Why Sell?

[PNJSNAK]

It is the year 2000.
The kids were all gone from the nest.
The wife wanted us to get a "go to get ice cream convertible"
I saw an add for Factory Five in a Car and Driver magazine in a customers lobby.
I tore it out of the magazine ad and asked what she thought.
Do you think you could build it?
Let's look at a Miata, BMW Z3, Porshe, or maybe a Corvettte.
I said I have an engineering degree and I am some what mechanical.
I think I can do it and get it on the road for around 25k.
She said "Okay, if you think you can do it".
A challange!
Looked at FF and a customer suggested A & C.
Visited their plant in Buffalo and liked what I saw.
Wife said Okay! 10 months after I got the frame, on the road.
Never knew about CC or FF5 website until half way thru the build.
We have over 40k in the car over the years and always changing something and love to get in, start it up, go for a ride or to the local car show. Won (3) best of show "Modified" over the years.
It never gets old, the power, the sound, the heat off the pipes, the looks you get from everyone.
I never regretted the decision. I loved the look of these cars since I first saw the pic of Dan Gurney on the high banks of Daytona in a Car and Driver magazine in 1964.
Good Luck with your decision. Bye the way I'm 61.
Jim

[mdross1]

Selling these cars like anything else in life sometimes forced into it.This economy has put a lot of people in finacial dispair.Others may not have wanted their cars bad enough to begin with who knows.Finally some may have just wanted the experience of owning a Cobra and that was enough.Either way good luck in your search,hope you find the car your looking for.

[jwd]

For some, building them is the fun part. Personally, once I've built/restored a car, I tend to lose interest and start looking for my next project. To answer the low miles question, I have too many nice weather toys and not enough nice weather.

[jbcobra67]

As for me I miss the build. It was challenging and makes for a great feeling of accomplishment. I have a friend who put it best, you actually built your own car. It took 2 1/2 years for me. I was on a budget. I worked a second job and Antique and Collectable lets you pay in stages. The good thing is its paid for. The only reason I would sell is build another one, and do something better. If you go cruise with another cobra you fall in love all over again. Mine makes 450hp at the flywheel and has scared the mess out of my a couple of times. I get more comfortable each time I ride. If you can, build yours, I think that makes it more personal.

Good luck. I don't think you'll regret it.

[madmaxx]

Just like most things in life you make you money when you buy not when you sell. You look hard enough you can score a BDR for low to mid 30's or an SPF low 40's or a very very early chassis for high 30's. Either way once these cars hit the aforementioned number the depreciation game is over. The aforementioned may not have stroked small blocks by KC or Roush but you will still smoke anything on the road. If in doubt but have to have one by a low priced one then when you find you cannot live without, go for what you want. Either way you wont be out more than $3-$5K.

[Dwight]

I did a search and did not find Hal's original post but I did find 392Cobra's post.

Hal drove a SPF and the last I heard had about 100,000 miles on it. Lots of 1/4 mile pasts, road racing and flying mile.
He is a story teller. He could write about something as simple as driving to the store and make very, very entertaining. I love his stories.

Dwight
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++
Here is a piece written by Hal Copple a few years ago.
The man could write.

I wish he would write somemore.
Fred


"Driving a Cobra Replica

"If you want to just gas and go, and never have to worry about replacing an alternator, or snugging down the header bolts, or getting a wet leg driving in a rainstorm, or learning how to set your carb float level, or driving in traffic on a warm winter day with "winter gas" in the tank, get a Corvette. "

With a Cobra Replica you have to remind yourself that you are driving a hand made race car on the street. There is no compromise for anything other than pure speed. These cars are brutal and unforgiving, with all the refinement of a medieval battle ax. Like being in a relationship with an exotic dancer, you can never take anything for granted. These cars don't have millions of miles of testing refinement before you get yours. For any trip longer than an hour, you need earplugs, and goggles, and carry Advil and eye drops. You will need to learn to "read" the clouds for rain in your path, and have experience in unwrapping your frozen fingers from the MotoLita. You will experience lady passengers "wetting" the passenger seat when you merge into traffic from an on ramp, and then nearly burn their calf getting out of the car.

You will have all the invisibility of a burning Hindenburg, and flee from underground parking lots when uncountable car alarms are screaming your departure. When you shop, you will remind yourself that these cars get more attention than a dead body in a parking lot.

