Looking to purchase a Cobra

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by JPit

I really like the lines of the FIA 289’s best...

Don't settle for a 427 if you like the 289 better. The FIA/USRRC body style is a great choice! (My choice, too.) Call Unique 256-546-3708 and they can fill you in on their DPK... it's awesome!

[JPit]

I want to thank everyone very much for all of their help. I am not very mechanically inclined nor do I have the time to build a car myself so I would much rather a used car that is already well “sorted out”. To narrow down my search I have a couple more questions:
1. I plan on doing some highway cruising, is a 5 speed a must?
2. When registering a car how important is it to be already titled as 1965-66 car? Is it easy to transfer a title across state lines? I’ve already made inquiries at the NJ DMV and have made no progress.
3. With regards to Superformance or ERA are their build years or chassis numbers I should look to avoid (i.e. are the later model cars any better)?
Thanks

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by JPit

To narrow down my search I have a couple more questions:
1. I plan on doing some highway cruising, is a 5 speed a must?
2. When registering a car how important is it to be already titled as 1965-66 car? Is it easy to transfer a title across state lines? I’ve already made inquiries at the NJ DMV and have made no progress.
3. With regards to Superformance or ERA are their build years or chassis numbers I should look to avoid (i.e. are the later model cars any better)?
Thanks

1. No, but it can lessen the stress on mechanical components and increase mileage. My 1989 5.0 HO engined Cobra replica with a 5 speed T5 gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway and crusies below 3,000 RPM.

2. That depends on the state in which you live (and PARTICULARLY if that state is CA, which does not apply to you)....there is a registration forum on CC, I'd suggest you check it out and see if there is any information on New Jersey:

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/registration-forum/

3. Can't help you there, but I can tell you that ERA has had an exemplary reputation for MANY years and the SPF offerings are also highly valued (and, because they are "turnkey minus" offerings, very consistent in the quality of their assembly), so IMHO the build would be more important than the manufacturer.

In the end, caveat emptor prevails....don't buy anything until you've inspected it in person, asked so many questions you think the seller might puke (and then asked even more), and checked out everything you might need with your local governmental agencies.

There are too many stories of things gone wrong.....

Cheers from Dugly

[Excaliber]

For the most part a title that says the car is a "1965", and we know a replica is NOT, is little more than smoke and mirrors. It can cause more trouble and legal problems than it's worth. If someone says it's registered as a 1965-66 and "hypes" about how cool that is, just blow it off, it don't mean squat to the DMV. Unless, the DMV can figure out how to charge you with FRAUD, then it has meaning!

5 speed is not a "must have", sometimes it's nice to have, but a four speed works fine, in some ways BETTER than a 5 speed. I've had both, there are times I wish I still had the 4 speed, other times I like the 5 I now have. Hmmmm, it depends....

Of course the newer models (SPF, ERA, Backdraft, whatever) show improvements. Some are safety related and older cars have been up-graded, other "improvements" are not that significant. ERA has gone through some nice changes, but nothing extraordinary in my opinion. The early cars are very rock solid and worthy "as built" without up-grades. As far as SPF, I'm no expert. Some things that come to mind are paint issues and strength improvements here and there. I suspect the early ones are fine and the newer ones are better, typical of any car make.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by IndyCobra

After a couple of beers, that shed roof and the desire to learn hang gliding can KILL you!

I can attest to that from personal experience.....when I was in the second grade, I was fascinated with parachutes and wanted to feel the experience of "floating to the ground", so I climbed the house and jumped off holding onto an umbrella ....

DAMN, that landing was hard!

.....and I hadn't even had one beer .

Cheers from Dugly

[Rickd]

There's a real nice silver ERA 289FIA with a blue nose stripe on www.cobracountry.com asking $49 .. should be negotiable. Has the ERA custom rear end - does not get any better if you like the FIA!!

[JPit]

Yes Rickd, I've seen that FIA on CC and it is a beautiful, but that setup seems way too radical for me and once you factor in shipping the car all the way across the counrty I'd be way over my budget.

