Shelby vs SAAC

[RACER X #99]

Its time to poll the membership here to see just who the majority is siding with.

[dblbarrel]

How did Evan get to respond twice?

[4pipes]

Who gives a Sh*t. Has nothing to do with the enjoyment of my car.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by 4pipes

Who gives a Sh*t. Has nothing to do with the enjoyment of my car.

Ditto - two groups of smug rich guys battling out over who has the right to shun replicas. What happens to the winners - do they get free Grey Poupon for life?

Reminds me of most baseball fans watching a Yankees vs. RedSox game. Who do you root for - the highest paid team in baseball or the close number two? Most of us root for a well timed earthquake.

[lineslinger]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

Ditto - two groups of smug rich guys battling out over who has the right to shun replicas. What happens to the winners - do they get free Grey Poupon for life?

Reminds me of most baseball fans watching a Yankees vs. RedSox game. Who do you root for - the highest paid team in baseball or the close number two? Most of us root for a well timed earthquake.

I'd root for the team without the designated hitter, make the pitcher hit.

[RACER X #99]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

Ditto - two groups of smug rich guys battling out over who has the right to shun replicas.

Not exactly true. SAAC has accepted CSX 4000 and Kirkham replicas into the Registry. And before the explosion of Open track events SAAC has allowed all replicas in the Open track events.SAAC for a long time had a show class for replicas. They even gave my POS a trophy many years ago.
There is no other car event where you can see as many REAL and not so real Cobras in one place.
I have had many years at SAAC events mixing it up on the track with original Cobras and found many of the owners more hospitable than some of the replica owners who post here.

If you have never attended a SAAC event you have missed out on a good time.

RD

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by RACER X #99

Not exactly true. SAAC has accepted CSX 4000 and Kirkham replicas into the Registry.

SAAC hasn't "accepted" 4000 cars. They are Shelby vehicles, and have a legit spot in the registry without any footnotes or explainations needed. Let's not twist the truth here once again, okay?

[ENTDOC]

I looked at a 3000 series car recently to purchase, it was one of those that was built in the early 90's I think from some left over chassis or something and sold for mid hundreds then, but make no mistake, it has a footnote attached and for good reason, it is not an original car. Sorry but it simply is not and it should be known and exposed. the 4000 series cars are self explanatory by their number designation, a footnote of sorts.

[daltondavid]

Originally Posted by Power Surge

SAAC hasn't "accepted" 4000 cars.

Sal, I beg to differ. SAAC has them in the Registry for a specific reason and that is to keep them identified as what they are. Shelby has tried to rewrite history in the past and if given the Registry now would certainly relive the 60's all ocver again!! I bet Jim Morrisons 67 GT500 would Magically resurface within days at Tango Classics!!

[lineslinger]

This whole damn thing is about value enhancing a car/the cars with an SAI badge.
The dedicated enthusiasts, the ones who kept the deal alive all these years are the ones getting hosed.

[CHANMADD]

I always thought it was about enjoying the cars for what they are...loud ...superfast...smelly...and ...fun!!!

[lineslinger]

Originally Posted by CHANMADD

I always thought it was about enjoying the cars for what they are...loud ...superfast...smelly...and ...fun!!!

That is exactly what it has been about, until the sandbox got too small to share.

[Excaliber]

Dalton does have somewhat of a valid point however, I personally don't believe a Shelby organization could provide the needed security for a registry in the long term. As for the continuation series cars, thats a no brainer, they belong by virture of being a genuine (modern) Shelby product.

...all though the very term 'continuation' is at least as suspect as the term 'completition'. Completiton of WHAT? Continuing from WHAT? The lineage of the 60's? Gimme a break.

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Dalton does have somewhat of a valid point however, I personally don't believe a Shelby organization could provide the needed security for a registry in the long term. As for the continuation series cars, thats a no brainer, they belong by virture of being a genuine (modern) Shelby product.

...all though the very term 'continuation' is at least as suspect as the term 'completition'. Completiton of WHAT? Continuing from WHAT? The lineage of the 60's? Gimme a break.

I do agree that a third party is better suited in this situation to be the keepers of Cobra history, which is one of the reasons that I support SAAC.

As for the "terms" for the non-60's Shelby Cobras, they are pretty explanitory. The Completion cars were supposed to be Cobras completed from old parts. Of course, that was BS, but that's what they were called. The Continuation cars, are continuations of Cobra production after a period of cars not being built. How can you say it's not from lineage of the 60s? Everything interchanges with a 60s Cobra. It's the same car, it was just built at a different point in time.

[Excaliber]

I understand the terminology, and use it, it certainly clairifies which period of time were referring to when it comes to build dates and models.

...it's just a little thing that always kind of bothered me, perhaps it has just a sort of classic 'Snake Oil' ring to it if you think about it to long.

But no question about it, there genuine Shelbys, authorized and approved by the man himself (including of course the completition series).

