Hello All!

[Ducman82]

My name is Jake and i live in pullman WA as of right now. i will be moving to NM this summer when the wife and i get stationed at Kirtland. and when we get there, i am planing on getting a Cobra Kit, or possibly one someone is selling and make it my own. I wanted a sports car, but an american car. Real Cobras are to much $$$$$, and im not a collector. i was think of JBL, EM, or Kirkham. i have plenty of mechanical knowlege and talent to build one. what are your guys impressions on thouse Kit makers? any info, wether it be opinion or experiance is welcome!


thanks

Jake

[gkellogg]

Hello, and welcome to the group. You will find a lot of opinions about different kit manufacturers. Check some of the recent threads of the past few weeks as there was a recent discussion on this topic. Hope your move goes well. You say that you will be stationed in NM, so what branch are you serving in?

Again, welcome.

[rustyBob]

welcome fellow Cobra lover, the best thing i can tell you is research,research,research,look at the magazines , books,websites go to car shows(there plenty in your area)talk to every body that will talk back to you before you make that decision to spend that hard earned cash.Nothing will turn you off quicker to this than having to deal with someone who wont return calls or send b.o. parts or dosent have the answer to a question. there probably a hundred companys that do this some have been around a long time and some are fairley new so be careful. but your first decision should be buy one already built or build one yourself. the military moves people around alot so do you want move boxes of parts or move a running car? then figure a budget and add 30% to thay figure for the surprises you didnt count on.think it over .

[Ducman82]

I was in the USAF and the wife still is. She will just be getting done with Officer training. Right now she is finishing her degree and is active duty. I will say that getting a running car would be way easyier to move around when we do. i just cant wait to drive with the air in my hair! I already told the wife i WILL have my cobra by september!!! AHAHAHAHAA

[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.

[trularin]

Gee Bill, that was...

WOW.

Welcome and good luck. Read Bill's post.

[charles roybal]

Jake,
I want to welcome you to the South West and invite you to join our group “Coyote Cobras". We have active members in N.M. (Alb. San Antonio, T or C, Las Curses) and El Paso Texas. If you’re interested e-mail me your demographic info once you get to N.M and I’ll have it posted on our membership list. My e-mail address is charles.roybal@dars.state.tx
Charles

[jrjmac1]

It's a great time to buy a Cobra or any classic/muscle car right now, prices are down. Welcome to the club!

[Ducman82]

thanks so much guys! I have orderd up a book about cobra kit car builders as a good ref point. i plan on spending most of my days on here reading posts about builds etc. right now its a not a question of "IF" but WHEN i get the car. i plan on using it as a weekend fun car, with the posibility of track. i look forward to talking with all of you.

Jake

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Ducman82

thanks so much guys! I have orderd up a book about cobra kit car builders as a good ref point. i plan on spending most of my days on here reading posts about builds etc. right now its a not a question of "IF" but WHEN i get the car. i plan on using it as a weekend fun car, with the posibility of track. i look forward to talking with all of you.

Jake

If you plan to build vs buy, set your budget, then add 25% on to it for the hidden costs.

Bill S.

[Ducman82]

how did you guys start out? im thinkin around 25-45k for one. i have seen some good deals right now. then again, im still learning so im not sure what a "good deal" is yet.

[rustyBob]

I started with a bare frame,body mounted,windshield mounted for just over 7k by time i added every thing on top of that i hit the 45k mark in no time at all,but my car i fairley plain compared to most because im not a big fan of a lot of chrome or billet and i used Mustang 2 front and 9 inch rear where others might us something like Vette ,or Jag and i also went for a 1 color paint job.

[john chesnut]

The reality is that you can buy a great driver for quite a bit less than it would take to build one. Buiding a car is supposed to be fun. It doesn't save any money. I guess I like to have fun as I have built 7 (I think) cars from scratch in the past 8 years! But, my retirement fund is gone!
What ever you choose to do, good luck, and welcome to the forum! John

[rustyBob]

Nothing like being able to say "Yeah I Built It In My Garage "

[Ducman82]

Originally Posted by rustyBob

Nothing like being able to say "Yeah I Built It In My Garage "

that is a true statement. i just got my copy of "The Complete Guide to Cobra Replicas 4th edition". It has alot of great info in it. cant wait to read it all the way thru at work tomorrow!

[LMH]

Why don't you look at "mrmustang"s ad? Bill's car is a great deal.
Larry

[rustyBob]

that guide is awesome BUT it is just that "a guide" please do your self a favor and visit with the "coyote Cobra people" and see,smell,touch and ask ten thousand questions about everything and in the long run you will enjoy the Cobra experiance that much more knowing you made the choice for yourself.

[Ducman82]

coyote cobra???

[Cashburn]

You need to have a group of them in front of you before making any decisions. The books don't convey how the car is going to fit you or look in person. As the others are suggesting, seek out a regional event of Cobras and get there to see the differences first hand.

If you are looking at used "kits" you really need to check them out in person, there is so much variation between them. If you are looking at used rolling chassis type cars (BDR, SPF, ???) then you simply research the build number and can determine from there if things are up to spec.

I would have to guess the best event to see the most variety would be the London Cobra Show in Ohio ... you could make decisions a lot easier by spending the weekend there.

[rustyBob]

the A.H.A. show in knotts berry farm is a good show also, mostly manufacturers which will give you a good idea of whars out there........Coyote Cobras ....go back to post #7 dated 3-11-2009 by Charles Roybal he invited you to take a look at their club and cars