Oftentimes, we talk about buying a high-end kit car for a discount when one appears as a roughed-up and unfinished project in an owner’s garage. This is a common tale, when an ambitious builder hands over a fair chunk of money only to have the project remain in pieces for decades and sold at a massive loss. However, another way to get into a car like the Superformance MKIII Cobra Roadster is to buy one with light accident damage, such as this car listed here on eBay. With fiberglass construction and a mildly crushed driver’s side fender, the next owner can potentially get into one of these cars – with a powerful 427 already installed – for less than if they built one from scratch.
Superformance is a long-standing name in the world of Carroll Shelby-approved replicas, and now offers a fairly deep lineup of tribute cars including the Roadster like this one, as well as kits for the GT40, Daytona Coupe, and the Grand Sport Corvette. The Cobra body is obviously what they are most known for, and the company has gone to great lengths to earn the approval and partnership with the Shelby brand. The bodywork designs reflect a few different iterations of the Cobra, from the early “slab-sided” AC Cobra to the wide and wild track-inspired models. This one has the dual outlet rear exhaust as opposed to the side pipes. There’s also no roll hoop or hood scoop.
The Superformance models typically come with either 289 or a 427; this one obviously has the latter, with the added bonus of being breathed on by Roush. The data plate on the firewall lists horsepower as 578 and 566 lb.-ft. of torque, along with a VIN sticker issued by the state of California in 2022. It’s a shame this Cobra replica didn’t get more time on the road before it’s untimely collision, and somewhat surprisingly, the car was already issued a salvage/rebuild able title from the state of California. I’m not sure how these things work from a legal perspective, but I’m surprised this wasn’t just written up as a simple insurance job versus being totaled out and branded with a salvage certificate.
The interior is a homage to the original Cobra just like the outside, with a huge wood-rimmed steering wheel, deeply contoured bucket seats, and Cobra-branded floor mats. The cabin shows no untowards sign of a hard impact; thankfully, we don’t see the bottom of the steering wheel bent in, or a facial impression on the horn ring (though, the horn button is missing.) A Cobra kit car is one my list of pure fantasy cars to own someday, and if I were to buy a Superformance model, make mine a slab-sided edition with a red interior and carpeting and a 289 under the hood. How would you build your Cobra tribute?
Looks like a deer hit, and some sort of evasive action was taken, as a direct hit would have been much worse. I don’t know what all the gobbly-gook is with the title, sounds like a long day at the DMV, it would seem to me, a Superformance Cobra would be the only rational way of having something like this. Price? $54,999, and only ONE “watcher”,,,me. Seemingly an easy fix, what gives? Tells me the interest for this kind of stuff is rapidly drying up. Why? Most folks don’t have the resources to repair this, and have to rely on a body shop that probably has a 6 month wait, and won’t even take it on. That’s the reality today.
Deer hit? Looks like someone didn’t respect what that 427 is capable of..
Who has heard the saying, they went for there first spin and took there first spin
The guys that knew how to straighten body panel with a major dent or fabricate something from scratch are almost all gone. With the exception of a good unibody/frame tech most are, sadly, being trained as what I always called a parts changer. If you found a shop to work on it the labor would likely be off the rails. Good old school Corvette guy could knock the fiberglass out easily but the head on view looks like the frame rails tweaked up front and the whole structure is shifted to the right and the hood gaps are off. His price is a bit ambitious with a salvage title on what is (Carroll Shelby’s name on a data plate aside) a kit car.
Knock the fiberglass out easily?
Ha ha ha.
You don’t “knock fiberglass out.”
“ This Ford Cobra Kit-Car has undercarriage and front end damage (please see pictures for details).”
With regards to the engine and remaining goodies, are they valuable enough to buy this at the current price then transplant into another? Is the undercarriage repairable?
If that’s the case, why else isn’t it being bid on?
FWIW, Rancho Cordova is renowned for its salvage yards of all sorts, be it large or small, 2 wheels (or one wheel in some cases) to 18 wheelers. A bit surprising that someone hasn’t already snapped this up!
Fixing the damage should be easy compared to trying to blend into that super paint job. Be a shame to have to repaint the whole car.
I agree with Bob about the paint job. Blacks a tough color to keep up and get right. And it was gorgeous. It would be a shame to have to repaint the whole car. I hope it gets fixed. And doesnt sit around in somebodys yard under a tree for 12 years to only wind up back here on Barnfinds in way worse shape
Paint flames on it.
These all have 1 piece tilting front clips. Tilts away from windshield forward. So fenders and hood all 1 piece with a big U SHAPED STRUCTURE it all bolts to which is damaged. The suspension mounting points for each front wheel attach to the front section of the frame at the corners. So if the areas where the wheel\suspension attach to is broken off the main frame, which likely is, the frame itself took some of the impact stress and is likely bent or cracked.
There is a lot more going on than just replacing a fender which doesn’t come off by itself.
I dont think this has a tilt front end. Looks like the hood opens, but there’s no line where the body separates at the windshield line, just a door opening separation. most cobras have a one piece main shell.
And I cant see any suspension parts good enough to see a broken spring
The 2021 I just saw on YouTube had a hood that tilted forward. Fixed fenders.
No tilt front end here. The tilt forward front ends don’t take the windshield with them. No seam on this car below the windshield.
