No cloning for me

Absolutely!!!!!

 

sometimes the Best cars are the ones that stand out from the crowd by being different. use the best ideas and technology available to you. this forum has enough members to give you more than just one intelligent opinion on Suspension mods, Braking decisions and endless debates over Horsepower and Torque increasing!! whatever your ultimate decision to do with your car, just participate here when you get the time. new postings that may seem trivial to you are what keep these Forum boards alive and growing. keep at it!!

 

I only have a problem when someone tries to pass off the car as genuine. The original builder may have had good intentions, but maybe one of the subsequent owners is not so honest. That has most often been the problem over the years.

 

Ditto what Calvin said.
There is nothing wrong with modifying any Fomoco product with what is known as "Shelby like modifications". Back in the 60's, Ford even promoted that by selling kits to do it. Again, the problem comes at the time to sell, when "ford" gets small, and "SHELBY" gets the big billing. All over a few tasteful modifications.

 

Nothing wrong with modifying your Mustang to your personal tastes. We did
it all the time in the 60's. Mag wheels, Sun tachs, extra gauges, different
mirrors and any other "cool" thing to add. However, when it comes to building
clones, fakes, wanna-bes, or any other name you want to stick on them,
things change in perspective. Anyone who goes down the path of building "their own Shelby", usually ends up with an empty or hollow feeling.
Something is lacking. And what is lacking is history. Makes no difference how
great their car looks, how technically correct it is, there is a lacking. What
they have failed to recognize is the intangible. And that is the cars history. Thats what gives it its pedigree and therefore its value. When you say you have a Shelby, you are infering the car was built by Shelby American to their specs in a given time frame. That car has a very unique history. History cannot be rewritten. One must understand this throughly. Seems to be a rather difficult lesson for some people to learn. And expensive.

Go ahead and personilize your car. Put stripes on it. Maybe use the rocker stripes, but leave off the GT350 and make it a solid stipe. Use your favorite
Shelby wheels, Rotunda mirrors, etc. You have lots of options to make your
car into your own personal statement. Be creative, don't follow the herd.
Make your ride stand out. And try to make it look like the factory did it.
Have fun, good luck.
shlby66

 

How is it so different when CS puts his name on a bunch of cobbed together early convertables 20 years after the fact? or 10,000 people get to buy fiberglass "cobras" but only a few of them count as "real" Shelby approved fiberglass cobras??? This all seems so silly to me. I had a wemb. white/guardsman blue (with stripes) 70 ford van... should I be castigated for this sin. Selling a mustang as a "shelby" has always been a crime (fraud). The big horror storys about these cars being mis-represented always seem to be faked serial numbers..(two cars out there with the same numbers??) not paint jobs and parts. I am very proud of my clone. When people ask me if it is real... I say .."you tell me". They usually ask me next is it a 67 or a 68..
It is a 65
jimbo

 

What is the difference in a car that is a clone and a shelby that is a total rebody? Just because it has the VIN# does it make it real? We seem to be worried about the clones of the world, but what about all the cars that have been rebodied and never reported, which one is the problem? Don't think this doesn't happen,it does.
This is one of the reasons SAAC is still around,to the many club members and owners that think integrity and purity of the marque is worth fighting for. That's the difference.
Tout

 

The reason Carroll Shelby can produce cars bearing his stamp is quite simple.
He is the owner of Shelby American ( now Shelby Automobiles ) and has a
US Government issued Motor Vehicle Production License since 1962. He has the legal right produce vehicles and assign serial numbers. And since he is
Commander in Chief of Shelby American, it's his, and only his as to what cars
he desires to make.
shelby66

