CSX 4000 Pricing

KeithBrown · #1 (**permalink**) 02-11-2002, 01:50 PM

I was cruising the SAI website and noticed that the pricing section for the Cobra has been deleted and now the users are directed toward the dealer network.

Is this a recent change? Has pricing been modified?

Keith

Shelby American Inc · #2 (**permalink**) 02-12-2002, 10:32 PM

Yup and yup. In the market to stay. As aggresive price wise as possible.

KeithBrown · #3 (**permalink**) 02-13-2002, 06:23 AM

Wayne.

Thanks for the reply (I never doubted your staying power!). Could you tell me your new pricing structure? Will it be on the website soon?

Thanks,

Keith

KeithBrown · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2002, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KeithBrown
Wayne.

Thanks for the reply (I never doubted your staying power!). Could you tell me your new pricing structure? Will it be on the website soon?

Thanks,

Keith

Wayne - I sawe that you guys are advertising the 40 th anniv. with pricing on your website - how about pricing for the non 40th anniv. cars?

Keith

Shelby American Inc · #5 (**permalink**) 03-29-2002, 02:53 PM

Keith,

We have learned the lesson that posting prices doesn't necessarily help, because each individual seems to be seeking something tailored to him.

Because we are top end, many are scared away without really inquiring as to what they get for the money and what total costs are compared to working with replicas that require donor vehicles and additional part purchases. We have found it clearly best to either have persons talk directly to an independent dealer or to Bob Marsh at the factory in the case of direct sales.

We do have suggested retail prices so that all independent dealers are working in the same ball park, and so that we stay in the game at the factory, but you may find significant differences in price by shopping dealer to dealer. Not that the merchandise is priced differently so much as that the different dealers offer different packages and have freedom to price their unit to you after considering whether they will be helping to assemble for you or are not. One dealer, for example is working a program where one can buy a much reduced starter kit, allowing a person to get in for under $15,000, with some mutual agreement as to acquiring follow-on components. Independent dealers each have their own focus and suggest different options as to how you can direct your final car build.

That said, the 40th anniversary models have about a $10,000 premium in pricing over standard roller units, but that must be evaluated looking at the different options that are standard on the special edition.

We believe individuals can finish out a CSX4000 for anywhere from $60,000 to $110,000, and this is based on past experience. FIA's, of course, are quite a bit less to an end-user wanting to install a crate 289 or 302 (compared to the pricey 427). Further help - our fiberglass units are quite close in price to the better fiberglass replicas out there. The differences in pricing for aluminum between us and the other major source are not great at all.

Hope this helps. We really need to talk to an individual so we can clearly explain of what they are getting compared to others. Our units are, in fact, complete. Also price differences also seem to melt away as the final controlling factor once a person has a chance to compare the CSX4000/7000/8000 units to the originals on hand at the factory.

Give Marsh a call. He will help you with what you need, or based on what you describe as your tastes, will recommend one of the independent dealers.

jimbeam89 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 04:39 AM

Sounds like you had a wake up call. I tried to buy one of your cars and Gary Patererson (sp??) was less than helpful. I specically tried to get a comparison of a Superfomance to the CSX and got no answer. All I got on one occassion was "its a real Shelby" ! Your pricing is way out of line. I am happy to say I ended up buying a Superformance.

KeithBrown · #7 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 11:22 AM

Wayne,

I very much appreciate your response. It always helps to get information straight from the source and I will follow up.

Keep up the good work!

Keith

Shelby American Inc · #8 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 09:47 PM

JimBeam 89

It is good that you are happy with the your purchase. Different cars sell because of different tastes, different resources and many intangibles to numerous to mention. Good motoring and enjoy your car when you get it finished.

Now comes the however - Our vehicles are definitely not overpriced relative to the way they are assembled and the cost of materials going into them. I am constantly being hounded by the investors because our margins are too slim. We know we have to keep the Shelby Cobras competetive with the high end replicas. We believe we clearly meet that goal both in aluminum and fiberglass.

I hope we will be able to sell you a CSX4000, CSX7000, or CSX8000 sometime in the future when both your situation and our situation may change. There may be a way for the meeting of both the minds and the pocket books.

CSX 4027 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-30-2002, 10:54 PM

I am not surprised with the response you got. They are 2 different cars that need not to be compared in the same sentence.
Kinda like walking into a pizza place and asking for a comparison with their moo shoo pork.---They don't make it!!!

