Physical Education Teacher Fred Koch may seem like your average teacher who drives to and from work everyday. However, his cars tell a different tale. Aside from his 1988 burgundy Oldsmobile, which you may have seen in the parking lot, the self-proclaimed car nut owns four other classic cars. But the coolest one of all, by far, is his 427 Shelby Cobra replica. What exactly is so special about it? Besides the fact that it’s candy apple red and a convertible? He built it himself.

It all started way back when disco was groovy and bell bottoms were hip. As a teenager, Koch went to a car show and feasted his eyes on an original 427 Cobra. It was love at first sight. “It was my dream car. I wanted one so bad,” said Koch. But one thing prevented them from being together: the money. “I didn’t have cash and my dad wouldn’t lend me the dough,” revealed Koch. At $200,000, it was slightly out of his price range. So he went and built one himself.

Starting in 1978, Koch has built the car from scratch with an old friend. They even enlisted the help of Former Professional Drag Racer Jack Manchester to work on the engine. $50,000 and four years later, the Cobra was finished. Sporting a brand new fiberglass body, it was ready to wreak havoc on the road.

The beloved Cobra was even entered in a show at Knott’s Berry Farm. And on his way home, Koch raced a 351 Pantera on the freeway. Pushing his new car to its limits and fully utilizing its 550 horsepower engine, he won. The car was designed to race against a Ferrari, so it’s no surprise that it runs for speed.

If you ever see a bright and shiny candy apple red sports car just casually cruising the I-5 in third gear at 150 miles per hour, it could be Coach Koch in his 427 Cobra. Clearly, the man has a need for speed. Oh, and by the way, 150 mph isn’t even its top speed. Koch still hasn’t tested the fourth and fifth gears. Fellow drivers beware.