Thinking of building a kit car vs. keeping the C4
 

I know this is blasfamy, but hear me out and keep the flames to yourselp please.

I'm thinking of building a cobra. http://www.factoryfive.com/

Also looking at this one http://www.backdraftracing.com

Reasons are that I love tinkering and I miss the nestagia of the older cars.
The other is power to weight ratio, these cars weigh 2200 lbs. asnd have came a long way in the handling department.

I have seen these cars in person and they are not kit atrocities of the past, the one I rode in was tight, handled great and threw down all kinds of power with a stock 5.0L.

Leave the Ford vs. Chevy thing out of it, I could care less, I have an expedition, chevy van and have owned both manufacturers cars.


Any of you guys have experience with these cobra kits? :leaving:

I used to own a Cobra replica. It was one of the more authentic ones, and to tell if it was real or not people had to tap the fender to see if it was fiberglass or aluminum. It had a Ford 427, toploader 4 speed, Jag independent rear end, the correct Stewart Warner gauges, etc. In my opinion, if you're going to have a kit that's the kind to own because it really was like the real thing. Not to bash anyone, but when I owned mine a few years ago FF was considered the near the bottom of the Cobra kits. They're fairly cheap, and use Mustang running gear including the mustang straight axle. Because they're cheap, they also seem to be fairly popular, and maybe they've improved.

Personally, I got tired of the Cobra pretty quickly and sold it. There was no top, no radio, no heater. Forget about air conditioning. I thought of it basically as a 500 horsepower go cart with a cool body. I think it only weighed like 2400-2600 lbs, so with the power to weight ratio it had, it was extremely fast and a handful to drive if you're not very careful. There was also no crash protection. Basically, it was a very dangerous car.

What I got tired of was the impracticality. It was fun to drive occasionally, but it was loud, cramped, and had no convenience features. Even for a short drive, you had to decide whether you really wanted to take the Cobra, and you'd never take it on a longer trip. In short, any Corvette is a nicer car to drive around in, and the C4 is a whole different car.

Check out www.cobracountry.com for lots of good information.

On the positive side, they are fun cars. The amount of attention mine attracted was amazing. People everywhere simply loved it! If you like tinkering with cars, they're pretty simple. Also, doing 170+, with the wind blasting over the windshield, and that 427 screaming through the side pipes with the dual Holley 4 barrels wide open, is an experience I'll never forget! (Or likely ever repeat!)

AC makes a nice kit

http://www.cobracountry.com/a&c

And if you're building it... you don't have to go ford for the motor... cause you're building it.

My neighbor finished and sold his Factoryfive Cobra and it was beautiful. He did all the work himself including paint. He originally put slightly modded 5.0 in it, but then the guy he sold it to wanted the 427 so they swapped.

Me and my dad built a CMC cobra kit car. Used a 1992 Mustang 5.0, carbed it. T-5 tranny with 4.10 gears in a Ford 8.8 rear. Then I got the Corvette as a proejct car.

Basically, here's my take:

Corvette is more practical. It handles better in the twisties, but you can feel the weight difference. Gets great fuel economy with the ultra low 6th and makes tons of torque.

We put 2600 miles on the Cobra since the 5 years we had it. It's loud, obnoxious, and fast as hell. The 4.10s are impractical on the highways, but a blast at stoplights. Sidepipes without mufflers, cats, etc. Red with white stripes. Very noticable, everyone stares. It's nice to be able to chirp the tires in every gear.

The backdraft kits are very nice, with the BMW IRS. I'd keep it a 351 SBF. We choose to go with lightness and responsiveness instead of brute power. Plus the price of a 427 and transmission for it....geez.

But like anything else, you get what you pay for. Even the same company can vary thousands of dollars depending of body material, engine, wheels, level of completeness, drivetrain, interior, etc.

They have almost the same wheelbase, same width, length and height. It's suprising how similiar and how different they are. The FFR kit would be my bet, since you can use all Mustang components, and still make it fast. Buy a FFR kit, get a rolled 1992-1995 Mustang GT (so the motor has the forged internals) and add some aluminum heads, cam, and you got one fast rocket! Closest thing to 2 wheels.

If you have any questions for me or my dad about the kits....PM me or instant message me at Turbo923.

Here's the two together:

http://community.webshots.com/album/170923938usqSOH

I have been looking at the factory five myself for sometime now and I have been tempted but I can't afford one. I think they would be fun to drive but would be a "weekend" car for me.

A friend built one, 427 side oiler (hard to find) Top loader the whole ten yards put $45,000 in it and was asking $40,000.
Drove it less than 6 months. It got real old real fast.
Scary car though.
If you want one, buy one you'll save a ton not to mention many, many, hours of your life.

They don't look good at all when they arrive green glass right out of the mold.

:willy: