Need help .. trying to decide on car.

[David427]

I can tell you what you already know. It is extremely difficult to select a kit manufacturer. I have tried to organize all the data from each web site, ordered and watched all videos including Factory 5 and “Bitten By the Snake”. Also spent time on Cobra Country to try and figure differences in kits. It’s amazing how each manufacturer can claim the best and explain why. I have built a car before, but never had this many decisions. One builder in the area (Blue Moon Motorsports) seems on the up and up. Does anyone know them? I want to build some of the car but don’t have time for a complete. I would rather not have a donor in the driveway for a year while building. Complete roller kits seem very popular but why do they vary from $11,000 to $26,000? Chassis are also confusing. I want a round town driver but would like to get on the track once in a while. Round tubing, square tubing, thickness, weight, ladder, wishbone, torsion, twist and stiffness are all important… I guess??? Body style is also important to me. I want the doors to fit well and the finish to be perfect. I know a lot of this has to do with the painter. Kits come painted or not. Which is better? I can find a painter in Orlando but fiberglass is not as prevalent. How long should the body be (90”, 92”, 94.5”)? I want the car to be comfortable and look original and take my wife to the beach on some weekends. Most California cars are stretched. How about the power plant? Would an original 427 be authentic? I like small block 351W better. Again, want a round town car that performs well on the track on occasion. Do I order crate motor (no warranty), or have built by one of dozens on Internet? How about suspension? Jag, Ford, 3 point, 4 point, IRS or homemade? I want a comfortable ride and can’t possible test all alternatives. Has everyone else gone though this decision process? Thank you for any advice. Plain and simple…I want a Cobra.

[Dirty Harry]

Come to the Double Venom Spring Fling next month. Crawl around in and over the vast variety of cars, take a few rides, watch some performance driving, hear some 60's music, eat some good food, and then make your decision. Manufacturers will be there as will several do-it-yourselfers. Proceeds go to a great cause (Cystic Fibrosis) and you should get any number of answers for all your questions and more.

[Clois Harlan]

David,

Try and contact some of your neighbors in the Deep South Cobra Club and go over to one of their functions and check out the various cars and their manufactures. Ask the owners specific questions and if you're free the weekend of June 20-22 take the wife on a road trip to Columbus, Ohio. The Double Venum event will attract several hundred Cobras representing virtually every manufacturer. Look and compare and then make a decision and stick to it.

Addressing your question on price. The plain and simple truth is some manufacturers make a much better product and they will use top of the line components. However, you may not want (or need) all the upgrades they offer. It all depends on your anticipated use. You can cut some corners but not all of them. You may want to add upgrades yourself later. That is part of the fun in owning a Cobra, there will always be something to change if you want.

Clois

[CobraDan]

David427,
If you would like to join the Deep South Cobra Club go to our web site and fill in the blanks.

http://www.jerryscobras.net/Join_Us/join_us.html

Dan

[PSB]

A good place to start is to visit the manufacturers in your area. Hunter Kit Cars and Backdraft Racing are both close to Orlando. Hunter is in Ocala, and Backdraft is in Pembroke Pines.

It took me several years to determine which manufacturer to go with. I really didn't know what I wanted and didn't want until I visited several manufacturers plants and went to the annual Kit Car show in Carlise. I highly recommend going to Spring Fling or Carlise, which will allow you to see a wide variety of kits all in one place.

The best way to narrow down manufacturers is to make a list of what you want and eliminate the ones that don't fit your needs. Here are some of the things to consider:

- Cost - How much are you willng to spend?

- Originality - Do you care about how exact a replica of the original Cobra your car is, or do you just want a fun car that looks good? This really goes hand-in-hand with the first question, as the more original the car, the more it's going to cost.

- Comfort - A stretched wheelbase car (94"-96") have significantly more legrrom than a 90" wheelbase car. Sit in a few cars and you will be able to tell the difference in legroom between a stretched version and a 90" wheelbase.

- Suspension - Solid axle or IRS? Generally, a solid axle setup is cheaper and is better for drag racing, but provides a harse ride. An IRS car will have a softer ride and will handle better on the track.

- Frame - If you plan on using the car mostly for driving around town, pretty much any manufacturers frame is going to be OK. For serious track duty, a space frame or semi-monocoque chassis (like JBL ) is the way to go.

