Smoke it up!!! Cobraaa, wooohhoooo!! Arc it up!!! Nice car mate!! The thumping V8 through the sidepipes echoing off the buildings. Heads tunring to see what moron would drive such a loud car. I felt like such a poser, much to my own disgust, and I was uncomfortable driving through the popular spots.

I would never have guessed how much attention a Cobra would attract. That aspect of owning a Cobra had never entered my mind. I guess a lot of people have never seen one, but I just hadn't thought about it. Now I understand why attention-seekers buy such cars - they're on stage where they always want to be.

I learnt pretty quickly to ignore people on the footpaths and crossing the road at lights, and after a few months I had learned to deal the looks and the comments from well-meaning Cobra fans. It was a difficult balance between ignoring people and acknowledging the compliments so as not to be rude. 

Years on and I'm almost comfortable it. And I shouldn't be surprised by people getting excited by a Cobra, after all, I do! So these days I'm happy to share the love. Even a cruise through the city, Subi, Cottelsoe or Freo is not that uncommon.

Although I was loving driving my Cobra, something just wasn't right. I was sure of it. The engine seemed flat, and I was never game to really rev it. So off for a dyno tune we go. Let's give the Cobra a nice treat. It did drive a little better, so I was pleased, particularly when the mechanic told me to drive it harder to keep the plugs cleaner.

But after $800 and 2 months, disaster struck. Terrible top-end clattering and a drop in power. Nooooooooo!! I felt ill, and that was to be just the beginning of significant prolonged pain, frustration, head-pounding torture!!!

CHAPTER 3 - THE PAIN (working on it!)