Factory Five Shelby Cobra: A Retirement Replica Roadster 

An awfully humble man for such a stunning build.

Whether it's an original or a kit, it's the ultimate driving machine that'll make any common man feel like a rock star!👍😷

Paul: Thank you for all the videos and comments & your posts on the different forums. I'm 1/2 way through my Coupe build & you've come to my rescue every time I've posted a question. Your videos are very helpful and informative and give us all a goal to meet when we try to emulate your perfection. Please keep the videos coming.

There is No other car in the world i would rather have than a Cobra. Not even new cars like Lamborghini or Bugatti can change that. My ultimate dreamcar

Building Hot Rods is like eating Potato Chips, you can't stop with one. Thanks for the video.

We’re in a golden age of hot rods and cars for sure. I really want to build a cobra

I was already a Cobra replica owner when FFR came on the scene. Many of us former upscale replica owners looked down on the FFR as in the beginning they were kind of crude. Today I am no longer a Cobra owner but I consider the FFR the top brand of build it yourself replicas. There are a couple of overpriced and probably better than the original Cobras but those are geared more to those show guys who can't really build a replica but they can afford a full factory built copy. I was more geared towards track days and IMO FFR has developed replicas that can out handle/perform the show car replicas and even the originals with today much better engines coming from Ford and others. To me the optimal engine right now is the Coyote as this fine example has installed. Beautiful car, keep up the good work.

What I love about this car. It has the modern features and you can still acquire what you what for cheap without spending too much on upkeep and able to drive it as a daily driver.

Well done ! Absolutely STUNNING ! I turn 50 next week....A FF is on my bucket list (actually has been since I turned 40)

Paul as a life long Porsche enthusiast and Owner of several 911s in my life to date , I believe motoring beauty and class shows no matter what and she is a beauty mate and those engine tones just perfect . You have done a wonderful job and I would be honored to drive her anytime. For those Porsche drivers who seem to get ahead of themselves let’s not even mention VW and our history shall we ?

This is the most beautiful Cobra I've ever seen! My compliments: a great job

I personally remanufactured dozens of 8.8" rear axle assemblies & 8.8" IRS diffs for F5 Cobras and Coupes when working for a outside company that helped design the 1sr gen Cobra based on the Mustang donor principle, also installed some Ford Motorsport 500hp 427 Small Block / TKO TREMEC combos and got to test drive them.... They friggn flyd.... 😎😁😎

Simply Awesome. Been a mechanic for 10yrs, 3 ASEs certs, and went to school for autotech for 2yrs. I think this will be the next level of skill/challenge

I can see why you did the car 3 times. I built a Factory Five 33 a few years ago with the help of a few friends. It turned out very nice but after you drive it a while, there are a number of things I wished I did differently plus new options come along that were not available at the time of the build. To me it was a great experience worth the time and effort.

Thanks for sharing! I finished a MK4 solo build last year and can confirm your observation that the process definitely produces a custom built car. It was a pleasure working with FFR-Dave Smith is laser focused on helping customers get on the road as soon as possible. Mine took 14 mo. to get on the road, then after sorting out for a month or two, it got disassembled for paint. Your interior is gorgeous! Car is totally professional. great work! john wilson

Beautifully built, and sounds fantastic!

Absolutley the best ac cobra video i have ever seen " professionally shot video beautiful car scenic shots informative and relaxing good to see a real enthusiast with his love of cars and passion for the legendary cobra "

You don't have to wait till you retire. That is the real charm you can afford one now . Get a line of credit and make it happen now . The price of an average new car. Get the car you really want.

I'll be taking delivery of my second ffr cobra next month. Have been collecting parts for six months. Your car looks real nice!!

Thanks for taking the time to make this video, will get a type 65 coup very soon. Awesome job on building an amazing car.

AND what a nice garage. Kudos on your retirement.

ive seen this car in person, this video does little justice to how beautiful this car really is.

Gorgeous craftsmanship! Glad to see your vision become reality.

Deborah me too !!!!!! I’m a zo6 owner but a Ford Gt or 427 cobra always will have a place in my heart just amazing cars !!!!!

Very nice,thanks for sharing......one of these days

I'm getting a reality check just listening to this guy.

Good to see a man realize his dream, I’d love to build a nice road racer with turn signals

Those wheels fill the arches!

All Hail Paul!!

Freaking awesome! Sounds so sweet. I want to build one someday.

Gorgeous machine there, mister! And nicely done video. Gosh, all those stunning-looking Cobras in that one place in those ending scenes. Like candy overload! Sigh...

I wouldn't mind buying the kit and then installing an electric drivetrain! That will truly be a ride to remember.

What a beauty and sounds brutal just like it should

Wow beautiful build, wish I had the time, money and knowledge to build something like this. Enjoy that baby in retirement and hopefully we’ll get to see a follow up build completion on the on the 65 coupe.

I’d love to build one I watched a vid for a budget build for about 30k that’s not that bad, (it isn’t this car) but I just don’t have the space I want to be able to walk out and turn a wrench for a few hours before and after work and leave things set. But definitely a nice build!

Paul Best one ever.

Great video. I am looking right now for an FF AC Cobra but the struggle is finding one with the Coyote. Much like the LS, Ford hit a home run with the Coyotes. They will take anything, extremely capable of putting power down, and almost bulletproof bottom ends. I have built a few cars in my life, but much like you; This one is a childhood dream. I will have one withing the next 6 months, just looking for the right one with the Coyote and the Kelsey Hayes touches.

