Trading 355 for a Cobra

David- The Superperformance Cobras are not real cars like the 355. Hard to live with on a day to day basis, heat tends to boil up from the transmission, no air conditioning, handling is kind of tricky because of the short wheelbase and high torque, especially if it is damp.

But they look great, go like stink, and are completely different from what you have. As a fair weather weekend car, great. For any other use, not so great. At least parts are cheap and any Joe Bag of Donuts competent mechanic can work on it

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I worked on an exact replica last summer. It's one just like Jay Leno has, hand built to the same specs as the original, right down to the 427 side oiler with 2-4bbl carbs. (I think it dynoed at 620hp)
It was definitely a neat car, but I drove it about 40 miles to Cincy.....I wouldn't want to drive one any more than to the local car show. It got old after about 15 miles. I told my daughter that rode with me, that it must have been how the World War 1 biplane pilots felt. Raw, wind in your face, noisy, hot, on the edge of putting you in the ditch at the tap of the throttle. And the cockpit felt like a cramped coffin to me.....
Not a very confidence inspiring car to me. I respect the guys that actually raced them...they must have had some huge balls.
The 355 on the other hand is a sweet handling car, but a little under powered.
Just my take on it. The 351 small block cars may not feel so over the top and like a death wish waiting to happen.

 

sorry about the trade down, but if you were going to swap for a Cobra replicar, there aren't as many as good as the Superperformance versions.

 

http://www.mmaamobile.com/4299807.html

not wanting to hi-jack the thread but i hae a line on some cars that were siezed from a one person. i will be bidding on some of these cars on the 19th if anyone wants any info PM me. i would not trade if i was you. they look and sound cool but still i kit car that will be hard to sell later.

Mark.

not sure if the link works.

http://www.mmaamobile.com/treasury.html

 

I have had a cobra for 10 years, treat it like a 4 wheel motorcycle and you will not be disappointed, as far a pure adrenaline rush, cant be beat. You will smell like exhaust gas, have bugs in your teeth but you will be smiling after just a few miles. It used to draw all sorts of attention but not so much now that the replicas are everywhere.

 

I've turned a few wrenches on Shelbys.... and currently own a Corvette Zo6 which now has 600+rwhp, all done in my garage.. easy.

I guess the grass is always greener on the other side... I'm looking to get into a 355 which is honestly a downgrade from what I have now, you can't compare over 600 pounds of torque at the wheels with what a 355 has (what 200ish at the wheels?)

My $.02 is to pass on the Cobra, unless you like to tinker in the garage... because it will never be "complete".. always something to work on. Plus, it's a death trap.

 

If you want the thrill of a side pipe car... have you considered a '65-'67 Corvette? Or in the 3rd gen in 1969 (that year only) you could get side pipes. Rare option, but adding them won't raise eyebrows from people who know... since that was the year.

Driving a very rare black '69 (last year for black until '77) Stingray 427/435 roadster with sidepipes was a great time... you can still get the desirable '69-'70 bigblocks in the 30-40k range with the norm being 50-90 depending...

Just mentioning since you seem to be considering American.

 

Damn... Everything I look for in a car. Sounds perfect. Go for it.

 

you can drop $60k on a corvette if you want, but you will never be able to compare a vette to a Ferrari....ever....

mass produced plastic...fiberglass...yes, bang for the buck, but that's about it.

 

Actually, 20k... it's the older C5Zo6. The supercharger kit was 3 grand and it was fun building up the engine- Fully polished.. not kidding, 100% polished including the block. Flawless

I like the horsey emblem, I like the lines of the 355 for looks, but it IS a mass produced car. Don't kid yourself (or bet) on that fact. So... with that out of the way.. lol

 

Just a "little" .......don't candy coat it. You could unplug 2 or 3 plugs on that cobra and still roast a 355. I'm hoping Cooter and Uncle Jessie can find a way to mount hairdryers on a jelly bean......


By the way the Cobra Enginefxr mentioned is for sale for a "killer" price....PM me if interested, it belongs to one of my customers.

