[itstock]

I second (or is it 3rd/4th/5th) doing business with Jay.

I do have heated seats and would definitely recommend them. You will still need a jacket and a hat in the cooler months (40's and even driving at night in the low 50's). There is a learning curve with these cars, so when you see things like "well sorted" or simply "sorted", it's a good thing. They aren't mass produced cars and little items do pop up so be ready for stupid nonsense items that will need to be addressed. Fortunately, if you go through a company like Vintage, it shouldn't be an issue. If you like to actually drive the car, I would also HIGHLY suggest a pair of driving shoes, no matter how foolish they look. Not only does it make driving the car easier do to pedal orientation, but it also makes your feet more comfortable.

IMO, the 427 is an excellent choice. My VMS 427 dynoed 482rwhp (equates to somewhere between 540 to 570 flywheel horsepower) and I think it's the perfect amount of power. Less, and I would get bored. More, and traction would be non-existent on the street. I would consider bumping up the hp by a bit, but never down. So see what engine VMS can get you in the 550hp range.

As for regrets, none really come to mind. But I do wish I started looking for a competent local shop BEFORE even purchasing the car. I've had a couple shops that didn't even want to touch the car (which is odd considering they work on new $150k+ Mercedes without issues).

The fall and spring are the best seasons to drive these cars! Or course you aren't limited to parking it in the winter or summer, but especially not the summer. So you basically have 8 months to drive it, plus an optional amount of time amounting to 1+ months (simply based on temp. alone, but including 2 months dec/jan for road salt that you will want to keep off the road). Sunny weather in the upper 50's /low 60's is probably my most fun time driving the car.