I hate Cobra kits. If you can’t afford a real one, buy a LS-swapped Caterham or Miata, as they’re the modern equivalent (and will out-perform the original). Most VW kits make me itch just from looking at them, though examples very of their time garner appreciation. I “WTF”ed out loud (WTFOLed?) when I scrolled to see its derpy face poking from my eBay search.
Wrapping around to the 3/4 view, the proportions are so swoopy and cartoonish, it’s almost not trying to be a Cobra. On its own, it has a pretty jaunty look. Alas the “VWKOBRA” license plate hints at the unfortunate copying attempt. It has the vibe of a project in need of the “last 10%” finishing: tuning, hooking up gauges, touching up paint, etc. That really means the “last 50%”, but it’s a VW so that’s still only eight moving parts. For my time and money, I’d tweak the aesthetic towards a more off-road look with a couple extra lights on a small prerunner bar up front, then some grabbier old-school offroad tires out back.
Speaking of money, the seller’s asking $3700, which actually doesn’t seem to crazy for this vehicle in this condition. While rare doesn’t necessarily equal valuable, I’ve never seen a VW “Cobra” kit before, so at least you’ll never be the second one at a car show. Be sure to park in the Shelby row, by the way.
1969 Volkswagen Cobra Kit Car for sale – eBay Motors
Jeff Glucker
According to the seats, you’re not supposed to be driving longer than it takes to spell out that WTF.
I will gladly hate it for you. Shit… I can’t hate it either… Stupid Hoon gene…
Reminds me of a Devin in a good way.
http://www.devinspecial.com/uploads/2/9/1/9/2919428/784857_orig.jpg
We need more front designs where the headlamps are the highest and outermost elements.
Slightly
relatedreminded of:https://sonjasperspektive.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/schneck1.jpg
Hmmm. It reminded me of Sid from Ice Age.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/theiceage/images/4/4a/SIdSloth2.jpg
I would so put one giant tailfin on the back… deck? Tonneau? Whatever’s there.
Then I’d bring it to every show the Corvette Mako Shark is at.
http://41.media.tumblr.com/f0e7c7b0d59aab541063d0e35e7a0b30/tumblr_n78tpy7euX1qm6jj4o1_1280.jpg
I can’t say that I share your disdain for Cobra kits. They are ubiquitous to the point of being a boring choice, but that same ubiquity is what lets me forgive the inherent faux-ness of them. Most of them are even bona-fide performance cars.
This thing is neither boring, ubiquitous, nor is it a performance car. It is the anti-Fauxbra, and I kind of dig it.
I agree with smalleyxb about Cobra kits. I like them. They are so common that I tend to think of them as an affordable V8 Miata alternative rather than pretension to originality They’re inherently handsome, especially compared to their only available kit equivalent – a Caterham . What else ya gonna build in your garage assuming you don’t want a Rod of some sort?
I also agree that I can’t hate this Vobra or Covwbra or whatever it is. It’s not what I would drive and I might smile at you if you did, but it’s inoffensive because (I think) everybody knows that VW kits are toys to play with and enjoy, while Cobras are all about stupid fast – so it reminds me of a little kid dressed up in a toy Samurai costume.
I was actually looking at Factory Five kits today. I’m not keen on kit cars, but it might be fun to put one together with whatever Mustang parts I have laying around.
“I’d tweak the aesthetic towards a more off-road look with… some grabbier old-school offroad tires out back.”
More like this?
http://media.collectorcarpricetracker.com/auction_data/2013/2/8/121062129625/4.jpg
DUDE!
I like it. It reminds me of my favorite microcar, the Lightburn Zeta Sports.
http://www.picsauto.com/images/lightburn-zeta-09.jpg
Which was surely the inspiration behind this Miata kit?
http://www.carmaautolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/miata-black-frog-02.jpg
http://www.thebluepotato.net/concept/fingerz/na7_big.jpg
for which there can be no excuse because these are available
http://www.simpsondesign.net/images/automobiles/italia_main.jpg