How long did it take you to finish your Cobra

[Makgecko2017]

I was just wondering how long the average person takes to finish or atleast get to go cart stage.....

Mike

[wareaglescott]

Took me 100 days to first start. Go carted a couple weeks after that. My biggest slow down has been waiting on the paint. Painter will end up having my body 8-9 months. Car is there now for body install. When I get it back I have a couple weeks of work left. Should be 9-10 months total for me. My job allows me lots of free time so I was able to devote a lot of time to the project.

[PeteH]

I picked the 289 kit up Sept 10th 16 direct from FF, and have a complete go cart that is ready to fire, just add gas. Some carpeting is installed. Am now fabricating a compact firewall mounted heater box to finalize the cooling system. Body has not been touched yet, I imagine that will be a few months of tinkering.

[lahrs37]

I got my junkyard motor in August and my kit in September. I completely rebuilt the motor, broke it, and then fixed it (90% of how I did this came from youtube and a book from Amazon). I am now at the Go-kart stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drbqYCAAKQQ I don't have any big time-sucks. I don't have kids yet, but I do have a wife who likes me to be around. So most of my work is done on the weekends and after work here and there. I am also not nearly as particular as other folks on the forum. For example, I didn't have my aluminum panels powder coated. Some people are creating pure works of art and seriously, more power to them! My goal is more to make a fun car that I can enjoy, take to track days, and maybe road-trip. Whenever I paint the car - which won't be for a long time - I will do it myself. That works for me, and it has lead to a pretty fast build. I would be shocked if I wasn't registered at the 1 year mark. On the other hand, I have heard of builds going on for over 5 years. One last thing: every thing you want to change from the original recipe will add time. Good luck!

[BEAR-AvHistory]

About 13 months kit drop off till street legal.

[GoDadGo]

Way Too Long For This Guy!

I'm into the deal for two long years, but had a few financial distractions that caused me to stop a few times.

> Oldest Daughter Got Married
> Youngest Daughter Finished College
> Son Is Now A Senior College In A Private Prep School

It would have gone quicker if the funds were available.

Good Luck & I Say Go For It!

Steve

https://youtu.be/_wnHDNgnNqs

PS: Check Out Edwardb's Two Builds Because That Fellow Has Got His Stuff Together!

[Gumball]

Five glorious years from pick-up at FFR to state inspection... then I had to wait through winter to actually drive it on the street.

Loved every minute of it and when it was done it had everything I wanted. Often, people say "they're never done," but other than some de-bugging and tuning the first summer, mine truly was done after those five years.

Or as Steno puts it - half-a-decade.

[GoDadGo]

Five glorious years from pick-up at FFR to state inspection... then I had to wait through winter to actually drive it on the street.

Loved every minute of it and when it was done it had everything I wanted. Often, people say "they're never done," but other than some de-bugging and tuning the first summer, mine truly was done after those five years.

Or as Steno puts it - half-a-decade.

So There Is Still Hope For Me!

Thanks Gumball!

[CVOBill]

It took me 6 months to build, paint and title my Cobra in 2003. I put 5,000 miles on it in two years and sold it, now I'm back and want to build a '33 Hot Rod.

Bill

[Usudno]

I received my kit December 10 and have a running go cart. I still have a few wiring projects to tackle, mainly indicator lights. I should start fitting the body by the end of next week. I figure another 2 months and I should be close to completion. That would make 4-5 months.

[Jester]

18 months - 4 hours every Saturday actually working on the build.

[chopthebass]

Mine is still with painter 9 months later. Grrrr

[Crawleyscobra]

Mine was delivered July 2008. I got it on the road in 2014 still driving it in primer. Once I get my Daughter through Grad School in about 1 1/2 years I will get it painted and call it done.

[GoDadGo]

Mine is still with painter 9 months later. Grrrr

Is It With Whitby Motors?

[JJ in Cbus]

OK, I must be the outlier. I received my kit 10/02/2008 and finally got it inspected and registered on 10/04/2016. Lack of a heated garage for many years and the kids traveling sports schedules definitely drug mine out a lot longer, not to mention hanging out here and the other forum and seeing the latest must do mods... I am still only in gelcoat for now, but I am having way too much fun!

