Average Age?

[Blittleton]

I'm 40 and I'm a Dealer for Backdraft. Loving life......!

[LuvDaBlues]

I just turned 48, and if I have to hear one more idiot comment about a mid-life crisis, I'm gonna vomit. I can finally afford one now.

Owned Mustangs ('66), a MG ('74), then a host of family rides. I graduated from college in '81, my wife in '83, and almost everything we've worked and planned for has turned out great. One child in college and one in high school. This has been a great connection for my younger daughter and me. We started displaying the car together at car shows and exhibitions.

I raise my glass to ALL of you young and old(er) who have acheived owning a dream that VERY FEW even get to sit in the passengers seat. To all owners who drive an original, roller, or kit, I'm buying the first round!!! (Hope my credit card has a high enough limit)

[WarrenG]

Were you wondering about the age I ordered it or the age that I'll probably get it? When I ordered it I was 50+. Still haven't received it and pushing 52!

[yeager]

23 years old...dreaming about a cobra..and dreaming and dreaming..

[ROUSHAC]

Originally Posted by Scott S

A question from my wife. Is building and owning Cobras an adult thing or just a mid-life crisis kind of thing?

I'm 40, how about the rest of you?

[This message has been edited by Scott S (edited 02-11-99).]

I got mine when I was 56. I certainly hope it's a mid-life crisis kind of thing!

Cheers!
Dave

[Roger Vincent]

I am 56, will be 57 the 29th of this month. Bought an SPF MKIII (SP2080) March, 2005 and a new 05 Ford GT (1490) about two months ago. If it is a mid-life crisis, I have been in one since I was 16; I have owned about 250 cars since then. Hope to own more before I die.

Roger

[Michael P. Wole]

I am 61..bought a used LA Exotic 2 weeks ago(found it on this site). Have always wanted a Cobra since I drove one back in '65..still have the knot on the back of my head from hitting the roll bar on the 1-2 shift(helmet, shelmet).Life is structured in reverse, i.e: we should be able to have all the toys we want before age 50 and then have to go to work to pay for them(and you cannot leave your debt to your heirs). I hope this is a midlife thing because that means I can drive the Cobra for 61 more years. THE NEED FOR SPEED NEVER GOES AWAY. Me and the Tool Man AUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHH

[Nickpz1]

I picked up a kit all of 2 years ago - just got it on the road and it has all of 800 miles on it now. I will be 58 this month - and loving every mile of it!

[FlaRalph]

I am 60, pushing 61, but I ALWAYS wanted a Daytona replica, except that until a few years ago, you could NOT purchase one for less than 60K (minus engine & trans). That was too rich for my pocketbook. I was looking at an early retirement and had a nice 401K sitting there, so I borrowed the $$$ (from myself) to buy Coupe #6 from Factory Five Racing back in Nov 2000. I am now living north of Tampa Bay and still working on it- it is amost all together and am doing bodywork and painting- body on. I have had the engine running but it needs tuning- have not go carted it yet. I plan to hit a lot of shows and races (as a spectator only) with the Coupe and it will be painted the traditional dark blue with white stripes and bubbles. I always thought Shelby should have made Coupes for the street, but even so, if he did, I would not have been able to afford one back in '65 either!! So whether it is $6,000 or $4.4 Million, if you can not afford it, what's the difference?? I applaud Factory Five for offering a Coupe kit at a reasonable price.

I still pinch myself and sometimes raise the garage door where the Coupe is to just kinda look at the lines and imagine it completed!!! Soon I hope I will not be imagining!! Life's too short, my body is telling me to finish quickly or it might not get done- of course if your aching, you know your still alive!!!
Later

[289fia_cobra]

Wow, this thread started over 7 years ago and still going??? That's gotta be some record for the longest surviving thread.

When I tunred 40 eight years ago, I was ready to retire my VW GTI. Like a lot of people, we scoure the magazine racks in the automotive section for cars to buy. I picked up a 1997 issue of Kit Car magazine and Kit Car Illustrated and having really not thought much of the AC Cobra's up to this point, I saw a few photos of Uniques, Shell Valley's and a few others.

I was captivated by the volumptous lines of every Cobra. There was just something about the proportions and lines that screamed "sexy". But I had to wait until 2003 before I could begin the project. It took me 3 years to complete the FFR as a project (technically, I finished the kit in 1 year; it arrived on 11/2/05 and it was ready for registration by 9/30/06; the prior 2 years were all stripping the donor before realizing I wanted new parts) At 48, I'm feeling like a giddy teenager again. This thing is a freaking time machine!!!!!

