Newbie Needs Help

[michelles dad]

Hi guys, brand new member but definately have been lurking, I cant put off the decision any longer to try to find one of these incredible cars. Any help or thoughts would be appreciated, looking for an entry level cobra. Im sitting here in beautiful Vancouver and would welcome any advice in relation to what to look for , everett morrison, johnex, factory five ect. Many thanks in advance for the help.
Cheers

[clayfoushee]

BC,

Look through the ads here on CC. There are many nice ones advertised on this site, and it's way more cost-effective to find a good quality used one than trying to build it yourself.

It really depends upon what you can afford and what is important to you (e.g. HP, period-correctness, etc.). Almost any brand of "kit" can be built into a quality car. Likewise even the best can be poorly assembled, and it all depends upon the builder.

Find car in your price range, and then ask for assistance in the area where the car is located (look for CC-associated clubs under the Club section of this forum). Then post a request for assistance on that site.

[Excaliber]

My first replica was an Excalibur, 302 with 5 speed. Pretty "generic", larger than "standard", stock motor, nothing special.

My how I loved that car!! Still miss it. It was the perfect first Cobra for me. Powerful enough to get in trouble with, but not to powerful. I learned to respect what power it did have and came to understand the delicate balance between h.p. and LIGHT WEIGHT.

NO WAY would I recommend someone get a 500 horse beast of a replica for their first one!!!! Get something that IS somewhat "sedate", it WILL be fast enough! Get something "easy to drive" and DRIVE IT! Get a soft top so you can drive more often. The Excalibur was the PERFECT "daily driver". Comfortable easy to drive, easy to work on, good mileage, reliable and LOOKED fabulous!

I'm really enjoying the ERA Beast I have now, but it's not the same. The ERA is a "serious" car, I think twice about driving it to work. I worry about wet highways and a powerful motor that WILL snap the tires loose. I'd take the Excalibur without even thinking twice about it, THAT car was a "daily driver".

[clayfoushee]

Ernie,

It's not so much the ERA as it is the motor you apparently have in that thing. Agreed, that's too much for a beginner.

[Excaliber]

Clay, well put. This being the first ERA I've had the pleasure to drive (and own) I must say: WOW, I'm impressed! No wonder ERA enjoys such a good reputation. The car is solid, no rattles, fit and finish are great, handling is superb, best replica I've ever owned!

,,,,,,,, the motor is scary man, it's WAY fast!

[michelles dad]

Thanks so much guys I will heed your advice and start with moderate horsepower and hopefully something that wont break the bank, if anyone happens to come across something reasonable please let me know
BC

[clayfoushee]

BC,

There are a lot of "reasonable," seemingly well-built, cars on the block right now, and it's a buyer's market. Start by looking at the ones for sale on this site, decide what you're interested in, and then start asking a lot of questions here. There are also a large number of very knowledgeable people here, who are usually more than happy to help someone interested in these cars, that we all love, get started.

But, there a so many choices and combinations of engine, drivetrain, options, level of originality, price range, etc., that you need to provide some guidance before people know how to help you.

[michelles dad]

Thanks so much Clay. I guess I am looking to spend in the neighborhood of $35,000 US( I know this is not much). I have a 1968 firebird 400 numbers matching convertible that I am thinking about selling and if i do that will change my buying criteria. Is it possible to get something in this range.?

[Ron61]

BC,

For $35K you should be able to find a pretty nice and well built car right now. As stated above it is a buyers market. Just ask Ernie. All the above advise is good and if you have a chance to go look at and ride in some, do so by all means. And if you stay in the 375 to 400 horse range, you should be ok as a new driver if you take it easy until you get used to the quirks of the car. The B/B guys are just on an ego trip as they can't begin to use that 690 horsepower in a light car like the Cobra.

Ron

[michelles dad]

Thanks Ron, 375-400 would be more than sufficient as Im just looking to have some fun on sunny days not go nuts!

Thanks

[clayfoushee]

Ron's right. These days, $35K will buy you a pretty nice small block Cobra, probably based upon a 302 or 351 Windsor block, and some of these may be stroked to higher CI displacement. Those are very reliable engines if built well, and give you more than enough power for a 2200-2400 lb. car if you're just planning on using it as a street cruiser. An original FE or 427 side-oiler will up the price another $5-10K or even much more depending upon the build.

In that range with small blocks, look at Uniques, Everett-Morrison, Lone Stars Shell Valley, and with a little bit of a stretch to $40K, you might find a nice SPF. $30K can buy you a very nicely built FFR, and there are many of those on the market. Backdraft is also building a nice car, but they are newer to the market, and I'm not as familiar with used pricing on those. ERA is very good, but a little more pricey, unless someone needs to sell it quickly.....right Ernie? Contemporaries are also very nice replicas, but no longer made and might be more pricey than $35K. This is by no means a complete list, but just off the top of my head.

Among those mentioned above, there are huge differences in what we refer to as "period correctness" which relates to closeness to the original Shelby in body style, chassis, interior and engine set-up. Generally, the more "period-correct" a replica is, the more costly, and you need to decide how important that is to you.

Also, let me stress again, there can be huge differences in the quality of the build no matter what replica type it is, so you should have the car thoroughly checked out by a knowledgeable person.

[aeon]

LAE with 427 side oiler for sale
this is the link to my car
30 grand and its got a 427 sideoiler


Bill
949 302 1970

[clayfoushee]

BC,

You should also take a look at this one. It was built by a respected CC member who passed away, and is being sold by his family.

Beautiful car!

http://www.bdpmotorsports.com/427%20...For%20Sale.htm

[michelles dad]

Thanks so much guys for the links to those two cars, both beautiful. Very sorry to hear about the member that passed away. Im like a kid in a candy store looking at these. Does anyone have any thoughts in terms of automatic transmission on these cars, poor for resale ect?

Thanks

[clayfoushee]

BC,

Again, that question is purely up to your personal taste. The vast majority of Cobra buyers/owners want manual and thus, automatics are harder to sell. But, I really must stress, it's your car, and it depends upon what you want. Even Carroll Shelby himself was reported to own an automatic original. If an automatic is of interest to you, and you find a nice one you'll probably be able to negotiate a better price than a comparable original 4-spd. top loader or even 5-spd. Richmond or Tremec.

[michelles dad]

Hi guys does anyone know anything about pacific roadster, There is a car for sale in salem oregon for the mid 20s built by this company?
Cheers

[clayfoushee]

Nope....but in this case, as in most cases, you probably will get what you pay for. Without any details, it's impossible to answer your question.

[michelles dad]

Thanks Clay, I will stick to what you guys know and follow your leads,

Thanks

[clayfoushee]

BC,

Please don't just trust me. You need to gather many different opinions and make up your own mind. Just because I know nothing of the Pacific Roadster, doesn't mean others do not. All I know is that they are not widely known in this community.

I will say, that with rare exceptions, it's very hard to find a high quality build, with the best components for under $30K, unless the owner is eager to sell quickly. For a little more, you can find a very nice car.

[Edley Rondinone]

Cobracountry.com has lots of Cobras for sale. An auto trans would hurt resale value, but if you paid less to begin with.....But its YOUR car; if you want an automatic, get an automatic. I like shifting the gears in my Cobra, as most who have a four or five speed will agree.

If you buy a Cobra with a mild 5.0 or 302, for let's say 25K, you could probably sell it later for close to 25K, give or take. After a while with that car, and you sell it, you will have a better idea on how much power, originality, and fancy bits (and paint) you would like on the new car.