Dan Hampton

I own an original 1963 full competition roadster ex-Bob Johnson. The FFR does not come close, in design, to looking like my car.

1snake

You're talking two totally different cars. FFR never made a small block body. All their previous bodies are hideous looking if you ask me but their latest one is as close to an original 427 body than any other including Kirkham. I probably already told you but the guy down the street from me has an original 1964 that he bought brand new. From what I understand, only two exist that are still owned by the original purchaser, his and jazz musician Herbie Hancock's car.

Jim

K2

Anybody remember the TVR Griffith 200/400 circa 1964. Cobra wannabe but pretty impressive little car. It's short wheelbase made it a little squirley but it was light and quick with Ford 289 power. A friend of mine autocrossed his regularly and was virtually unbeatable.

alexandervdr

Cobra or C2, in my case it's the difference between building a car and owning one. I just finished the build of my Cobra replica. It is a replica, it is fake, it is unsophisticated, whatever you want to name it. To make the insult complete, it even has a V6 engine in it. But building it was a fantastic journey, I enjoyed every minute of it. The reward and satisfaction is incomparable. The more that my Cobra is not of the 'put nut 3 on bolt 5' type like FFR has, where all parts are available and do fit. In mine, I had to sort out a zillion things myself. I learned more in these 3 years about cars than on the 50 years of my life before that.

I know the satisfaction of buying cars too and I spend more money on exclusive cars than what my mother would call reasonable. But it's not a match to my Cobra.

So now my Cobra is done I turn my head to the C2, it is just an incredible car. It has grace, sophistication, luxury,... none of that in my Cobra. I really would like to ... BUILD one. Providing I find the C2 that has not been rebuild already, which is quite a challenge because most seem to have gone through some overhauling already. For what I want to do, it makes them uninteresting because they are 'too nice' and stripping the car at the price already payed for it would be really insane.

First step is taken already, I bought the shop manuals to study the project

Alexander

Vetterway

I have heard it is a South African firm, Superperformance in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Anyone have experience with their product?

Vetterway

Cobra66

The first time I saw a big-block Cobra in the flesh (or should that be "in the aluminum") was at a SCCA national race at VIR during spring, 1966. Three big blocks, all benefiting from back-door Shelby support were in attendance...Ed Lowther, Hal Keck and Bob Grossman were the drivers. Lowther won, followed by Don Yenko in a Corvette. As of that weekend, the Cobra became my "ultimate sports car" and ownership was, for 20 years, my automotive dream. Finally, in summer of 1986, I bought CSX 32XX and drove it regularly on particularly good-weather, cool-temperature days for many years. However, in 2005 I bought my '64 coupe and the Cobra was then relegated to very occasional outings. So, the old beast now rests in the garage next to the Corvette, venturing out very rarely. In my opinion, the experience of driving the Cobra vs. the Corvette is analogous to trying to handle a viscious pitbull vs. a well-trained German Shepherd.

Stewart Allison

Superformance yes very familiar with them. Over here they are extremely expensive we have shocking red tape. Very well built, quality product.
Last post you say you have the real deal Cobra any chance of posting a photo for us to dribble over ! Stewy

65Corvette

Anyone who says a Factory 5 car is "... put nut 3 on bolt 5..." build process has never built one or looked at the build manual. Don't let anyone tell you there is no fabrication work or mods required to do it right. As for parts availability, I've always viewed that as a good thing whether its Corvettes or Cobras.

alexandervdr

I was the one saying that, you are right, except that my kit (Pilgrim) is absolutely and by far less refined than the FFR (I use the FFR build manual of the Daytona -which I do have in my possession - as a reference). I did not want to talk down the efforts all the builders of the FFR Cobra went through building their jewels!

65Corvette

No worries. Would love to see some pics of your car though.

jimh_1962

Better yet video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7XkcTgfNzo




PS nobody waas seriously hurt in the video.

Dan Hampton

A very good product, no matter what it is. Pete Brock worked with them on the reintro of the Daytona Coupe. Originally, the cars were sold as a "turn key minus" (engine and trans). An excellent marketing coup for them, as it took very little work to get them up and running. They were priced very well in the mid $30s, originally. They sold a ton of them and the quality was always right there.

Dan Hampton

You are correct, Jim, and the first design was pretty bad. I am always amazed at how almost all the manufacturers went with the 427 body design. ERA was really the first to try the 289 FIA, followed by Unique. The 289 is where the Cobra made its "bones" but, I guess, the allure of big horsepower and the mystic of the 427 was magical in the minds of the American public.

sub006

Because we wanted an aluminum body for our fund-raiser in 1968. Even little kids and old ladies could smash that soft body with sledge hammers at $5 for 5 swings! One of our members saved the 289 and trans, the rest went to the scrap yard.

63Corvette

Dan, Is THIS your car?
Bob Johnson drove this car (96) to (I think) 5th place in GT over 2.5 liter at the USRRC race at Pensacola in March of 1965. His differential overheated and failed, but he finished. Skip Scott drove the 91 car, and you are correct, the FIA made us run as a "Prototype over 2.5 liter", because the car was not, (and never was) homologated as a GT car. Skip finished 2nd in class and 3rd Overall.
I have driven a 260, a 289, and CSX 3009 "Ollie the Dragon" but I chose to buy a Corvette because I really wanted a "GT" car, not a race car. (By the way, do you know my fellow Group 6 competitor Lynn Park?)

Randy G.

Another nearly year old thread brought back from the dead.

mrg

True. ..
I must have missed reading it on the first go-round. Very much enjoyed reading through these threads. Never realized how many here own(ed) Cobra's! ... WOW

bluester

They are everywhere now days and a thousand different distortions of the original. On cruise nights, I don't even go over and look at 'em any more. Step up, Build a Scarab!

Willie'sVette

Kinda like those Freddy movies....he gets killed at the end of each movie, but is resurrected in time for the sequel(s).

Not that this is a bum thread....it's quite interesting in fact.

ifitgoesfast

Wish I had enough candles on my birthday cake to build a Grand Sport. About how much $ goes into building one?