Ownership experience of a cobra

[Hal Copple]

i have owned my SPF four nearly four years, and living in Upstate SC, i can and do drive it every day, including about 800+ race course laps, and 75+ quarter mile runs. I was up in near freezing weather today to my builder, the Olthoff's in NC, sprinkled a tad, but not enough to bother me, top off of course. Put about 140 miles on #672 today, came home in the dark.

I have about 65,000 miles on my car. Tough as nails, reliable as sin, and i just love driving it every day. I can't think of another car this reliable, this formidable, this exciting. I too thought long and hard for years about what i wanted, and narrowed it down to a '65-67 'Vette or a Replica. But i kept thinking that if i were at a stoplight, sitting in some other car, and saw a guy sitting next to me in a Cobra Replica, i knew that i would envy that guy and his car.

I finally accepted this, and got my SPF. My point is that at some point, i will have to hang up my car keys for the last time, and i want to be sure i lived my road days as i really wanted to. Driveng my Replica. I simply never ever get bored driving my Superformance. And it has never ever let me down.

[Rickyd]

HAL,

65M MILES IS INCREDIBLE...

MORE REASSURANCE OF THE VALUE OF THE SUPERFORMANCE AND THE POWER OF THE COBRA...

SOMEONE STATED PREVIOUSLY, " I LOVE LOOKING AT IT". IT IS A AGELESS SIGHT.

RICK

[Durt]

Rick -
I've had SPF 243 for 6 years & although I don't have near the miles logged as Hal, nor do I use it as a daily driver, as recently as five minutes ago, I went to the garage, pulled up a stool and just looked at it for a couple of minutes. The lights played across its' rolling lines, and I was taken with the beauty as much as when I first garaged it.
It's totally impractical, but I would sell every other possesion I have before I parted with it.

Durt

[REDSC400]

I do not think you will get bored with the Cobra too quickly.

In general, all cobras are really hot rods, with the emphasis on the word HOT (both from a caloric and performance perspective).

These cars were originally (in their AC-Ford-Shelby days as well as now in the reproduction era), designed as an open roadster with the design scales weighted towards the performance and Lbs./BHP side of the equation and the comfort and refinement side of the equation were, shall we say, given only glancing tribute.

Everything about the typical Cobra (original as well as faithful reproduction) is workman simple borderlining on stark, clean and purpose driven. There are some exceptions. The British AC Mk IV by Autokraft was quite refined with plushness, I beams in the doors, etc. If you can hunt one of these down they are quite refined cars. Not too many are here USA.

A word of advice... You may be able to find a very, very nice low mileage Cobra if you are in no hurry. This is perhaps one of the most economical ways to go, especially if the car is in your current state (which means it is already registered, has insurance and has passed emmissions). Pretty much all Cobra owners I have met are, if nothing else, fanatics about their baby (their Cobra).

Additionally, by meeting current Cobra owners, you will learn a great deal about all the cars types out there.

Hint: How do you know when you find the right car?...

the current owner may ask you to take your shoes off before getting into the car... (do not laugh, this happed to me more than once and my feet were NOT dirty!)

the jackstands could be esconced with shop towels so as not to mar the frame (heaven forbid)... (this is a very commom practice BTW among Cobra owners).

every piece of paperwork for every component in the car, since day one is is a binder (ahem, eachdocument within its own plastic page protector)... then you could have found a gem.

Good Luck Amigo.

[Hal Copple]

ha, how true!! I have rubber protectors glued to my jackstands, and have two ring binders, where i keep (in protectors) every bit of correspondence and paperwork about my SPF. I have a leather bound log where i document all my maintenance information, then tie it up with a nice leather strap, and keep it on my desk in the house. My wash/wax things are kept separate from the ones used on our other vehicles, reserved just for the Great Stroker. I wipe down any tool i use on my car BEFORE i use it on my SPF. I make sure i use a $600 NASCAR jack to raise it, the other cheaper on is not used on the SPF.

