New Buyer

[imspikebdn]

I am new to the forum and always dreamt of oq=wning a Corba now I have the money I am finding out how little I know can somone point me in the right direction.any advice would be great

Thanks

[wtm442]

Try searching the internet. The zipped file (Excel spreadsheet) on another thread may help - just click on the web sites ....


List of Manufacturers

[HotRodJoe]

Be careful, oq=wning a Cobra is unlike any other car.

[kidcobra]

the best advice anyone can give you is look in the club forums and find the one for your area. Post in there that you are wanting to buy a cobra and would like some advice. I have guys comer over to the house to look at mine and see the quality of the kit. Seeing several makes and being able to talk with them in person really helps.
Matt

[sideoiler10]

My main advice is to purchase one already completed instead of building. You can save thousands that way. Like anything else you start to build, they always end up costing substantially more than you planned. That was the most popular advice given to me about 3 or 4 years ago. I always wanted to build one with a 427 sideoiler. After checking prices for just a really good engine I decided that building was not the way to go. It ended up taking about a year to find the one car that was right for me, but I did find it and it has a standard bore/stroke and only 4,000 miles. The engine was build from a NOS block.

I found the car on cobracountry.com. It is probably the largest single website of Cobras that are for sale. Plus there are lots of other links for information. I would also advise you to purchase the latest edition of "The Cobra Buyer's Gujide" written by Curt Scott. Curt is probably one of the most (if not THE most) knowledgable people concerning Cobras. At any given time you will fine anywhere from 40 to 50 Cobras for sale. It is a great place to start.

The Cobra Buyer's Guide includes write-ups on most of the top Cobra manufacturers and provides a glimpse of what makes each a good product. In addition, Curt only includes manufacturers who have proved to be honest and fair with their customers and who provide a quality product. Tons of information in that little book. Plus it costs only about 15 bucks. You can order it on cobracountry .com.

When I bought mine I found it in Conroe, TX. After many emails and photos, phone calls etc., my wife and I drove down and took a small trailer with us just in case. The car was just what the sellor said it was and we brought it back with us after purchasing insurance (also just in case). Based on what the car is and what they are normally going for with the equipment it has, I know I saved $20 to $25K by buying a car already completed. I have to admit though, I got the car for an exceptional price and have not seen any other similarly equipped cars for anywhere near that price since.

Just take your time and LOOK, LOOK, LOOK. And ask lots and lots of questions.

Good luck and enjoy the process. Bob

[fbsideoiler427]

Afford the highest quality you can. The resale will be worth it. I stretched myself purchasing mine but am glad I did. Good luck.

[mrmustang]

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.

[jeff priest]

Find some local Cobras and go look at them, Have the owner take you out for a drive . I agree with Mrmustang on the rest.

[TRIG]

Originally Posted by imspikebdn

I am new to the forum and always dreamt of oq=wning a Corba now I have the money I am finding out how little I know can somone point me in the right direction.any advice would be great

Thanks

If you have $65,900 you can have mine...lol

[Cashburn]

Being from Canada you must also consider how you plan to import the vehicle if you are looking at cars in the USA or elsewhere.

[mj_duell]

You will find our manufacturer D&D Cobra over in Chambly, Quebec. You will not have any problems with the Transportation Ministry if you buy rollers, turnkey minus or finished cars in Canada. Don the owner builds fantastic rollers and turnkey minus cars. You will find information about the rollers, which we distribute, for him in the U.S. here: www.turntenracing.com. D&D also has a web site: www.ddcobra.com . You should check them out, they build very high quality stuff and have not one but two types of frames. We are now offering not only the 427S/C style body but the FIA as well. You can reach Don at the shop by phone at 450.658.2315 or by email at ddcobra@bellnet.ca . As the U.S. distributor for D&D Cobra I will be happy to answer any questions as well. You will find pictures of the EVO 5 chassis and others in our gallery listed in my post.
Thanks,



--Mike / Turn Ten Racing, Inc.

[jeff priest]

If you are from Canada , then that will change everything. I believe you will have to buy from a company in Canada { if purchasing a kit} or buy a completed car. I am sure someone can elaborate on the specifics.