CSX4000/6000 Vs. Superformance/ERA/Kirkham

[krkucin]

Still on the hunt for the right Cobra. Had my mind set on a Superformance, but then of course questioned my better judgment and thought maybe a CSX car may be a better investment. Then I heard that some of the CSX cars are built in Mexico. Are there quality issues with the CSX cars? Are they a better investment than a replica such as Superformance, ERA or Kirkham? Need a little help with all this from you folks out there on Club Cobra.

[YerDugliness]

Although I am not a fan of ol' Shel, himself, I do know that there are an incredible number of people who think he can do no wrong.

To that end, there will also be an incredible number of people to whom the CSX serial number will mean something...and that something may well translate into additional $$ at resale time.

IMHO, the ERA kits are the gold standard in our industry, not the Shelby products. I have seen one up close, it has some very nice features (one of which I particularly like is the way in which they finished off the cutout for the headers at the bottom of the front fender), but in the end it is just another replica in my eyes, even if it does carry the Shelby name (that doesn't mean he necessarily has ANYTHING to do with the production of the cars, other than perhaps selling someone the right to use his name).

You're wise to do some research....good luck in making your decision!

Cheers, Dugly

[twobjshelbys]

Some fiberglass CSX cars were built by HST International in Mexico, but they went out of business about a year ago. Some builders (Becker, Denbeste) considered the HST cars to be of higher quality, although I don't think a mere mortal could tell the difference from a HiTech car.

HST built a handful or two of carbon fiber cars. Mine is one.

[twobjshelbys]

If you are looking at aluminum Kirkham and Shelby are the only game. The Shelby aluminum cars are manufactured by Kirkham but, just like HiTech and CSX and SPF, there are no interchangeable parts. Both are different and unique and have their own pluses and minuses. Shelby does still make a rolled aluminum roller that starts life in England but they are at the very top end of the pecking order and the price shows it.

[Hydramada]

If you are looking at a Cobra replica as an investment, you are going to be disappointed. These cars are for personal enjoyment and should be treated as such. All of the manufacturers you listed have good things and not so good things about them. You need to decide what is important to YOU. Make a list of what you want and expect from a high end toy like this. Then see which of the manufacturers most closely meets that list.

Personally I am on my second Superformance car and could not be happier BUT that does not mean they are the BEST solution. Superformance quality and reliability are awesome if the car is prepared properly. In my opinion, the builder/assembler is more important than the manufacturer. I used Olthoff Racing for both of my cars and they created a top notch product for me.

Superformance was the car for me after careful analysis of what I wanted out of my Cobra.

Good luck in your search, that is half the fun!

[stephen_becker]

CSX 6000 on ebay now:

Shelby | eBay

[lemans24]

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by krkucin

Still on the hunt for the right Cobra. Had my mind set on a Superformance, but then of course questioned my better judgment and thought maybe a CSX car may be a better investment. Then I heard that some of the CSX cars are built in Mexico. Are there quality issues with the CSX cars? Are they a better investment than a replica such as Superformance, ERA or Kirkham? Need a little help with all this from you folks out there on Club Cobra.

I would do some research here on ClubCobra. The search button is your friend. You ought to decide your budget and how much work you would like to do yourself.

Everyone here on ClubCobra has an opinion about which is best, but each manufacturer that you mentioned is a great car. They're just different in many ways, which is where the research button comes in handy.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by krkucin

Still on the hunt for the right Cobra. Had my mind set on a Superformance, but then of course questioned my better judgment and thought maybe a CSX car may be a better investment. Then I heard that some of the CSX cars are built in Mexico. Are there quality issues with the CSX cars? Are they a better investment than a replica such as Superformance, ERA or Kirkham? Need a little help with all this from you folks out there on Club Cobra.

I guess the first thing we really need to know is your intended use. Are you going to show it, race it, perhaps a Sunday driver to take the wife and or kids to the ice cream shop? The second question has to do with your budget and what you plan to spend.The final question has to do with body style, do you want a 427SC, 427 street, 289FIA, or perhaps a slabside body style. Your responses will then help us help you to whittle down the choices you have and we can go from there.

Bill S.

[krkucin]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

I guess the first thing we really need to know is your intended use. Are you going to show it, race it, perhaps a Sunday driver to take the wife and or kids to the ice cream shop? The second question has to do with your budget and what you plan to spend.The final question has to do with body style, do you want a 427SC, 427 street, 289FIA, or perhaps a slabside body style. Your responses will then help us help you to whittle down the choices you have and we can go from there.

Bill S.

