About to pull the trigger on this King Cobra...

[Cleeve]

...what do you guys think it's worth?

Interior is OK but needs some work. A couple handles missing like for the lights. Some guages added, unfortunately a large tach on the dash.
Body seems very solid though, no rust to speak of - I think it was worked on maybe 10 years ago, restored. Very straight lines, doesn't look hit.

The hoodscoop was reversed because someone made it semi-functional: they cut a hole beneath it so it feeds into an edelbrock triangular air cleaner. Beneath that is an edelbrock 4bbl carb, aluminum intake, and headers. the headers feed into the side-pipes, which are functional and not for show. Should have taken a picture of the engine bay but I didn't, sorry. It seemed to start pretty easily.

The owner doesn't know anything about cars and has no idea if the internals were modified. It was like this when he bought it.

The car looks really bad in the pictures because it's quite dusty and the flash bought it out, but if it was clean it'd be alot better looking - the finish isn't that bad.

only concern is the rear taillight bezels arechrome, all King Cobras should have black bezels, right? Have to do more research...

This thread is useless without pics... so here they are:

Anyhoo... what would you fellas pay for this vehicle?

Whaddya think it's worth? If it is a King Cobra, or if it's just a cobra with King Cobra front air dam and rear wheelwell flares?

Thanks gents!

 

[itsaMustangtoo]

Looks as though it is not even a cobra. Has a woodgrain dash, and chrome bezels as you mentioned. Only way to tell is the bucktag or running the vin #.In the end , I would say it is worth what you are willing to pay?

 

[Cleeve]

I would say it is worth what you are willing to pay?

Well, that's the thing... what I'm willing to pay is dependant on what the market calls for. And I'm trying to find out what that is.

I'll definitely go back and have a look for the buck tag/VIN... somebody also noticed it has 5-bot rims. odd.

Assuming it's a regular cobra with KC parts, what would you gents pay for it?

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

3 piece bumper strips, wrong dash bezels, stainless lock cylinders all point to not a KC...BUT, being close to 30 years old, very few IIs are as they left the assembly plant. Are the second set of holes in the hood, that would indicate better likeliehood of at least being '78 sheetmetal. It does appear to have a cobra/King cobra grille (no horse tabs).

The buck tag will be the only way to tell what it started as. The VIN will tell you nothing to verify being a cobra/king cobra. It can rule it out, but cannot verify it.

Pricing? I'd figure it for a base hatch with addons for the spoiler and KC pieces, unless the buck verifies it as a KC. In that case, you'll have to figure out if the engine is the original.

From the tone of your posts, it sounds like you are concerned with its value as a collector. I would look for one with less modifications if that is the case. Otherwise, it's just a hatch with some good pieces added, although there will be even division between those who feel the mods are a plus or negative. Tough to put a dollar figure on a car one hasn't seen, but assuming no rust problems, I personally wouldn't pay over about $3500 for what's pictured. This is based on ugly wheels, uglier sidepipes, wrong mirror, what looks to be a cheapo "euro" paint job (painted bumper strips, glossy headlamp bezels, glossy grille surround, etc), and the fact that I am not a fan of t-top cars. This also assumes no drivetrain issues, and with the internals being an unknown, that's chancy, IMO.

 

[Cleeve]

I personally wouldn't pay over about $3500 for what's pictured.

Thanks dude, I'm pretty much in agreement with you. Just wanted to get other people's opinions before I jumped in.

I think I'll be able to pick it up for under $2500 - so at that price I'm still interested. I might take it to the local safety shop and see if it's insurable with minimal investment, then make an offer based on that.

 

[itsaMustangtoo]

Wow 5 lug , I missed that one. The hood scoop is also facing the wrong way,for a 78 cobra/king. Who is to say that with the mods someone did not change the buck tag??? Heck one screw and you can have a KC?? I was thinking the $ 2000.00 range with a max of $ 2500.00. Kinda tough without seeing it first hand.

 

[Cleeve]

Wow 5 lug , I missed that one. The hood scoop is also facing the wrong way,for a 78 cobra/king. Who is to say that with the mods someone did not change the buck tag??? Heck one screw and you can have a KC?? I was thinking the $ 2000.00 range with a max of $ 2500.00. Kinda tough without seeing it first hand.

Check the original post, the hoodscoop looks to have been reversed on purpose.

Can't imagine the modder of this car bothering with a buck tag and not bothering with painting the tailight bezels black. A buck tag would be the last thing someone who has an eye for detail might grab, I don't det that vibe with this car at all...

 

[itsaMustangtoo]

"The owner doesn't know anything about cars . It was like this when he bought it."

This is what I was going by for my 2 cents. Sorry bout the scoop theory, my bag.

 

[Cleeve]

Just an update: Buck Tag says it's a King Cobra.

 

[2muchtime]

i remember this car for sure it was posted in mustang.net or .org i forget...it was back around 2000-2002.. no doubt.. i m gonna have to research it.. or better yet you post it over at .net.. a few dudes dont venture over this way..so you might get a response or two.. it was a pic i saw at the time..if its the car im thinking of the kid had a beat up k.c. he was swapping parts from.. i only remember this because of the sticker on the fender, which i had a very similar one at the time..and the side pipes are a little rare.. mabye im wrong but its worth a shot to check..
Even though i dont think you could go wrong for 2500 smackers..you should buy it anyway if that is what you were looking for (stylewise) considering pretty much
90 percent of the k.c. details arent there..i probably wouldnt buy it as an investment unless it was for the long haul.. its gonna take time/cash to get it back to a factory look. in the end it has plenty of potential, if you got the time,
patience and knowledge..buy it..

