[Maricopa]

It was 1980 and I was a 14 yr. old gear head (bought a '66 Mustang that year) reading a car magazine in English class and there in the pages was a little, low, red-as-can-be Cobra. At the time I knew all about Shelby Mustangs but somehow had ignored the little MG looking things he messed with before that. My next exposure was an original FIA displayed at Bell Ford at their annual car show. I was there to buy 'Stang parts at the swap meet but spent the better part of the day staring at that beat up old POS.
Fast forward 15 years or so. The Mustang was gone, I had 2 kids and a mortgage but hadthe chance to buy a no-name uncompleted 'kit' from a guy down the street. I passed but the flame was re-lit. Fast forward again after a few years playing with sandbuggies and starting a business I discovered FFR and developed a plan. Save for 3 years and buy one. I lasted 6 months but it still took me 3 years to finish it.

A Cobra is the culmination of all things a 14 yr old (in a 41 yr old body) could want in a car. Low, curvy, fast and loud. It's the ultimate cross between minimalism and wretched excess. It's oversized motor and tires are covered by the body the same way lingerie (I'll forgive the French for this one!) covers a woman's body, just enough but not too much. It doesn't have anything to hold your friggin' drink (get a bottle of water and toss it behind the seat!). There's no switch to flip to cool you down (and no compressor to lug down the motor). It doesn't shift for you or help you with the steering or brakes (be a man, do it yourself!). It offers almost no protection from the other cars on the road and you have to constantly work just to keep it going in a generally straight direction. It's the ultimate non PC car. Rude, crude and socially unacceptable. Except in this case even those offended by it still want a ride.
Most of all it does what you tell it to. It turns, stops and-best of all-it GOES! All while looking damn good.