Thanks Paul for the fantastic video. You did a beautiful job on this car. I'm on the fence wondering if I have it in me at 64 to build a car I've dreamed about since I was 13. You have given me more inspiration to give it more of a reality to my future.

This guy needs to build a gt40 seems like he would enjoy that next level build

What a beauty! Congratulations. It must be fun to drive.

Drove my Cobra replica for 10 years and yes, lots of curiosity about it from other road users! But back in the day of the Cobra 1962 - 1967 or so, there were in fact so few sold, around 1000 only between the 289 slabside (655) and the 427 models (343), that people then would rarely if ever see one on the road! If Shelby and AC Cars in England had ever got near the numbers of replicas in existence - 70 000 estimated - then the Cobra would have been one of the biggest selling real performance machines of all time!

My favorite muscle car!

Beautiful car.

Fantastic build mate, well done 👍

My uncle has one of these. They are awesome

Very nice piece.

You have a beautiful car!

Beautiful car replica or original and fast!

Great video, couldn’t have been done any better.

The number one sports car in the world! GlennFHoward

Nice job Paul.

Really well done video that highlights a beautiful car. Congratulations. You're putting your retirement to very good use. Can't wait to see your video of the Daytona!

Most awsome video ever. If your car was put together half as well as your video... Congrads on retirement and plz do a video on your coup.

Finally, someone outside of New England pronounced the town and state correctly lol.

I love the interior.

A nice car! Beautifull

Great video Paul. I have watched all you builds with excitement and use a lot of what you did to your Cobra on mine. Great stuff. Keep up the good work and information.

makes me think about getting one. Damn!

Absolutely stunning!

If I was rich, I'd have one of these Cobras in my garage.

It's a masterpiece!!!

I met a guy who had a beautiful dark blue one in Tyler Texas at Andy’s Frozen Custard.

Very tasteful. If I were rich, I’d have one for cruising and one for auto crossing.

I'd go looking for hellcats to drag. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

Love his car. But I did enjoy the old kit. I built one of the old ones with all new parts. And bought a ford cobrar 351w, 9.5 inch rear end and tremic 5 with aod. Fun, fast and basic. All thrills.

Very cool!

my uncle owns a car dealership that has like 21 of these, and these things are loud and they vibrate a lot

Stunning

Humble

Very well put together video and congratulations on your retirement. I will build #2 when I retire as well! ~FFR4453

Would LOVE to see the Daytona Coupe when its done.From Ray in Michigan

Well produced vid!

Beautiful! Enjoy the hell out of it!

love it!!

Awesome video. Nice job on the vehicle.

Beautiful color red. What's the name of it? It looks pearlescent, like there's a cool metallic flake (almost to the point of glitter but not quite) in the paint.

Great video and car! Well done Sir!

Looks like a nice retirement.

Great car Great guy congrats !!!

I love this car! I love these cars! I have friends that have these cars in various completions and of course THEY LOVE THEIR CARS!! LOL But I'm curious on how values will be set on these in the future? Sounds like a corny question I know but.......

Beautiful Cobra.... where did you get the chrome Ford Racing coil covers?

Question > What would be the best .. "optimal" .. engine for Cobra .. ?!? .. Good sound and punchy-power is required , but .. not too heavy .. , .. to keep that car in "ballance" .. Seems to be interesting to go > Neo-retro with Coyote .. or maybe 289 crate .. or .. ?!? ..

Rich kids from Johnson County Kansas went to school at the small private university in the town where I went to high school. There was a Cobra parked on the street near the high school also near the university. This was in the mid to late 1960s

Love it....

Great vid !

I love the car, specially the twin rollover bars made me watch this video. How much total from start to finish vis a vis money, time and upkeep?

awesome, we have the same build, mine isnt anniversary. damn i need to get working

Super bad ass!!!

Kit cars are much easier than a real car build, they're a good entry point for beginners.

SUPERFORMANCE is the only way to go! Mine are titled as a 1965 Shelby Cobra. State Farm insures it for a whopping $24 per month based on the purchase value of the car. I total the car. I get what I paid for the car plus a little extra.

I like everything except the fog lights buried behind the billet bar grill in the front.

I wonder if this gets a legal permit in switzerland. I want one someday but i will not be able to build it so i wish ill be able to buy one that is how i want

Does anyone know a good place to find newly built or slightly used Cobra? I am partially handicap and cant build one myself but I am able to drive the heck out of one. Thanks in advance

In your recent kits did you go with the complete kit that included the suspension? What mods was needed if you did? I am currently in research mode, highly interested in their hot rod pick up kit. I'd rather get the complete kit due to suspension already engineered and from what I can see you can pretty much build a roller then drop your power plant in. Your build looks amazing, thanks for the video.

Money is everything.

Interesting that he didn’t like restorations but he likes the FFR builds. Maybe it’s avoiding the rust and grime of a resto! I’m thinking of FFR’s Daytona coupe, but with a period correct Ford small block and (I hope) tires with the proper 60s-size sidewall. Cobras just don’t look right to me with modern low profile tires.

At the end of the day give me a small block Cobra. The 427 is overkill unless you are track racing it.

I've been interested in doing one of these for a long time now, but there are some videos from people's builds on here (RU-vid) that make it look like an absolute nightmare to put together properly, so now......maybe "nah".

Really nice build, Paul! I drive a Gen II Type 65 Coupe, look forward to seeing yours completed! Did you go with an independent rear end on your coupe too?

Its so stunning I need to smash my smartphone and go feed my chickens.