Is there really any question about why the Shelby Cobra is the most copied car of all time? Gorgeous to look at, with incredible performance tucked inside a minimalist package stuffed full of eight rip-roaring American cylinders, and a racing pedigree that nothing this side of Maranello or Stuttgart can touch, there’s a reason why car enthusiasts flock to the replicas by the thousands. And when you can build it yourself, customizing it to your own tastes, from a variety of kits out there that are almost universally high quality, it becomes the ultimate car guy project.

This Factory Five Cobra roadster is one of the nicer ones I’ve seen, and believe me; I’ve probably seen hundreds of ’em. It’s not outrageous, but the craftsmanship is excellent throughout, and the potent small block under the hood delivers serious blasting powder in the lightweight package without the weight of a big block over the front axle to ruin the sharp handling. In a car that weighs barely 2200 pounds, you don’t need more than a small block to create mind-altering acceleration.

From everything I’ve seen and heard the fiberglass coming out of the Factory Five shops is some of the best on the market, staying true to the original shape without taking any liberties in the interest of comfort (or forestalling the inevitable litigation from Ol Shel himself). The body on this one, however, was taken to an entirely different level by the builder, who claims more than 80 hours (that’s two weeks!) went into getting the fiberglass into near-flawless condition before the Rolls-Royce Royal Blue Pearl paint was sprayed on top. Gaps are excellent better than I thought possible with fiberglass and everything fits together without any fussing or excessive force. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Cobra without stripes, so GM Acrtic White stripes went down next, following the traditional pattern (and you’ve undoubtedly noticed that they continue under the hood for a trick custom touch). Finally, it was topped off with some Boyd Coddington Hot Rod Yellow hash marks on the driver’s side front fender before being buried under five layers of clear urethane. Then it was cut and buffed to a remarkable shine before assembly, leaving a finish that is unquestionably nicer than any original ever carried, and almost too nice to risk putting on the road.

But put it on the road you must, because Cobras are an absolute blast to drive. As handsome as they are, you forget all that the instant you fire up the fuel injected 302 under the hood. Built by a pro NASCAR engine builder in Mooresville, NC, it features Ford Motorsport X-303 aluminum heads, a relatively docile Ford Motorsport E camshaft and 1.6 roller rockers, and a polished Cobra intake manifold up top. Combined with a larger throttle body and mass air sensor, along with a properly calibrated ECM, it cranks out somewhat more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch, which is sufficient to make this flyweight into a thrill ride you won’t duplicate without wings. It’s nicely detailed in the tight Cobra engine bay, which features aluminum side panels and radiator shroud. You first notice the polished intake manifold, which looks like jewelry against that Royal Blue paint. Then you see the vintage-looking COBRA logo cast aluminum valve covers and the fabricated aluminum expansion tank for the radiator up front, all with a very 1960s vibe. It cackles to life through ceramic coated headers and side pipes and sounds amazing.

The cool thing about the Factory Five cars is that they use reliable Mustang 5.0 components throughout, and as such, all the modifications and upgrades available to the Mustang guys are applicable to these Cobras as well. This one sports a Ford T5 5-speed manual transmission (overdrive is something I bet original Cobra owners would kill for), fed by a Ram heavy-duty clutch and shifted by a Pro 5.0 shifter, which you can bang through the gears just like an old Toploader. Out back, there’s a set of 3.27 gears, which combined with the T5’s steep first gear and the cars light weight, make acceleration feel like being launched by a giant slingshot. With the overdrive gear in the transmission, those same 3.27s make this car an awesome highway cruiser and truly able to handle long distances without abusing your eardrums or your gas card.

The chassis is a sturdy steel tube design by Factory Five, designed to use Mustang components up front. This one is augmented by Factory Five Racing lower control arms, which are tubular to save weight and provide additional adjustability. Out back, instead of the usual Mustang 8.8-inch rear, this car sports a fully independent setup like the originals, again featuring custom made upper and lower control arms from Factory Five Racing. The improvement to ride and handling thanks to the fully independent rear has to be experienced to be believed, making this car a track day weapon in addition to a spectacular showpiece. Brakes are discs all around, with the front rotors being cross drilled and slotted for added fade resistance and cooled by a set of Shelby brake ducts. And for the final, correct-appearing touch, replica 15-inch Halibrand wheels with black centers were selected, including the pin-drive knock-offs; nice! It wears BFGoodrich rubber all around, T/A radials up front, and a set of sticky Drag Radials out back.

Inside, simple is good. The original Cobras were bare-bones race cars and in the ’60s, you didn’t need much extra equipment to put it on the street. The Factory Five pieces are somewhat more sophisticated, but still offer that same awesome back-to-basics feel. The black buckets are simple and authentic-looking, and every bit as comfortable as they look. The entire interior has been carpeted for a finished look and there are a set of floor mats underfoot. Gauges are from Classic Instruments, and look highly authentic in the Cobras passenger compartment, especially the reverse-spinning speedometer which replicates the original Smiths gauges operation. You’ll also notice neat touches like the wooden Shelby steering wheel, the real leather check straps on the doors, and the polished aluminum inner door panels. For safety, 5-point harnesses are available for both driver and passenger, and the windshield is GE Plexiglas. And to make this a truly usable car, there’s a heater/defroster unit for those cool nights. The trunk is equally well finished, fully carpeted and features an Optima battery and a trick storage niche under the floor.

As a constructed car, knowing the components that went into the build is important, which is why this car comes with a massive binder full of receipts, manuals, and other documents related to its construction. There are also photos of the entire project from start to finish, so you can get a good idea of how carefully this car was assembled. If peace of mind is important to you, these are things you need to see, and they’re all included.

The day of Cobra replicas being cobbled together creations with VW Beetle and Ford Pinto parts underneath are long gone. Today’s replicas are serious performance cars in their own right, extremely well engineered and built with OEM-grade equipment. Factory Five is the biggest name in the business for a good reason their hardware flat-out works. The finish quality on this Cobra is absolutely spectacular, with great attention to detail and a lot of expensive parts. If you’re looking for an incredible Cobra for a fraction of the cost of a real one, buying someone else’s finished project is the way to go. Buy now and enjoy it today rather than putting one together yourself over the next two or three years. I guarantee you can’t have more fun with your clothes on. Call now!