Mach 307
Well-Known Member
Wow! I am surprised you got rid of the car, it always seemed like your baby in your posts!
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OP
OP
350 Feet
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- Thread starter
- #32
I was my baby! But since it was just “Toy”. Once a new passion appeared, all sights were set on that. It happens.
My best friend still has his ‘65 fastback that he drove in high school some 45 years ago. It’s like his 4 wheeled girlfriend. For me, it’s still just a “Thing” and I am not married to it. Time for a new toy to explore, as I am increasingly aware that life is short. As it has been said about life and food, “Life is short, eat dessert first”. I can’t wait to hear the side pipes echo off the canyon walls!
Mach 307
Well-Known Member
Fair enough my friend, and best of luck on the search for the next ride! GT40 gets my vote.
EchoFiveR3531
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Well in that case something loud, fun and impractical is perfect!
OldbutNew
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It is my understanding that Superformance is the only one that has a CSX VIN.
The old FE engines have certainly benefitted from updated technology. The stroker 427 Windsors are an acceptable substitute. I am currently working on a project for a client that will feature a Godzilla Ford. 445 cubes, package and weight are right between the other 2.
Light CNC heads, relatively mild cam, and intake makes 630-650Hp and carry 500 + torque from 3400-6400. 560-575 peak. 700 NA is a different cam away.
11# of boost will give you power numbers with a comma.
Seeing more going into Cobras all the time. Put one of these in the back of a GT40???
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Strokerswild
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I don't know, I think Kaitlyn could have them both for that swap. I'm old enough that I'm not using them much anymore anyway.
mavisky
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CSX number is important if you are concerned about future resale, but you'll pay a premium up front for it.
Factory Five is sort of the down and dirty fast way into the game and have a lot of options for building your own. A true kit car.
Backdraft probably makes some of the nicest turnkey models, but pricing matches the quality of course.
I've personally looked at building a coyote based competition factory five build. A healthy Coyote making almost 500 at the crank is going to be a nasty combo in a car this small and light. Adding a supercharger usually just results in an absolutely deadly combination of power and short wheel base.
Factory Five is sort of the down and dirty fast way into the game and have a lot of options for building your own. A true kit car.
Backdraft probably makes some of the nicest turnkey models, but pricing matches the quality of course.
I've personally looked at building a coyote based competition factory five build. A healthy Coyote making almost 500 at the crank is going to be a nasty combo in a car this small and light. Adding a supercharger usually just results in an absolutely deadly combination of power and short wheel base.
Strokerswild
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My brother is building a Gen1 Coyote powered Factory Five. Originally, it was going to be big block powered (385 series, not FE), but he changed plans to have better weight distribution and handling. He's not using any OEM Fox body parts, went with the FF tubular A-arms and such, Wilwood brakes, aftermarket 9" rear, etc. I'll say that I'm very impressed with the FF kit and parts as a whole, as I'm intimately familiar with it.
He's about a solid long weekend from the chassis being driveable. However, I hope he finishes it before I'm dead, as he's been at it for several years. Like me, too many irons in the fire. I'm more apt to buy one completed at this point.
OP
OP
350 Feet
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- #39
Being a home builder for more decades than I care to remember, I have zero desire to build a kit car.
Backdraft of Superformance would be my pick. I don’t even have to order a new build, as there are plenty available that are close enough to perfect for me. As good an engine as a coyote is, I want old-school. A small block 427 in those cars still offers a near perfect balance/weight distribution. I also see no reason to tempt fate with forced induction. Besides, natural aspiration turns my crank. A little 8 stack fuel injection and I’m home baby.
Could anything sound better even at idle??
Strokerswild
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I've built several motorcycles from bare frames over time, so I hear you on building a kit car. I'm also in favor of an old school, pushrod engine with a snotty cam popping through the side pipes. It's proper for these little monsters in my mind. And they're terrifying enough without forced induction.
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DaveB
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I build replicas at my shop. Legacy Motorsports. I’m located in Plainfield Indiana. Let me know if I can be of service to you. I love building these wonderful beastsI didn’t think this would ever happen, but I got the bug to move on past the GT350. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the car; nothing.