The superformance. In for 50 to 55 out for 40 It doesn'took like a Cobra. Nice car but body dimentions are wrong. If you can settle for that then it;s fine

Shelby seems to hold it's value. I had my glass comp car done as right as right can be. In for 80 to 90. Sold for $125

Now I can race real Winston Cup with no storiesabout the nonsence. It's an original nascar warrior, period.

jimbeam89 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-01-2002, 08:39 PM

The point I was trying to make was that I got no response at all. If the car is so good and that much better, then it should be easy to compare and contrast. No problem. But as I said, the answer was "its a shelby" and I don't really think I'm getting that much more now other than a bunch of suggestions that I couldn't afford the car. I wanted to simply compare every option and every difference. Sure the cars are different. But I wanted a quantification of the differences and a justification for the increase in price. If that had been done I would have bought one. I also looked into a Kirkham. Then I found out Shelby buys his cars from Kirkham and adds a premium on for his name. Justify that! I'm sure the answer is going to be that the Shelby is an investment. I'm not so sure and anyway I wanted a car I could use every day if I wanted to and not an investment that I would look at and never use. So I guess it just comes down to what you want out of the car and how much money you have to blow. Bottom line is these cars are toys for most of us and I wanted the best usable toy. Not a collectors item or an investment. The collectors items were built back in the '60s and are not made anymore. These cars are all replicas. Like it or not.

JoeLafives · #11 (**permalink**) 04-01-2002, 09:33 PM

I agree that it is difficult to compare kits or cars. But it doesn't appear to be an SAI problem alone. Everyone's kit seems to include different stuff and it's really hard to get a firm answer on the same set (equivilent) of gear.

bonyhadi · #12 (**permalink**) 04-07-2002, 05:09 PM

Jim Beam
I have found Gary Patterson to be a real gentleman. He answers his e-mails promptly and does a good job representling his company. His drives like the wind and is a real car guy. Take a look at the Silver State Classic that he runs. Frankly, as a bastard kit car owner I have always felt welcome at SAAC events
(where there is a large replica and clone population anyway) and at SAI. I guess it boils down to how
you phrase your questions etc. One thing is for sure, when it comes to resale being in the SAAC guide will
give you an advantage over any other kit.

jimbeam89 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-07-2002, 08:19 PM

Bonyhadi: Gary Paterson may be a wonderful guy and maybe I just caught him on a bad day. But, at the time, I was trying to make an honest comparison and asked a very open ended question. "How do you see your car differing from the Superformance and why do you feel it's better?" It was sent as an e mail and I never got an answer. That's all I know.

Even after I placed my order for the Superformance, I am still comparing and looking at kits and engines. I don't really know a lot about cars and I am trying to learn. Some of of the Shelby dealers were fantastic to deal with and were very helpful. Roy Hunt in Las Vegas was a real gentleman and I can't say enough about him and his company. If I were buying a Shelby, I would buy one from him in a minute. He was very polite and was great when I made my final decission.

I tried to compare the Kirkham, the Shelby and the Superformance on a part by part comparison. I also tried to look at cars independantly from the engine choice. As many have said, they are differnet. My final decission was based more on practicality and my personality over price. I thought at first I wanted the most original. When I went through all the research on the three cars I felt taking care of an aluminum body, a hand made car and getting a 427 side oiler fixed would be a pain in the ass. I also thought having an aluminum body would drive me crazy. Opinions vary, but most of my research suggested that they were fairly delicate and would dent easily. I wanted a car I could drive to work every day if I wanted to and park in a public garage if needed. So it wasn't price, as much as I liked having new Ford parts and a new crate motor. Just how I am. I will also say that as I continue my research and I question my decission, I always come back to feeling like I made a good choice for me.

bonyhadi · #14 (**permalink**) 04-07-2002, 09:49 PM

JimBeam
------------
Seems like you are happy with your car and that is what is really important. I just came back from a trip and was reviewing posts and caught the continued smell of what appears to be the love-hate relationship with
Shelby. We all love Cobras, but some of us want to crap on SAI. I have come to the conclusion that some members of CC are similar to those users of the now defunct Napster. Want to enjoy the music without paying a royalty to the originating artist. Most us of have cars that are knock offs of the 427, which was designed by CS and his employees. Don't you think he is entittled to some sort of royalty? I do.
The question is how much, and what the courts have to say. Did he protect his trademark as mandated?
But, even if he didn't he deserves much more respect than he gets here.

jimbeam89 · #15 (**permalink**) 04-08-2002, 09:20 AM

Bonyhadi: I think, as you said, you took my meaning wrong. I have a great deal of respect for CS and the Cobra. However, I don't think he should get Royalties for every knock off there is, but that's a different matter. My anger was with the whole process of comparing the cars and several road blocks I have run into. As I said, I sent an e mail and got no response and then called him directly and got the "it's a Shelby" response. It just didn't cut it on that day. With the exception of Roy Hunt, I have found relatively few people who are really good at expainling some of the basics to someone who is learning. I know I ask a lot of stupid or basic questions and I don't mean to irritate or bother anyone. But whether a $100,000 Shelby or a $25,000 FFR its a fair amount of money and more importantly probably a one time decision for most of us. Therefore, getting it right is important. I didn't want to buy a Superformance and then have to sell it to buy a Kirkham or a Shelby. Same with the engine. The whole selection of the engine is still something I'm reviewing. It obviously involves a lot more than I understand. Like so many other things, a lot of it involves opinion and there are no right answers.