 

[Cleeve]

I think I'm picking it up this weekend. Seller wouldn't take $2200, but countered with $2500. $2500, a little more than I wanted to spend... but it's local, and I like it. It's payday today so I think I'll be able to make it happen.



I'm bringing a mechanic buddy with me who used to do safety checks, if he says the frame & everything looks passable I'll be taking her home.

 

[Cleeve]

Final update

Sadly... I ended up passing on the car.

On close inspection with my mechanic friend, we found some troubling stuff: real bad bodywork, and some very scary electrical problems. No working heater, etc...

Now, don't get me wrong, if it was a real KC I would still have gotten it for $2500... but close inspection proved otherwise. It was CLEARLY a ghia with a KC front end and a white-dyed-black interior (and oddly enough, a KC buck tag).

I told the guy it wasn't a real KC and he got pretty upset... not at the folks he bought the car from, but at me which was weird. Either he didn't want to believe it or knew it was a faker all along. plus, he maintains that he drove the car cross country to get it here, but never had a safety inspection... now, where I'm from you need a safty certificate to insure the vehicle: NOBODY goes through the trouble of driving a car across the country to get here and not spend the $40 on a safety check to at least see if the car is insurable. Smelled too fishy.

The long and short of it is, if it was a genuine KC I would have gotten it anyway, or if it had a few less problems I would have gotten it anyway. But a fake KC with problems didn't appeal to me all that much.


There's a happy ending for me, although Mustang fans might not think so: I'm driving to Chicago to buy a 1970 Satellite this weekend. Looks alot like the 1970 Roadrunner I used to have.

Sorry for letting you down, Mustang II guys! I still love the II, of all the mustangs I've owned back in the day I still think it was the funnest. But I'm also a mopar fan and I'm getting a good deal on a classic B-body that I can't refuse.

Rock on fellas!

 

[Power Surge]

Sadly... I ended up passing on the car.

On close inspection with my mechanic friend, we found some troubling stuff: real bad bodywork, and some very scary electrical problems. No working heater, etc...

Now, don't get me wrong, if it was a real KC I would still have gotten it for $2500... but close inspection proved otherwise. It was CLEARLY a ghia with a KC front end and a white-dyed-black interior (and oddly enough, a KC buck tag).

I told the guy it wasn't a real KC and he got pretty upset... not at the folks he bought the car from, but at me which was weird. Either he didn't want to believe it or knew it was a faker all along. plus, he maintains that he drove the car cross country to get it here, but never had a safety inspection... now, where I'm from you need a safty certificate to insure the vehicle: NOBODY goes through the trouble of driving a car across the country to get here and not spend the $40 on a safety check to at least see if the car is insurable. Smelled too fishy.

The long and short of it is, if it was a genuine KC I would have gotten it anyway, or if it had a few less problems I would have gotten it anyway. But a fake KC with problems didn't appeal to me all that much.


There's a happy ending for me, although Mustang fans might not think so: I'm driving to Chicago to buy a 1970 Satellite this weekend. Looks alot like the 1970 Roadrunner I used to have.

Sorry for letting you down, Mustang II guys! I still love the II, of all the mustangs I've owned back in the day I still think it was the funnest. But I'm also a mopar fan and I'm getting a good deal on a classic B-body that I can't refuse.

Rock on fellas!

Well, I think you're wrong on your asessment, so that may be where the owner got upset. Ghia's are coupes, so no way it's a Ghia. It could very well be a regular fastback, just with some KC bolt ons. That car has been VERY molested, whether it's a KC, a Cobra, or even just a base fastback.

First glance shows (to me)- wrong mirrors, wrong dash trim, wrong bumper inserts, wrong taillight trim, wrong antenna.

Now, if this car has had a hard life, many of those parts could have been changed. The dash bezel for example, was DEFINITELY changed. It has the chrome backing, and that was 74-76 only. Did you get a look at the dash? Does it have a 120 or an 80 mph speedo? If it has a 120, then the cluster was changed too. The bumpers could have been swapped out if they were rotted, which is common. Tail bezels could have been changed during a repaint or whatnot, as some people break the mouting studs off upon removal or installation.

You said the buck tag said it was a KC? Well, did it? If the buck tag says "KC" on it, AND the VIN on the buck tag matches the car (you'd need to check the dash, the door sitcker, and if all else fails, under the front fenders), then it's hard to dispute that it's not a KC.

 

[Power Surge]

edit: double post

 

[Cleeve]

Well, I think you're wrong on your asessment, so that may be where the owner got upset. Ghia's are coupes, so no way it's a Ghia.

My mistake, I thought there were some ghia t-tops.

Regardless, it's a simple case of occam's razor: it's alot easier to believe it's a regular fastback with everything but the buck tag and front spolier of a KC, than it is to believe it's a KC with everything but the front spolier and buck tag WRONG.

Doesn't really matter tho, I'm picking that nice satellite up regardless.

 

[beenstanged]

good luck with the mopar one of my favorites allso.just in case you run across another king a easy and most of the time a sure way to tell if its a true king..they installed cooling ducts behind front air dam to cool rotors at the factory these are very rare.they usally geted looked over when people clone a king. back to the mopars i had a superbee 69 and a 71 challenger man those boats could fly picture i hope even though its a mustang forum picts would be cool bring back memoreys