- Engine - Engine choice again has a lot to do with the first and second questions; how much $ do you want to spend, and how original do you want it to be? A FE (427 SO or 428) is the only authentic engine for a 427 body style Cobra, but is expensive. A 351W with aluminum heads will have plenty of power, is a lot lighter than an FE, and is much cheaper.

- Repuation/Longevity of Manufacturer - When you narrow it down to a few, talk to people who have bought from each manufacturer to get an idea of the quality of service, ect. Another thing to consider is if the manufacturer you're considering is going to be in business 10 years from now when you might need parts. There are many companies in this industry that have gone under.

That's all I can think of for now


Pete

[rdorman]

Save yourself thousands and come to DVSFIII. You will see virtually every combination available and talk to their owners.

We have all been through the process you are going through. It sounds as though you have more answers than you think. Like you are looking for a little validation.

$11 to $26K for a roller kit! I am not familiar with one at $11 but seems to me the top end is more in the $70 plus range.

Decide on budget(virtually everything will cost more once you are into the project). Decide on primary use. Decide if there is a secondary use and how critical it is. Decide on how much time you have to put into the project (hardly anyone builds a car in the time they tell you that you can). Find a top local builder that stands behind their engines. Consider having the manufacturer paint the car.

Really, take a long week end in June and come to Columbus. Buy a raffle ticket and you may not have to make any of these decisions! Nothing helped me more than looking and riding.

Rick

[jhaynie]

Keep looking for a used car if possible. There is always plenty of work to do on them, so you will not get bored with it. The market is great right now. Easy to pick up a really nice car with a couple thousand miles for low 30's.

[chill]

Wow. That sounds like my post a year or so ago... don't want a donor-wreck sitting around, want to build some, but not get lost in the build and never get to drive...the right suspension, chassis, good driver, proper/authentic look, price, engine, choices, choices. I visited FFR, visited and drove a Unique, drove an ERA, lived on the internet for months, talked to Club members....

For you I have one word:UNIQUE...

...ok, maybe a few more...see links on my signature line and feel free to contact me.

[decooney]

Do you want to arrive at a short list?

Drive them.

[Engineer Ed]

David,
The DSCC is hosting the "Reptile Roundup" in mid November.
We will have lots of Cobra's to look at, sit in and get rides.
There will also be a track event at the road course in Gainesville.
You can get a chance to see some Cobra's in action.
Not sure if that fit's your time table....
We are holding another track event at Gainesville a month earlier in October.

I own a FFR Cobra and love it. You are more than welcome to come by and take a look at her, get a ride, ask questions etc...
No, it wasn't built to look as a original, but it sure is one hell of a terror on the track.
I originally built the car as a cruiser and later found myself adding parts to be more competative for the track.
I like the Backdraft Cobra and they have a really nice car.
You can get a rolling chassis minus engine and tranny.
They can also provide a completed car, partial kit as well.
Contact Reg Dodd and he can fill you in on options.

Your best bet for engine combo is to keep it simple if you are looking for reliability.
The more extravagant you get, the more problems you might have with her.
The 5.0 H.O. EFI engine is really great for reliability and parts availability. Changing the rear to 3.55 really wake this engine up and provides lots of fun for a daily driver.
IRS is nice, but a 3-link performs just as good at a fraction of the cost. (I've got a 3-link for you to look at).
You just can't beat the small block for reliability and bang for your buck.
I've got a 347 stroker and rave about it every chance I get. 442 ft/lbs torque.... wow

In order to make an informed decision, you must get a look at as many manufacturers as you can.
Your budget will ultimately decide what you can do and what you cant. i can get a few of the local Tampa Cobra guys together for you to look at or you can wait for the Roundup.
If you have the means to get out to Ohio, that will be your best bet to look at a lot of Cobra's.
Last I heard, there will be about 300 of them....

Let me know if you would like to get together.
Ed
DSCC President
edward.kamptner@med.ge.com
15 minutes North of Tampa off Hwy 56.

[Aviator]

Dave
You have described all of us at one time or another in this process. Unless you have unlimited $'s for the project you will always be making trade offs and second guessing yourself.

Last year we attended a local 3 day FFR build school. The 3 days were great and took much of the mystery out of a "ground up" project. The ground up builds are fine if you have the donor plus time and garage space (you can save $'s). When I ran the numbers for how I would go about the build (I don't have the donor or a lot of space, plus this full time job thing keeps getting in the way) it was clear to me a roller would be in the ballpark.