But I just was hearing a voice for something more old-school and perhaps special. A car that I could actually work on, didn’t require smog or inspections, and one that a cop might appreciate instead of ticketing.
Two cars that really turned my crank are the GT40s and the Shelby cobras.
The GT40 replicas would be my first choice, but I would have to sell my left testicle to make that happen. And considering the high mileage on the latter, the value is suspect…
I have always wanted a cobra, but thought it was too impractical. Considering I have only taken the 350 out on nice days owning a cobra. It wouldn’t be much different.
There is definitely a part of me that is sad about having walked away from the 350 but a new adventure awaits. At least I’m staying in the Ford family. By the way, having three pedals on the new ride is a given.
The 350 went to a good and deserving home, and I know it will be well taken care of.
Wish me luck on the next adventure!
Lorne34
Project Hidalgo
Sorry to see you get rid of the 350 ...
Best of Luck on the Cobra.. you can always go back though..
Remember what Mr Spock said..
.
Best of Luck on the Cobra.. you can always go back though..
Remember what Mr Spock said..
.
Clover
Well-Known Member
I'll chime in as a Factory Five Cobra Daytona Coupe builder to add a little more info for the OP or others with interest. These cars do pull at most car guys harts. In fact, I bet you could show a picture of a cobra to kids and non car people and get them all to admit they think it is cool. The car is an icon
Superformance cars are built out of South Africa but can be officially listened as Shelby cars. They can't supply the engine and transmission with the car legally, but they build everything else and you supply your own engine and transmission and have it put in once the car is delivered. They provide a high quality build but at a high cost and with low effort. Be prepared to wait if you order your own. It may have gotten better, but some areas had a backlog in the past. They will tell you the official Shelby license matters as they sell it. However, I don't personally see any value in it. Who are you trying to fool claiming the fiberglass car built in South Africa is an original? This is not original because you paid extra for a license 60 years later. It is still a reproduction and when someone asks if it is real, I would feel foolish trying to explain that it has an CSX VIN and is listed in the registry but was made in 2026 in South Africa from a fiberglass body with a modified body and wheelbase etc... and I would just say no. If having your name on a list is worth many thousands to you, Superformance is your only option but I think you get the option of paying more and many of their buyers skip that, which I would too.
Factory Five Racing has made by far the most cobra kits, however, you have to build them. They are a kit which can be built in many different ways with multiple options. There are some pros that will build the kit for you if you don't want to do it, but completed Cobra kits also tend to sell for around the money that people put into them, less any labor costs. They started selling for more during COVID but I expect it to return to the normal of around the build cost eventually.
The advantages of F5 over the others is they seem to have the best chassis and a flexible platform you can build just about whatever you want in for a relatively low price. Builds go from cheap and basic to over the top including the nicest Cobras you will find. They can provide the mounts, driveshaft, exhaust, etc. so you can use just about any Ford V8 you want or a Chevy LS if you prefer. For the rear, you can go with a 4 link, 3 link, or IRS from the modern Mustang platform. Power steering options, braking options, suspension options, AC, seating options, vintage or modern gauges, and more options to make whatever you want. Most people use new parts for everything now but you could use a donor car or source used parts to save money. With these owners all building their cars together online and the amount of customization available , there is more of a community to these owners.
The new Mk. V was just released from Factory 5 Racing last year and uses a modern space frame chassis designed in SolidWorks instead of the 3" tubing like the originals. For me, this is a big advantage as the chassis is much stiffer and has better layout options. If you want it to look all original, you need to look for an earlier generation though. The new chassis will provide a higher performance ceiling if you are going for the ultimate Cobra.
My Cobra Daytona Coupe build use the more modern chassis, which I put a Coyote and a Tremec t-56 Magnum 6-speed with IRS in. I kept the interior original looking but with AC and I went with the original guardsman blue and white stripes paint. I had been considering a more modern blue but as I looked at more pictures, the ones that were different blues started to look wrong to me. My painter is just finishing up and I'm hoping to get it back and registered this summer. I ended up sending it half way across the country for a body shop that can apply aluminum plating to the underside the nose. You can get an aluminum body from Superformance for the Daytona Coupe, but they only make a handful a year and they are well into the $200Ks if not $300Ks. I'll fully admit I want an all aluminum body but I could not swing that and wanted to build my own car. I may take some heat for it, but it's not like I'm really pretending I'm original with a Coyote with AC sitting right there on modern wheels and tires. I just think the aluminum is much nicer than the fiberglass and it will look good when it is all brushed the same direction I brushed all the aluminum panels I used throughout the engine bay.
