Which Kit should I pick???

quebow03 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 08:55 AM

I have been throughout this site and think it is AWESOME! So much info. Anyway, I'm sure it comes down to some personal preferences and quite a bit of bias, but I have been trying to price some kits and find the best quality for my dollar (no donor needed) kit. From good suspension parts to fit/finish. Who wants to put $35K into the wrong kit??? I have looked at Shell Valley, Factory Five, and several others and am still at a loss as to what I should purchase. Pro's and con's of the manufacturers you know of would be a great help or just a simple push in the right direction would be nice as well. Again, this website is incredible!!

Dan

rdorman · #2 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 09:02 AM

Age old question. Decide on what your intended use is, budget, your level of involvement, resourses and skills and then I think we can help more.

Take a hard honest look at these items. The term 'kit' doesn't really fit. It gives the impression that you can order the kit, follow the instructions 'thread nut A on bolt B', and end up with a good road car. You can't!

Welcome to our madness

Rick

fordnut · #3 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 09:56 AM

Consider this.

Most Insurance companies will not insure a car that is home built. They want the car built by the pros. Cobras are somewhat difficult to insure, even if it is a turnkey car. Just something to look at.

Dennis Mosley · #4 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 10:00 AM

Rrdorman gave you some good info.

A real good way is to make your way over to Austin this weekend and you can see a bunch of different types in person all at the same time. You can also talk to the people the drive these beast. Best part is there is always an empty seat so you might even get to cruise in one all day Saturday to get the feel.

Tongue Pirate · #5 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 10:27 AM

35g's is doable. For best value for your money you might look at what cars are selling for & how much it will take you to complete to your satisfaction. The down side of asking this question is that most of us are a little biased

So that said I will tell you to get an ERA, might cost you a little more though

MidOHasp · #6 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 12:21 PM

Best advice I can give is to not make any decisions until you've touched a bunch of them and maybe even ridden in a couple.

Most of the owners are pretty non-anal I think about touching the cars. My impression was that on the glass cars, SPF had the best fit and finish for that price range. A lot of guys will tell you ERA's do - people that don't even own them and have a bias. Why? Because everyone is looking at different things for fit/finish.

You may be most concerned about the way the door sounds when it closed, and I may be most concerned about the finishwork on the glass in the wheel wells at the edge of the paint. Someone else might be concerned about dash layout or seat comfort. Or "authenticity"...

Keep in mind, too, that you should add a small allowance for going over budget. Minimum $5K more than you think it could ever cost. You may not spend the extra budget, but then you can spend that extra $$ on CAM2 because it smells good.

There are so many great cars out there from every different maker. And you will always be proud of yours because it's yours.

In the end, once you hook up the sidepipes to a V8, you will never stop smiling. It really doesn't even matter BB or SB. A detuned 302 from an 87 Mustang will sound good through sidepipes.

Just look at a bunch of them first. Pick the one you like the best. Then.......Do it.

JP

quebow03 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 01:03 PM

Ya'll are really great with the tips. Seem like there are some real experts out there. I keep looking at everyone's cars and am SO impressed. I appreciate all the info you can give!

Dan

Lowell W · #8 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 01:18 PM

Once you've narrowed down the field, check out the used Cobras for sale here.

http://www.cobracountry.com/cobrasforsale-cobras.html

Also check out House of Cobras, linked from the Cobra Country website.

Buying a used Cobra may help you to stretch your dollars further, so long as you find one which has been assembled properly.

Dave Bermani · #9 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 01:21 PM

I bot my SV after visiting guys who built B&Bs, FFRs, and SVs. Ask the mfrs for guys in your area who bot their kits. Most guys are very willing to share their experience. But no matter what you decide on, the actual build is most likely going to be different from what you may have expected. Expect a lot of frustration along with the fun of doing it yourself. I will say that the SV assembly manual leaves out a LOT of details that are needed. However, SV is really great at helping out when you call. I have right at $30k in my car now w/o paint. I certainly could have bot a completed car, painted and registered for less...but the fun of putting it together was priceless. And the fun continues!

Dave

rdorman · #10 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 01:21 PM

A little tip when looking at the cars. Take notes and pictures. Right down information about the picture by the number on the roll so you can tie the two together. There are some many things to look at that when you try to recall what went with what it can be a bit confusing. Don't forget names and contact information. Most of us love to talk about the cars, ecspecially to a future owner!

Don't be in a rush. Other wise you could be looking back going "Why didn't I do........". The other approach is just to buy one finished at a fair price, develope your taste, desires, needs and then sell the other one and get the one you truly want. Of course, the latter approach is certainly more expensive!

ALWAYS ask about the manufacturer/dealers and what they where like to deal with and how they resolved problems.

Most of us like our car for one overwhelming factor, it is ours! If we get to liking something else much more we find a way to get it! So we do tend to be a bit biased. At the same time, we also can tell a quality piece. We just still like ours!

Happy hunting!

Rick

clayfoushee · #11 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 02:02 PM

What Rick is trying to say oh, so subtly, is that Unique owners think our cars are first class reproductions too!!!! ;-)

rdorman · #12 (**permalink**) 02-26-2004, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by clayfoushee

What Rick is trying to say oh, so subtly, is that Unique owners think our cars are first class reproductions too!!!! ;-)

You bet your a$$ they are!!!

Even 20 year old ones like mine! And the new ones are even that much better!

Oops.............

Back to the politically correct line.

Seriously there Dan, you can build your self a nice Cobra (Unique) for that amount of money. The higher quality the car (Unique), the more you have to be involved in the build process of your car (Unique) in order to stay in your budget. For amount of money you want to spend you have a number of cars (Unique) to choose from. Don't expect to hire it out or get all the bells and whistles but you will be able to build a nice car (Unique) for that amount of money. It will be tight. But it can be done. Odds are though, if you build one (Unique) you will go over budget.

Rick, unbiased Unique owner.