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For all members (past, current, and new)
THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING TO GET THIS CLUB OFF THE STARTING LINE !!!
To begin your membership with Gateway Cobra Club please submit your vital information to our club registrar/Treasurer: Paul Proefrock
Please include your:
Name, address, phone numbers (work, home, cell) e-mail, etc. Also, tell us about your Cobra (make, model, year, colors, engine, options, stage of build, etc.), where you bought it, any other particulars. Also include other vehicles, birthdays, your occupation & company, and any other details about you and you significant others. BTW - this info will not be posted on-line (EVER). It's just for us - to make the club better. We will eventually create a database for internal club use only.
We will begin collecting dues soon to enable the activities that we have planned for the year - so stay tuned for that.
FINALLY - get involved. Attend the meetings, schedule some cruises, and have some fun. We want to make this club fun (for the whole family). We're small (for now) but we're going to make a big noise here in St. Louis. In the end - this club will only be as good as our members participation.
Thanks for joining us - see you in the fast lane!
Welcome Jon Nelle
- Thread starter GCC
- Start date
- Staff
- #2
Welcome and can't wait to see the car!
- Staff
- #3
Welcome Jon! I think you'll find the group a great resource of information while you're waiting on your ride to arrive.
- Staff
- #5
Yes indeed, a strong welcome, the KEY to a successful membership is to become involved…So I welcome you to your/our club….looking forward to seeing your car, and at our next meeting….any needs questions or wants….just let us know…
Welcome again…Ian Turner, Membership Director… (ian@ianfturner.com)
Welcome again…Ian Turner, Membership Director… (ian@ianfturner.com)
Hello All,
Thank you for the warm welcome and thank you ScotS for telling me about the Cobra Club! I am really looking forward to meeting everyone.
Hopefully, I will be able to attend an upcoming meeting. Last weekend my 10 year old son had a baseball tournament in Illinois so I wasn't able to attend the annual picnic.
Just to tell you a little about myself since I wasn't at the picnic.
I am 43 years old.
Married, wife's name is Tonya.
We have 2 kids - Jack (10) & Sam (8).
We live in Dardenne Prairie
I am a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones.
So I am joining the Cobra Club a little early, because I actually don't have my Backdraft Cobra yet. I am buying it from Fastlane Classic Car in St. Charles. I went on my 43rd birthday and put my deposit down to have it built. It was a great birthday! Chris G. at Fastlane told me it is taking 10-12 months for the Cobra to come in. I still email him every month hoping for an update though. So as of right now the scheduled delivery date is between March - May 2025.
Below are the details of my Cobra build though:
• RT4 Cobra• Color: Guardsman Blue w/ Wimbledon White Stripes• Roush 427IR Engine 8 Stack Injection• TKX 5-Speed Transmission• 3.73 Gear Ratio• Single Roll Bar• Dual Mirrors• Ceramic Coated Headers• Ceramic Coated Side Exhaust w/ heat shields• Oil Cooler• Remote Clutch and Brake reservoirs exposed into engine bay• Gas strut hood supports• Black Leather bucket seats w/ out Back-Draft logo• Black Cam style seat belts• Passenger seat slider• Heater and Heated Seats w/ heater controls on dash• Standard Wood Steering Wheel• AutoMeter Classic Gauges w/ Reverse Speedo counter• Glove Box• Aluminum Tank• In-tank Pump• Good Year tire graphics
Any thoughts or advice on my build is appreciated.
Again, I look forward to meeting everyone and being part of a great car club.
Sincerely,
Jon Nelle
Thank you for the warm welcome and thank you ScotS for telling me about the Cobra Club! I am really looking forward to meeting everyone.
Hopefully, I will be able to attend an upcoming meeting. Last weekend my 10 year old son had a baseball tournament in Illinois so I wasn't able to attend the annual picnic.
Just to tell you a little about myself since I wasn't at the picnic.
I am 43 years old.
Married, wife's name is Tonya.
We have 2 kids - Jack (10) & Sam (8).
We live in Dardenne Prairie
I am a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones.
So I am joining the Cobra Club a little early, because I actually don't have my Backdraft Cobra yet. I am buying it from Fastlane Classic Car in St. Charles. I went on my 43rd birthday and put my deposit down to have it built. It was a great birthday! Chris G. at Fastlane told me it is taking 10-12 months for the Cobra to come in. I still email him every month hoping for an update though. So as of right now the scheduled delivery date is between March - May 2025.
