So you?re thinking about building a Cobra replica car. They are great custom roadsters, whether you?re building it to drive or just building it to add to your collection. Cobras are lightweight cars, compared to some racing cars that can weigh up to 3,400 pounds, so they?re great for performance driving.
One main thing you need to consider when building getting your cobra kit is which kit you are going to use. Performance driving cars can be built with a variety of kits. Are you going to use a donor car or build the entire car from scratch? Complete kits include the components to build the entire car while a base kit requires you to get a donor car. It?s important to think about how much time, effort, and money you?re willing to put into this project before you purchase your kit.
If you decide to start with a donor car, there are a few things you should think carefully about:
Price. How much money are you willing to spend on a donor car? Would it be cheaper to buy a complete kit instead of starting with a donor car?
Mileage. Make sure the donor car has low mileage to ensure it?s going to last a long time.
Condition. How long as the car been out of use? After sitting for a long time, calipers can seize and the car can have serious wear and tear on certain parts of it. Make sure to especially check important parts like the radiator and gas tank and figure out how many upgrade parts you?re going to need to buy.
Replacement Parts. How many parts of the car can actually still be used?
Brake system. When building a cobra replica, it?s important that the brakes are in excellent condition. Make sure you choose the right brake system based on weight, spring rates, and tire size. Also take into consideration if you?re going to go with power brakes or not.
Power steering. Take needing to steer and shift the same time into consideration.
Frame strength. The recommended engine will tell you how strong the frame is and if it is flexible enough.
Interior. What condition is the interior in? Are a stereo and speakers included? How low or high do you sit in the car? How comfortable are the seats? Do you fit comfortably in the car?
There are of course many other factors to take into consideration but the few points above are a good place to start. Whether you?re building your performance driving cobra replica from scratch or starting with a donor car, it can be a great hobby for car enthusiasts.