General reference

[DDolan1075]

I was going to try to be funny about my lack of car knowledge, but decided to not waste your time. I am looking for a basic resource on automotive structure and function so I can understand what I am reading about builds and problems. My goal is to buy a prebuilt Cobra, but I want to know more before I get myself into trouble. As they say, you don't know what you don't know, but I know that I don't know a lot, so that's why I'm here. Any recommendations?

Dave

[GoDadGo]

DDolan1075,

The only dumb question is the one that was never asked.
If you are going to buy an already completed Factory Five Roadster, then I suggest you buy the assembly manual and read it a few times before starting your quest to buy your dream car.
In addition, take a look at the build threads from Edwardb since he is an Award Winning Expert Builder and his threads are extremely well documented.
Finally, you may want to reach out to Mike Everson, Gordon Levy, Jeff Kleiner, Mark Dougherty and Wayne Presley since these are all Expert Builders that can do a project for you from ground zero.

Steve

NOTE: I'm a first time builder and though my project has been slowed because of life events and finances, it is coming together nicely none the less.

Overview Chevy Cobra
https://youtu.be/_wnHDNgnNqs

First Start & Man Am I Nervous
https://youtu.be/p-pvogd2Bj8

First Go-Kart Drive
https://youtu.be/BcsVu80VG5k

[mburger]

While I have some automotive knowledge, I decided to purchase a completed Roadster. I don't have the time, the space or the knowledge required to build one, but have always wanted to build a FFR roadster. I bought a completed Mark II built by a professional speed shop from a consignment dealer. The build quality is excellent but the biggest challenge in buying a completed roadster is not knowing what you have and how it was built.
Get a private inspector that you trust and have the car inspected before purchase. My car was inspected but apparently the inspector didn't remove the radiator fill cap to see the coolant was brown. So get someone you trust that will be thorough. There may be folks on this forum in your area that can help as well both before and after the purchase. After buying my roadster, I wanted to convert to power steering but had coolant leak issues. 65 Cobra Dude (Henry) (can't thank him enough for his help) recommended a local shop and my car is there getting both the coolant leak issues resolved but also the power steering conversion done.
My point is, you don't need to be super knowledgeable about these cars before purchasing and you have a large community of knowledgeable folks ready to help. Read the build posts to get an idea of how your future roadster was assembled.
If I could find the build manual for the Mark II I'd buy it just to be more knowledgeable about these cars.