427SC, and it will be a driver. I work 10 days a month and plan to hit the curvy roads on a nice summer day and also with the wife or kid(s) on the weekends. May show it occasionally at a local car show. Budget is always the hard part. I was looking to spend 50K or less, but have seen some CSX cars at Mecum recently for not too much more than that. That is what got me thinking about the CSX cars. I realize that you don't buy these for an investment, but would like to maximize the value of the car for the future if I do ever sell it. My thought was that a CSX car may hold its value better than others. I may be wrong. Anyway, hope this info helps.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by stephen_becker

CSX 6000 on ebay now:

Shelby | eBay

MSRP on this CSX 6000 427 S/C is $ 59,995.00 plus options - The options on this CSX car are: fuel level gauge ($ 695.00) Goodyear Sport Car special tires (billboards) ( $ 1250.00) Glove Box ($ 659.00) polished stainless steel quick jacks ($ 495.00) Oil cooler ($ 606.00) Carbon fiber (polished) hood, rear deck-lid, doors ($ 4,500.00) SAI shipping and dealer prep ( $ 1,750.00) - Total MSRP of this component/roller CSX car $ 69,950.00

70K for glas roller... no engine.

You said...

but have seen some CSX cars at Mecum recently for not too much more than that (50k). That is what got me thinking about the CSX cars. I realize that you don't buy these for an investment, but would like to maximize the value of the car for the future if I do ever sell it. My thought was that a CSX car may hold its value better than others. I may be wrong.

Above submitted for your information.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by krkucin

427SC, and it will be a driver. I work 10 days a month and plan to hit the curvy roads on a nice summer day and also with the wife or kid(s) on the weekends. May show it occasionally at a local car show. Budget is always the hard part. I was looking to spend 50K or less, but have seen some CSX cars at Mecum recently for not too much more than that. That is what got me thinking about the CSX cars. I realize that you don't buy these for an investment, but would like to maximize the value of the car for the future if I do ever sell it. My thought was that a CSX car may hold its value better than others. I may be wrong. Anyway, hope this info helps.

The CSX cars you saw were not turn key, but rollers, for 50K I think I'd be snatching up all of the CSX drivers around. I think your best bet money wise is going to be a used ERA or SPF. As others have already stated, do not ever look at this type of car as an investment, but instead view it strictly as a toy (labor of love type of toy) and nothing else.


Bill S.

[Steve Gallegos]

As eveyone else has said, you need to buy the car that fits you and your style. Some of the 60" wheelbase cars won't work for tall people, so you need to look at what else is available. What extras do you want? Look on Cobracountry, there are a lot of different makes on this web site. I bought a Backdraft after looking at SPF and some others. Why did I buy a Backdraft? one reason was because I could not fit in the other cars. the BD has a 62" wheelbase and the price for what you get was great it also sits on BMW suspension which is easy to replace if needed. Look at all the cars and drive as many as you can to see which one feels right for you. Good Luck

[computerworks]

90" .... 92"

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

I guess the first thing we really need to know is your intended use. Are you going to show it, race it, perhaps a Sunday driver to take the wife and or kids to the ice cream shop?
Bill S.

I'm pretty sure that the ERA, CSX, KMP and SPF, all can be shown, raced or taken to the ice cream shop on Sundays. Each to some degree, would have to prepared to race.

Again, I think they're all great. Some are more (and less) accurate to the original.

We all love what we bought.

[fordracing65]

I have driven all and they are all fine. In my opinion the spf is the best driver, easy to get in and out of, they have opened it up a bit more than the others to allow for the bigger driver, of course the kirkham is a piece if art, and the era looks awesome and drives just as good.

[Igofastr]

I would agree with those that suggest NOT to buy one of these cars as an investment. That said, I think you would do OK investment-wise with any well-bought example. Of course, what that means is up for debate.

I will say that I think you would generally have a better chance at retaining value with the upper end cars (Kirkham, CSX)...fewer out there, and perhaps fewer buyers...but the buyers in that range typically have more disposable income, and will be willing and able to pay for what they want.

I think your most valuable asset is patience. OK, money first, then patience. But patience is a virtue, especially when shopping. Take your time, and get a feeling for the market before making any firm decisions.

Just my opinion, and probably worth what you paid for it.

[Silverback51]

The CSX, SPF, and Kirkham cars are built in a semi-factory environment, so you do have a quality control system that ensures a certain level of build quality.

The majority of ERA's were built in someones garage, and the quality can be either outstanding, or crap. The first ERA I looked at for sale was from the lower end of the quality spectrum. It was truely a POS, and I would not have felt comfortable driving it 5 miles.

Now with that said, I don't believe you will run into that many ERA's in that condition, but they do exist.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

The majority of ERA's were built in someones garage, and the quality can be either outstanding, or crap. The first ERA I looked at for sale was from the lower end of the quality spectrum. It was truely a POS, and I would not have felt comfortable driving it 5 miles.

Now with that said, I don't believe you will run into that many ERA's in that condition, but they do exist.

I've been waiting for years here to say this. The same is true replicas in general (and not just Cobras). If you buying a car that is roller based the quality of at least the body and frame is predictable (NOT guaranteed). I saw a truly horrifying kit (Backdraft, I believe) that looked like a 3rd grader had used masking tape and paste on some of the fiberglass work. That said, outstanding examples of all manufacturers can be found.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Now with that said, I don't believe you will run into that many ERA's in that condition, but they do exist.

But you would agree that an ERA built 100% by the elves in New Britain is clearly superior to an SPF with its vertical radiator, drop down pedals, and the like.