Bitten and in need of advice

[Hawg4Fun]

OK before i let my adrenaline get the best of me ...and fly up to Toronto I thoght I might get some input and advice on this guys COBRA for sale
its got a C6 which I was looking for not to many automatics out there and its got a big block...for all the pluses/minuses it is what I was looking for...and it will most likely scare the Bejezzus out me..which I need form time to time but seriously I have no doubt that the first few times I take it out will be to a track to learn to drive it properly and live to enjoy the process!!

with that said the price of 27k US seems like a good deal , yes some work will always need to be done but what else would i expect from a beast of a machine!

here is his story...

About 5 years ago I thought it would be nice to have a cobra.
I have had a string of corvette's and wanted something different.
I met a fellow who had a cobra and knew of a cobra body that had
hung in a barn for 9 years.
I bought the body and chrome pc's including the windshiels, pigeon **** and all.
Thinking this great buy ($6000) would turn into a $30k cobra.
I did not have this figured out, it was finished at $62k.
The speedometer is in miles and the car will only heat up if it is in
stop and go traffic.
There are 3 issues to be concerned about;
#1 Cobra's are small- I am 6ft 200lb-very tight fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#2 Speedometer has a mind of its own-works today not tomorrow
odometer always works.
#3 Small oil leak- the car builders (hot rod haven) say it needs a set of valve cover gaskets and an oil pan gasket.
I dont think it needs valve cover gaskets because there is no sign of oil dripping there.
I would have had this addressed but I never use the car.
I have put 1250 miles on the car since I brought it home Sept 04.
I have no roof,top or tonneau for the car- I would not be able to get
in if there was a top.
No bumpers-No heater-No wipers-No power steering-No power brakes.
All show and go

This was not a kit, the frame was built by a racing co. here in Ont.
Most susp. parts were purchased from Horton.
----- Original Message -----
1971 FORD 460 (7.5L)
ALL NEW PARTS
FIBREGLASS BODY (JOHNEX)
REINFORCED RECTANGULAR FRAME WITH EXTRA GUSSETTS ADDED
12 VOLT BATTERY IN TRUNK
POLISHED ALUMINUM FUEL CELL
PAINTED ROLL BAR
DASH MOUNTED MIRROR
CHROME PLATED BRASS WINDSHIELD FRAME
WIND WINGS

CUSTOM HEADERS WITH UNBAFFlED SIDE PIPES
CHROME LEMANS STYLE FUEL FILLER
GRIFFIN ALUMINUM RACING RADIATOR WITH ELECTRIC FAN
OIL COOLER
OIL FILTER RELOCATION KIT
C6 TRANSMISSION
FORD 9" NARROWED REAR END
350:1 GEARS
TUBULAR UPPER / LOWER A-ARMS
RACK AND PINION STEERING
STAINLESS BRAKE LINES
AMERICAN RACING TORQU THRUST RIMS
COOPER COBRA 295/60/15,265/60/15 TIRES
GREY BUCKET SEATS
CARPET THROUGH OUT (including trunk)
ALL PAPERWORK AND INVOICES
APPRAISAL
CAR COVER
ENGINE PAINTED SAME COLOR AS CAR
B&M RATCHETING RACE SHIFTER
MICA ENHANCED BURGUNDY PAINT WITH FORD WHITE STRIPES
PIONEER CD PLAYER WITH REMOTE
1575 MILES
TITLED AS A 1966 COBRA-NO E TEST NEEDED
REGISTERED AND INSURED PAST 4 YEARS (IN ONTARIO)
CAR WAS BUILT BY A CUSTOM CAR BUILDER IN 2004
PERFECT CONDITION
VERY CLEAN
APPRAISED MUCH HIGHER THAN ASKING PRICE
NEVER DRIVEN IN ANY INCLEMENT WEATHER
SITS IN GARAGE UNDER COVER
WILL NOT DISAPPOINT

“There's nothing nice about a Cobra, it's stripped down to the essentials – a big engine, a small car, and four wide tires trying to keep the whole business on the pavement. It's loud, smells like gasoline, and shakes, shudders, and bucks. It makes your arms tired and your feet hot. You nearly crash about once every ten minutes. It's so damn wonderful you can’t believe it

~ Automobile Magazine 2004

I am 5'9" 175lbs and do not mind the few issues he has pointed out....


Please feel free to tell me what I might need to ask or inquire about or that I am outta my mind, i am a novice to Cobra ( and custom built cars in general - suppose I am not much of a wrench either but love to drive & go fast)

Thanks in advance and be safe out their!! Kevin

[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.

[rustyBob]

Hawg, save your airfare for a trip to Hawaii.I have a Cobra with a big block and automatic an 340 gears and it drives strait and true down the highway and when i put the petal to the ponies it still goes strait as a string it dosent shake,rattle,or smell like gas it just hauls a@#* well you know what i mean, I say keep looking there a lot of good deals out there.