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Originally Posted by A-Snake
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Again, you’re correct it is an open market. I can only suggest that when there is an option of a good newer part to use on a replica rather than perhaps a more expensive and perhaps not as good a part from an original Cobra, why not use the newer part?
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I think we agree on the spirit of this topic. To answer your question of why not use a newer part than an original part. My answer is because my quest has been to build a re-creation that comes as close as possible to the original and if that can include actual original parts I certainly will do so. If it is the case that the original part is not in good shape I have it restored just as would be done on a restoration of an original car. Again, if the the owner of an original car would like to find me and have a discussion about taking a part off my hands we will talk and figure out what makes sense for both of us. Until such a time, the parts I have will enjoy themselves on my car. Although I would welcome a conversation with an owner of one of these original cars I do not see it as my duty to hunt them down for this conversation.
By the way, I am also able to look at this subject from the other side. I own a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T that my father bought new in 1968. At some point along the line the original Magnum 500 wheels were removed and the shop that had them ended up "losing track of them". I now have a nice replica set of mag wheels on the car. I have looked for original wheels to put on the car. I have found some but chosen not to buy them since I am happy with the repops but some day may decide to go the original route. If I was to somehow find the actual wheels from my car I would certainly pay over market value to return them to the car. This is a little different because it would not just be to bring the car back to original but a car that has been in the family since new. The bottom line is that if I choose to buy an original set of wheels I would have no expectation to receive preferencial treatment from the seller just because I was planning on putting them on an original Charger. Yes this is a bit different than the Cobra since there were less Cobras but I still do not see it as my duty to search out the original car's owner. The reason I have the parts in the first place is because I did the searching. They could have easily beat me to the parts if they searched half as hard as I did.