Below are the details of my Cobra build though:
• RT4 Cobra• Color: Guardsman Blue w/ Wimbledon White Stripes• Roush 427IR Engine 8 Stack Injection• TKX 5-Speed Transmission• 3.73 Gear Ratio• Single Roll Bar• Dual Mirrors• Ceramic Coated Headers• Ceramic Coated Side Exhaust w/ heat shields• Oil Cooler• Remote Clutch and Brake reservoirs exposed into engine bay• Gas strut hood supports• Black Leather bucket seats w/ out Back-Draft logo• Black Cam style seat belts• Passenger seat slider• Heater and Heated Seats w/ heater controls on dash• Standard Wood Steering Wheel• AutoMeter Classic Gauges w/ Reverse Speedo counter• Glove Box• Aluminum Tank• In-tank Pump• Good Year tire graphics
Any thoughts or advice on my build is appreciated.
Again, I look forward to meeting everyone and being part of a great car club.
Sincerely,
Jon Nelle
- Staff
- #7
Jon, good to hear from you - hope you can make it out to the meeting.
Reading your spec's, sounds interesting - but I would rethink the gearing. You'll find these cars don't do well with high-ratio rear ends. RPM is too high for cruising and you don't have enough traction in the lower gears to make use of the torque multiplication. Depending on the transmission selected, most guys are 3.55 or some use 3.27
I am familiar with the Roush Eight Stack system, it is made by Borla. What ECU system do they use? Are you a tuner?
You're past the hardest part - choosing the color.
Paul
Reading your spec's, sounds interesting - but I would rethink the gearing. You'll find these cars don't do well with high-ratio rear ends. RPM is too high for cruising and you don't have enough traction in the lower gears to make use of the torque multiplication. Depending on the transmission selected, most guys are 3.55 or some use 3.27
I am familiar with the Roush Eight Stack system, it is made by Borla. What ECU system do they use? Are you a tuner?
You're past the hardest part - choosing the color.
Paul
- Staff
- #8
Welcome Jon. We have a meeting 10/8, thinking we'll be at Sonic in Chesterfield. Look for an email with details
Welcome Jon. Sounds like a fantastic build. I agree with Paul on the rear gearing. Looking forward to meeting you!
Thank you guys for your advice on my Cobra build. I took your advice on the rear gearing and I switched it to 3.55.
As for the Roush Eight stack. I am not a tuner, I just thought it looked cool. So hopefully it won't need much tuning.
As for the Roush Eight stack. I am not a tuner, I just thought it looked cool. So hopefully it won't need much tuning.
Welcome to the club Jon. You'll be getting your car at a good time to start the 2025 cruises, we have a blast driving these car. Look forward to meeting you. I think you will enjoy your choice on gears, I had 373's and first gear was worthless, switched to 355's and couldn't be happier.
Hello All,
I hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to give everyone an update on my Backdraft Cobra since the kickoff party in January. A lot of you asked me to keep you posted so I wanted to send out an update. I wasn't sure if this was the best place to post the update on the forum, so hopefully it works.
My Backdraft Cobra was originally supposed to be delivered sometime between March-May 2025. But it came in early, January 31st. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the car right away. The weather wasn't great at the beginning of February, we went to Colorado to ski for a long weekend and there are some titling issues with Backdraft. I'll explain later.
But the weather warmed up and I was able to take the Cobra on February 28th. What an amazing day!!! I put over 100 miles on it in just one day! I love it!!! Thank you all for the recommendation on changing the rear gears to 3.55's. You were right, 3.55's is a better setup for the Cobra.
I had the entire car PPF and ceramic coated at Evolve Auto Boutique in O'Fallon. Evolve did an amazing job on the car! Highly recommend. You can barely tell the car has PPF on it.
Between the PPF being installed and going on vacation for my kid's spring break, I just got the Cobra back last week. Unfortunately, the short amount of time I had the car the weekend of February 28th. The brake pedal started to "soften". It felt like there was air in the brakes. I dropped the Cobra off at FastLane last week for them to work on it. FastLane decided to change the brake fluid to a synthetic fluid that can handle higher temperatures. The Cobra is currently at FastLane, hopefully I should get it back this week and be ready for cruising season.