[madmaxx]

Rest assured you are 20 plus problems ahead buying a well sorted used Cobra over a new one. That being said please understand compared to your dailey driver (Ford, GM, Triumph, MGB) Cobras for the most part are junk. You or someone you hire will be required to work on the Cobra you purchase. You are not going to jump in and tell your buddies all it needs is gas and oil. If you desire to become mechanically inclined and have the passion there is absolutely no better choice than a Cobra replica, the ownership experience is second to none. If you do not want to get your hands dirty, checking fastners, probably breaking down now and then, then a Cobra is not your best choice in my opinion.

Most feel Cobra replicas are not investments, yet the downside risk is nothing compared to stocks. Buy a marketable color, blue, silver, red, with good paint and body and you will recoup 90% of your purchase price years down the road. I have never lost money on a Cobra, but I seam to be the odd ball more than the norm.

I have owned/worked on 5 different makes. BDR, SPF far outweighed the others, I have never worked or driven an ERA but only have heard nothing but positives.






[quote=JPit;1076804] I am not very mechanically inclined nor do I have the time to build a car myself so I would much rather a used car that is already well “sorted out”.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

... I have never worked or driven an ERA but only have heard nothing but positives.

Well I have, and I believe ERA cars are second to none. But, having said that, everything that MM said holds true for ERA cars as well. You've got to be ready, willing, and able to get your hands dirty (or pay someone to do it for you, I suppose). I was out at a cook out for Labor Day and they asked "how's the Cobra doing?" And I proudly replied, "pretty good -- it hasn't broken down in weeks!"

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

Rest assured you are 20 plus problems ahead buying a well sorted used Cobra over a new one. That being said please understand compared to your dailey driver (Ford, GM, Triumph, MGB) Cobras for the most part are junk. You or someone you hire will be required to work on the Cobra you purchase. You are not going to jump in and tell your buddies all it needs is gas and oil. If you desire to become mechanically inclined and have the passion there is absolutely no better choice than a Cobra replica, the ownership experience is second to none. If you do not want to get your hands dirty, checking fastners, probably breaking down now and then, then a Cobra is not your best choice in my opinion.

MM is right....within 3 miles of taking delivery of my already sorted Cobra, I had to adjust the carb when the car suddenly assumed a high idle and would not idle below 1500 RPM (I had taken the car on a 15 mile test drive right before handing over the $$ and taking care of the paperwork, it had run great all the while!)....within 200 miles of taking delivery of my already sorted Cobra, the clutch cable broke and I had to be towed home by a friend. Replacing the clutch cable took 2 weeks, 4 trips to Houston (two to a Freightliner dealership , who had ALMOST what I needed if it hadn't been 15" short), the services of a custom cable shop, a bit of work on the clutch mount with a hacksaw, and uncountable time installing and adjusting and removing and re-installing and adjusting and removing.....well, you get the idea.

Gotta admit, though, even the neighborhood kids would stop and talk to me about the car when they saw my feet sticking out from under the Cobra. You don't see that much anymore.....

They are ALWAYS a work in progress !

Cheers from Dugly

[JPit]

Yikes, All this talk of repair makes me think i should just buy a new BDR with a 2 year warranty

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by JPit

Yikes, All this talk of repair makes me think i should just buy a new BDR with a 2 year warranty

I actually enjoy working on my Cobra just as much as I do driving it. So, I really don't mind fixing it at all. I don't like getting stranded and having to be towed home, but that's only happened once. Honestly though, I think FE equipped Cobras just tend to require more maintenance because they're constantly being shaken -- and I mean the whole car, not just the engine.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by JPit

Yikes, All this talk of repair makes me think i should just buy a new BDR with a 2 year warranty

'

Can you buy a Backdraft, a drivetrain, and pay to have them joined within your budget?

Don't forget, BDR's warranty won't cover the costs of "fettling", or working out the kinks in the car after it is complete, only defects in materials and workmanship on the parts BDR supplied.

They all come with warts, even right off the showroom.

.....cute warts, though !

Cheers from Dugly!!

[Alan P.]

I have a High Tech FIA Cobra for sale

[mrmustang]

How to buy a used Cobra:

Editors Note:
Ok, the first thing you have to ask yourself is "how much money am I willing to spend for a used Cobra", and what my usage is going to be. Now, by usage, I mean a either a daily driver, weekend cruiser, show car/trailer queen, 1/4 mile drag racer, road racer, or any combination of the above. Once you have set your budget and have a pretty good idea of what you want to initially spend, your next goal is to find the right car for you. Whether your spending $22,000, or $150,000 should not matter at this point, as I've personally seen beautiful, well built cars at $22,000, and some truly horrible cars with over $100,000 in to the build.


