So, the time has come. You have checked with your accountant and you have checked with your spouse, and you can finally do it – you can buy your Cobra! But which one? There many Cobra replicas on the market, and, once you have selected one, there are thousands of subsequent design choices to make. Here is a brief guide to help you organize your thoughts when shopping for a Cobra replica. I am not going to discuss pricing much, but for a nice quality replica you may spend anywhere from a few thousand dollars to as much as you choose to part with in customization and premium parts.
Before you actually go shopping for a Cobra, here are some questions that you need to resolve:
- What are you looking for in a replica Cobra?
- Do you want to build your replica yourself, or would you prefer a ready-to-drive turn-key automobile?
- How much do you want to spend?
What Do You Want From Your Cobra Replica?
Back in the sixties, when the Cobra was first being manufactured, there were a few choices to be made. Today, in building it yourself, you have many more choices available to you, so you can tailor this car to your desires and needs.
At the most basic level, you can build a Cal Ace on an MGB chassis using most of the MGB body panels as well. In truth, this is not a Cobra at all, but is a replica of the venerable AC Ace. It has all the peppiness and great handling characteristics of the MGB, and it is a very economical way to get into a sleek British sports car.
If you want something a bit more than “peppy” you can build any number of Cobra kits that are available to you today. These kits may be built with just about any V-6 or V-8 engine that the owner desires. The bodies are generally made of fiberglass, and the frames are not heavy, even on the low end, so a Ford 302 small block V-8 will drive this with a pick-up and speed that is well beyond any reasonable need.
In historical note that many Cobra aficionados either disregard or are unaware of is that the original Cobras, the ones on which Cobra’s reputation was made, were, for the most part, small block V-8 driven vehicles. The 427 designation came to refer to the specific body style, with the wide fender flares and the cut-in door made to accommodate the big rubber on the rear. In the original, there were only about a half dozen Cobras made with the big-block engines. A hot, racing style big block, in truth, generates way too much horsepower for this little car, and it tends to throw the balance off. Depending on the specific kit selected, with a Ford 302 V-8 the front to rear weight ratios are just about 52% front and 48% in the rear. The car comes out just about perfectly balanced, much like the old AC Ace on which they were based.
A hot small-block V-8 will take you through any solo and most club racing activities that you want, and, because of the relative handling characteristics, it will likely do better for you than any big-block engine. If, however, you want to drag-race with the hot-rod Corvettes or Ferraris you might still want to choose the big-block engine. The big-block will suck gasoline even more so than other V-8s, and, while you will get the satisfaction of having your breath sucked out of your lungs every time you nail the accelerator, for most of us there is little advantage to having a big block engine. I know one gentleman who built his Cobra with a big-block only to later remove it and retrofit a small block engine.
Do You Want to Build Your Own?
Many car kits, after purchased, spend the next decade in the garage only to be sold on eBay at a huge loss to the owners. The new kits are really not difficult to build, but they are time consuming. The great part is that most of the really difficult part is done for you, and you can find builders on many kit car support sites who will do expert jobs of building the kits for you. That comes at a price, of course, but if you are, like me, more of a carpenter than a mechanic, you may find that having a pro on staff will get you a finished car much more quickly than trying to do it all yourself.
There are many kit options available at a wide variety of price points. Here is a sampling:
- C-F Enterprises - Makers of the AC Ace replica. This is an easy to complete kit for the first-time do-it-yourselfer. Bear in mind, this is not a true replica – the kit only includes body panels to re-skin your MGB as an AC Ace. The interior is all MGB.
- Highland Daytona Racing - A great variety of high-end components.
- Factory Five Racing - Factory Five makes very high quality and complete kits, ideal for the do-it-yourself project. Terrific on-line support available through a large number of Factory Five devotees.
- Kirkham Motorsports - Kirkham produces hand-made aluminum Cobra bodies in an old Polish MIG factory. Their work is impeccable, but their products are aimed at more experienced builders. Kirkham manufactures bodies for Shelby.
Before choosing a kit, get the literature. All of these manufacturers will provide detailed, full-color brochures showing you what they provide, what you need to get in addition to the kit and the amount of work you will need to do to finish your dream car. These brochures are not free, usually running around $5.00 right now, but they are great investments in making your final decision.
The great advantage of starting with a good quality kit and hiring a builder to assemble it for you is the number of custom options that you have available to you at that point. Crate engines are available from sources such as The Engine Factory, Pro-formance Unlimited, Roush Racing or Smeding Performance. These companies will deliver to your doorstep, or to your garage, if you prefer, beautiful high-performance engines built to your specifications and ready to install. The wheels and tires you choose will be matched to output of the engine – a beautiful set of Halibrand wheels with safety wired knock-offs may be had through Halibrand, or, at a somewhat more cost-effective price, perfect reproductions may be had through other sources such as Team Three Wheels. Knock-offs are optional.
You will also have to choose the color. Ok, I know that it sounds trivial, but after deciding to buy the Cobra, one of the toughest decisions I had was what color to make it! Mine is in the traditional Shelby racing team blue, but I saw a Cobra recently in an unstriped, austere white. It was beautiful! It would be very hard to decide on a color that would actually make this car anything but beautiful, but I am a traditionalist.
If you prefer to buy a finished automobile from a manufacturer, there are options available to you here as well.
- Superformance - Their Mk III Roadster comes as a rolling chassis with everything in place except the engine and transmission.
- Highland Daytona Racing - HDR will complete their kit to your specifications if you choose.
- Shelby Automobiles - This is the real thing – it even comes signed by Carroll Shelby himself!
Body and model options abound. These are not replicas in any sense, these are the original. The bodies are no longer made by AC, and there are some other manufacturing updates but these are the real deal.
Making the Leap
There are obviously many considerations to make in choosing your Cobra. I was in love with the Cobra for twenty-five years before I finally had mine built, and I have never regretted the decision. It is a beautiful car that is a delight to drive. You can find in-depth discussions of Cobra building at various online discussion boards, including FFCobra.com and ClubCobra.com among others. On these boards you will find discussions of the minutia of Cobra kit building, and will allay your concerns.
Owning and driving a Cobra is a daily pleasure that cannot be matched. It is, to paraphrase Ferris Buhler, choice, and I recommend it highly!
