My Friend's Cobra is Done & On the Road

[Old Moparz]

A friend of mine who I've known just over 20 years named Mat, stopped by my house today with his Cobra kit car. I heard it coming & was wondering what the hell it was so I looked out the window & recognized the car from seeing it somewhat disassembled in his driveway. He ordered it a long time ago with plans on working on it during his down time in winter. (landscaping & stone walls) If I recall, he said he'd probably have it done in about a year or so. Well, we all know how that goes.....lol..... I bet almost 8 years went by before he had most of it complete.

He ordered it, paid them a deposit, then ran into some problems & couldn't get it, & asked if they'd hold it for a while. They did, & about 2 years later he got it home from Florida. The biggest difference in his plans though, is that all the parts he planned on buying for the car had to be fabricated & scrounged up from donor cars. The small block 289 came out of a late 60's Mustang he had, & had it rebuilt with a 4 speed. I don't remember the specifics, but it's slightly better than a stock HP motor.

There are some handmade trim pieces on the car, like the dash bezel, the side fender vents, the name plates, & a few other things a buddy of his made from aluminum, then polished. Mat fabricated the headers himself since the cheapest set he could find was well over $600. He also painted the car himself after sanding the crap out of it for months. When he said he did it in his garage, I thought he was joking until I saw his paint gun & supplies. It isn't a concourse show quality paint job, but I bet it's as good as many of the top cars that show up at local shows & cruises. I know I'd be content with it on one of my own cars.

The seats in his car were a pair I gave him that I had bought in a Sear's Surplus store back in the early 1980's. I was going to put them in the back of my Cadillac Hearse, but sold the car & stashed the seats. When he said he was painting the car gray with a gray set of stripes, I remembered the gray seats & told him to stop over to look at them. He liked them, made some brackets, & they look great.

Here's what is looks like.

[Old Moparz]

Some more pics. 

[ChgrSteve67]

Very nice I bet he is glad to finally be showing it off.

Did he take you for a ride?

Those cars can really give you a thrill when you put your foot in it.

My Boss runs the NorCal Cobras Club in California.
He has not let me drive his Cobra yet.

[Dans 68]

Very nice I bet he is glad to finally be showing it off.

Did he take you for a ride?

Those cars can really give you a thrill when you put your foot in it.

My Boss runs the NorCal Cobras Club in California.
He has not let me drive his Cobra yet.

Methinks you are dreaming.... 

Dan

[ChgrSteve67]

I'm sure if I let him drive my Charger he will let me drive his Cobra.

Here is a pic of his car.  Body is a replica. Motor is a real 427 shelby cobra.


He dosn't take it to many car shows anymore because people get pissed that the pipes blow dirt and crap against thier car.
He calls it his leaf blower.

[mikepmcs]

Wow, your friend did a fantastic job.  Car looks great.

[elacruze]

Cobras are in their own universe. I never met anybody who didn't like them, nor anybody whose brand loyalty would keep them out of one. If I hit the lotto, I'd probably grab up a 427 replica before any other car.

Actually, I had a Cobra but I decided not to keep it.

[tan top]

looks good nice job     like the chrome smoothy wheels  ! had a brain storm !&  thought about getting some for the charger years ago   

[mikesbbody]

Cobras are in their own universe. I never met anybody who didn't like them, nor anybody whose brand loyalty would keep them out of one. If I hit the lotto, I'd probably grab up a 427 replica before any other car.

Actually, I had a Cobra but I decided not to keep it.

[/quote]

I can honestly say I don't like them and it's not because of the Ford thing just too small don't like the 2 seater thing (I don't like Corvettes either) overpriced? you bet! fast? oh yeah but not for me. 

[Cooter]

Any fiberglass go kart with a 500 HP Big Block in it gets my vote...

[vancamp]

Guy down the road from me builds aluminum bodied cobra replica's heres one that has been polished

[greenpigs]

That is an awesome car and the dude has got some skill to say the least, I have a new screen saver now.

[moparstuart]

Guy down the road from me builds aluminum bodied cobra replica's heres one that has been polished

one of those is running around herein KC

[Shakey]

Bob - you're buddies car looks fantastic!   

[Todd Wilson]

I'm glad your buddy got his car all together and going. Hope he enjoys it!


As for Cobra's  I'd probably own a real one but kit Cobra's are a dime a dozen.


Todd

[BrianShaughnessy]

Bob,   How did he title it here in NY?

   My ex-co-worker / lotto millionaire was looking to get a cobra but got scared off by all the post Boyd title issues.
All the older ones were registered as 65 Ford's, etc without any real documentation.   Now they have to do some sorta VIN tag swapping or call it home built IIRC.

   So after he got scared off,  he bought a twin 350 speedboat instead... which is now for sale since it's been sitting most of the time for a couple years last I heard.    I had located a nice 427 clone in Jersey at the time but he wanted all new, all aluminum engine, yadaa yda, yada.

[Todd Wilson]

Bob,   How did he title it here in NY?

   My ex-co-worker / lotto millionaire was looking to get a cobra but got scared off by all the post Boyd title issues.
All the older ones were registered as 65 Ford's, etc without any real documentation.   Now they have to do some sorta VIN tag swapping or call it home built IIRC.

   So after he got scared off,  he bought a twin 350 speedboat instead... which is now for sale since it's been sitting most of the time for a couple years last I heard.    I had located a nice 427 clone in Jersey at the time but he wanted all new, all aluminum engine, yadaa yda, yada.

I think they are jusst titled as such and such year kit car from the company it comes from. Guy local here has a kit cobra and its considered a 2008 vehicle. He gets to pay taxes on the 2008 vehicle too!

Todd

[Old Moparz]

Very nice I bet he is glad to finally be showing it off.

Did he take you for a ride?

Those cars can really give you a thrill when you put your foot in it.

My Boss runs the NorCal Cobras Club in California.
He has not let me drive his Cobra yet.

No ride yet, but I'm sure I'll get a chance at some point. He was just out & actually on his way home when he stopped by, so maybe next time. 

Bob,   How did he title it here in NY?

   My ex-co-worker / lotto millionaire was looking to get a cobra but got scared off by all the post Boyd title issues.
All the older ones were registered as 65 Ford's, etc without any real documentation.   Now they have to do some sorta VIN tag swapping or call it home built IIRC.

   So after he got scared off,  he bought a twin 350 speedboat instead... which is now for sale since it's been sitting most of the time for a couple years last I heard.    I had located a nice 427 clone in Jersey at the time but he wanted all new, all aluminum engine, yadaa yda, yada.

Brian, I couldn't believe it, but the VIN he has on the Cobra is from the Mustang donor car he took the drive train from. I don't know how much of the Mustang he actually used in the Cobra, but I know it isn't a Mustang. Besides, the Mustang was a base coupe, not a ragtop or a GT & the registration on the Cobra says ragtop. He went to DMV & was the 1st one there the day he got it, so maybe catching the woman behind the counter that early in the day, & before she was abused by the public, had something to do with it.....LOL