I had Porsche's for years in my toybox and at one point about two years ago, there was nothing there (someone stole my toy!). So I looked at all kinds of vintage cars and suddenly it dawned on me that for less than an Austin Healey or 80's vintage Ferrari, I could buy a gently used Cobra. Still had the British coachwork and interior, no? I got an absolutely fantastic Backdraft (built with excellence in South Africa) with 1100 miles on the clock, BMW Suspension, Kieth Craft 408/410 Street Performance Engine that put 570hp to the rear wheels. A stunning car! Totally sorted for sure.
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Then I started to drive it. What a thrill! Fast as anything could be (certainly in the 3 second range for 0-62). And loud. Very loud. After 20 minutes my ears were ringing. So I went and got some earplugs. Then I went and got $25 earplugs (like rock musicians use). This helped. The car had no top, so I only took it out in beautiful weather.
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I never saw anything get the kind of positive attention this thing did. Literally you couldn't drive 5 minutes without at least one thumbs up or someone trying to shout over the pipes at a stop light to ask you if it was "real". More than once I saw a cell phone cocked to take a photo at 70 mph on the highway! I think because it was an "American" car and instantly recognizable that people felt related to it in a way that they wouldn't if, say, you were driving a Ferrari.
Of course my wife wouldn't go near it! I took her for one 10 minute ride (at reasonable speeds) and she nearly jumped out of her skin! Naturally there wasn't a radio, air, or any other modern convenience.
One night I was driving on the highway with it after dark with my earplugs firmly set in and I had an out-of-the-body experience. At that point it was dark so I couldn't see the car, only the road ahead. The wind protection was minimal and the noise was muffled but still significant. I became detached from the car and what it was. I realized that this was the limit to what I was ever going to experience with this beauty. Seeing the hot rod sitting in my garage was great, but I am a driver, no?
I put the car up for sale the next day.
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Yeah, it is true you have to put up with some inconveniences when you drive an early 911. But it still isn't a glorified motorcycle! Don't kid yourselves -- you don't want a Cobra in your garage unless it is the tenth car you have, and even then I would wonder. After a few hundred to a thousand miles, if you are anything like me, you would have exhausted the possibilities of the car as a road car. (As a track car, I don't know.)
I loved that car, but it was like the hot exotic girl you dated when you were younger. Certainly not marriage material. Certainly not a PORSHA!
My old girlfriend:
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My new long-term relationship (maybe marriage?):
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Cheers!