[cbgolz]

Dear Amy,
My major concern, as the owner of a '65 GT350 and a '70 GT500 is that, if the records from SAAC are ever "turned over" to any other entity (CAI or anyone else), will the integrity of those records, including the original Ford VINs linked to the original Shelby cars, be maintained? If access to those linked VINs is made available to the general public, my fear is that it would unleash a torrent of fakes and clones with numbers to match the "real" original Shelbys. Whatever you all may say about SAAC, the one thing they have always held sacred is the protection of those original Ford VINs, to prove the authenticity of the original cars. Without that protection, I am certain that the value of the original Shelby production cars from '65 to '70 will plummet. Obviously, as the owner of two of these cars, my comments are self serving, but I know there are many other "original car" owners who share my feelings. We have all invested a ton of time and money restoring and preserving these vehicles, and have finally seen the values increase in recent years. I shudder to think what would happen to that valuation, if all of the Ford/Shelby VIN links were available in the public domain. I would like to hear Amy's comments about that possibility, which has been mentioned in several Shelby chat rooms between enthusiasts. We (as owners of the original Shelby cars) need to hear that our valuations will not be diluted due to widespread distribution of this Ford/Shelby link of VIN/car numbers. That would truly be a disaster for all of us who have preserved these cars in their original form. There is no room for fakes, and distribution of these numbers would destroy the integrity of the originals. Any comments, Amy?

[TERRY M KRYSTOFIAK]

I too own two Shelbys...A '66 gt350 & a '67 gt500. I am quite concerned about the vin's getting out. Let's take a possible senerio. Im looking to buy a '66 gt350. Borrowed on the house,rat holed money from the wife etc. Big step,alot of money. I now have a choice to verify my purchase..SAAC (Howard Pardee) or Team Shelby. Now keep in mind, one has a proven track record, the other would sell a dead horse to a Mounty and charge him for the saddle....and for a CASH donation to the heart fund tell you what ever you want to here....tough decission. With respect to SAAC and all the different chapters they have always welcomed replicas and other Ford products at events I have attended.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

There is no other car event where you can see as many REAL and not so real Cobras in one place.
I have had many years at SAAC events mixing it up on the track with original Cobras and found many of the owners more hospitable than some of the replica owners who post here.

If you have never attended a SAAC event you have missed out on a good time.

At the SAAC bash at VIR, during one of the open track sessions I ran down the front straight at 135mph, door handle to door handle with the late/great Dick Smith, I backed off the gas at the end and got behind him, mainly cause his ball$ were a lot bigger than mine........after the session he found me in the paddock and we had a very freindly chat, he told me he made a dent in the floor under the accelarator trying to pass me and then looked over my POS 65 Mustang Coupe race car and had nothing but good to say about it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Howard Pardee and Kopec both had time in their busy schedules to talk to me and I found them both very nice guys........I never did see any of the BS about real/replicas there.......Each group of show cars had their designated area to park and that was that........

Going to the yearly SAAC meet is like stepping back in time with soo many original cars there......You will see everything from the 2000 series cars up to the latest 4000 series cars.........My favorite has always been the "survivor" cars....unrestored, all original cars, still just like they were made in the 60's!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

[RACER X #99]

Dave, here is a photo of the late Dick Smith signing the "Club Cranky" banner at VIR and not a REAL Cobra in site. Some people just know how to have a good time together weather their car is REAL or not.

BTW we had a beautiful CSX 7000 replica in our camp.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Dave, here is a photo of the late Dick Smith signing the "Club Cranky" banner at VIR and not a REAL Cobra in site. Some people just know how to have a good time together weather their car is REAL or not.

Roger; I met Dick Smith a few years before VIR in Tulsa at that SAAC meet, even let him park next to me at the hotel ........I got a picture of it somewhere.

We had a BBQ set-up in the hotel parking lot and had it going as well as some "liquid refreshments"..... Dick came by and had we not know who he was (we recognized him from photos) you'd thought he was just a "regular Joe" there....that's what impressed me the most about him, very unassuming fellow and a friend to everyone, regardless of what car you owned,if you even owned one!!!!!!!!!!!

Through the years I've met a lot of folks at SAAC events, gladly most were like Dick....... Some years back, I was pestering a guy with all kinds of questions about his two, 65 GT-350s,poor guy, one was a street car and the other a Vintage Racer.....I guess he got tired of me bugging him about the race car with all kinds of questions, so he told me to go find a helmet and come back, which I did and then I strapped in and got 4 hot laps around the track......Nicest guy in the world, we are close friends now and have been ever since that day....even though I have a POS 66 GT-350 CLONE....When he saw my street car he was actually impressed with it as to how accurate it was to an original 66 GT-350 and this guy restores Shelby's for a living!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think he also has very bad eyesight

I've also met a few of the "upper echelon" folks who wouldn't give you the time of day if their lives depended on it, but, thankfully they are few in numbers and easy to spot a mile away, those, I just ignore and stay away from..........

David