Your qualifications:
Know your strengths and weaknesses when shopping for a used Cobra, if you know bodywork, and not the mechanicals, take along someone who has a greater mechanical ability than yourself. Vice versa if your strengths are in the mechanical end of things, and not the cosmetics. Two sets (or more) of eyes are always better than one.

If your going to see a cobra in person:

What to look for:
Fit: How does the body sit on the chassis, do the doors, hood, trunk all line up?

Finish: How is the paint, are there runs, drips, sags. Does the paint have a nice shine to it, or does it need to be buffed out or stripped and repainted?

Interior condition: Does the interior show a lot of aging, do the seats need to be recovered.

Mechanical: Are there any leaks or drips under the car? What about the overall appearance, does the car look like it was well taken care of, or does it look like it was ridden hard and abused.

Engine: Again, any leaks or fluid drips, how does it sound (this can be tough on a car such as the Cobra). Check the engine warm, cold, at partial throttle and at idle. Make sure to check the temperature gauge once the car is warmed up and at idle. Also check to make sure the thermostatically controlled fan (if so equipped) kicks in when it is supposed to.

Transmission: Take the car out for a road test if possible (don't expect to let the seller to allow you to drive it), does the clutch work properly, does the transmission shift smoothly through the gears. Check for leaks here as well.

Rear End: Does the rear end clunk, leak fluids (check behind rear rims for signs of fluid, along with the front and rear of the differential housing)

Suspension: Check the bushings, do they look cracked and worn out, if so, factor in replacements to your costs. What about the shocks (coil overs or ???), if you ask the seller to push down on each corner, watch the rebound, if they bounce forever, then expect to replace them. If the car is equipped with coil over shocks, set the car on an even surface and see if the car sits level or not. if so, then the shocks do not have to be adjusted, if not, then expect a few hours getting things right.

Brakes: If you place your hand on the front disks (do this before the car has been driven), can you feel any grooves in the disk itself? Does the brake pedal feel firm when your sitting in the car, what about on the test drive, ask the seller to do at least one hard braking maneuver so that you can tell whether the brakes are adjusted correctly for the car. Some cars will have a combination of disks and drums, others will have four wheel disk brakes. If set up correctly, a disk/drum set up will work for all but the most extreme usage (IE: heavy road racing, endurance racing, etc).

Wheels: Are the wheels balanced, bolted on, or held on with knock off's? Bolt on wheels are a matter of personal preference, if you like what is on the car, great, if not, factor in a replacement some time down the road. Knock off's should be checked to make sure they are tight, if the knock offs and safety wired on the car, that shows a level of attention worthy of a good owner/seller....

Tires: Are the sidewalls cracked, are the DOT approved, radials or biased ply? What about the sizing, do the fronts both match? What about the rears?

Electrical system: Do all of the lights function, hi beams, lo beams, turn signals, brake lights, horn, etc? What about all of the gauges, do they read correctly?

If you are buying a Cobra sight unseen:

Use the above as a reference guide as to what questions need to be asked. If the owner is forthcoming with detailed answers, then you can feel a little more comfortable in dealing with them. if the answers are a little more ambiguous and vague, then perhaps the owners is trying to hide something, or does not really have any mechanical ability or qualifications to answer the questions above..If this is the case, and your still interested in the car, pay to have the car professionally looked at by a qualified inspection service.

In closing, most of the above is all based on common sense. Don't let your emotions get involved in the decision whether to purchase one car or another. Also don't let other so called "experts" sway you to this brand or that, after all, it's your money, not theirs that your planning to spend..Finally, if you need assistance, or don't understand something fully, feel free to ask questions.

[Cashburn]

Just want to insert that the BDR warranty is 1 year and it is a parts warranty. It is the dealer that often assumes the labor as a service to their customers. Some dealers may do this better than others.

Most other brands have no warranty at all.

Powertrains have their own warranties. So if that is your main concern you need to distinguish the differences. These warranties are often non-transferable.

