2024 the best time to buy a used car review

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The photos in this edition are black and white.

The original Shelby Cobra left an indelible imprint on the automotive landscape. This nimble English roadster, powered by a raucous Ford V-8, set new performance standards, won countless races, and became an iconic supercar. The Shelby Cobra was only in production for six short years and only about 1,000 cars were ever made, but Cobra aficionados yearned for and revered these cars. Then, beginning in the late 1970s, companies manufactured and sold Cobra replicas as a kit car, so enthusiasts could build one in their garage, and other companies eventually offered complete rolling chassis as well as complete new cars.

Author D. Brian Smith, former editor-in-chief of Kit Car magazine, shows you each crucial step for assembling a modern Cobra replica, and in particular, he profiles assembling the most popular Cobra kit car: the Factory Five Cobra Mk4. He guides you through selecting the right Cobra kit car for a particular budget and performance goals, and then shows how to plan, budget, and use the necessary tools. Detailed step-by-step captions and photos show you how to assemble each major component group of the car so you assemble a strong running, reliable, and safe Cobra replica.

Also included in this informative guide is how to buy a pre-owned Cobra replica. It shows you how to inspect, evaluate, and test drive used Cobra kit cars for those who prefer to purchase one already assembled.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cartech (July 13, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 178 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1613253877
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1613253878
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.38 x 11 inches
Reviewer: WIS89
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fantastic book and a wonderful resource if you plan to build a replica!
Review: Hi folks-I have never written a review before, so please bear with me. I bought this book, because I hope to someday build myself a Factory Five Roadster replica. I already have the build manual from Factory Five, but I bought this book to see what I could learn. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information, great details, tips, and techniques. There are a large number of photos to supplement the advice, and each picture complements the dialog nicely.I would best describe this book almost like a couple of car guys sitting in the mancave drinking a few cold beverages, talking about how to build their cars, while passing around pictures of how their car came together. I keep my copy next to my chair and look at it often. It is a wonderful resource, and I am using it as I put my own build plan together.I highly recommend it for anyone on the fence about building one of these amazing cars, or who is already thinking about building one of these cars. I learned that it is truly possible to make yourself a beautiful machine with a reasonable amount of talent, a good plan, and a modest amount of tools. Mr. Smith and his father did an amazing job building a stunning car, and were kind enough to document it for us!Congratulations to both Mr. Smiths on their fine book. I wish you much success!!Regards,Steve

Reviewer: Ray
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book and very helpful
Review: I heard about this book (and met the author) while attending a car show at the Huntington Beach Pier in April 2012, came home and placed an order before it was released. Waiting was hard, but worth it. While the book focuses on the authors build of a Factory Five Roadster, the information it contains easily translates to other builds. If you are looking for a "basic how to bend fuel/brake lines etc. book" this isn't the book for you. However, if you are looking at building a replica of an American classic automobile and already have basic mechanical skills, this book will be a great reference. We have already built our Roadster, but I enjoyed the book and glad that we have it in our library.Ray

Reviewer: TVC
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A 'must read' if you're thinking of building an FFR cobra replica
Review: Very thorough and well produced showing a lot of detail and giving tips along the way. I marked it down a little for repetition of brand names that looked as if they were paid advertorials.Some of the tables of kit contents from several different manufacturers were spread across too many column inches and looked as if they were produced that way to make the book look voluminous.Apart from these criticisms I was entertained and enlightened and can happily recommend this book to anyone thinking of building a Cobra replica, and especially an FFR kit.

Reviewer: Henry Renaud
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Awesome book
Review: I am currently building my 4th Factory Five Racing "Roadster" and bought this book on a whim. The authors know what they are doing and show it with great instructions and illustrations. Even though I am on my 4th, I still learned from this book - just wish it was around for number 1. Highly recommend this book if you are contemplating building one.

Reviewer: gameguy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Well written
Review: I have been watching my friends and brother in-law build kit cars for the past 20 years and so this book caught my eye. Very well written, clear and detailed. If and when I actually do build my own -- this is the book for me to get the final product a Cobra. Excellent job Brian.

Reviewer: Frankd
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The book is just Ok
Review: I bought this book because I was thinking of building a cobra kit car and was curious. I've rebuilt a few motorcycles and have done a fair bit of work on cars but I'm by no means an expert. The book doesn't seem like it was very well written. There were several sections that were confusing and I just wasn't sure what the author was trying to say. It also seemed like there was a lot of "filler" with not much content.Overall the book is ok if you are looking to build a Factory Five Racing brand kit but if you are looking at other kits I wouldn't really bother with this. Also, as others have noted, he didn't do his own body work or electrical work but he did do a pretty decent job explaining the process and including pictures. Overall I don't regret the purchase but I wish the book provided more information and was a little bit clearer on some points.

Reviewer: J. C. Rice
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Ahead of it's time
Review: How-to books are almost by definition boring. Mr. Smith is able to write informatively while still conveying his love of the Cobra. The pictures, while not always the prettiest, got the job done. To be honest was surprised--this book is packed with them and that really makes a huge difference.

Reviewer: Eric C.
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Should be "How to Have a Cobra Built for You"
Review: I guess when you are a big shot in the kit car world, you make a lot of friends and can exchange their trade work for advertising in your book. The author had all the parts given to him as well as services- a real let down if you were hoping to gain some insight in working on one yourself. There are no details of any use! Your best bet for help is to do some net-working on the forums and find a person near you to help with the interpretation of the build manual.

Reviewer: Daoneandonly
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: No explanation on building a kit car.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The book is well illustrated, clearly written, and gives you a good idea as to what is involved with building a Cobra kit car.

Reviewer: cobra joe
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Good info with lots of pictures, has some good pointers that will save time. The book uses a FF5 car as there build.