[RobReam]

8 weeks for the go cart and a total of 16 weeks till finished with paint.

[bobl]

14 months from delivery until graduation. I did everything but paint. Built the engine, trans and rearend. All bodywork, primed and blocked ready for paint, and final assembly. I'm retired so I worked on it some just about every day. My brother helped for the first 2 weeks of the build and the rest was just me, with some help to lift the body on and off.

Edit: I had it driving in gelcoat in 10 months.

[stevie.nowonder]

My kit was delivered in October 2013, great progress the first few months but then dealt with the aftermath of losing my wife... retired early, spent 15 months in Costa Rica and now back on it like a madman. Long story short, I've wanted one for so long, the dream didn't die.

No one remembers how long the Sistine Chapel took to build... they only remember the result.

It takes the time it takes.

[2FAST4U]

The first one took 18 months. This one will be close to three years

[FFinisher]

I can name that time I three months.

[Gene]

I got mine Christmas of 2015. I got to go-kart stage in November of 2016. Took the car to Jeff Miller for Paint in mid December and he estimated 12 weeks to paint. I am almost there.

[phileas_fogg]

It takes the time it takes.

I had never worked on a car before in my life. My kit was delivered 19 Jun 15. I did pretty much every sheet metal mod you can think of (upper trunk box, dropped lower trunk box, passenger foot box expansion, under dash filler panels, custom dash). I'm retired, and have been working on it a couple of hours a day for 3-4 days per week 9-10 months per year. I should be go-karting at the 2 year point.

I hate all you competent guys...KIDDING! In truth, I aspire to achieve your level of greatness.


John

[scottiec]

Got my kit thanksgiving morning 2016. I am at the roller stage now and getting the motor and trans ready to install. My hold up is budget/waiting on parts. Enjoy your time in the garage

[CDXXVII]

5 years 11 months

4 years lost to getting sucked in to reading the forum threads every day.

I literally finished last weekend. I guess that makes me a bit of a slow builder.

[Bobby Doug]

Just over 4 years as of now. My car is currently at paint and should be home within a few weeks. Deviating from the basic build, extras, $$, training for several marathons, and a couple of really hot summers contributed to the build length. Getting my car done and tagged will be a priority when it returns from paint.

[TPM3]

I'll let you know when I'm done. FFR5778 delivered 10/07. First start 02/08. In paint 10/16.

[mcwho]

My MK4 was delivered in July 2010, I go karted last April and today is the first drive with the body and all hardware on except the windshield. Waiting for my son to come down from Chicago, he is doing the body and paint.

I'll be posting a vid of todays test drive. So I'm creeping up on 7 years.

[6t8dart]

Not finished, I got it in July of 2016.

[Chuck Sloggett]

4 years for the first one, 5 months for the second. -- Chuck

[DrMiller]

9 months from delivery to registration & graduation. Go Kart at roughly 4 months.

[grluisi150]

Mine is BUILT / NEVER FINISHED. I'm having so much fun changing things why stop. about 18 months out and should be register in a couple of weeks.

Gary

[Norm B]

Almost 2 years to the day from pickup to legally on the road. Still some little things to do before I'd call it finished. I know "you are never finished".

[Yama-Bro]

Interesting post to read. It's crazy how much variation there is.

[Kpt112]

Picked kit up in March 2015
On the road June 2016 (15 Months after pickup)
Off to paint October 2016
Should be finally finished and ready for a real graduation April 2017

Project was a blast. Lots of little milestones

[JIMOCO]

I picked up my kit in August 2014. First start in November 2014. Go-kart March 8th and then off to paint March 15, 2015. Back from Paint June 8th and street Legal July 29th. Eight months build time and three months paint time. Complete kit without many mods. All of the time was evenings and weekends when there were no family events. I was having so much fun with the build I worked through the winter in an unheated garage. Loved every minute of it!

[benkibler]

I'll never be "finished". But I was 90% complete in 1 year, working a few hours most evenings, and ~8 hours most weekends. Then, I met my wife, got married, and started having kids. It took another 6 years to get 95% done, to the point where I could register it. Then, it took another year to get it safe enough to race. It's 99% done now, the list of things to improve never gets shorter...