Wyss, Legate, Friedman, Mills.. Where's the 427 book???

[DTurnbull]

I exchanged a few emails with Dave Friedman a while back. He said he actually had quite a few 427 pictues, but had no interest at all in doing a book. Sad, really.

With, what?, 40,000+/- 427 replicas running around, one might think there IS a market.

[Trevor Legate]

There is a market, of course, but just how big a market? You also hit on another 'problem'; one person wants to see lots of yummy pics of beat up race cars, another wants luvverly coffee-table portraits of sexy mint road cars - would they (you) buy a book that had both..? And would they/you buy a book that included modern replicas or would you refuse to buy it if it did (you see the conundrum??) One good bit of news is that I can publish the book - I co-own the publishing business.

(To illustrate the problem - we recently published a very nice - I think - book about VWs (yeah I know) but we included every type. It was only later that we were told that people who buy books on the Beetle will not buy a book that showed pics of the Buses. And, of course, the Buses fans do not buy books that have pics of Beetles. And the Karmann Ghia crowd...well, you get the drift...)

And then of course we have to consider the 'Large Thunderbox Edition' for Jamo. Life is never straightforward.

[Maricopa]

My post demanding a street car book was tongue-in-cheek. Although I would love to have a street car only version I understand the reason it doesn't exist. I'd settle for just more pics of them please.

I own your book and Friedman's but yes I'd buy another that had a decent street car section....Even if it had fakey-doos in it.

Couldn't you just Scotchguard Jamo's book.

[ROSS WEAVER]

Trevor,

You have a PM.

[Trevor Legate]

Hi Ross - for a moment I thought I had a check for $200,000.... :-)

Maybe we could combine the two threads on this topic and produce 'The Pamela Anderson Guide to the Shelby Cobra 427' (subtitle: why the Cobra didn't need twin airbags). Now that's gotta sell.....and I'm up for it.

[DTurnbull]

I'd take anything, really. Regarding Pam, well, as they say: Cobras are like boobs - even the fakes ones are awesome!

As for your VW book, I have an Empi Sportster if you'd like pictures. (o\|/o)

[VRM]

A few years ago I started to write a book about the Ferrari 250 GTO. I talked to Innes Ireland, and he agree to write the forward and then he died 4 months later. I was so wound up that he had agreed - and even that he talked to some punk American (and invited me to tea). I got a chapter listing, chassis numbers, and started to put the race and ownership history together when I found out that he passed away. I lost my 'yeasty stream of conciousness' because I was too excited about Innes being involved. I ended up dumping the whole thing into some forgotten corner of my 486 (though I have updated it with new PCs so I have not lost the info). 10 years or so later Keith Bluemel ended up doing the book I wanted to do (though with a lot less pictures).

About 8 years ago I decided I wanted to do a book on John Mecom and his race team (sorry - no Cobras - but he did have a (Chevy powered) Lola GT that was the progenitor to the GT40). Mecom was on board, and he had some photos and info available, but when I started talking to Friedman, LAT, and a couple of other photo archives about photo use I realised that this was going to be waaay to expensive to publish the way I wanted to. I also started adding up costs (and I had frequent flier miles) as well as vacation time to go to Texas to interview Mecom, Foyt, Hall, Johnson, then FL for Thompson, WI for Pabst, and then Penske, Andretti, and Unser...

My compliments to those of you who have actually done this sort of thing. I would love a 427 book - including racing history and road cars. I don't mind paying for quality. I have the Palawan Press Aston DB3S and DB4GTZ books - worth every penny.

Steve

[Trevor Legate]

Always good to hear about other peoples trials and tribulations. I feel I am not alone. It can be a long hard slog to get a book completed and you always wonder why the heck you ever started. I consider the Palawan books to be about the correct price when you take into account the relatively small print run, the quality of the product and the work involved in producing them - the price is about right. Sadly, the world expects books to be a certain price when in reality they are waaaay too cheap. When you think that many people pay $30-40 for lunch without even thinking about it but when asked to pay $50 for a book that took about seven years (like my last book) to put together and thousands of dollars to print, they consider it expensive! Odd.

OK, let's say I will produce a 427 book - how many of you would be able to supply either original photographs and/or high-res images of Genuine (you know what I mean!) cars, just to get the show on the road...

[DTurnbull]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

OK, let's say I will produce a 427 book - how many of you would be able to supply either original photographs and/or high-res images of Genuine (you know what I mean!) cars, just to get the show on the road...

I have several old B&W's of a mexican Cobra (CSX3011?) & the Essex Wire car (CSX3009) with Skip Scott that you are absolutely welcome to (I want them back of course).

The road cars, the S/C's, the competition cars - all that stuff would be great! Especially the S/C's since they have been cloned over & over again. I'm sure there are some great Dick Smith stories out there too.

Dave-

[saltytri]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

When you think that many people pay $30-40 for lunch without even thinking about it but when asked to pay $50 for a book that took about seven years (like my last book) to put together and thousands of dollars to print, they consider it expensive! Odd.

How many of us have put money up front for a copy of the new register? IIRC, I paid something like $175 a couple years ago, completely on the come. How many people would subscribe in advance to a 427 book by Trevor? Remember, he's not just some dreamer. He delivers.

[Trevor Legate]

As much as I would dearly love to receive money in advance (I ain't stoopid) I'd prefer not, since life has a habit of going pear-shaped when you least expect it. But as you say Mr. Salty, if I did decide to go ahead, I would see it through, that's guaranteed, subject to plague, pestelence and acts of God (or government - same thing in some cases) or me gettin' run over by the mail coach. However, it would be of assistance in deciding whether to go for it if I at least had an indication of how many good folks in this here establishment would be prepared to buy such a work. And no, I will not quote a price!! As y'all will appreciate, price does not come into it....

[ROSS WEAVER]

Write me down for a copy.

[saltytri]

Well, Esteemed Scribe, since I was dumb enough to send all that money to SAAC, I'm obviously a prime pigeon. So, I'm in with ROSS WEAVER and that makes two for sure. Jamo will probably come through, too, because he is always in need of bathroom literature.

[DTurnbull]

You can put me down for at least two. Maybe I can sell them in a few years and make a buck or two

For all the continued interest in these cars, for all those being built, and for all those still to be built, I think one, among many, things a 427 book ought to do is address the "FAQ's" we see so often. That way, when those questions arise we can can just tell them to "buy Trevor's book. It'll answer all your questions."

Dave -

[Jamo]

Yup...I'm in. Hell, I'll autograph your personal copy, Trev.

Pics? You want pics? We got yur pics right here! CW has one or two, and I think the rest of us could scrounge up a couple.

[1ntCobra]

Trevor,

I've got at least two of your books already. I'm sure I'd buy another one.

[mrmustang]

Trevor,

Since I am in tune with your literary style, count me in.


Bill S.

[B.M.B.C]

id like to jump in for 5 copies
thanks

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by DTurnbull

For all the continued interest in these cars, for all those being built, and for all those still to be built, I think one, among many, things a 427 book ought to do is address the "FAQ's" we see so often. That way, when those questions arise we can can just tell them to "buy Trevor's book. It'll answer all your questions."
Dave -

Dave,

I'm not sure what you mean by "FAQ's"? If you mean details on how original 427 Cobras were manufacturer, I would doubt that Trevor would want to tackle that one. (I may be wrong) A good portion of that information is covered in the Registry. Besides, Trevor will be busy just getting the specific VIN listed with each period picture including the location and date.

[computerworks]

Plus, since so little was done with the 427s in UK, as opposed to the SB cars...Trevor will have to do most of his work here in the USA