With a power to weight ratio better than almost every super car, you will find your 1/4 mile times traction rather than power limited. On the other hand, when you stage, out of the corner of your helmet's visor you will see almost the entire audience lining up at the fence, most with cameras up. If you track on a road course with a Porsche club, owners of expensive German machines will come to the fence to watch you power out in smoking oversteer. You won't even try to start your engine in the garage, but push it out onto the driveway, else your loyal watch dog will croak from the exhaust fumes. If you idle next to other "sports" cars at a traffic light, by the green, their girlfriend will be coughing green phlegm into her hanky, yelling at her date to just go! When you refuel, you might as well prop the "bonnet" open, because you are going to have to show your motor to just about every other guy there. When you order your wings at Hooters, your waitress will whisper in your ear "take me for a ride." When you stop at the red light, the girl in the convertible next to you will invite you to "take my top off too."

When you slowly pass a troop of Harley riders, they will look over and give you thumbs up. When you want to ease out into traffic, other cars will immediately pause to let you go ahead of them. When your engine has its hot, crackling, intimidating exhaust side pipe aimed right at the flank of the GTO, or the Z28, your exhaust pulsation's slowly unscrewing his lug nuts, the other car will remain motionless, as if the slightest quiver of his car will cause your car to stomp it dead. When you leave it open in a parking lot, and come back to find your sunglasses and cell phone still sitting on the tunnel, it is because your car has sullenly warned those who came over to admire it "touch me and I will rise up here and kill you dead."

When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you."

When other drivers just hop in and snap up their belts while backing out of their parking space, you will still have two more minutes before you even get all the Simpsons properly on and snugged down. Pulling up in a Cobra Replica is like landing an F4U at an ultralite convention.

In summary, very, very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Cobra Replica demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses.

But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."
__________________

[digginfool]

I went to a shop today where they are installing a Ford Coyote into a BDR TD. The car was up on a lift and it gave me a great opportunity to view the quality construction. The Coyote looks outstanding in the engine compartment! Obviously, not the bling the Roush has but it looked like they made that engine for that car. When I got back in front of my computer, did a quick search on this site about the Coyote and found a YouTube video. The engine sounds really sweet. I'm wondering how it would sound with the Ford Racing supercharger sitting on top (642 hp, 550 lb-ft torque) and whether I could squeeze it all under a stock hood. I can only imagine how nice it would be to have the rheostatic-like power delivery of a modern muscle motor compared to the tempermental peaky power of a cammed carbureted motor.

[FredBMOC]

digginfool,
Since you are in South Florida, I would recommend you go to Boynton Beach and see a lot of Backdrafts at Custom Cars ( The USA arm of Backdraft); Reg will teach you all you need to know about these cars.
P.S. Don't bring your checkbook unless you really want one; the place can be irresistible to the weak of mind like me
If you don't want to see car salesman yet then send me a pm and you can come see and drive mine; I'm in Fort Lauderdale and wouldn't mind letting you try mine out to see what they are about. Good luck!

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

The Cobra is the most fun you can have sitting in a chair in public with your clothes on.

My wife hates it, and I love my wife. I have a very tough day job and I do like to spend time with her. But she told me in no uncertain terms she will not sit in the passenger seat. In reply #4, see a-e.

With regard to #4, #c, rain is a piece of cake compared to hail.

They are an uncivilized beast. All the fun in the world for the driver, but not passenger friendly (the opinion of the wife).

#4 forgot to mention frequent snake bites - getting bitten on the calf or shin by the exhaust. For most people that is a one-time lesson learned, but some seem to forget. Heat shields will fix this.

I can personally attest to f, multiple times. But I don't drive it like an old lady when I'm alone, and wife was not with me (that is when I drive it like an old lady.)

For "l", I can attest I've never found the circumstances where I could have the accelerator to the bottom.

Did I mention how much fun it is?

Tony, I gotta ask, how do you drive the beast when your girlfriend is in the car? tin-man

[mdross1]

Tried once to sell our car but after uncovering it and taking it out for a spin and new fuel,no way could we ever let this car go.Finally learned to stop feeling guilty having it sit for long periods because of so many other interests.Also leave it uncovered so we can enjoy just looking at it.No other car on this planet stirs the soul like a big block Cobra,remember when the first magazine article back in the 60's came out.It was then that I discovered that there was a car that could make me forget about women for a minute.Just for a minute I might add!!!! Our car is parked so we see it everyday in the shop,the way life should be.

[Ron61]

When I had to sell mine it was the only car I ever sold that I almost cried when it left. And I still miss it. But it was set up for road racing and not really a great street car. Plus my failing health and the 118° days here in the Summer made it impossible to drive very far. I didn't want to just have it set and rot so I decided to sell it to a cousin who wanted it. There are just to many reasons why people sell them to really pin it down to a few common ones I believe.

Ron