My car has plenty of road chips down low on the front, but the interior and the exterior are as beautiful as the day it was built.

Working on one of these cars is a labor of love.

[aumoore]

A Cobra is about the only way a common man can make a rich man in a Ferrari jealous.

[rdorman]

Originally posted by aumoore


A Cobra is about the only way a common man can make a rich man in a Ferrari jealous.

Reminds me about when my car was having a top made for it. The previous owner trailored the car to Terry Top Shop in Pheonix (VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Terry does many VERY HIGH end cars. As the car was being unloaded the shop emptied out to come and see. At that time a Ferrari pulled into the lot and parked near by. The Ferrari barely got a glance as everyone was busy checking out the Cobra

Kind of like the night we where driving the car back from Phoenix to Columbus Ohio. It was later in the evening when a wheel bearing decided to commit suiside. After limping to a gas station where there just happend to be a most wonderful man that owns the local towing company a bit of a crowd drew. Moments later I saw a police officer pull in the lot. He looked over at us and got on his radio. Within minutes a number of other police cruisers showed up. Getting kind of nervious at this point. All of the officers got out of there cars and approached me. They all just wanted to see the car! They recommended who should repait the car, gave us there number and address, recommeded that we store the car in the toy guys shop (huge semi place secured like fort knox), recommended a place to stay and eat and took pictures. The tow company owner tucked the car away safely inside for the night, covered it to protect it, GAVE us a Ford Minivan so we could get around, met us at the shop early in the morning on his day off, waited patiently all day while we got the car fixed so that we could continue to use his van for FREE and even escorted us to the hotel to be sure we did not get lost.

That folks is what it is like to own one of these cars.

Rick

[CowtownCobra]

I built my cobra, so its a part of me, don't think I could ever part with it. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the raw horsepower, sound, and sensual looks that you get with a cobra. I like the fact that I can work on almost any part of the car (its half the fun). And I don't think there is another car that draws as much attention as a cobra.

But be warned, the average cobra gets sold within 2 years. I don't know why. If anyone can explain it, please do.

[Bud Man]

What has always fascinated me about these cars is their completely no-nonsense approach to a performance sports car.

I set up my car (aluminum Kirkham) exactly as a Comp Car would have been sold in the '60's. What is amazing is that NOTHING on this car is there for looks, and EVERYTHING has a purpose. Other than a timelessly beautiful shape (unique in itself), there is nothing affixed to the car for the sake of making a superfluous styling statement. How many cars can say that, particularly the so-called sports cars now being produced (look at BMW).

Also, I have driven several 'glass replicas over the years and can attest to the fact that an aluminum car feels and drives quite differently. The squeaks inherent to a superleggera body/frame setup are always there, and the doors hood, and trunk open and close with a sound and lightness that is captivating.

A real time machine..

Yours in nostalgia,

Bud

[Rickyd]

good infomation guys...

What I am ascertaining is the Cobra group is a refined bunch of individuals who are driven by passion and excitement. I guess I need to look at this as a 4 wheel Harley Davidson. It appears there is a hardcore cult following who is more intersted in please thyself.

Any other ownership experiences or drawbacks..?

Keep it coming guys..it is helping.

Rick

[rdorman]

Originally posted by Rickyd


What I am ascertaining is the Cobra group is a refined bunch of individuals ..........

In the voice of Bugs Bunny "He don't know us very well do he?"

Rick, I am going a bit on a limb here but.......... I think you knew the answer before you posted. The name of the thread says it. To paraphrase, 'the Cobra experience'! That is what it is, an experience. And one not often afforded the common man.

I understand if you have reservations. Your first post talked about you being to analytical. I have a similar issue but I am probably more anal than analytical but I do get paid for a living to be both. The hardest thing was taking the leap. Once I did, I never looked back.

I can never picture a day again where there will not be a Cobra in the garage. It is an emotional thing, an addiction if you will.