 

Its not underpowered when you have it set up the way it was in italy before they detuned it. If your ever up Toronto way, you can take mine out and I dare you to tell me that its underpowered. I thought the same before I made the changes and its like day and night. But it has to be a 95 2.7

 

To do what?? Race from stop light to stoplight?? Well sure. Drag race on a 1/4 mile track?? yeah probably?

There are THREE Cobras in my neighborhood- Two Superformances and a Kirkham. I've driven two of the three- An absolute BLAST to drive- But they're raw... in the most basic sense of "raw". Raw can be fun- for a while... but getting back int my 355 it's just so RIGHT... fast enough in a straight line but through the twisties I'm quite sure I'd leave the Cobras for dead.

Never driven a real AC Cobra- but the Glass cars are not really beautiful pieces of work- in m opinion- The Kirkham obviously is a different animal- I would LOVE to have one and if you're bored of the 355 and the Ferrari thing is not intriguing anymore- sure, why not..

But for me- to compare a Ferrari 355 to a Fiberglas Cobra copy... well that's just silly.

 

Untill you have to make a turn

 

What did you do for the tune?

With my mass produced (substandard to some here) Corvette I paid $500 for a full tuning package that hooks from my laptop to the OBD port... I can scan while driving and make changes to literally anything in the 5 different computers like I was in the factory working on the master file.

I was curious if there was a tuning package for these cars. Someday soon, I plan to lower compression and add forced induction to one. Any tuning package is key, I don't rely on dealerships for anything, not that they would have a clue about this stuff.. the tuning issue is my one big obstacle to learn as I'm now through lurking and ready to jump in..

 

Short of adding nitrous I'm not sure how you could get that much more out of 3.5 liters by tuning. Lots of guys have tried.

Have you dynoed?


Not being a jerk. Just curious how you pulled that off.

I thought both of my 355s wouldn't pull a sick whore off a greasy toilet.....

 

I was comparing the power or lack thereof on the 355. That's all.

 

One word MOTEC.....You aren't gonna tune a factory ecu on a Ferrari like the Vette.. I've been down this road....D helms would be the guru to ask....If it's tweakable he's done it...

 

^Thanks.

Down the yellow brick road I go...

 

I think cars are all fun. Most of what we love about American cars stems from nostalgia, cars we loved when we were kids. Foreign cars also. Get what you love and love what you get. When you get tired of it get something else and fall in love again. Nice thing about cars, when you fall out of love they don't take half your money.

 

Haha. Profound statement.....hilarious

 

I'd say go for it if the 355 doesn't do it for you anymore...

Here's another one up in my province... priced quite high though but that Roush motor must be sweet!

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-Superformance-MKIII-427-Cobra-W0QQAdIdZ263983922

DF

 

You’re making the right choice....Just get a Big Block car. LOL
.
Cobras are everything your lace panty wearing comrades have said.
They are a blown, flat-bottom boat on the river. Windy, bumpy, noisy, you sit on it, not in it, smelly, hot/cold and small. Very visceral, diametric to a Ferrari in every respect. Every time you turn the key, they remind you “Respect me or I will kill you”. Cobras require attention and skill if you wish to go fast.
Not for the faint of heart or the vain of hair.

I always love the "not real cars" statement
You know interestingly, I can NEVER find a Ferrari guy that’s willing to run against me and my silly replica..Its not even a real car for pete sake, and its got a station wagon motor made from scrap beer cans… with a single freakin carburetor! How fast could it possibly be?
Straight or curvy, doesn’t matter to me, Id be happy to meet and go up in the hills of So Cal and run around..
But I digress…

As far as the “never done” statement. That is a function of who you are, not the car. Many cobra guys aren’t wrench turners and that’s fine, plenty of guys out there who will take your money to work on your toys.
For me that’s half the fun, building motors, chassis, brakes. I’m building an alum 565 right now. Im thinking it will make 900hp on pump gas. It will certainly be cool watching it on the dyno. Any of you guys build your own motors?







D-cel

 

i'm curious what you did also, since i have a 95 2.7