selling a Cobra with a Chevy.

[Thor maine]

After being a HotRod that is shaped like a Cobra owner(with a 427 Chevy punched .30 over TRW 11:1 forged piston ,forged steel crank, merlin world oval port heads, all balanced, with edelbrock intake and holley ProJection TBI, all tied to a Muncie 4speed), since 1980. I have sold my Contemporary Classic Cobra. And don't let the "Ford Only In A Cobra crowd" effect your choice of engine you want in your version of a Cobra! The classic line they use is that you will destroy the resale value if you put anything but a Ford in it. I advertised in a local buy/swap weekly called Uncle Henrys and in just one day started a bidding war and I ended up selling it for $9k more than I was asking. They all loved the drivetrain and wanted to pay extra for it. Long live the Bow Tie in the COBRA.

[john chesnut]

Congratulations and good news. My LS6 Chevy powered Cobra tribute is going up for sale the first of the year.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Thor maine

After being a HotRod that is shaped like a Cobra owner(with a 427 Chevy punched .30 over TRW 11:1 forged piston ,forged steel crank, merlin world oval port heads, all balanced, with edelbrock intake and holley ProJection TBI, all tied to a Muncie 4speed), since 1980 I have sold my Contemporary Classic Cobra. And don't let the "Ford Only In A Cobra crowd" effect your choice of engine you want in your version of a Cobra! The classic line they use is that you will destroy the resale value if you put anything but a Ford in it. I advertised in a local buy/swap weekly called Uncle Henrys and in just one day started a bidding war and I ended up selling it for $9k more than I was asking. They all loved the drivetrain and wanted to pay extra for it. Long live the Bow Tie in the COBRA.

Congratulations on the sale


Bill S.

[Pman1961]

I would have no problem purchasing a Cobra Replica with a non Ford motor as long as the installation was done properly.

[Cashburn]

What were you asking?

[Karl Bebout]

I had my NAF 427SC for 15 years, 12 or them with a 496, bored and stroked 454 Chevy, and I loved that car! I caught a whole lot of static from the blue oval guys, but there sure weren't many of them that wanted to try me at the strip! Can't tell you how many "finally, one done right" or similar comments I got over the years. After totaling it, for the second time, last September, I decided I'd pushed my luck far enough, let my insurance company keep the car and purchased a sweet ERA 289FIA with a 347, Weber equiped SBF. Great handling, stopping, and riding car. Excellent quality, fit and finish, engineering, and faithful to originals recreation. BUT, I sure do miss that "world's coming to an end" kick in the patootie I used to get from my old sweetheart. Congratulations on doing well on your sale.

[Ron61]

Congratulations on the sale and I don't see why anyone would complain to much as these are component, replicas, kits, or whatever and not original Cobras. I know one person that has a MOPAR engine in his and it runs great. And there are several that I have seen in pictures or read about that have Viper engines in them. If I had an original Cobra then I would want to keep it with the Ford motor that came in it.

Ron

[Thor maine]

The "FORD ONLY in a Cobra " crowd is being awful quiet???? Faced with true evidence that having a Chevy in a Cobra replica does not devalue it, on the contrary to the car guy, the HotRod guy, to the guy who want the highest performance, the Chevy is a bonus.

[1985 CCX]

Really Tom...............

Just being positive.
Why would anything other than congrats be necessary?

[REAL 1]

So answer the question, what did it sell for?

So putting a $25 ad in a local "Auntie Anns" or whatever it was that brought over some local "hotrodders" is your proof?

Very sound and convincing.

Lol.

Since it seems what you were looking for was an argument here it is.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Really Tom...............

Just being positive.
Why would anything other than congrats be necessary?

Because he doubted that anyone would be silly enough to buy it.
As evidence his own admission that he under quoted the car by at least $9k.

All jokes aside I'm hoping our friend Thor hangs around.
I enjoy his posts, and particularly the friendly banter about that oversized, overweight anvil he calls an engine. (Sorry. I couldn't help myself).

Now all jokes aside, what are you doing for a new ride?
Buying one with a ford in it. Whoops... There I go again.
Sorry, sorry! I'll stop now.

Congrats dude. I hope it serves the new owner as well as it served you.
Best wishes.

[twin turbo]

Hmmm, I wonder if it had been in a Kirkham, oh never mind, lol. Congrats on the sale.

[Thor maine]

Thank you for all the nice wishes. I was not looking for an argument, just thought I would hear more from the chorus of "Ford Only in a Cobra" guy's. I very much enjoy the good natured back and forth banter and for a decade now I have gotten that I am a "Heretic, Blasphemy, you destroyed the value of your car, use that Chebbie as a boat anchor" post after post, page after page. And yes if I had a genuine Shelby-AC Cobra I would keep the Ford in it and love it. If I had a Kirkham I would put a new Chevy in it. My point was with the selling price of my car is that there is a very large number of Cobra enthusiast who are HotRod guy's and Love and may only want to purchase or build a Cobra replica with a Chevy in it and they should not have concerns that that choice will destroy the resale potential of their HotRod that is shaped like a Cobra. Now for the future I will still be on here and share my 40 years of Cobra replica experience. And my next Cobra project I will be looking for a Artnz/Butler that I will swap out the front end build a all aluminum small block Chevy stroked to 427 C.I. Fuel injection, tied to a 5 speed. Yes I like being the Heretic on here.