Captdan · #16 (**permalink**) 04-26-2002, 05:09 PM

Jimbean 99, I am with you. The SPF cars are in my eyes the best car you can buy for the money period. The are absolutely beautiful, well made and race proven. SAI is over priced and offer nothing that your car does not. Sorry guys this is the way I see it. Your car (SPF) will retain value and is amoung the hallmarks of Cobra replicas in the industry. If there are any doubts about the resale vaule of the SPF go to cobracountry.com. There anyone able to read will see that the SPF sells faster, and commands the best adverage price. There have been SAI cars on there for months, only to be "reduced" in price. No, you cannot go wrong with the SPF. Royalties? Don't make me laugh, the car has it's roots in the UK, and the basic shape is still made there. With that premise in mind all car makers should be paying the Henry Ford family royalties, after all Ford invented the car right? Well we all have out views on the subject, nuf said.

STG · #17 (**permalink**) 04-26-2002, 06:52 PM

Henry Ford would have to pay royalities to Mercedez-Benz!

By the way, Mercedes is making 50 copies (authorized Counterfeits) of the original available. Do thety qualify for Run N Gun?

Stan
Club Counterfeit

gary patterson · #18 (**permalink**) 05-13-2002, 06:36 PM

Jim, Bonyhadi:
Finally back on the net.
Jim, sorry to have not given a reply. Lots of e-mail problems with my machine recenlty and may not have known you had a question. I'm still getting new e-mails from mid April and our computer guy can't explain it..... I would be happy to discuss all of the + and - of our cars along with the others at your convenience. I can be reached at work: 702-643-3000 ext. 25 or cell 702-400-8511. Bonyhadi, thanks for the kind words, I try hard but don't always connect.
Sounds like Jim has a nice Superformance car that you are happy with and thats what counts. Lots of my friends have alot of different cars and thats what makes things great. Carroll gives me alot of grief when I pick him up in my ZR-1 Vette. Then I go to the Vette club meetings with my "R" code Mach 1 and .....
Anyway, I am available to all and just enjoy the people, the cars and the sport as Bonyhadi pointed out.
The Silver State Classic Challenge is this coming Sunday so I will be REALLY busy Thursday through Sunday . This years SSCC event has some really good stuff. We have Speedvision filming, John Schnider (Dukes of Hazzard) out with the General Lee (now with a 500+ inch Hemi, a pit stop competition and of course everything from a dwarf car to Tony Stewarts old cup car competing to win. If you all have questions about this fun event visit our web site at www.silverstateclassic.com.
I'll also try to visit this site much more often. We just had a great open house with several of your club members with some really neat cars.
See you at the races,
Remember, drive fast or finish last.....
Gary

bonyhadi · #19 (**permalink**) 05-17-2002, 10:04 PM

Hello Gary,
Glad to see you will become active on this site!! Your good humor will ad a lot!! Hopefully all will remember we are car guys above all. Anyone gets out of line, take em for a fast lap or two and help them find God or if that isn't possible mommy!! Let us know when SPEED channel will run the Silver State, which is a real class event, CONGRATS!

Fred Douglass · #20 (**permalink**) 05-17-2002, 11:05 PM

Jimbeam99,

Ditto to everything Captdan said above. It's refreshing to see someone who's open and honest about not knowing as much as the true experts you find here. I know---it's frustrating when you've got rudimentary knowledge but not the details. This is the BEST site I've found since it functions as a tutorial.

I have more or less come to precisely the same decision you have. Most of the SPF owners on this site are incredibly willing to fill you in on the traps, pitfalls and potential troubles when it comes to engine selection. Ron Daveley, Hal Copple, Fred Rice, Mike Eckhaus, JBaird, etc. ALL respond quickly to any inquiry. The all have BIG hp smallblocks. I'm leaning toward a "mild" stroker, maybe the 393 wh/ yields hp and ft/lbs in the 450's. I've had a ride in an SPF with "only" 385 hp (a Ford SVO crater) and the dealer here in Rhode Island says that is all you really need. More hp from only a few more inches tends to make it a bit less reliable (aaccording to him). Moreover, he said that you'll use the 385 hp all the time, since it won't bite you. In other words, you won't be driving around pretending there's a raw egg under the gas-pedal! I've ridden around many miles in Rick Long's 600+ Contemporary and there is a good reason to keep it under 450 hp if you're streeting it mostly. I live in the overbuilt and overpopulated northeast, so that type of monstrous, projectile-horsepower is only going to be used once in a long while. The rest of the time, it'll frustrate you with potential stalling and heating problems, according to the RI dealer.

Good luck and keep us posted.