Buy or Build
Should I build one myself or should I buy one ?
This is a question that only the Cobra enthusiast themself can answer. And the answer is different for every enthusiast. This page is not meant to provide an answer, but to provide some input to help you make your own decision. What ever you decide, make sure you meet some people from the club and ask them about their experience.
Whichever way you decide to go - one thing is certain - help from the club will save you time, money and frustration.
I think I want to build my own Cobra. OK...then consider this:-
- Expect it to take 12-24 months from order to completion
- Expect it to cost betwen $50,000 and $80,000.
- The kits vary a lot and meet different needs (racing vs cruising) so shop around and meet the kit company and make sure you can work with them.
- Consider how "hands on" you are. You can save a lot of money by doing work yourself (rather than outsourcing it) and outsourcing everything can make it a more expensive project.
- Use the internet. There are a lot of people out there who have done what you are considering. Check the forums (on this site and others) and ask some newbie questions - usually - you will get great advice
- Think about registration. NSW is the hardest state in Australia to get a newly built Cobra registred. Talk to the RTA yourself - there is a lot of bad advice out there and it's not all true.
- Consider how satifying it is to have built your own Cobra. (it is very, very satisfying !)
- Be careful buying a "half finished" project. You may discover too late that it has significant flaws that are expensive to fix.
I don't have the time to build, I want to buy one. OK...consider this
- Prices vary but expect to pay between $50,000 and $100,000 for a replica
- If you are being offered a "Genuine Cobra" for $120K. It's not a genuine, it's a replica.
- Talk to the club and see if you can drive a member's car before you go shopping. Driving a Cobra is something of an acquired taste. They are generally pretty "raw". That's part of the appeal for most Enthusiasts
- Not all state's are equal. A Cobra registered in WA may not be able to get rego in NSW. Check with the RTA first. Don't believe what the seller tells you.
