As Told by Jeff Sapp

Photos by Travis Roth

Throughout the year of 2014 I was researching many companies for a Cobra replica, a car that has been on my bucket list for a long time. I researched most of them, and ultimately after a couple of visits to Shell Valley, I decided to go with this firm for two main reasons:

One, the family-like atmosphere at Shell Valley. Everyone that I met and dealt with there was very friendly and knowledgeable about the Cobra. Dana, who is the manager, was always available and very hands-on, and willing to do change orders and keep me updated. The owner of Shell Valley, Travis Roth, actually personally delivered the Cobra.

The other main reason for deciding on Shell Valley was its close proximity to my home. I live in the Kansas City area, and with Shell Valley being located approximately an hour from Lincoln, Nebraska, this made for an easy trip throughout the process to drop by and check out the buildup. It included a custom Mustang II strut-eliminator front suspension with tubular A-arms and QA-1 coil-overs. The rearend has a narrowed Ford 9-inch in a 4-link setup, with Moser axles, a Tru-Trac Locker and 3.50 ratio. Disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors are at all four corners. After those items were installed, I dropped in an Iconic small-block stroker 427 Ford (built by Backdraft Cobra), backed by a Tremec TKO600.

I finally had my dream car done in June of 2015, was absolutely amazed how beautiful the Lamborghini Titanium Silver with Tuxedo Black stripes turned out. I have owned many other muscle cars in my life, but nothing gets the looks like a Cobra does. Everywhere I go, we get honks, waves, and many other positive salutes. I have been to many car shows and always place very high in the competition.

We enjoy just driving around on sunny weekend days, as well as going to many cruise nights and meeting like-minded car owners. We can’t wait for Spring to come to get back on the road and enjoy the Cobra again.