Which Company makes "best" replica?

[Mattnshilp]

Hi,

New to this forum and did the perfunctory search before posting. Didn't see a thread dedicated to this question, although I was surprised.

So, here it goes:

I am interested in acquiring a Turn-Key 427 Cobra replica. There appear to be about 10-15 reputable sources (Classic Roadsters II, B&B, etc.).

So, someone who knows more then I do (which is any of you!), please tell me the positives and negatives of the most popular, reputable and reliable replica manufacturers. I would like as historically and cosmetically accurate as possible, and it's GOT to be reliable and perform well.

Which company did you buy? Why? And are you happy thus far with your purchase?

Thanks,

-Matt
Thanks!

[froggyman]

Hi,

Just like I was when I first decided to get into a Cobra, clueless. I came here and asked the same questions you ask. Having said that, there are threads in this forum dedicated to the subject of your questions.

You may want to do a search and you will find hundreds of different opinions and preferences. You may want to consider what is your max budget as that will determine in some measure what brand you could start investigating.

I have purchased three Cobras by two different manufacturers and they have both being great. Superformance and Unique, both great Companies and Cars.

Good luck in your search. Please use the search feature in this website.

Welcome aboard.

Juan

[alpace@pacificp]

My vote: Kirkham. Aluminum. Quality. Great folks. Call Joe Weight.

al

[JWheaton]

Matt,

If you go to the "Forums" you will find a list of most of the manufacturers. This is a good place to start in reviewing threads.

The range of prices will also help you decide which way to go. You will need to figure out your budget and target a car in that range. If you are on an unlimited budget go get yourself a Shelby or a Kirkham.

The next driver of decision will be do you want a turnkey or do you want the build experience.

I see that you live in NJ. On June 7th there is a Cobra Pizzaque in Washington Crossing State Park in PA. (New Hope area) Just across the river from NJ. There will be close to 50 cobras present. Why don't you plan on going and ask the owners lots of questions. A good number of different manufacturers products are present. Even a couple of completely home built cars. (There is a thread with more specifics)

Good luck in your research. Once you narrow your choices I would recommend visiting the manfacturers in person. There are a few companies in the Northeast you could probably easily visit with a day trip.

Good luck.

[Don DePontee]

Kirkham, as pure as it gets.
Don

[WarrenG]

The annual SAAC meet is in August in NJ and there should be lots of cobras there also.

[RICK LAKE]

Mattnshilp Matt you miss the big east coast show at Carlisle on the 18. All the cobra manufactures are there show there cars. Where are you in NJ? Come to the Cobra show at Washington crossing on the 7th. Nice bunch of cars there to look at and ask questions. The best thing for you is to make a list. How much money you want to spend, to build or buy a built car, what you are looking to do with the car. Do you want it this year to drive or will wait? I'm not going to say which car is the best, this has been done before and turns into a dog and cat fight. If you want to talk about this you can private e-mail with a number and time to reach you at. I'm in NJ. Come to the show on the 7th Rick Lake There are some nice cars for sale due to the economy right now.

[Silverback51]

When I started looking back in 1998, after reviewing all I could find at that time, I narrowed it down to two. The ERA and Superformance. Does not mean that there are not some other fine cars/kits out there. Just for me and what I wanted, those two fit the requirements.

I ended up with a Superformance due to the fact I do not have the time to build my own car. Wanted to, but just not possible.

And I have been very happy with the car to date.

[froggyman]

Matt,

You may want to purchase the "Bitten By The Snake" DVD at Cobra Country. A few years old but it has a lot of very timely information about the process of selecting which Cobra to Buy.

It is very well done and produced.

Juan


Go to:
http://www.cobracountry.com

[DTurnbull]

I think the first question to ask is: How much do you want to spend? If you want an actual "turn-key" car, then you'll need to find a car that someone has finished. In general: If money is no object, buy a Kirkham or Shelby continuation. If money is an object, buy a Factory Five.

