Ready to build a cobra. Which kit?

[cobradream]

I finally have time, money, shop space, lift, tools, some fabrication equipment, friends that can help etc..... The missing piece is a kit. I've been doing some web surfing and am finding it difficult to get information useful for narrowing down the kit options. I would like to end up with a chassis that is stiff and tune-able, as well as a reasonable replica of an original car.
Anybody have any suggestions?

[428street]

Cobradream:

Welcome to the crazy club. It can get crazy.

I'm sure you'll get a bunch of responses...this topic has been covered many times over so I suggest you first do a search along with the post.

I have an ERA and am super happy with it on many levels including originality. Originality was the number one factor for me and ERA is in my home State so it was a no brainer. Everyone will have their own opinion. Many factors, most important is your budget. From there you can back into a kit.

Check this link out. Cobra Replica Owner's Review

Good luck.

[cobradream]

Not really a forum guy....in fact first time. Can you point me to the search feature?

[Got the Bug]

The search pull down menu is on the top of the page on the right side. I wish there was a Google type search...I don't always have the best luck with the CC search function.

You might also want to go to the main forums area and sift through the categories. Best recommendation that I normally see is to try a locate a group of local Cobra owners and learn about the pros and cons of different cars.

Welcome and best of luck with your search!

[428street]

Here is a great place to start...look for the 4th or 5th post...someone had the same question with many responses...good luck.

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/club-cobra-introduction-forum-introduce-yourself/

[boomerangj]

CobraDream-

First your my hero! I'm trying to get to your status with the shop, tools, etc. so I can get my kit. The economy has really slowed me down-However it hasn't prevented me from doing my "preliminary" research.

You will find out shortly, via this forum, and other resources that there are a lot of choices available, a lot. I believe there may be over a 100 manufacturers of kits.

There are also books on the topic that you can hunt down at Barnes and Noble. In short if you do any research at all the first stage will have your head spinning.

I would advise you to, in parallel, with your research start establishing what you learn and hot it resonates with your "use model" for the car.

Fro example, in my case, originality is not at all important. I want to build a nice driver car that I can tour or track with. I'm 6'2" so comfort is an issue.

My wife will not go if there is a chance to burn her legs. I like aluminum, fuel injection for the engine so will probably go chevy powered LSX of some sort. (I'm also biased to chevy power). I don't care about re-sale and I admit going with Chevy will limit resale value and available market to sell in.

In summary decide what your vehicle use will be and then start making the list of what "sub-assemblies" you want. For example:
-Original looking 289FIA or 427 body style. (If you like the look of the 289 that will reduce the number of kits dramatically)
-Frame style: original 4" tube based style or "other"
-engine (ford, chevy, big block, small block, fuel injected, single carb, dual carb, Weber's, etc.
-interior.
-independent or solid axle rear suspension.

Then to break it down further look at the suspension components, brake components, cooling, trim quality, fit and finish.

As you develop your criteria you can start developing your budget and make trade-offs for your intended use to find that "happy point" for your project.

You can get a kit together for in the mid to high twenties with kit/donor car type of approach or easily all the way up into 6 figures.

Once you narrow down your focus you can use this forum and it's membership as a great source of information.

Good luck! I've been at this for a while, am not done but my current thinking is a Lone Star with Chevy power and possibly graft on an independent rear suspension. Modern seats and side exhaust and undercar exhaust (mild to wild) switchable. I will also look at hurricane, E-M, and possibly a few others before I pull the trigger.

Good luck-it will be fun! One other thing go check out your local club. I checked out my local club and found lots of willing help.

[jagxjr5012]

Good time to be looking see this thread.....
ERA Owners- Time to Nitpick!

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Take your time, look at as many cars as you can (don't buy the first thing you see), talk to as many owners as you can, and try to visit some manufacturers. You must decide if you want to build your kit (which I think is the most rewarding experience) or buy it turn-key. You should expect to double the estimated cost and time, as all manufacturers have a backlog and you'll need plenty of quality high-cost parts.
Owning/building your own Cobra is a longterm investment and is a lifestyle of its own. The more homework you do, the happier you will be with your investment in both time and money. Good luck, and let us know which direction you are headed.

[diegokid]

When building a Unique car, build a Unique car from Unique Motorcars.

[cobradream]

thanks for the start. helps alot

[1985 CCX]

Determine what you want and what the budget is 1st! Don't spend so much you won't drive it.

Right now is a great time to buy: (Starting with top shelf)
1) CSX ally roller (really KMS with #)
2) KMS roller, they are dealing #'s as the market is a bit dry
3) Consider an MKIV
4) CSX glass
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Shelb...QQcmdZViewItem
5) ERA
6) SPF
They all have FIA version less the SPF. (At least until spring 09)
All are dealing now so it is a great time to get alot of car for the $$$$$
Happy shopping.

[ROBERT GWALTNEY]

Look at AC@C they have a great kit and offer a couple of different types of plans for completion. 800.2451310

[cobradream]

Not finding AC@C right off. Any suggestions?

[jwd]

Is it the build, or the owning one that is attractive? If the build is not what you think is the best part, you'd be way ahead to buy a completed one and now is the time. Completed cars are typically selling for 20 - 40% less than what has been invested in them. If you desire the build experience, be prepared to lose that much if you have to sell.

Jim

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by cobradream

I finally have time, money, shop space, lift, tools, some fabrication equipment, friends that can help etc..... The missing piece is a kit. I've been doing some web surfing and am finding it difficult to get information useful for narrowing down the kit options. I would like to end up with a chassis that is stiff and tune-able, as well as a reasonable replica of an original car.
Anybody have any suggestions?

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 you are 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.

[ROBERT GWALTNEY]

My mistake cobradream Its antique & collectible autos. phone 800.245.1310

[elmariachi]

Here is a cool link on ERA's site that compares body shapes that might be of value to you. To further what others have said, its a buyer's market right now and if you have the money to buy, there are some really good deals on used cars. And I doubt people are lined up at the replica makers' doors so I suspect they would be anxious to make a deal on a new kit or roller as well.
Good luck.

[jacks996]

with the market the way it is you can buy a completed car for less than a kit. I bought a contemporary cobra with a 1965 427 side oiler for 28k last month.

[w-lewis]

Check out Unique. You won't find finer people to deal with before, during and after the sale than the Weavers.

[David Kirkham]

I know a guy who makes really cool ones...

Seriously, it all depends on what you really want and only you can answer that. You generally pay for what you get (not always true, but generally so). There is a HUGE difference between the cars and the manufacturers out there. They all have a place.

Let me know if we can help!

David