67 Cobra for sale in 1970

[Tom Howland]

Found this for sale ad in "Car Life" August 1970. Curious if this owner shows up in the Shelby Registery.

[Nedsel]

Tom - I have two file boxes (small block & big block) full of ads dating back to '64, including the one you show, with names, details, etc. but no way to conclusively determine what CSX # the ad represents. I started with many more, but have figured out a healthy number. I keep hoping that the missing pieces of the various puzzles will appear and we can identify more of these cars...Sure as hell wish more people used VIN's in their ads way back when.

[Excaliber]

$9100 seems like such a steal of a price, until you consider that 1969 Vette also advertised in that paper.

1970 and that 427 1969 Vette selling for $4900. The 1967 427 Cobra selling for $9100.

My guess is that $4900 for that Vette was all ready well beyond the reach of most people at that time. Who in the world could afford a Cobra at TWICE the cost of a Vette? A small circle of buyers at best!

[marcocsx3121]

Actually, $9100 was very high for a 427 in 1970. I paid $6K for mine in November of '69, and I don't believe that prices for Street (read: non-SC) cars got near five figures until at least 1973.
The one in the ad also had some hokey crap done to it, like a "padded dash".

[Blue66]

Dammm wonder if its still available ??? ... Ned do you know where CSX 3147 is now ??? I sold it in 1980 (I think) .. Went to Ok .. From there I lost track .


Dan
6S2378

[computerworks]

Ahhhh...sleuthing is fun.

The ad was from a Paul V. Bonn in Phoenix

There is a law firm, in Phoenix, where a Paul V. Bonn is a partner.

http://www.bonnwilkins.com/#

The office phone is 602-254-xxxx ...the same exchange that is called out in the original ad.

Anyone want to call him and ask the CSX number.
I'm sure he'd be thrilled.

[hurricaneharold]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

$9100 seems like such a steal of a price, until you consider that 1969 Vette also advertised in that paper.

1970 and that 427 1969 Vette selling for $4900. The 1967 427 Cobra selling for $9100.

My guess is that $4900 for that Vette was all ready well beyond the reach of most people at that time. Who in the world could afford a Cobra at TWICE the cost of a Vette? A small circle of buyers at best!

$9100 was alot of money in 1970

[cobraownr]

Originally Posted by marcocsx3121

Actually, $9100 was very high for a 427 in 1970. I paid $6K for mine in November of '69, and I don't believe that prices for Street (read: non-SC) cars got near five figures until at least 1973.
The one in the ad also had some hokey crap done to it, like a "padded dash".

I agree. $9,100 for a street 427 Cobra in 1970 was a very high asking price. That amount would have bought a full-comp or S/C 427 easy--or one of the original Daytona Coupes! In September 1971, I paid $6,000 for CSX3350. I think prices for street 427 Cobras at that time were as low as $4,500.

[marcocsx3121]

I doubt that any of the Daytonas went that cheap. I remember one that turned up in Autoweek around 1971 or 2 for $25K.

[Tommy]

Originally Posted by hurricaneharold

$9100 was alot of money in 1970

I believe my annual income as a Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1972 was less than $7,000.

[madmaxx]

Does anyone know what that car is worth today?

[w-lewis]

My family's been in Ford business for many years. I remember a red 427 on our showroom for $7500 and thinking how high it was.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

In 1970 or 1971, there was a street 427 in my little pi$$ ant town for sale, asking price was a whopping $4,300.00..... It sat in the guys front yard for ONE YEAR before he sold it for around $3,500.00 just to get rid of it................I rode by it on my bicycle many times.......back then that was a ton of money for a 2 seat sports car with no top...........if only we had know back then they would be what they are today!!!!!