So get on down there take a nice long drive. If you can walk away with out looking back, then keep on going, otherwise, welcome to our world!

Rick

Look up bnewell. He is down in your neck of the woods. He was also kicking around selling his Superformance.

[CowtownCobra]

Originally posted by Bud Man


[BAlso, I have driven several 'glass replicas over the years and can attest to the fact that an aluminum car feels and drives quite differently. The squeaks inherent to a superleggera body/frame setup are always there, and the doors hood, and trunk open and close with a sound and lightness that is captivating.

A real time machine..

Yours in nostalgia,

Bud [/b]

Bud, I sat across from you at the last TCC meeting. And I have to agree you have the most authentic mid 60's Cobra I have ever seen. Simply beautiful.

Mine, on the other hand, is fiberglass and I have taken liberties with the roll bar, seats, and a number of other things. I absolutely admire the attention to detail on your car. But I am more of a street rod enthusiast, so mine is, as you say, squeeky, but shows more of my own taste and personality. Yours replicates very closely the 1965 version, and does it extremely well. Mine is more of a personal creation. I guess the point I am trying to get at is I think you bond with yours about as much as I bond with mine. And I think thats one of the greatest things about cobras, to each his own. Although I readily admit yours is a much more valuable, high quality and significant car.

[Bud Man]

Cowtown:

Thank you for the kind words about #142. Notice I said it drives "differently"...not better!!

Having also seen your car, I can attest to the beautiful attention to detail you have put into it...a gorgeous car. My reference to squeaks applies to MY car...one just has to live with the fact that aluminum sheet wrapped around tubing and secured with pop rivets is going to twist a bit and make some noise! After all, Shelby's first choice when he began building these cars was fiberglass!

As you alluded to, the beauty of this hobby is that we all have different objectives that inspire and drive us, and our cars are a wonderful statement of those objectives. The key is the willingness to share knowledge, experience and most important, HAVE FUN!

Happy Holidays!!

Bud

[Carroll DeWeese]

I work for General Motors. Dave Hill, the Chief Engineer of Corvette, is a long time firiend of mine. Dave makes, in my opinion, the best production, performance car for the money, but it does not compare to my Cobra. The experience of both cars is dramatically different.

The Cobra gets attention wherever it goes. I live in a neighboorhood where people have showy cars and trucks. It is not unusual to be parked beside an exotic that costs $250,000 or more. Guess which car gets the most attention? Guess which car stirs the most passion? If you own a Cobra, you better like people and attention. You will get both.

My Cobra makes any Corvette seem practical. Nothing is practical about the Cobra. As others have said, it is raw and unrefined. With the proper hp and torque, it is a motor bike on four wheels. The "biker crowd" love my Cobra. They accept it as if it were a great custom bike. It gets "thumbs up"and escort, if wanted. No Corvette get the saame attention.

When trying to decide on getting a Cobra instead of a Corvette, I talked to lots of Corvette and Cobra owners. In general, I found the Cobra owners more friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about cars. I got a Cobra, in part, because I liked the "Cobra people" better.

You are also very fortunate to be dealing with Dynamic Motorsports and Dean Rosen. They are the standard of what all automotive dealers should be in how they treat their customers. I trust them. I know of no cases where they have not acted professionallly and above board at all times. If you have questions, ask Dean. He will not mislead you.

I love my SPF. The longer you have it and the more you experience it, the better that you will like it. You get much quality for your money. You get features that you may not even realize that you have. You get a great product and great customer support.

You have some concerns about buying a "replica." The SPF is better than the originals in most ways, except it is not "an original." It has more safety, performance, fit and finish, than the originals. Some of the other replicas also represent refinement above and beyond the "never-to-be duplicated, often copied" originals. No replica can replace an original. What is great is that I do not need or want and original to fulfil my dream. My SPF is a one-of-a-kind experience. Yours will be too.