You can clearly see the broken suspension coil over in this picture. Plus, that is a 1 piece tilting front clips. Fenders don’t just come off.
that is a piece of ductwork. left front wheel is straight, which it would not be if the left front coil was sticking out that far from the suspension mount area
There are 3 nice replicas within driving distance of me on Marketplace that are $50k or under and would require no body work. Seems like an inflated price on this one.
The seller has 21 other hot cars listed and a boat.
There is such a thing as too much HP for a chasis, this might be it. The damage on the front might add to my theory. The small block in these gave a better balanced car, plus more useable HP then you could ever use on the street or track and live to tell the tale.
Well the damage must be pretty significant if it was totaled. Which I’m assuming it was because of the salvage title. So what was the value of the car before damage? Something tells me there must have been 30 or 35,000 worth of damage.
IMO, overpriced for what it will cost to repair which is why it was totaled to begin with, again as stated “IMO”. As one of the other comments mentioned the market, state of economy and demand doesn’t warrant the asking price.
However, would I buy it if I had the extra funds available….absolutely!!
I was a Superformance dealer in FL until the Shelby lawsuits, hence my handle.
They are an excellent reproduction.
My sled was red with a 427 side-oiler, about 500hp on the dyno.
Let me tell you: that thing was scary fast. You needed to be pointed straight before hitting the go pedal, and if you weren’t careful, that short wheelbase will get swapped around in a heartbeat.
The visceral reaction to stereo spark poundings is something you will never forget. A radio is useless, the real music comes from the barely-baffled sidepipes.
I just don’t understand why someone puts a small block in a 427 S/C replica. That goes in a slab side.
But, as always, opinions vary, all blessings.
Well nobody has had to piss and moan about a Chevy motor during this whole discussion
Would love to own a Cobra reproduction but all the videos I ever see of the big block cars are going out of control into a tree / curb / whatever when the owner floors it leaving a Cars and Coffee.
I guess I just don’t have the requisite ego; I’ll take the slab side 289.
One of the best Cobra Slabs. I’ve owned one 1983 AURORA GRX COBRA. Purchased it for $15K in the Topsfield,MA.
After having owned a number of Corvettes over the last 55 or so years, one thing I learned early on is that if you are an accident, make damned sure you pick up all the pieces of fiberglass. It’s not that hard to glue things back together. Especially, if there are no good reproduction parts available.
I agree I’ve owned 6 Corvettes. Crashed two of them during my stupid youngster days.
Beautiful Roadster, my favorite big block Cobra, no scoop, proper bumpers and overrides, no roll bar, roadster dash with glove compartment, and under-car exhaust. That said, I would prefer a slab-side, but now you’re talking real $$$ even in a replica.
I can’t imagine how much a new body from SF would cost. I doubt you can just get a fender, but maybe.
It’s a Windsor based 427. Not an FE. Bound to
Be a handful, regardless.
I had a customer with a Superformance cobra. It was a much higher quality car than most of what’s out there. His had a 429 based 514. It B was a scary car.
“Here’s your new Superperformance Cobra, sir. With that 500+ hp you asked for!”
“Thanks! I’ll be picking up the mistress later this evening, and showing off this beast after dinner and drinks!”
“Great! Just be aware that this car handles quite a bit differently than your Mercedes sedan.”
“Please. I’m a professional stock broker. Don’t tell me how to drive my own car.”
“Bang Ding Ow!”
Spot on! Thats exactly it!
I’ve owned my fake Cobra for over 20 years and 100,000 miles. I’m fortunate, I’ve driven over 10% of all the 427 Competition Cobras built by Shelby back in the 1960s so when I went shopping for one of my own, I knew I wanted to drive it frequently and far – which I have! So, what is my car powered by? Ford 2.8 Cologne V6! Don’t laugh – at track day events, with a professional driver, NOBODY has ever passed my car – I’m talking about other much more powerful Cobra replicas, Corvettes, Porsches, Lotus, whatever. I reasonable driver can only use so much horsepower anyway and show me another with over 100,000 miles on it!!
The lucky guy that can afford it and get it fixed will have an amazing car
that interior is perfection
Yeah Brakeserver. It may stay respectable around other higher horsepower cars but this one looks great when you live hood. The seller has many broken drivers for auction. I really like the mustang. Wouldn’t have a problem putting that one back together. Especially since my friend has a 08 Carroll Shelby autographed Mustang GT 500. Has extra work under the hood so the one this guy has would be fun to run side by side out at Bonneville speed week.
Sorry. That was supposed to say when you lift the hood.
Again sorry. Brakeservo. Boy I just can’t get it right tonight
Rebuilt title usually means no financing. I don’t know what it does on insurance, I heard you can not get full coverage.
As a long-time Cobra fan, and having driven everything from a mild small block to absurd 600+hp, I will clearly state that anything over about 410hp is very dangerous even in the hands of an experienced driver.
Carroll Shelby himself said the slab-side 289 hi-po with 271hp was his favorite.
The best balance between fast and driveable I experienced was a 351 with 385hp. An old 406 FE with fake cross bolts dressed like a 427 side-oiler with 410hp could be the sweet spot for semi-purists: It looks like a 427 but drives like something more reasonable. We sold a bunch of them. I think Southern Automotive still has some 406 blocks.