[Ivan Delman]

Heck...I hadn't recently thought about age until this subject came up. I was 72 in August and take delivery of my SPF2450 in March. The car is setup as a cruiser.

Our first trip will be to Canada then down to Louisiana then back across country to the West Coast then North to home.

The reason for getting a Cobra is the same story as most...Made a list of things to accomplish many years ago and recently the list needed revision (Who thought after racing for 40 years I'd still be around!)

Actually, it was my wife who suggested, "I've been hearing about you wanting a MKIII for more years than I can remember. Alright, already...Get one!"

Thanks, Arlene and Happy Birthday! (New Year's day)

[Lyonmt]

I can't believe this thread has been going for eight years!?!?!? Holy crap!
THis has to be longest running thread in the history of message boards!

[408stroker]

I am 50 now and my car will be up and going in time for the big Cobra bash in nevada in may. I too have always dreamed of my cobra but money was an issue in my younger years, although my garage alway had something fun to drive ( austin healeys, mg's, etc) Now I head over to the shop and watch as my car takes shape, (it's so beautiful I'm going to pass out with the first rock chip) I named the car "Family Affair" as i am the luckiest father-in-law in the world. You see my son-in-law owns Pacific Roadster in Oregon and produces his own cobra replica's as well as custom street rods and boats. So not only am i proud of my car, but even prouder that it is truly a family affair

[Powershift1038]

Originally Posted by JAN_AC_MKIV

Well, at 37, am I the baby here??

I got ya beat by a little. I'm 34.

[rngnkr]

Age 54. No mid-life crisis here - I have just never grown up! Mt first car was a Corvette 34 years ago and I have never outgrown my need for toys. Have had 3 Vettes, 2 Porsche's, 3 motorcycles, BMW, trucks, SUVs, etc, and my current daily driver - a Miata.

After many years of high revving small displacement cars found myself with a longing for another big honking V-8 (and the wonderful music that comes out of the side pipes). Got my daughter through college last year and my son is a college junior so the financial house is finally coming into some semblance of order - will take delivery of my new BDR next week after 4 years of careful negotiation with the minister of finance!

[Archrms]

When my wife gave me the green light last year, I was 39. It is schedule to be completed just before my 40th birthday. I am considering it my "planned" mid-life crisis. After all, if you are going to do it, do it right and with as much horsepower as you can!

[bmwdb10]

Ive been watching this for a long time, had a minute and thought I'd finally pitch in...

49 soon to be the big 50. Always able to keep something of interest in the garage. Many very fast Mustangs, the last the R-Model for 24 years. A couple of Porsche's and just bought a 2005 M3, my second BMW. Traded the R-model for the Cobra nearly a year ago after seemingly a life time of dreaming. Of all the cars I have ever owned and or driven, the Cobra tops them all. It never seems to run out of smiles per miles. The only thing remaining on my list of got-to-haves, is a GT40. Just trying to afford that and keep the Cobra! Mid life Crisis.... not here!!! Or has it been perpetual? Just don't ask my wife!

[MY 401K]

Guys,
I turned 67 on 3/18 and I can't ever imagine not being able to drive my Snake. My wife is right when she says that " I'm Obsessed". Every year I do a little to increase the HP (500+ RW) and it makes me feel like a teenager again. What Ponce De Leon was looking for, I found in my SPF. Of the 45 Cobra owners that hang at Nick's place on Saturday mornings, there are 3 of us that are 65+ and we all drive them like we stole them.
God Bless.....
John

[Freebob]

Great thread... going since 1999. WOW! I guess I am one of the oldsters at 69. Bought mine in 1998 as a running machine. Car was assembled in Mexico a few years earlier. I am currwntly redesigning the chassis from the firewall forward. I started putting large engines in small cars in the 50s. A Buick 215 in a lotus elite, a 215 in a Morris minor pickup, Helped put a hemi Chrysler in a '56 Continental for Bill Harrah in 1960. I will post pics sometime soon.
Bob

[Mr Monster]

Well, I guess I'll throw my hat in. Being 38 I'm one of the youngsters. My wife asked me last year what I wanted for my 38th bday and I replied by saying an AC Cobra. She said, and I quote, "Then get one." To which I said, "It's just not that easy to do." Well, here it is seven months later coupled with a lot of research and it's in my garage. Eight months ago I had little to no knowledge about them and now I'm the neighborhood expert, which isn't saying much. Even my car buddies that I've known for years tell me how they never thought I was a car guy and now I have turned into on. My wife's motto is "Why put things off tomorrow, tomorrow may never come." I've got pretty much the same motto with the exception of -- "as long as you can afford today." Basically I've got one, cool wife (and a Cobra).