Make yoou SPF as daily driver capable as possible. I think that you will find that you will want to drive is as much as possible. I never get tired of driving mine. I never get tired of looking at it.

With a Corvette you are chosing a great car. With the Cobra, you are chosing a great lifestyle.

[tonyvda]

Maybe I should get a BWM Z-4 (abs, air bags etc)...Drove it adn hated it..need headers and side pipes.


Get the best of both worlds.....Just drove my BMW engined Cobra 25 miles in minus 1 celcius to get to the testing station 3 miles away from my house..Open top and little heating........

Cant stop grinning, its 8 hours since I put the car away in the garage, and during the drive hpome I was stopped twice by guys wanting to chat " Is it real, I've always wanted one etc"

The combination of the modern engine and tiptronic gearbox with the looks of the Cobra are unbeatable, and the sound when you accelerate just gives me goosepimples.

I have underfloor exhausts and when cruising along I had to keep checking the tacho to convince myself the engine hadnt died the car was so quiet, and then a bit of pressure on the accelerator on the beast just squat down and flew forward with that delicious noise.........

I then had to go Xmas shopping in my Jag, which I now find wholly unsatisfying........

Cheers,

Tony

[Rickyd]

Carroll, great comments. You really summed up my findings. I seriously looked at the Vette (Mid Year) and thought I convinced myself to purchase one. I drove a real nice 1967 red convertible. It sounded great, yet I just kept thinking about all the time I would put in nursing a 36 year old car. Also teh brakes adn handling were not so safe. The new Vettes just do nothing for me, especially the plastic generic interior. It is an insult.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE COBRA LIFE STYLE.

RICK

[Mr.Fixit]

Originally posted by CowtownCobra



But be warned, the average cobra gets sold within 2 years. I don't know why. If anyone can explain it, please do.

I was going to point that one out, but Cowtown beat me to it. I don't know why, but it used to bug the hell out of me when I would finish up a really awesome cobra, owner takes it home, two years later owner wants to sell it and it only has 2000 miles. I would personally put nearly 500 miles on a replica for testing and debugging before it would leave the shop, and the owner only does 2000. I imagine there is a contingent of car guys out there that just have a list of cars they want to own before they die. But cobra, put checkmark next to it on the list, sell cobra and buy next car on list. Driving and enjoying the car not necessary. Of course, every single cobra buyer ever will tell you,
"I will never sell this car."
maybe they were expecting creature comforts, A/C, stereo, good gas milage, less attention from passers by, practicality, who knows?

[casaleenie]

Mr. Fixit,

And I wanna be there when they sell it after two years/two thousand miles....
I pay dearly everytime I drive that car for more than 50 miles at a time... When I exit the car, my back hurts and my knees buckle.

I bought a 289 because of the in-cockpit support from the rollbar.
Need that to exit.
and I wouldn't trade that feeling for driving that car for lots of money... ( I was gonna say all the money in the world, but that's ridiculous)
Carroll is correct... the cars are people magnets...
and the Corvette guys hate it when a Cobra shows up... talk about stealing their thunder.... no contest.....

I've owned MGA's and Triumphs and Austin Healeys.... I know what pain is... The Cobra will get me where I want to go and BACK.... more than I can say about the British Leyland crap..

[cobradriver]

I bought a '66 vette roadster 19 years ago (just after my divorce.... probably a midlife thing). It's a 427, white with a red interior, knock-offs, side pipes etc. Awsome car, great fun, everyone seems to have a story about their cousin getting laid in one. (not sure how that is accomplished an no I don't need to hear all you tell me how..... but that could be an interesting seperate thread).

Two years ago I got a snake.

Get the cobra.

[B+L FFR1686]

I agree, get the Cobra and don't look back!

As for why people sell them after such little use...
For some it seems like it would be a cool car to have, but find it to be too impractical or uncomfortable for regular use. Many that I have known, only sell them to finance building another, even better one! Then there are those that get more pleasure from building them than actually driving them...