Good Luck, if you have got to have one of these you will find a way!

[David427]

Thanks for all the replies. It's nice to see so many enthusiastic owners making time to tell their stories. I think that I've decided to go to DVSF in Ohio. Taking into account the travel time and costs I still think seeing and driving is believing. I called a (the) B&B in London, Ohio and the owner couldn’t wait for the event. She said one of the manufacturers had stayed in her Inn last year and 5 Cobras were parked out front. It was like a superstar had visited. I think the whole town gets into this event. I don’t have time to build from scratch and am still unsure about using doner parts. A roller doesn’t seem to be enough however. I may try to work with a local shop to build a portion of a ground up then turn it over for final build. This may cost more than a roller. I have to run the numbers. I think a 351W stroker (392) will suit my needs for torque and speed. I figured these cars had to have a 427 hence my club name. I hope to have this car by the next roundup so I can participate. Thanks for all the help.

ps - Aviator, just curious how you dicided on the Backdraft after attending the FFR build school.

[SSS]

David, I just ordered a turnkey myself, and I've been through all of these questions too. What determines your choices the most is your budget. If you're looking to save cost, the two best ways to do that are (1) a single-donor kit and (2) building it yourself. FFR is a popular choice for this situation. If you don't want to deal with a donor car, you can get a pallet of parts from a third party, or substitute any aftermarket part that plugs into a '87 to '93 Mustang. Of course, every new part you add to a single-donor kit jacks up the price.

Kit build: If you want a partially built car, FFR will not work for you, because they don't do any assembly. Many other manufacturers offer partially built cars. You have a few local choices in Florida, so I suggest to carefully compare them first.

Roller price: I would guess any roller for $11,000 would be lacking quite a few components to make a complete car. When you compare models, make a checklist of all the components in a Cobra and take note of what is included and not included.

Chassis: People get into heated debates over rectangular tube versus round and other properties of a chassis, but most Cobra models have plenty suitable frames for street driving and casual tracking. If racing is your top priority, then you'll need to spend more time analyzing this. Otherwise, any kit would be fine.

Body: I don't have much experience with this, but I would assume you'll pay more and more for a better fitting body. Also, a show quality paint job costs big bucks. When a kit comes painted, it only depends on the quality of the job. They're not all the same. Also, if the body is being shipped a long distance to you, the paint could get damaged.

Length: Anything longer than 90" will have more space, but look less original. You can't have both. My Carcepts has a recessed rear firewall which gives more legroom.

Engine: Get what you want. A 427 is original and super powerful, but also super heavy and expensive. I would think a 427 Cobra would be a real headache as a street car. I don't have any experience with motor builds, but I would guess a crate motor would cost more.

Suspension: IRS is more comfortable, but much more expensive.

Hope this helps.

[Tongue Pirate]

It's a very frustrating & confusing process to go through. I found that the more research & time I put in the more the decision became a clear one. It was very dificult the first 6 months to pick one Manufacturer. The next 18 months was spent trying to decide where to get the money

[JWheaton]

Pick a name out of a hat.

Never look back on the manufacturer you picked and go for it!

[excelguru]

SSS - Nice avatar.

David427 - Visiting the DVSF is an excellent idea! Narrow your choices to about 3 manufacturers that you're happy with. Then VISIT those manufacturers. Prepare some questions and ask them. Then get a list of owners in yoru area for each manufacturer (this is where your state rep in the DSCC can help you). Talk to those owners. Ask them questions. Visit them if possible.

Where do you live? Your profile doesn't indicate a location.

[Aviator]

Dave
I tried to make an unemotional decision about an emotional subject. Number 1 rule for me was to determine how much I really wanted to spend on a "Kit Car". Once you define that your contenders will emerge and you will have to evaluate case by case.

Backdraft offers a lot of bang for the buck. Are they a SPF, no but they offer a compelling product. Call them up and ask for owners you can talk to. Drive their car and other cars in your price range.

[Dwight]

GO TO THE SPRING FLING




GO TO THE SPRING FLING




YOU WILL BE SMILE ALL THE WAY BACK TO FLORIDA

[eticket]

david,
I live over in the Melbourne area, if you want to check out a Superformance, I'll be glad to show you mine, and discuss why
I went with them after being burned by CMC/whoever they
are now. Like someone brought up you ought to have a short list
and vist the manufacturer if you can. Mine was Super, ERA, and
Everett Morrison.

Mike