[750hp]

Well done with the sale.
You won't regret the decision to buy an Arntz. I've had a SBC Arntz and a BBF Contemporary. The Arntz chassis feels noticeably stiffer and the whole car generally feels more substantial.
I love the consistently high quality of the CCX cars, but the Arntz gave me a better driving experience. Fit the Fast Cars IFS and it takes it to the next level.

[Donunder]

Good on you Thor.

Nothing wrong with a big block Chevy powered Arntz with uprated front IFS and TKO 600 with centre-mounted shifter for more arm room.

Because of my height I've recently removed the original floor mounted pedals and replaced them with a set of pendant Wilwoods set 5" further forward. The floor has also been lowered 4". At last I fit comfortably in a Cobra!

[1985 CCX]

Tom

There are three types of Cobra folks in general.
1) just want a Cobra cause there cool and they buy one not knowing anything about them.
2) hot rodders or artistic types that do not care about originality and favor classic lines with no cares for correctness details favoring their choice of components.
3) originality types that look for closest they can get to original within the confines of there budget. Pay the most....

I would argue that top dollar cars are correct as possible. Values drop as you get into bolt on wheels, Chevy power, stretched wheelbase, neon lights etc.
any CCX is a great car, if you sold you car for 9k more than we discussed you net upwards of $25k and I would argue a #1 type as they didn't care.
When completed they will love there car but sacrifice value. That's all.

What do you feel would fetch more as a whole car.
A) A Contemporary with full coil over suspension, Smiths, 6-pin magnesium wheels, classic paint, date code 427 side oiler with every attention to detail correct down to LeMans carb and alloy inner panels
or
B) the same car with a Chevy plant? I would argue a guy in the case of B would not pay attention to the listed details of A?

Of course A, if you sold your unassembled kit with bolt on wheels, most of the parts, Cragers, Chevy with Muncie with the prospect of and additional $ to finish CONGRATS you sold it to a #1 type.

Kudos!

There is no argument that FE versus Chevy adds value in a Cobra. The Cobra part is the seller I think.

The Ford versus Chevy argument in general is personal perhaps and that will never see a conclusion. Have you and I had this discussion since say 1985 ish?

How about a GT350r with a 327 or a 66 Vette with a cammer?

[Thor maine]

Jeff, I think we will be having this discussion for another 30 years. I respect your opinion but I think just about everything you said was wrong. Let me start off by saying the gentleman who purchased my car is not your "#1 type" with more money than brains and just want to look cool. He is a genuine Car Guy who has had dozens Hotrods, muscle cars, sports cars (Etypes and MGB's) . He wants the Cobra flavor but could not care less if it has the correct number of rivets on the hood scoop and does not want Knock off wheels because they are a pain in the ass and limit the type of wheel he could choose. Also he is a Chevy guy and knows that from a performance, durability, parts availability and cost the Chevy is the only way to go. Remember that this is the Mark iv "mystery motor" from 63' 64' that won just about everything stock car and NHRA tracks. the question you ask on if a CCX set up to original spec with a correct date coded FE 427 sideoiler would sell for more than the same car with a Chevy motor in it? I would say yes it would BUT only by the difference of the cost of the motor . Date code correct FE all dressed maybe $25k or more, a Chevy mid 60's 427 fully dressed maybe $8k so the FE CCX sells for $55k the Chevy CCX sells for $40k all motor difference Boom done!! But I would argue that say you had a New high quality kit from who ever, ok, we fit that with a brand new GM LS-7 tied to a 6 speed, all new C6 Corvette suspension and brakes. The car is finished with modern bolt on wheels say of the 17 or 18 inch variety and while the car has a vintage feel it has modern fit trim and finish. That car will out sell the same kit fitted to exact 60s Shelby AC FORD specs everyday and twice on Sunday. Why because a car like that "is what it is" while a kit pretending to be a genuine Shelby AC FORD Cobra is and always will no matter how much you want it to be more, is still just a replica.

[rodneym]

Thor maine,
You mentioned in previous posts, the perceived destroying of value of a Cobra with a Chevy motor.
I'm happy that you got a bidding war and gained $9k. But in order to destroy value, we must establish it first. The answer is in numbers, not feelings.
Maybe Bill S (mrmustang) could tell us what a similar optioned Cobra, but with an FE, would be valued at.
Compare that to your selling price and presto...one example of xyz.

[AL427SBF]

Originally Posted by rodneym

Thor maine,
You mentioned in previous posts, the perceived destroying of value of a Cobra with a Chevy motor.
I'm happy that you got a bidding war and gained $9k. But in order to destroy value, we must establish it first. The answer is in numbers, not feelings.
Maybe Bill S (mrmustang) could tell us what a similar optioned Cobra, but with an FE, would be valued at.
Compare that to your selling price and presto...one example of xyz.

That is a little closer to the mark but still comes up short imo. Putting aside "original" 50 year old cobras which are an investment, the real questions are -

What did you pay for it?
What did you put into it?
How many miles did you put on it?
What did you sell it for?

The NET result will tell you how well you did and can be measured against any cobra replica regardless of how original or authentic the owner thinks it is.
.

[rodneym]

AL427SBF,
No need to complicate it. And we're not talking investments.
It was whether or not a Chevy plant hurts the value of a Cobra compared to a Ford.
In your example, Thor could have made out like a bandit but that doesn't say anything. Thor's sale only gives us one point of reference. That's why I mentioned mrmustang. I'm sure he's got numbers but he's probably observing from a distance, smiling like the Cheshire cat