By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

We’re still holding out for that crystal ball that can predict auction sales, but in the meantime, we’ll have to rely on good old-fashioned intuition — and let me tell you, we’re on the money these days. Our last hot tip was a Unique Motorcars FIA roadster in Florida for a cool $34,997, and you better believe that deal didn’t last more than a few days. The future’s always uncertain, but we’re thinking the next one to set your sights on is this Hurricane Motorsports 427 roadster up for auction on BringaTrailer.com.

This looks to be a fantastic little Cobra roadster, but you’d never guess it scrolling past the thumbnail. And that’s because the photos are just sort of dreary, providing no inspiration to dig in deeper. But dig in you should, because this Hurricane roadster actually appears to be a really thorough build in nearly new condition. Inside and out, this car is as clean as can be, and boasts some really great extras as well.

The Hurricane Motorsports kit starts with a ladder-style chassis and one-piece fiberglass body. Hurricane offers an independent rear suspension option, but this car was built with a solid axle — likely a Ford 9-inch. BringaTrailer provides some nice specs on the engine, but lists it only as “a Ford 351 ci V8 that was bored and stroked to 408 ci by Nesbitt Performance Engines in Graham, North Carolina.” But we obviously know better than that, and can tell from the gallery that this is a Windsor-based engine, since the waterneck is routed through the intake manifold. Additional specs include “an Eagle crankshaft and rods, Clevite bearings, a Comp street camshaft, aluminum cylinder heads, a Victor Jr. intake manifold and more.” Furthermore, the engine bay has been improved with aluminum panels on the inner fenders, footboxes and firewall, which enhances its appearance over exposed fiberglass. We can also see a remote oil filter setup and some fresh-air ducts that lead straight to the footboxes.

Get underneath the car and there are more good things to be found, namely a large oil pan, adjustable coilover shocks, a driveshaft safety loop and a big ol’ track bar in the rear. The chassis is finished in POR-15 chassis coating and the headers are ceramic coated. You can also see high-grade hardware used throughout the chassis, and it’s encouraging to see paint pen marks on bolts, possibly suggesting that the builder marked bolts that had been finish torqued. Also, notice the edging material added to the sheet metal edges in the fender well — an above and beyond addition.

Nicely finished door pockets, tonneau and car covers, heated seats and cup holders — this really is a nicely finished Cobra, a point I’ve probably beat to death by now, so let me tell you why I think it’s worth watching. As I said, the photos are a bit dreary, and I know this is a classified (not a magazine feature), but your presentation has to be at 100 percent to get the best price for your car, especially in the Cobra market. I’m confident that better light and photography would return cold hard cash on a sale like this. And this last point might be nitpicky, but the rear tires are a bit dirty (from exhaust likely), and cleaning that up would help as well. Better yet, throw on a set of Avon CR6ZZ tires and get this Cobra really looking right.

With a clean Texas title describing it as a 1965 Cobra replica and just 894 miles on the clock, this Cobra is ripe for the picking. The hammer prices on BringaTrailer’s Cobra auctions are generally a bit lower than other market segments too, even when you factor in the five percent buyer’s fees, giving us an even better feeling. I’m thinking this one’s a steal for around $35,000, so watch the auction here. And if it grabs much more than $40k, it's obviously because I've hyped it up so much.

Check out the auction here on BringaTrailer.com.