That's Not a Real One, Is It?

When you have an early '67, all kinds of 'experts' come out of the woods telling you everything that's wrong with it. Used to bother me. Now, I just let 'em stuff their foot deeper into their mouth.

 

Like "early" said, with an early 67, folks point out stuff, until I tell them it's a SAAC div II Concours gold winner, and, with 67's, it's like a whole year model change every couple of hundred cars, that quiets them.
Course in my area, just about everybody has seen my car at one show or another.

 

I rarely get asked when I have a Shelby out. If ever I just say where is yours so I can see what a real one looks like. Oh, you don't have one is my next line. If I take my Factory Five out I always get asked. Then depending on how the person is I either give a straight answer or screw with them.

 

Best one I ever had was a guy came up and told me my car was a clone. I told it wasn't but he said " You're wrong, I know about these things". My momma taught me not to argue with fools.

 

Funnyest comment I ever had was when I heard a guy walking up to my 66 tell his friends " I know it's not real because it dosen't have a roll bar." When he and his friends got to the car I informed him that 67 was the first year for roll bars on street cars. This being a 66 it didn't come with one. Then came the question "is it real". After I said yes he asked "Is this the one I apprised last month". My response was " No and you shouldn't be appriseing Shelbys"

 

I get people think my 65 Shelby is not real because it is missing the side brake scoops and the vent windows.

 

Man I thought that just happened around where I live where theres not many around. It seems like everyone has an opinion. I had just gotten my Gt500 and was showing it to one of our suppliers and this guy pops out of his car like a nat to a light and starts pointing out its flaws Scratch here and there.Then ask if its real.Glad to hear its nation wide
Dave

 

By the way. My early 67 Gt 350 has that silly little light in the upper brake scoop. Everybody points that out, and used to ask "whats with this?
So I made up a little magnetic sign that has a photostat out of the SAAC guide showing it, with the "only 200 made" along the bottom. Along the top I wrote "Carroll Shelby, NOT J.C. Whitney." At shows I place it on the uper quarter panel right next to the light. That shut up a whole lot of folks.

 

What kills me is when people think "less" of a car if it isn't real. As long as you don't try to pass it off as real one why should craftsmenship and quality be thought of any less. There is no way I could afford what I have now if I had to pay today's prices. Lucky for me I bought back when it was a hobby and you purchased a car because you wanted it. Not because it was worth X amount and your only going to flip it. I can't afford a real 427 Cobra, so I did the next best thing and built a Factory Five. If I wanted a 65 GT 350 I would build one since I don't want to sell what I have to get one. Would I enjoy it anyless when driving? No.

 

I used to get the same comments from every self proclaimed car guru at almost every show I went to. I finally got tired of arguing and trying to explain things and just kept quiet and let 'em ramble on. Some of the comments were actually funny they were so dumb.

 

A friend had a 70 Hemi car at a show.Some guy walks all around it, looks in over and under and then asks, Who's car is this? My friend says that it is his. The guy then asks if he would like him to tell him what is wrong with it. My friend then says, would you like me to tell you what is wrong with your wife? The guy left in a hurry.
Frank

 

We're pretty lucky over here in Australia. There obviously are not many over here so people think that they are original - not replicas. Amazing though just how many people know about Shelbys and are in awe of them even though there arent many here.

I owned Aust GT Falcons for many years and regularly got "really nice replica" I'd pump them up by returning "geez you must be an expert to be able to be able to pick it".

Rohan

 

The other one that always gets me is how everybody's father, cousin, uncle, son in law, sisters boyfriends bosses neighbor used to have one and they all were nicer than mine.
Funny one I heard recently (don't know the car) was at a show some girl came over to check out this guys fastback (not Shelby) The girl asked if it was a Shelby and when he answered no she said "Too bad because I only like cars Shelby made. His wife Carol is a nice lady too"

 

15 Years ago when I had the time to paint cars for other people. My best customer was a Shelby dealer. He would let me drive and show whatever he had. I took a really nice 67 500 to a local show. Two men in there early 20s came up to look at it. They both thought it was a cool car untill one noticed that it had a fiberglass hood. Then he told his buddy it was a fake. A nice Fake but a fake anyway. I didn't bother to tell them any differant.

With all the CSX 4000 people putting " It's Real " on thier car. We now have a guy in Dallas that has to put "it's Real and Made in 1966 at Shelby American" on his CSX 3000 when he shows it.

 

The "self proclaimed experts" that like to point out flaws are usually the ones who drove to the cruise/show in a beat 1989 Dodge Caravan and don't even own a classic. The way to treat those kind of guys is to:

a.) Tell them to bend over and point to the flaw that they are talking about so you can kick them dead in the rear.

b.) Ask them were their classic is parked so you can be sure to get a look at it to see what a perfect car looks like.

Both will usually work!

 

Bill,

Speaking of the Moxee show, its scheduled for Sat. May 20th - any plans on taking your car this year? If weather is good, we will likely attend with ours.

Dan