 

this is becoming an interesting topic as the car hobby has expanded to High dollar Hollywood status. I am and always have been a FORD freak/Shelby guy. last year I had a 69 COPO Camaro true and Correct car. all original Sheetmetal with the original VIN stamped block (In the rough casting so it cannot be faked) the car had incorrect Trans and Rear. and I sweated that big time. as I got to understand the plight of the Chevrolet crowd. they cannot get Documentation for their cars! if you do not have a complete Owner History via "Protect-o-Plate" Warranty Card, complete TITLE History, Old Registrations, Repair receipts etc. you have a car that goes deep into scrutiny. many of the YENKO and COPO Camaro's were Utilized for DRAG RACING.. just like they were built for hence the plain Jane appearance. so they were Tubbed out, Wrecked, Left behind Repair stations to Rot, etc. Now people are dragging them out of the wood work and replacing everything but the firewall. and it is accepted. basicly "Re Bodied". Barrett Jackson had a Re bodied Hemi Cuda sell for Mad money at the last auction. another reference but not a car is the "White House" (Yes the one where the President Lives) Burned very badly many years ago. it was rebuilt and today we still call it the White house. Not the "Replica" White House. while at the SAAC Banquet a couple of weeks ago I heard a speaker talk about an original Factory Racing COBRA that Burned badly in an accident. it was totally rebuilt. not a mention of being devalued was heard. and I doubt it was devalued at all. if anything the exciting story attached to it may INCREASE the VALUE now that these cars are passing the Magic age of "40", how many of them are still 100% original?? I mean right on down to the Hose clamps and Fuses. Not many if even any at all I am willing to bet. How many cars got new paint Jobs, Fenders, Quarter panels and Interiors?? remember these cars were sold to the general public and were exposed to the same Day to Day Driving occurrences as any other car on the road. Original Drivetrains blown up and replaced with Boss 302's or 351 Clevelands as they were so readily available in the 70's?? now people are scrambling to get the right Engine or Part that was long ago discarded to make their car that much more accurate. and this is why the Registry and even more importantly the actual "Registrars" themselves are so important to these cars. they tend to know more than what has now become a very useful but severly outdated Registry book. I contacted the Club with each and every purchase of a Shelby car (Except a Shelby Charger in the 90's) I have been involved in. and even some I did not buy as photographs and first hand knowledge may assist someone else down the road. anyway I digress. I agree with Calvin on the point that he brings up as unscrupulous people still abound to this day and Bogus cars are still out there. usually the sellers of them are praying that you the potential Buyer is clueless about a little old group of people known as SAAC!!

 

One of the major differences David is that in the years 1964 through today you could buy from Shelby any part needed for repairs,frames, bodies etc.but you could not buy a complete unibody from Ford, you could get pieces only, but not the complete assembly. This where a real gray line forms, taking a Vin off of a good car and replacing it with a VIN from a total worthlesss one.What happens to the idenity of the good car when this is done?The car now has no real history as far as a Shelby , the unibody most likly didn't even come from the same build site. As far as I'm concerned it's VIN tampering, nothing short of a federal crime, and the only reason SAAC somewhat excepts these is to keep track of them and all buyers should call to verify what they are buying.
I recently was looking at a 1966 shelby to buy, the owner was upfront that he had told SAAC of the rebody, once he told me I turned away from the deal, even though the restoration looked very nice, the car was no more than a clone with a VIN to me ,no integrity or history, but the seller still wanted the same dollars as if it were REAL.
Tout

 

The Shelby American Automobile Club has played a very important role in
documenting litterly tons of information on Shelbys and Cobras. Without the
help from Carroll Shelby, who turned over all the records of Shelby American
to SAAC, and the aquisition of official records from Ford, SAAC has been able
to keep the marque quite clean. No other club has been able to come even
close to what SAAC has accomplished in this area. Another reason why Shelby values keep climbing. It will be quite interesting in the future, if GM should change its mind and devulge the alpha-numeric codes that identify their cars production makeup.
I can see it now: all those big block Corvettes, 396 Chevelles and the other performance varients: when the true production numbers are exposed, there
will probably be litterly thousands more of them out there than was originally
produced. The wailing will start and the crying towels can be passed out as their collective values will drop like an anvil dropped off the Empire State Building.
Nothing is perfect, including SAAC. However, they do get high scores for their efforts in maintaining their stance, backed by volumes of documentation
and a lot of dedicated effort, the fakes, air-cars, phonies, etc. have been
put on notice they will be exposed for what they are: frauds. And by the way,
SAAC does have a number of members who can readily identify a real Shelby
from a fake. Absolutely. It has been done before. SAAC also has some very knowledgeable "officer friendlys" and several automotive lawyers to call upon.
All of this is what makes owning and living with Shelbys and Cobas a little
easier. Its a jungle out there.
shlby66

