Congratulations! (I'm jealous since I never see Cobras for sale around here )
You also traded a car that is still depreciating in value for a car that is starting to go up in value. Have fun with it, my first II is a 2.3 car and I've had a lot of fun with it.
dmoody:
I realize the sample is small, but I just don't think that many 4 cyl Cobra IIs were sold. If that were the case, many of us "older" folks would be saying "oh yeah, 4 cyls were everywhere".
That's just not my experience, although I may be an isolated case.
I stumbled across this old thread while searching for another...must have been one that I missed. It just so happens, that it will work well with the link I was going to post anyway.
In any case, I agree with Cobraman in regard to the relative rarity of Cobras with a 4 cyl. I know that I have only seen one in my life...that being brand new one on the lot in '76 the day I picked mine up. The kicker about it, was the fact it was a white/blue model and with a white interior. I still remember how unusual I thought it was. I wish that I had taken note then, of how they were equipted as far as differential, suspension and tires.
Yes, I have a 400+ GOAL HP 2.3L coupe garage queen that is currently in the nightmarish process of getting a header + big enough turbo & intercooler to support 400+HP. Still doing research on what I'm going to do to the EFI to support that goal.
I am also jealous . I live in Las Vegas and have never seen a cobra for sale around here. Was lucky enough to find my 76 ghia. would love to get my hands on a cobra though.
Congradulations to the newest addition to your family!
wow, it has been quite some time since i have purchased this car and this thread is still fresh with replies... amazing! Well here are some updates... I have buffed out the paint and gave her a fresh coat of wax, she shines like a mirror now! also i replaced the brakes all around, replaced the rear shocks (they are air interestingly enough) and found out that the alignment was perfect, the only thing making it veer off to the left was the fact that one tire had 55 psi and the other only had 25, i guess that is enough to make a differenct in handling though. anyway, glad to see my thread is still alive! I would however like to see some production numbers on how many 76 cobra II (genuine not clones) came with the 2.3L from the factory?
Since a Mustang II was the first ever car that I bought at 16, almost 20 years ago, I've been smitten with the Cobra II. So much so, that a Cobra was my second car, and third car. The fourth was a brand new 89 'stang, but anyway...
I have had all three engine sizes, but only V6 or V8 in a Cobra. There is a Cobra II here in my town, or was, that has a factory 2.3. It is the only time I've ever seen that, and the first time I saw it I was shocked that this car would come with all the bells and whistles only to have a 4 banger under the hood. Now though, as these cars become scarce, that novelty becomes a real rarity.
I've combed many a junkyard and car lot, and never passed one of these cars without stopping to take a closer look. If I had to come up with numbers based on my experience (local only), I'd say that the non-Cobras were about 60% 4's, 25% 6's, and 15% 8's.
The Cobra II's however, seem to be like the "super sport" version of the Mustang II. Given that line of thinking, one would think that the majority of people would have wanted the 8's, and I would say that the production numbers would reflect that, and be about opposite of the ones listed above.
BTW, after not having owned a II for over a dozen years (with much regret), I recently found out how nicely a little 77 Cobra II fits in my garage