Around the same time another guy gave away a badly wrecked 65 Shelby GT-350 just to get it out of his yard........it was stripped down of all the running gear/drivetrain and interior and that stuff was put into a 65 Mustang Coupe and the shell of the GT-350 was hauled to the crusher.......I rode in that very same little hot rod coupe many times before it was sold some years later for a whopping $1,500.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David

[CSX 4027]

Originally Posted by cobraownr

I agree. $9,100 for a street 427 Cobra in 1970 was a very high asking price. That amount would have bought a full-comp or S/C 427 easy--or one of the original Daytona Coupes! In September 1971, I paid $6,000 for CSX3350. I think prices for street 427 Cobras at that time were as low as $4,500.

In 1972 when I got my license, I begged my father to lend me $1500 for the 1965 Corvette Convertible for sale down the street(I had $1000 saved). It was $2500. I was told I was not getting a 7 year old death trap as my first car.
I did end up with a '71 GTO Convertible 4spd air car for $2200.

In 1970, wasn't a Cadillac about $6000?

[rblong]

Stop - you guys are killing me - woulda - shoulda-coulda!!!

[CSX 4027]

I have 2 Galves Old Wholesale Dealer Used Car Price books
1 Is from7/20/69 and the other is from 1/21/72
Here are some prices from the 69 Book
1965 Mustang 8 Cyl -$950 That's for all models including the and the Convertible. They don't have a Shelby price. You add $75 for A/C and $25 for the GT option By 72, the same car was $550
In the 69 issue a 68 GTO conv, 1 yr old car was at $2125..Expensive
How about this.. In the 72 issue, a 70 Cuda Conv was $1400 and no adds for a HEMI
In 72, the 67 Vette was $1650
I guess some of you are feeling you were born a tad too late, huh?

[Excaliber]

Until today (9-14-06), the last 'original' (you know, real, vintage, etc) post on this thread was in Aug 2004! Right at two years ago.

And it's STILL an interesting topic worth revisiting! Thanks for digging it up guys.

[427SnakeSC]

If this thread has taken a turn and we are now talking about the price we paid for cars and cars that have gotten away. I have a few stories that might amuse someone. First one is that classic one everyone has heard, but this really happened to me. I was looking for a Corvette, in 1970, I read an ad in the classified. "1966 Corvette convertible, 327/300 4 spd. $3,660.00" I called the guy and headed up for a look. There it was, up north, in a farm, sitting in a barn. The guy was selling it because it rode too rough. I gave him a deposit and picked it up the next day. While I was picking it up, another guy phoned and offered me $4,000.00, unseen. A friend of mine bought a '68 Shelby GT350 a couple of yrs. later for $10,000. Didn't really like the car, stuck it in his garage for a couple of yrs. and sold it for $5,000.00. Now here are a few stories of the cars I had a chance to buy but was too brain dead to do it. The years this happened would be around the early 70's. There was a sports car dealer in the area and I saw a '72 246 Dino on the lot. He was willing to trade even for my Corvette or $14,000 cash. Another lot for English sport cars had a 365 GTB Datona. They wanted $26,500, for that! On one of my job sites, I met a guy who had a '66 BB Corvette coupe, wanted $10,000 for that! Now for the ultimate mistake. There used to be a shop just north of the city that speciallized in Corvettes. I went up for a look and there was a '67 L88 Coupe there. Dark green, black stinger. The price....$11,000.00!! Woulda, shoulda, coulda..... Makes you nuts thinking about this stuff! I remember looking at a new '70 Z28 at the dealer. The asking price was $4,500.00 and I looked at a new '70 V12 XKE for $8,999.00! Really big money in those days!

[Jim Barnett]

In 1972 there was a 427 SC sitting beside a house in Coronado, CA that was up on 4 large blocks that I could have bought for $7.5K (probably less, but I never made an official offer on the car since I ended up buying my friend's 440 4 spd '70 Cuda for $2.5K). To this day I lament THAT I didn't buy the Cobra, but who knew then what they'd be worth now?? Remember, BRAND NEW Hemi Cudas were only around $5 - 6K and Superbirds were practically GIVEN AWAY by some dealers because no one wanted such an "ugly looking car" BUMMER!!!