Buying a Cobra - Need Help

[97c5vette]

Hi Guys
I'm new to this forum but I joined because I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible before dropping my cash.

Here's my story, I met a guy local to me who's dad unfortunately passed on. His dad had a cobra replica built for himself with a 350ci. and the speedo reads only 4k. I saw the car and it sure looks nice but I really don't know what to ask about it or look for before I drop my cash.

What advice can you give a newbie when buying one of these. He's asking a very reasonable price IMO but can sure use some of your knowledge.

Thanks
Bruce

[glassdriver72]

Welcome to the madness. You may want to look at a few different sites with Cobras for sale. This site has a for sale section, http://cobracountry.com Cobra country is a site just for selling Cobras and http://ffcobra.com is a site for Factory Five replicas, which includes a section of cars for sale.

Depending on what make the car is, there are quite a few sites dedicated to the different manufacturers. If you determine the builder, chances are that there will be some local Cobra owners in your area that you can contact through the site. Typically Cobra owners are willing to help out.

You say the car has a 350 in it, I think that most will agree that a Chevy engine in a Cobra will lower the value of the car compared to if it had a Ford in it. Nothing wrong with the Chevy, but Cobras are a different market than street rods where a Chevy in a Ford is ok.

Good luck and the more info you provide the more input you will recieve from everyone on this site.

[SunDude]

There are lots of helpful people on this forum. I suggest you post as many detailed photos of the car as you can, and others can probably help you identify its maker and its pros+cons.

Post photos of everything: body, frame, firewall, interior, suspension etc.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Welcome to the asylum. Lots of Cobra guys here own Vettes...after all, they're the second best sports car in America. This car may well be a bargain, especially if it's powered by a sbc. Lots of bargains out there now. Do a little homework and don't be afraid to consult some of the guys here...There's a wealth of Cobra knowledge here on CC. Good luck.

[LMH]

Originally Posted by SunDude

There are lots of helpful people on this forum. I suggest you post as many detailed photos of the car as you can, and others can probably help you identify its maker and its pros+cons.

Post photos of everything: body, frame, firewall, interior, suspension etc.

Agree, post photo's. We need to know what manufacturer it is.
Plan on chucking the sbc too!
Larry

[WV66AC]

I pulled the trigger too quickly after looking at old Ford T-birds for my wife that cost more and needed $50k restorations. I didn't research like I usually do --- now, lots of companies are making Ford blocks and engines --- the Cobra should have a Ford motor of some type, otherwise it is just a hot rod. The sbc should cut the price significantly and will affect resale. Be careful.

[mrmustang]

"How to buy a used Cobra:

Editors Note:
Ok, the first thing you have to ask yourself is "how much money am I willing to spend for a used Cobra", and what my usage is going to be. Now, by usage, I mean a either a daily driver, weekend cruiser, show car/trailer queen, 1/4 mile drag racer, road racer, or any combination of the above. Once you have set your budget and have a pretty good idea of what you want to initially spend, your next goal is to find the right car for you. Whether your spending $22,000, or $150,000 should not matter at this point, as I've personally seen beautiful, well built cars at $22,000, and some truly horrible cars with over $100,000 in to the build.


Your qualifications:
Know your strengths and weaknesses when shopping for a used Cobra, if you know bodywork, and not the mechanicals, take along someone who has a greater mechanical ability than yourself. Vice versa if your strengths are in the mechanical end of things, and not the cosmetics. Two sets (or more) of eyes are always better than one.

If your going to see a cobra in person:

What to look for:
Fit: How does the body sit on the chassis, do the doors, hood, trunk all line up?

Finish: How is the paint, are there runs, drips, sags. Does the paint have a nice shine to it, or does it need to be buffed out or stripped and repainted?

Interior condition: Does the interior show a lot of aging, do the seats need to be recovered.

Mechanical: Are there any leaks or drips under the car? What about the overall appearance, does the car look like it was well taken care of, or does it look like it was ridden hard and abused.

Engine: Again, any leaks or fluid drips, how does it sound (this can be tough on a car such as the Cobra). Check the engine warm, cold, at partial throttle and at idle. Make sure to check the temperature gauge once the car is warmed up and at idle. Also check to make sure the thermostatically controlled fan (if so equipped) kicks in when it is supposed to.

Transmission: Take the car out for a road test if possible (don't expect to let the seller to allow you to drive it), does the clutch work properly, does the transmission shift smoothly through the gears. Check for leaks here as well.

Rear End: Does the rear end clunk, leak fluids (check behind rear rims for signs of fluid, along with the front and rear of the differential housing)

Suspension: Check the bushings, do they look cracked and worn out, if so, factor in replacements to your costs. What about the shocks (coil overs or ???), if you ask the seller to push down on each corner, watch the rebound, if they bounce forever, then expect to replace them. If the car is equipped with coil over shocks, set the car on an even surface and see if the car sits level or not. if so, then the shocks do not have to be adjusted, if not, then expect a few hours getting things right.

Brakes: If you place your hand on the front disks (do this before the car has been driven), can you feel any grooves in the disk itself? Does the brake pedal feel firm when your sitting in the car, what about on the test drive, ask the seller to do at least one hard braking maneuver so that you can tell whether the brakes are adjusted correctly for the car. Some cars will have a combination of disks and drums, others will have four wheel disk brakes. If set up correctly, a disk/drum set up will work for all but the most extreme usage (IE: heavy road racing, endurance racing, etc).

Wheels: Are the wheels balanced, bolted on, or held on with knock off's? Bolt on wheels are a matter of personal preference, if you like what is on the car, great, if not, factor in a replacement some time down the road. Knock off's should be checked to make sure they are tight, if the knock offs and safety wired on the car, that shows a level of attention worthy of a good owner/seller....

Tires: Are the sidewalls cracked, are the DOT approved, radials or biased ply? What about the sizing, do the fronts both match? What about the rears?

Electrical system: Do all of the lights function, hi beams, lo beams, turn signals, brake lights, horn, etc? What about all of the gauges, do they read correctly?

If your buying a Cobra sight unseen:

Use the above as a reference guide as to what questions need to be asked. If the owner is forthcoming with detailed answers, then you can feel a little more comfortable in dealing with them. if the answers are a little more ambiguous and vague, then perhaps the owners is trying to hide something, or does not really have any mechanical ability or qualifications to answer the questions above..If this is the case, and your still interested in the car, pay to have the car professionally looked at by a qualified inspection service.

In closing, most of the above is all based on common sense. Don't let your emotions get involved in the decision whether to purchase one car or another. Also don't let other so called "experts" sway you to this brand or that, after all, it's your money, not theirs that your planning to spend..Finally, if you need assistance, or don't understand something fully, feel free to ask questions.


Hope this was educational.


Bill S.