Titling issue: Apparently, the state of Florida laws changed at the beginning of 2025. Backdraft was unable to get titles for these cars as of Jan. 1, 2025. So the car was delivered with no title and FastLane had to apply for a title through the State of Missouri and have it inspected by the Missouri Highway Patrol. Unfortunately, the State of Missouri is in no hurry to issue a title. We have been waiting, but in the meantime something changed with the Florida law and Backdraft can now get titles again. So, Backdraft is getting me a title for the Cobra and I will be able to get the car registered. FastLane has been great, they gave me a temporary tag and told me if it runs out they will give me a dealer tag until mine comes in.
I bring the titling issue up because I should be getting the title soon and can get the Cobra registered. I thought I saw a previous post about what I should know or expect when I go to the license office to get the car registered. But I can't find that post, so if you have any advice or information on what I should know or bring with me to get the Cobra registered please let me know. Since this isn't your typical car. I go to the license office in O'Fallon, MO. on HWY K if that matters.
Attached are some photos of the Cobra when it came in.
I can't wait for cruising season and to see everyone. I hope everyone is doing well.
Thanks,
Jon Nelle
I hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to give everyone an update on my Backdraft Cobra since the kickoff party in January. A lot of you asked me to keep you posted so I wanted to send out an update. I wasn't sure if this was the best place to post the update on the forum, so hopefully it works.
My Backdraft Cobra was originally supposed to be delivered sometime between March-May 2025. But it came in early, January 31st. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the car right away. The weather wasn't great at the beginning of February, we went to Colorado to ski for a long weekend and there are some titling issues with Backdraft. I'll explain later.
But the weather warmed up and I was able to take the Cobra on February 28th. What an amazing day!!! I put over 100 miles on it in just one day! I love it!!! Thank you all for the recommendation on changing the rear gears to 3.55's. You were right, 3.55's is a better setup for the Cobra.
I had the entire car PPF and ceramic coated at Evolve Auto Boutique in O'Fallon. Evolve did an amazing job on the car! Highly recommend. You can barely tell the car has PPF on it.
Between the PPF being installed and going on vacation for my kid's spring break, I just got the Cobra back last week. Unfortunately, the short amount of time I had the car the weekend of February 28th. The brake pedal started to "soften". It felt like there was air in the brakes. I dropped the Cobra off at FastLane last week for them to work on it. FastLane decided to change the brake fluid to a synthetic fluid that can handle higher temperatures. The Cobra is currently at FastLane, hopefully I should get it back this week and be ready for cruising season.
Titling issue: Apparently, the state of Florida laws changed at the beginning of 2025. Backdraft was unable to get titles for these cars as of Jan. 1, 2025. So the car was delivered with no title and FastLane had to apply for a title through the State of Missouri and have it inspected by the Missouri Highway Patrol. Unfortunately, the State of Missouri is in no hurry to issue a title. We have been waiting, but in the meantime something changed with the Florida law and Backdraft can now get titles again. So, Backdraft is getting me a title for the Cobra and I will be able to get the car registered. FastLane has been great, they gave me a temporary tag and told me if it runs out they will give me a dealer tag until mine comes in.
I bring the titling issue up because I should be getting the title soon and can get the Cobra registered. I thought I saw a previous post about what I should know or expect when I go to the license office to get the car registered. But I can't find that post, so if you have any advice or information on what I should know or bring with me to get the Cobra registered please let me know. Since this isn't your typical car. I go to the license office in O'Fallon, MO. on HWY K if that matters.
Attached are some photos of the Cobra when it came in.
I can't wait for cruising season and to see everyone. I hope everyone is doing well.
Thanks,
Jon Nelle
Attachments
Tim had to go through some additional steps when he got his Cobra.
It seems Missouri didn't like the VIN that was on his car.
Other than that I'm of little help.
Had to go the long route of HP inspection, wait a month, take it in again for a VIN , wait another month for the title.
It seems Missouri didn't like the VIN that was on his car.
Other than that I'm of little help.
Had to go the long route of HP inspection, wait a month, take it in again for a VIN , wait another month for the title.
Love it. Waiting to see it in person. Beautiful.
Beautiful car Jon, can't wait to see it in person.
Hi Tim,
Thank you for sending me the information. Sounds like it will be a process.
The link for the pdf - Missouri Title did not work. Please let me know if it is the link or my computer.
Thanks,
Jon
- Staff
- #19
Looks like Ron Adams car color….
- Staff
- #20
Jon,
Wasn't your machine or our site, DOR has re-arranged their files and the link had changed. I've corrected it and it does now open to the manual.
Paul