Newby Wannabe

[Kobura]

I am planning to buy a MKIII from Superformance, but I would welcome any comments/suggestions that would help in my getting a Cobra that will meet my expectations. I will try to keep this brief.

1. Any comments regarding Superformance or alternative manufacturers of rollers?

2. I want a 351w for street driveability with 5 speed transmission. Clutch pedal pressure is a concern as are the manual steering, lack of power brakes, and stiff suspension. (I have not driven a Cobra, only sat in a couple.) I am assuming that none of these issues is a show-stopper in the sense that they should not be of concern or that they can be mitigated by mechanical tuning.

3. Are there any advantages to my getting a roller and having the engine and transmission installed as a separate step in a shop, versus having the dealer provide a turnkey car?

Thanks in advance for any response.

[Mark IV]

Welcome.

Firstly the Superformance has a brake booster so the pedal pressure is not excessive. The clutch pressure will depend upon the pressure plate you use. We have found the McLeod clutches to be reasonable on pressure and very effective for hookup.

The ride on the Superformance is actually pretty good! The standard spring/shock combination features H&K springs with Bilstein shocks and while firm, it is pretty supple so it does not beat the kidneys out of your body. If you wish a stiffer ride we have upgrades for the springs/shocks/anti-rollbars available.

The steering is firm at parking speeds but reasonable at speeds over 15 MPH.

A dealer who is working legally cannot sell you a turnkey car, we can supply and deliver the chassis to a third party installer for installation/completion and then deliver you a complete car, but the sales must be two separate transactions; you pay us for the chassis and the installer for the engine/trans and labor. If you are fairly mechanical you can do the install yourself with some guidance from us, if not we have several qualified installers for you to work with.

Feel free to contact us for more information. let me know where you are and we can arrange a test ride with a customer or visit us. I have one MK III Royal blue with white stripes that is available at old pricng!

[kayakjack]

Originally Posted by Kobura

I am planning to buy a MKIII from Superformance, but I would welcome any comments/suggestions that would help in my getting a Cobra that will meet my expectations. I will try to keep this brief.

1. Any comments regarding Superformance or alternative manufacturers of rollers?

2. I want a 351w for street driveability with 5 speed transmission. Clutch pedal pressure is a concern as are the manual steering, lack of power brakes, and stiff suspension. (I have not driven a Cobra, only sat in a couple.) I am assuming that none of these issues is a show-stopper in the sense that they should not be of concern or that they can be mitigated by mechanical tuning.

3. Are there any advantages to my getting a roller and having the engine and transmission installed as a separate step in a shop, versus having the dealer provide a turnkey car?

Thanks in advance for any response.

Welcome!!!

Great that you are doing your "Due Diligence" before you pull the trigger.

I own a Superformance configured similarly to what you are considering, so let me answer from that perspective...

1. My Superformance was built in 2001. Almost 20,000 miles. It has been bulletproof reliable. Everything is quality from the paint to the frame and suspension. The interior - seats, instruments, etc. resemble the original cars. I like that. A great car. I am obviously biased towards Superformance - I am a satisfied customer. I am sure others on this forum who have first hand knowledge of other brands will chime in.

2. My motor is like what you are looking for. It is a Ford Motorsport 351w. 385hp. Lots of other Cobras make a lot more power. It is a great compromise between driveability, power and reliability. If you are easy on the accelerator it drives like a Crown Vic. Hit the gas and the car is transformed. There are a lot of motor options. Again, check out the market. Due Diligence is your friend.

The controls are stiff. Clutch, steering, brakes (these are assisted). Not unduly so, but this feel is part of the character of the car. Some folks have added power steering. Not for me. I like it the way it is. In my opinion, less technology is more on these cars.

3. If you buy from a Superformance dealer, they can recommend shops to get a great install. My car came from Olthoff Racing in North Carolina. Great people.

Your personal page says you are in California. You say that you have not had the opportunity to drive one of these cars. I recommend you contact a dealer. They will do everything to bring you up to speed to insure you make the right decision.

Shame you are not in Georgia - You are welcome to check out my car.

Best of luck with this!!

Jack

[DougD]

Kobura
Superformance makes a fine Cobra. Your choices seem reasonable and in line with what many also choose and are extremely happy with. I would suggest, though, that you visit a dealer and drive one. Cobras are different than most any car you have probably driven. They are loud, fast, uncomfortable, and fickle. I'd hate to see you buy one without actually driving one. They are not for everyone.

[tcrist]

If you let us know if you are in Northern or southern Ca we can advise on an SPF dealer.

There are other manufactures around also but it really depends on how much $$ you plan on spending.

[Kobura]

I live in Northern California and have visited the Superformance dealer in Redwood City. Most of the issues/concerns that I had were cleared during the visit, but the ones that I posted here remained. Thanks to your helpful responses and my perusal of some of the other threads on this site, I am closer to proceeding with buying a Cobra. I am very impressed with the helpfulness of the contributors and the congeniality conveyed in the discussions. Thanks, everyone.

[m5extc]

Hi Kobura,

The car is a very easy car to drive even with manual steering for most people. If you want more answers I am local and am knowledgeable on a professional level. Contact me offline and I would be happy to talk to you.

Andrei

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by Kobura

I live in Northern California and have visited the Superformance dealer in Redwood City. Most of the issues/concerns that I had were cleared during the visit, but the ones that I posted here remained. Thanks to your helpful responses and my perusal of some of the other threads on this site, I am closer to proceeding with buying a Cobra. I am very impressed with the helpfulness of the contributors and the congeniality conveyed in the discussions. Thanks, everyone.

Try to make it out to a Saturday breakfast to check out the cars and meet some of the owners. There's a bunch of SPF owners in the South Bay, so it's a great opportunity to see the cars and talk to the owners.

Does Dynamic in Redwood City have any cars that you can test drive? I was lucky enough to talk my way into a test drive at Hillbank in Irvine before I bought my car. Made all of the difference in making an informed decision.

[Bryan Anderson]

I would like to say that superformance makes a very nice car, but I would like to offer you an option B&B has been in the Cobra business for over 30 years we can offer you a complete painted assembled car less engine and Trans for 27,500 or we can build you a full turnkey 351w 385 HP 5 speed trans, QA1 adjustable coil over shocks on all Tubular front and rear suspention, for 42,500 Please take a look at *B&B Manufacturing - :::: - Feel the Thunder - :::: - Hotrods from Kit to Turn Key - :::: and look at the owners group photo section to see just a few of the cars we have built over the years.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bryan Anderson

... but I would like to offer you an option B&B has been in the Cobra business for over 30 years

Bryan, any particular reason you let this thread B&b ouch go unanswered? It never really made sense to me why you didn't at least respond.

[mreid]

That's the question of the year...

[Kobura]

Nice to know that us young'uns are being looked out for.

[Dwight]

I don't own a SFP but would highly recommend them. Great Cobras.


Dwight