit" of the original? 2 seat roadster? Wind in yer hair? Too little weight and too much power, Fat tires that are still too small? smell of gas? Smell of burning rubber? Loud sidepipes? Freedom of the American sixties? Or must use Ford Engine?

What is it people love about Cobras? Very few in the general public will tell you they love Cobras because they are Ford powered. Heck, Country Squire Wagons are Ford powered, but they do not have the Cobra "spirit", so the "spirit", by definition, must derive from something other than the powerplant.

Yes I know that an Ultima does not look much like a Cobra. It is a cool car though. Many of the things you list do describe the spirit of the Cobra. However I will debate you on the engine company. Sure a Country Squire Wagon is Ford powered. So is my Noble and it is also from the UK. Neither of these is in any way meant to be a Cobra but a Cobra replica is. You are probably right that many in the general public will not tell you that they love Cobras because they are Ford powered. However the reason they love Cobras is because of the mystique and reputation of the car. This mystique and reputation was built on a few factors. One of the main things that took the Cobra from being a cute little AC car to what it became was sticking a big Ford motor in it. Without this the Cobra would have never been the Cobra so to me it is clearly a key point that defines the car. This forum would not exist if Carroll Shelby did not stick a big Ford motor in an AC and I doubt anyone would be replicating the AC Ace. I understand that many must deviate from a side-oiler due to availability and budget but I still feel that Ford power is the way to go for a Cobra replica.