 

so then...
Is a rebody a shelby? (serial number saved only) or is the rusted out hulk (missing the serial number) the "shelby"? .. how about if part of the original front clip is used? What if the front of the shelby was replaced in 1967 (car accident) and the back was replaced in 1973 (another car accident) What about a shelby that gets stolen and destroyed... but the owner still has title to the car......In my opinion this will all work itself out in another 20 years. By then SAAC wil have filled out the regestry with a car for every number.
all in perfect condition.. 25 of the cars a year will change hands. Boyd Codington will have have show car vintage mustangs that will cost 3 times more than any of them. Relax.. Enjoy your car. The reason the Shelby GT 's are great is partly because the mustang they started with was great.
jimbo

 

Amen to that!!

 

To me it is real simple. The thing that SAAC has done is keep history of these cars. They know the true story. If a "rebody" car is for sale, both the seller and the potential buyers are aware of it, they all place their values accordingly and a sale happens when a buyer and a seller agree on those values, knowing all of the TRUE information about the car.

I have no doubt that these cars are all worth XX% more because of the effort the club has gone through in documenting these cars. If a buyer wants a car, they can make a couple of phone calls and have what is in essence a very accurate "carfax" report on the car they are considering and then use that info to decide how much they are willing to pay.

I know there are a great many people who have had their disputes with SAAC, Kopec, or Eber over the years. Many don't like this direction or that direction the club has taken, but the cars and their history is is much better shape because of the efforts of a bunch of volunteers that have made up the core of SAAC. I will be forever grateful for the fact that something that has been one of the central focus of my life happens to be so well cared about by others that feel the same.

 

The cars that we are seeing now,resurected from salvage yards and peoples back yards , nothing left , rusted, crashed, were there for a reason,and if you need to clip, tub, rebody it you have changed the cars history.... There are differences in unibodies , the Shelby and K code mustangs were close , but there are still differences, and Ford did not offer complete unibodies for repairs. So just because the car has a VIN or an owner has a piece of paper does not make it a Shelby. Integrity and history is missing.
Tout

 

All these things are details.. there is no detail that can't be taken care of with enough money.. As these cars increase in value. Only one thing becomes important "condition".. For every shelby that was lost to rust or a total casualty of inertia.... there are 20 that are half way there and still on thier tires.. ALL of those cars will be re-bodied... believe it.....because no-body will care.. they are investment properties. Somebody here has (4) 67's??? Good for him.. ....I can't help thinking that would be like having 4 wives.
jimbo

 

For the people spending in excess of 150,000.00 it makes a difference, only desperate owners that are trying to salvage something to make a buck go to the trouble to rebody a car.To those buying these you get what you paid for in the end.Why would you pay the same amount for a car that has been rebodied?Give me a break!!!!!!
Tout

 

SAAC has accomplished a lot in preserving the intregrity of Shelbys and Cobras. You can call SAAC prior to purchase and check serial numbers and
obtain all known history on a given car. Most helpful. In the case of a rebody, things aren't so crystal clear. If you turn to pages, 29-30 in your Shelby American World Registery, ( you do have one, don't you? ) this
issue is addressed by SAAC. Their take on this is interesting and probably is
the best one for SAAC. Remember, we are living in a "sue happy" culture
and SAAC does not intend to be dragged into expensive court cases over
some dirt bags' fraudelent activity.

 

I've been a SAAC member for 20 years now. Shelby owner for 35. I'm having a problem with the acceptance of these, gee, I don't want to go libel here, ah, 2nd generation-newly- built-because-of-the-Gone-in-60-Seconds, ah Autos. I mean these "official" ones. The ones everyone is cloning. I don't understand what is not "clone" about these official copies. They sure we're not Shelbys back in the 60's. Still don't get it.