Interested in trading my FFR Cobra for a Ferrari 328

Hey Guys,

After two years, I just finished my build on my Factory Five Mark III ’65 Cobra. In fact, it has less than 200 miles on it. Unfortunately, I’ve quickly realized that living in the Seattle area with an open roadster may not be the best car to own (although as rare as they are, on sunny days, I’m not sure if there’s any better car to own). So I’ve decided to sell the Cobra and buy my other dream car.

As you can imagine from my Cobra build, I am a bit old school so my favorite Ferrari’s of all time are the Dino 246, and 308/328. Beautiful… absolutely beautiful. I can’t afford the 246 and I want to go more modern than the 308 so I’m looking at the 328.

I’m looking to sell my Cobra for $52,500 or trade for a Ferrari 328. I would prefer to trade because of the tax break.

My Cobra is absolutely amazing. I wanted to build a car that I could let it sit for months at a time but when the sun came out, I could just turn the key and go. I also wanted my wife to enjoy riding in it so it has many feature comfort upgrades. But don’t be fooled by the comfortable ride. This car is made to race! Only the snake skin body is fiberglass. Everything under the skin is aluminum on a steel chassis. In addition, most of the mechanics and technology is modern. Here are a few specs on the car;

Drive train is a 4.6L DOHC and 5-speed 3650 Tremec transmission (2004 Mustang Mach 1), IRS setup with 373 gears, hydroboost power steering and brakes with ABS, 17” Halibrands wheels (245’s front & 275’s back), Classic Instrument gauges w/ reverse speedo, i-Square 1+1, FFR heater, heated seats, rolled fender edges, AC Roadster Interiors inner fenders, stainless steel side pipes, and a TON of other upgrades. I can safely say there is not another one like it out on the road.

One of the great parts about this car is the cost of ownership. It’s no more than my daily driver, in fact, it’s cheaper. Insurance for me is only $470/year, maintenance can be done by any good mechanic or taken to the Ford dealership, and oil changes are every 7,000 miles. This is an affordable car to own.

The best part about this car is how it looks and sounds! If you want to just blend into the automotive background, then this car is definitely not for you. Every time I go for a drive, I constantly get the thumbs up and people wanting to ask questions or comment how much they like it. For more pics or to read what other Cobra owners have said about the car, click on the link below.

http://www.ffcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1642342#post1642342

If you are interested, have any questions, or you just want to find out more about the car, send me an email at [email protected]. If you’re interested in a trade, email me a few pics and tell me a brief history of your car. Thanks for checking it out …travis talbot
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Well, best of luck - your car is certainly beautiful! Nice.

 

I looked at the pictures but I'm not sure I get it. The Cobra was basically like an 'engine with wheels,' but the engine in that car looks nothing like a Cobra engine.
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Yes, an original Cobra is just an engine with wheels; specifically the engine was a Ford 427. The original Cobra’s were made to race. Carroll Shelby only made production cars because it was the only way to make his car eligible to race. They weren’t very street friendly. The original big blocks tend to overheat in regular daily driving and prefer to be driven at higher RPM’s.

My car has a 4.6L DOHC out of a 2004 Mustang Mach 1. Did I sacrifice a little “coolness factor” for going with a modern engine? Sure, a little. But the trade-off made it a heck more drivable on the street or the track. Just turn the key and press start… no heating problems, reliable, fun & easy to drive... and freak'n fast! …travis

 

Hey Travis,

That is really some nice work. I think the engine sounds like a reasonable compromise, good power, probably fair economy and you have a very fun car.

I have a friend that is, (and has been for many years), slowly rebuilding an aluminum 650 hp 1800 pound original car. He says that "these cars kill people" 650 hp, with most of it in the front and an 1800 pound weight. Sure it would be a MAJOR rush to drive it - but would you like to feed it or even try to restrain yourself from pounding the pedal with radar everywhere???

I hope you find a good Ferrari.

regards,
chris

 

Sent you a PM...

 

my father did a 65 replica with an original 427 side oiler in it. it is still to this day the gem of a garage with a lot of other very impressive toys in it. besides being two seat toy cars, i cant imagine two cars that are any more different than a cobra and 3x8. speaking in terms of someone who has ownership experience in both, they compliment eachother nicely. if you can only have one thats certainly a personal decision one has to make, but together you pretty much have every automotive fun factor covered.

on a side note, i understand not being able to use the cobra much in seattle, but are you really going to drive the f car much more? im not one of those that think they CANT be driven in the rain (though i never do myself), but as a toy id never want to drive it in the rain. there wouldnt be much fun in it.

 

I have always liked the Cobra replicas. Good luck in yoursearch for the 328 trade. I think it is a good idea!

BT

 

Looks really good. Building one of those can be a very long journey.
I wish you luck in your quest. You might want to do a search and see how many are out there for sale right now. The bad news is I think you'll find there are many available for under $39K.
http://motors.search.ebay.com/factory-five_Cars-Trucks_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ6001
and
http://www.cars-on-line.com/shelby.html

 

Thanks for your comments guys, they're much appreciated. Rv5, you're correct about the rain thing in Seattle. The difference is, nine months out of the year, it's always cloudy in Seattle. Even if I don't think it's going to rain, I still won't take the Cobra out, with the Ferrari, I could. I'm following up on a few people interested and I'll keep you all updated. Thanks for your interest ...travis

 

Dave,

Did a search for Cobra's comparable to mine. I didn't find any with the 4.6L DOHC engine. That actually surprised me a bit. Many 289's, 302's, 351's, even 427's. Well, OK.. I found one that sold at Barrett Jackson Auction last year. Close to the same car. In fact, I would say my car is nicer, especially in the details where it counts. Big difference is that their 4.6L DOHC had a stack intake system and some chrome on the engine. It's about a $6,000 upgrade. That car sold for $67,000. Check it out... http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/search/w_search.aspx#gridview
Search under...
Auction: Scottsdale 2007
Lot Number: 937

I completely agree there are a bunch of Cobra's out there for much cheaper than mine. Yes, you know what I'm going to say next... but you get what you pay for. Do a search for new Cobra's with a 4.6L DOHC (not the SOHC), with anti-lock brakes, heater & heated seats, IRS (most don't have IRS and it's a $4000 upgrade alone), 17" Halibrand wheels, rolled fender & cockpit edges, polished stainless steel side pipes, etc... you'll be hard pressed to find one for under $50K ...travis

 

You'll get no argument from me on the value of IRS, heater, anti-lock, etc. However a lot of prospective owners will tell you, "If it isn't like the original then it isn't right."

I was one of the guys who bought someone else's parts after he supplied all the labor and paint for free. What I mean by that is I bought a Factory Five 427 a few years back and what I paid for it couldn't cover the parts cost, let alone the labor which was HUGE. That is very common in replica sales.

These are brutes and a blast to drive. The problem is they are a horrible investment for the builder.

Having said that (I know I'm nuts, I admit it) I'm still looking for an Avenger Valkerie or a 7