re: Anybody ever do a Shelby Cobra kit?

I've been eyeing a Factory 5 kit for a while.

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MK4 ROADSTER BASE KIT - $14,990
The original Factory Five Mk1 Roadster was based on the innovation of using running gear from a single donor vehicle, namely, the high-performance Ford Mustang. The concept was, and still is, so simple. If you have our base Mk4 kit and running gear parts from a 1987-2004 Mustang GT donor car, you already have all the parts you need to build and drive your car!

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MK4 ROADSTER COMPLETE KIT - $20,990
Over the years we have expanded our chassis kit to include factory-new parts as well. Our Mk4 complete kit delivers to you… well, a complete kit. The only additional things you’ll need are your own engine/transmission/rear end, wheels/tires, and paint.

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or their coupe

My brother is currently building a Factory 5 version.

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Is this similar to buying a fake Rolex? Posing?

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Nobody sees a Cobra and thinks original first, they are all replicas until shown otherwise.

The one I had while not a CSX was built under license from Carroll Shelby so it was a different gray area but not borrowed IP.

I can't recommend a Superformance enough. The only issue is the price. You get a well sorted and painted roller and just add the drivetrain. Mine had the optionally aluminum body which is a very nice option. They are just a fully sorted car from the factory but it takes out most of the "build" aspect. They also tend to hold their value better because people know it was built right at least at the beginning.

Love the slabsides.

My dream car… GT 1000
This one sold for $198K

I am building a Factory Five Roadster. It is essentially the poor man's Cobra, but it can be a significant investment in both time and money. Mine is a generation III kit. I am almost finished with it. I found it during Covid from a two guys who had bought it and had a falling out with each other and decided to sell it. I got it at a great price and there were a dozen guys waiting in line behind me to buy it. I picked up an engine, rebuild it, painted it and added lots of other eye candy to it. It has a Ford 302 with Holley Spider EFI and ignition system with a T5 transmission. The transmission was custom geared for my tires and rear end. I just completed the interior, which I did myself and am quite pleased with how it came out. The good thing about these cars is you can do most of it yourselves or contract it out. There are some phenomenal builders out there, but I wanted the fun of doing it myself. There are lots of them around, and performance wise I would put them up just about anything around. They are light, rigid and are true to the original form and specifications.

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Did you buy your Superformance complete from a prior owner or did you do the drivetrain install or have a completion contractor complete it.

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I am guessing you are asking me since I think I am the on l one that mentioned Superformance.

I bought my used from the first owner. It had a warm 351W with 409/425 at the crank when built mated to a Tremac TKX 5 spd.

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If you run the 15 inch wheels and the right tires, Avons, it rides smooth on good roads.

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It had 15" pin drive Halibrand wheels and I ran non-DOT Goodyear Eagle Billboards.


I think I should emphasize to the OP or anyone considering one that hasn't driven one: they are not modern sports cars. When I had mine my daily driver was quicker, faster, handled and braked better. They are a handful to drive at 9/10th. They have a short wheelbase (90"), many are overpowered, zero (or negative) downforce and light in the rear. With a deft touch they are easy to rotate with the right foot but they are always on a razors edge between tightening your line and exchanging the rear for the front. They are massive fun to cruise in or do a 7/10th run on a curvy road but you won't be setting any PBs at your favorite track unless you are the reincarnation of Gurney or Miles.

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"warm" 351 Windsor

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Warm as in not stock but not wildly modified. Kinda in the upper end of off the shelf crate motors.

I assume you know the 351 Windsor is a Ford small block originally built in the Windsor Canada factory. Ford had 3 different 351s, the Windsor the Cleveland and the M(modified). In the day the Cleveland was considered the performance version because it had much better flowing heads but today you can do anything with a Windsor that you could do with a Cleveland as a result of a robust aftermarket and Ford Performance options.

My neighbor built a Factory Five kit car. It's basically an "adult model kit" for someone with strong mechanics skills. You can get it as a complete kit with parts that are 'brand new" or buy a wrecked mustang to salvage most components and reuse them. Or you can pay someone to assemble it for you. He chose the completely unassembled kit and provided new components in his build like engine/transmission/rear end. I helped him with all the electrical and it was a lot of fun. But if you have a job it takes a while to get it all assembled so it took him, for example, a year and a half. Once he had the body work done (the body needs a lot of TLC to get it primered and painted) it was a blast to drive.