It's not the best photo but in the below recent photo from my painter you can see he is also working on a GT40 and a standard Cobra in the background. Wanna guess which one he tells me is his favorite? We're all 100% sure that answer does not change when he talks to the Cobra and GT40 builders too right?
Superformance cars are built out of South Africa but can be officially listened as Shelby cars. They can't supply the engine and transmission with the car legally, but they build everything else and you supply your own engine and transmission and have it put in once the car is delivered. They provide a high quality build but at a high cost and with low effort. Be prepared to wait if you order your own. It may have gotten better, but some areas had a backlog in the past. They will tell you the official Shelby license matters as they sell it. However, I don't personally see any value in it. Who are you trying to fool claiming the fiberglass car built in South Africa is an original? This is not original because you paid extra for a license 60 years later. It is still a reproduction and when someone asks if it is real, I would feel foolish trying to explain that it has an CSX VIN and is listed in the registry but was made in 2026 in South Africa from a fiberglass body with a modified body and wheelbase etc... and I would just say no. If having your name on a list is worth many thousands to you, Superformance is your only option but I think you get the option of paying more and many of their buyers skip that, which I would too.
Factory Five Racing has made by far the most cobra kits, however, you have to build them. They are a kit which can be built in many different ways with multiple options. There are some pros that will build the kit for you if you don't want to do it, but completed Cobra kits also tend to sell for around the money that people put into them, less any labor costs. They started selling for more during COVID but I expect it to return to the normal of around the build cost eventually.
The advantages of F5 over the others is they seem to have the best chassis and a flexible platform you can build just about whatever you want in for a relatively low price. Builds go from cheap and basic to over the top including the nicest Cobras you will find. They can provide the mounts, driveshaft, exhaust, etc. so you can use just about any Ford V8 you want or a Chevy LS if you prefer. For the rear, you can go with a 4 link, 3 link, or IRS from the modern Mustang platform. Power steering options, braking options, suspension options, AC, seating options, vintage or modern gauges, and more options to make whatever you want. Most people use new parts for everything now but you could use a donor car or source used parts to save money. With these owners all building their cars together online and the amount of customization available , there is more of a community to these owners.
The new Mk. V was just released from Factory 5 Racing last year and uses a modern space frame chassis designed in SolidWorks instead of the 3" tubing like the originals. For me, this is a big advantage as the chassis is much stiffer and has better layout options. If you want it to look all original, you need to look for an earlier generation though. The new chassis will provide a higher performance ceiling if you are going for the ultimate Cobra.
My Cobra Daytona Coupe build use the more modern chassis, which I put a Coyote and a Tremec t-56 Magnum 6-speed with IRS in. I kept the interior original looking but with AC and I went with the original guardsman blue and white stripes paint. I had been considering a more modern blue but as I looked at more pictures, the ones that were different blues started to look wrong to me. My painter is just finishing up and I'm hoping to get it back and registered this summer. I ended up sending it half way across the country for a body shop that can apply aluminum plating to the underside the nose. You can get an aluminum body from Superformance for the Daytona Coupe, but they only make a handful a year and they are well into the $200Ks if not $300Ks. I'll fully admit I want an all aluminum body but I could not swing that and wanted to build my own car. I may take some heat for it, but it's not like I'm really pretending I'm original with a Coyote with AC sitting right there on modern wheels and tires. I just think the aluminum is much nicer than the fiberglass and it will look good when it is all brushed the same direction I brushed all the aluminum panels I used throughout the engine bay.
It's not the best photo but in the below recent photo from my painter you can see he is also working on a GT40 and a standard Cobra in the background. Wanna guess which one he tells me is his favorite? We're all 100% sure that answer does not change when he talks to the Cobra and GT40 builders too right?
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