The difference between buying a used kit and a dealer delivered rolling chassis or kit is the dealer should have a much lower margin of error because of repeated assemblies of the same product. It is difficult to declare a particular brand that has a kit offering the best because that will inject a ton of variation into the end product pipeline.

Obviously I represent one end of the argument

[FIA-ERA]

For the most part a title that says the car is a "1965", and we know a replica is NOT, is little more than smoke and mirrors. It can cause more trouble and legal problems than it's worth. If someone says it's registered as a 1965-66 and "hypes" about how cool that is, just blow it off, it don't mean squat to the DMV. Unless, the DMV can figure out how to charge you with FRAUD, then it has meaning!

Excalibur what do mean " it don't mean squat"? Have you noticed how A LOT of states are starting to copy California's lead? It was just posted here the other day that Massachusetts is allowing these cars to get registered and titled after years of saying no. Haven't you heard of all the fellow CC members that get their cars together only to find out they can't even drive them? Lets see, a fellow buys a brand new Superperformance here in Georgia (bought it from a dealer in Ohio), goes to the tag office (you have to pay the taxes on it before you get a tag), goes to pay the taxes (you have to get a Vin for the car MSO is only one part of it), gets an officer out (gets a vin for the car), goes back (now it's got a 2009 vin), NOW has to pass emissions as a 2009 car (do you think an FE will pass with a carb, NO), now he has a car that he can't get a title for, can't register the car, no tag, he is screwed! That hardly is "smoke and mirrors". I agree the cars are not from the 60's and that they are from a "Kit" form, but if some one is trying to sell a kit as a "REAL" 65 Cobra, ya that's a problem. BUT, I haven't heard of a DMV denying a car that was previously registered, then changing it as a later year than it was already registered. I might be wrong but how can they determine what another state's DMV has already set forth?

All I know is in our part of this rock, my taxes are $26, my car is emissions exempt, there is no advalorum taxes all because it is registered as a 65'. I had a guy from France once wanting to buy my car. The ONLY way he could get a "Kit Cobra" into the country was if it was titled and registered as a 65/ 66! Is it really a 65/66, heck no but that's what the government wants to meet their standards??
Didn't mean to get on a soap box but that does hold some credit in some parts of this country. Moving on...

[Excaliber]

My car was registered as a 1965 in Hawaii, "don't mean squat". My insurance notes it's a 1965 car, "don't mean squat". What you REALLY need is something like the SB100 in California, once you got that you can call it whatever you want. Try to register a replica as a 1965 in California and you could get charged with fraud.

The issue is NOT the year of build or manufacturer, the issue is how any of the various states handle a "kit" car, or an "assembled vehicle" or any number of phrases a DMV uses to describe, accurately, the "real" car (built sometime after 1965).

[Excaliber]

The ONLY way he could get a "Kit Cobra" into the country was if it was titled and registered as a 65/ 66! Is it really a 65/66, heck no but that's what the government wants to meet their standards??

Fraud, pure and simple, could get a guy in big trouble. Any given State does NOT have to recognize another States title as a year 1965 when it becomes obvious the year is incorrect. California does that! People HAVE been arrested and charged.

I was trying to sell my car to a guy in Norway. He had to show the local DMV the car was built in 1986 or older. Texas was the first State it was registered in, in 1986. That met the Norway requirements, all though I backed out of the sale anyway. My Hawaii "1965 title" didn't mean squat to Norway.

France would be similiar, I suspect, no need for 1965, BUT, some year of build that is "old enough". Anything to "new", you either gotta fake it or pay the taxes.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by JPit

... Basically I don’t have a budget, I’ll buy what I feel is the best car at the best price...

Originally Posted by JPit

Yes Rickd, I've seen that FIA on CC and it is a beautiful, but that setup seems way too radical for me and once you factor in shipping the car all the way across the counrty I'd be way over my budget.

JPit,
Just a thought after re-reading your original post, and your replies. Which is it? Seriously, first things first - perhaps you might want to decide whether you have a budget or not. Once you know what it is, this will help you and all concerned here on ClubCobra to better assist you on limiting or defining your options and next steps. Otherwise, the question and answers will be all over the map in an endless loop to nowhere. True budget limit is the first question to be answered. Good luck on your search.

.