[frankym]

I think there are some really good points made here, and it's true, SPFs were going for 50-55k 2 years ago, things have changed, but I will say this, I think if you count all the SPFs for sale on hemmings, CobraCountry, ClubCobra, HOC, and cars-on-line.com, there are less than 20 SPF cars for sale (in the winter too so more likely represent better buys), with approximately 1600 SPFs in existance. Understandably, we are not counting the privately listed ads in local newspapers, but that is hardly a saturated market. Since SPF is the only replica available in turn-key minus form and never as a kit, this also adds to the stability of the car, which is why SPF 648 will have a good shelf-life and why I think 20 out of 1600 doesn't make too many available to push the prices down. One guy that came to look at my car at $25k said he was thinking about an SPF, so I politely told him that it was very unrealistic to compare the 2 cars since one was close to $50k and the other, half. He claimed he'd been to the Superformance dealer and the dealer told him that he could buy the SPF in a kit form for $20k, now, that just makes me angry when people tell you something that's patently false. I corrected the man about the single stage form of the SPF sale but he said he was sure of it. Then I said, hey, I am not going to debate you so if you can get the SPF as a kit for $20k, than I would be robbing you if I sold you mine. just a side, but back to the saturation theories..

Throw in the fact that many people would like to stay within a reasonable proximity to home, there are never more than 2 or 3 SPFs for sale within 300 mile radius of where you live, so again, hardly saturated if at best I could only look at one car per weekend given my search criteria. Given the economy, maybe if somebody went to 648's house with a paper bag filled with 30k he would take it, I doubt it, but it would be a reasonable proposition, he can say no and he hasn't wasted his time. I like the boston whaler comeback, that's a great one and an original one for sure.

good luck to all, and ebay is a very tough proposition, hell, half the cobras listed on eBay don't even give a manufacturer, or know what rear, or how many other owners there were.

I emailed the owner of 648 as well and he did respond, I suggested he offer it at that price to Doug Reed, Dennis Olthoff or Bill Ostrower, those guys buy cars too! Doug Reed told me once that he was disappointed that many of his customers didn't offer him first refusal when he found out what they let the cars go for. I also spoke to another SPF dealer I know and he said as a dealer, he's paying around 40k (3 months ago) for a 500-700 series SPF and selling in low-mid 40s, the car is registered as a more modern construction, given the VIN# (my guess), it's a conforming #, so that's about the only negative. Doug Reed did tell me that the 60's registered cars are worth more than the "special construction" but hell, any registration is better than none, try doing the registration on a new cobra build, I guarantee you'll spend 5 times as much time and effort as you originally thought.