Is Your Snake a Replicant?

Unless you are building an S/C or Comp car replica, just say “no” to scoops, roll bars, sidepipes, stripes, and other incorrect items

by Colin Comer

Okay, I’ll freely admit I am a Cobra snob. I’m not as bad as one I witnessed at a Cobra gathering, running toward a replica yelling “I’m going to kick the lid off the Tupperware.” Or another who wears a T-shirt that says, “Oh, you have a Cobra too? What is your CSX #?” But I do agree that most replicas do no justice to the original.

By definition, a replica should be an exact copy. I think most collectors would agree that nearly every replica Cobra ever bolted together is more of an interpretation than a replica. Some are better than the original, many are worse, but I’ve never seen one that was exactly accurate.

Whether it is the builder’s own personal touches, better-engineered componentry, non-original colors, or a body that just isn’t dead on, the replica world has lots of Cobra-like cars that are far from actually replicating the real thing....