OK Need some advice

[bgn3]

I know you usually get what you pay for but here goes. Am ready to start looking for a cobra and was hoping someone could share with me the things to look for and look out for. How its titled, who built it ,engine size ect. I see them priced all over, and would like some advice. Id like to start off with a weekender then hopefully move up. Thanks for any help

[Don]

Cobra Country for pre-owned as well as the offerings on Club Cobra:

http://www.cobracountry.com/

[mrmustang]

I;ve posted this for the FAQ before, cannot find the direct link, so here is a repost for you to read over.


"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]

are you wanting to buy or build?

[Excaliber]

...that recent SPF vs ERA thread was good, or bad, depending on your armor plating rating.

[*13*]

Find a car you like & bring up a discussion about it here. There are a ton of mfg's out there. The toughest part is getting familiar with the differences between the way they each build the cars. It's a lot of work figuring out what's what but knowing what you're getting into with these cars will make your purchase a good one for you. Everyone has different wants, needs & mostly "budgets"

[bgn3]

i want to buy already built

Thanks

[bgn3]

what do you think of this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

[gt500bill]

Originally Posted by bgn3

i want to buy already built

Thanks

Cant go wrong with a Backdraft or a Superformance, then add your own preference in motor/transmissions if you want it built for you IMHO

[bgn3]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

how does this look?

[Excaliber]

Fair price for an FFR. Pretty typical build for that model as to the specs, nothing special, looks good overall for the money. TON'S of support from the FFR guys, probably more of that manufactuer around than any other. Mostly due to the low price, but SOME are rather extaordinary and carry a matching price as well.

Oh, automatic trans, not a desireable option, but usually holds the price down, making it a good buy. Might be tough to sell later. LOWEST possible price? Chevy engine AND auto trans, now that will be rock bottom price!

[LMH]

You have to decide what price range you want and what's important to you.
If you want accuracy or not. Are you going to race it or not. Small block or big block, etc.
Larry

[rustyBob]

bgn3 that would be a good car to start with and the price is fair for the way its built (auto trans/modern wheels)but the owner had it built or built his way and that worked for him and leaves it open for change for a new owner if the powertrain works for you then you can change things to make it yours(paint ,interior,wheels).good luck on your search and welcome to CC.

[Bob In Ct]

If I were doing it again I would get a Backdraft or Superformance. Well built cars that are available quickly. They both offer a wide varity of colors, engines and transmissions. Myself, it would be a Roush stroker attached to a Tremec 5 or 6 speed. I love the option of turning few RPMs at highway speeds in the top gear. Don't tell the other guys, but it would also have a well hidden sound system that talked to my Ipod.

Bob

[bgn3]

for all the advice I guess i would want to start out at the 20k level

thanks again

oh is it a desirable to have it titled as a 66 or 65?

[Excaliber]

I wouldn't even consider that aspect of the title. 65-66-67, it doesn't matter and in SOME cases may be indicative of a fraudulent title arrangement. It just depends on the State and it's rules/laws for registration.

Hawaii: My ERA is titled as a Specially Constructed 1965 Cobra, first sold in year 0000. No one really cares what year or description the car carries on the title. Except for the officer that pulls you over and the DMV clerk that know's you AINT GO NO 1965 Cobra and WHAT is up with this title?

[rustyBob]

Thats why California has the SB-100.......

[bgn3]

Thanks for any reply

[Excaliber]

...they have a perky butt? Their inexpensive! Their light weight, easy to work on, cheap to maintain (due mostly to their use of common modern parts). TON'S of support because there are so many out there, popular make, as "practical" as a replica Cobra can get.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

... as "practical" as a replica Cobra can get.

Interesting choice of words. "Practical" derives from the Latin practicus... which generally means "to pass over." Ernie, I didn't realize you were so clever.