CSX3006 on Dream Car Garage - Poll

[computerworks]

If you haven't been watching the Speed-TV show, "Dream Car Garage ", this season... you must give it a look. They are featuring the total restoration of an original 427 Comp car (CSX3006) over the course of the 13 episodes. The car was purchased at auction last summer for $593,600.



Unfortunately, as always, this show's format is "all bread and no meat", so there is only a few minutes a week dedicated to the "feature', but it is still worth waiting for.

Now...here's the controversy.
CSX3006 was in the first batch of 5 cars built during Q1 1965, so it is really special. It was finished light blue with gold stripes and sold to a local racer. Shortly thereafter, it was sold to someone who took it to Europe and then sold again to a racing team. They converted it to RHD and competed in Europe for the next year or so.

As time went on, it came back to the US and was converted back to LHD, as original.

Well, the decision was made for this restoration to set the car up like it was raced in Europe... that means converting it again to RHD and, I suppose, finishing it in it's livery at that time: white with a flat-black hood. (yuccch).



Was this a smart decision? The car looked pretty doggone good coming into the shop, but they stripped it to the bare frame and began cutting and welding, to move the pedal box, roll bar and steering rack.





What do you think?

[southernfriedcj]

Ron, was the 593k auction price before the restoration?

[computerworks]

Yup.... the car was for sale for a while.
Results in upper-left of this tear sheet:

[Lowell W]

Yeah, I've been watching this, too. I'm a little puzzled about the RHD business. Sure, if the owner lives in a RHD location and wants to drive the car, it would be more convenient, but weren't ALL the 427's LHD originally? This one evidently was, anyway. So I'd have to assume this conversion would have a negative effect on the car's value, and it's hard to imagine someone sacrificing the value of the car to make it more convenient for the occasional drive. Not too crazy about the white/flat black, either. My guess is that the present owner had some sort of a life-changing experience associated with this car at the time it was RHD and those colors. As Buddy Palumbo said: "It's not the car's fault..."

[bmalone]

Only thing I can think of is that they wish to insert the car into a niche thinking it will have a positive efffect on resale. The niche being its European race career. It is a different approach, that's for sure. Whether it is successful, remains to be seen.

Ron thanks for mentioning the show; I watch it from time to time and have never seen this portion of it--right under my niose.

[Tony Aprile]

Since it is being restored I believe it should back to specs as delivered, race heritage or not.

Tony

[PDHse]

Hi, in my opinion i like the idea that CSX3006 is being restored to its original race colours. Yes it was a different colour when it was new but i expect there were a few Cobras sold a certain colour/ package and then changed to racing specs and go on to racing glory. So i think thats more significant. The changing from left to right hand drive a couple of times must be a big job, does any of this weaken the chassis, i don,t know im not mechanically minded. To sum it all up if you are going to restore a car to a certain point in its life/career you have to go the whole hog. If you are in a position to do so.
I think this cars going to look great. Im sure Bob Bondurant will like it.

[Cal Metal]

A lot of $$$ being spent on a car that cost $600,000 just to get in the door. Any REAL racing heritage? FIA events? Factory sponsored? Factory drivers? I would prefer a SB Comp car that has an impressive history. You could probably buy a Team SB car for what he paid for the car, initially. A lot more history and bragging rights, too.

[ToyCollector]

I said No, should go back to as shipped condition. A resto to me, means bringing it to as delivered condition, unless of course the car had some SIGNIFICANT race history later, then to do it in that trim, is fine. Whoever owns it is going to have SILLY money into it.

[HIQ]

So what do you think this guy will have into the restoration?

$100K restoration + $600K for the car = one expensive car

I will second Toy Collector that a car should be restored to it's original condition unless some BIG happened later in the car's life.

[TimG427]

Sounds as if its strongest race history was in Europe with the
white/black color. Personally, I would bring it back to its "as delivered" condition.

[daltondavid]

Damn show comes on at really strange times! they are a GM reality show anyway!! as for the whole RHD business...I hope they explain the reasoning but the man with the money could paint it Pink if he prefers it is after all His Car!!

[sshurts]

I watched the show and hope to follow the restoration. Like Ron indicated, not enough time dedicated to this restoration. Hey, it shares time with a late model Nova -- argh!!!

Unless there is some notable racing history while the car was RHD I have to agree with TC -- why spend the money/time to restore a car to an intermediate step in it's lifetime -- Restore it to ORIGINAL!!!

Scott

[grumpy]

sshurts,
Not enough time, gimme a break. If you will note, the astute COMPUTERWORKS pic above of the body is already way ahead of the show presented this weekend. Keep up the great work Ron.
Oh well, it's a a real un, COBRAthat is, and at least it's being "upgraded"????.
grumpy

[sshurts]

Grumpy,

I was commenting on the amount of time that they spent talking about the car and showing the progress - in comparison to the length of the show. Having far more interest in the Cobra -- I'd like to see more time spent on it. I like the older Nova IIs but could care less about that restoration of late model one -- just my opinion.

Scott

[ToyCollector]

Same talent and skills to restore a Cobra as a Nova sadly in the minds of the producer, as well as my own. A lot is similar actually until you get to the aluminum. Maybe they bought a body from the Kirkhams?

[427sharpe]

Seems like a waste of effort to convert to RHD....I like Cal's suggestoin of getiing a team comp car for the same $ and getting a real race history...

[CSX 4027]

In my opinion..
Born Left Hand Drive
Stays Left hand Drive
Now it's just another Transexual

[Jamo]

assinine

[Lowell W]

Jamo:

You don't mean, "assamine", do you?