[Rickd]

Historically and cosmetically accurate. With that criteria, the Shelby American continuation series cars - in fibreglass or aluminum. Kirkham aluminum bodied cobra (they have supplied Shelby with bodies and the Kirkham cars are jewells). ERA, they will build you a turnkey to your specs - 9 - 12 months turnaround, and their bodies are "nuts on" replicas of the originals, including details of the interior, engine compartment and trunk (they use a 3"*4" rect tube chassis rather than round tube). Those would be the top 3 for "cosmetic accuracy", then Superformance - a very high quality "turn key minus" with a large dealer network and inventory on the floor. Can't go wrong with one of those 4. Check them all out - that is part of the fun. Rick

[LMH]

Shelby makes the "best" replica.
Then Kirkham and then ERA.
IMHO of course.
Larry

[Chaplain]

The one you own is the best.

[jperickson2001]

Factory Five if you want bang for the buck. Excellent frame and geometry, low cost while still being nice. Kirkham if you want the very best money no object. The finest engineering you can get in a cobra. Superformance if you want everything basically done when you get it to just pop in an drivetrain and go. In the middle of the pack. FFR's and Superformances are fiberglass and will not dent. Lots of places to fix glass body damage that just happens when you drive the car in the real world. Aluminum, 1/4 of the weight of Fiberglass, cool factor , but you have to search out your repair options. +/- to everything. But the most important thing is to just GET A COBRA! -John

[bret a ewing]

You may be entering the market at the right time if you are looking for a used model.

Patients may provide a bargain.

[JWilly]

This is a question that has bounced around in different forms on this site. My standard answer is the best Cobra replica brand is the one parked in your garage. When I was looking to buy, basically, I wanted a street car that I could have fun with. My cobra is not a daily driver, but I drive it as often as I reasonably can. I believe the ranking LMH gives is likely, absolutely correct for an anatomically “correct” cobra. I decided against the CSX continuation car pretty quickly. It would be nice to answer the “Is it real?” question “yes” but I would know the complete answer would be “yes, it is a CSX car but it not an original”. I believe the CSX continuation car has more in common with present day replicas than it does with the originals (have you seen the fit and finish of an original?). Since I am not obsessed with my car being absolutely identical to an original and considering how I wanted to use the car, it did not make sense to me to pay the additional cost of the CSX series. To be honest, the aluminum body of the Kirkham sacred me off. I am sure these are more robust than the old aluminum bodies of the past but I just did not want to worry about dents. I have seen a Kirkham and it was, without question, an outstanding car. If you like the idea of an aluminum body and can afford the extra cost, you can’t go wrong with a Kirkham. I’ve not seen an ERA but they too get excellent reports. There is about a year wait if you want a turn key ERA (if you order an SPF, rather than buy from the showroom floor, there is also a bit of a wait for the SPF). Also, I am not aware of a dealership type of network for ERA. I’m sure that getting parts to an ERA is not a problem but my guess is that most ERA guys do the repairs themselves. Because of my particular situation, any project beyond really short and simple would take me forever to get done. I like the idea of a dealer with a service dept. available. The car I thought suited me best was the SPF. The car is a manufactured car but the SPF factory is not like a Ford or GM factory. There is no conveyer belt assembly and there is a good bit of hand-work in the SPF. It is not a perfect clone of the original but I have gotten the “is it real?” question at least a 1000 times. Although I would not describe any of these replicas as particularly user-friendly, I think the SPF is about as user-friendly as it gets (e.g., slightly higher side pipes make life a bit easier sometimes). I really enjoy my SPF although I’m sure I would enjoy any of the other brands as well.

[Excaliber]

FFR certainly is the best bang for the buck. I heard a rumor they have lowered the rear end on the most recent models to address the 'perky butt' syndrome. Is this true?

[bdeutsch]

having said this and recognizing that budget drives the ultimate decision...

Shelby
Kirkham
ERA

Bob

[aspenbubba]

I have seen only a few of the many brands out there mentioned. I agree with the concensus of the top brands but I do not consider Factory Five to be the most bang for the buck. It is essentially a kit car that needs a donor. The quality is dependent on who builds it.

Superformance is a turnkey minus of good quality and in the same category is Backdraftracing which is priced approx 8-10 grand less. It doesn't include a top or side curtains (but who drives these in the rain anyhow?).If you are tall (over 6'2" ) then the BDR would certainally be a car that you should consider with its' 92" wheel base.

I think that a good question to ask current owners is "if you had to do it all over again, which car would you choose?"

[franklin]

Kirkham
Kirkham
Kirkham

I've also built a non donor very nice Factory Five. Kirkhams do cost more, but when you truely compare piece to piece they are hands down the best quality for your buck!
JMHO