Daytona Coupe

bob8461 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 03:58 PM

Hi
I am new to this site the best i have been on since getting interested in
buying a Coupe.
I would like to talk with owners of Coupes about diff mfg so i could compare although i am leaning toward Superformance.
I am retired and will drive the car a lot more than most of the people who i am reading about.
The car will have Pwr bks,pwr str.a/c, Prowler pwr remote Mirrors so you can see i like to be cozy.The trans i havent decided on yet 5/6 sp / auto the eng
will not be the biggest but big enought to kick butt from light to light.
Thats it in a nutshell what i need from you folks is to steer me in the right direction,knowing that i am not going to do the work on the car i am not
capable nor do i have the desire,but i do have the wherewithall to get it all done.
That being said if you want to email me / talk on the ph send me your # or just reply on the site with any suggestions.Thanks in adv.

Flash · #2 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob8461

Hi
I am new to this site the best i have been on since getting interested in
buying a Coupe.
I would like to talk with owners of Coupes about diff mfg so i could compare although i am leaning toward Superformance.
I am retired and will drive the car a lot more than most of the people who i am reading about.
The car will have Pwr bks,pwr str.a/c, Prowler pwr remote Mirrors so you can see i like to be cozy.The trans i havent decided on yet 5/6 sp / auto the eng
will not be the biggest but big enought to kick butt from light to light.
Thats it in a nutshell what i need from you folks is to steer me in the right direction,knowing that i am not going to do the work on the car i am not
capable nor do i have the desire,but i do have the wherewithall to get it all done.
That being said if you want to email me / talk on the ph send me your # or just reply on the site with any suggestions.Thanks in adv.

Just looked at one (D coupe) yesterday here in Castle Rock Colorado. Lots of money to do it right but the prettiest car for the money. What are you estimating the cost to be. What do you think about resale value? What other concerns do you have? I'm thinking aluminum block, Roush 427, Webers, 346 gears, six speed, 550hp. I just started looking.

bob8461 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 07:13 PM

Flash
I just started looking also,the cost will prob be 85k or better depending on
what hp package you select.Resale value prob wont be my problem due to my age but everything i read you wont lose a lot of $ if you keep it nice.

G.R. · #4 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 07:32 PM

Never look at one of these cars as an investment...roadster or coupe or GT-40...

You will probably never get back your initial investment price...ask anyone here that has bought or built then sold one...you "might" break even. Resale value depends upon the overall economy...after all these are "big boy's toy's" usually purchased with "disposable income"...when the economy tanks demand for these does also.
About 4 yrs ago the "cobra market" was weak and some guys had a hard time marketing their cars...there were a lot of cars FS at great prices. Just a thought to keep in mind.

silverback · #5 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 08:08 PM

I agree with GR build it because you love them or always wanted one. If you have to sell It , break even and make some money ,Its a blessing.

Flash · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverback

I agree with GR build it because you love them or always wanted one. If you have to sell It , break even and make some money ,Its a blessing.

Yes I agree. I just want to know how deep I will potentially be into it. Thanks for the advice!

Flash · #7 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverback

I agree with GR build it because you love them or always wanted one. If you have to sell It , break even and make some money ,Its a blessing.

By the way. Do you actually own an original Daytona coupe?

G.R. · #8 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 08:33 PM

2-3 yrs ago I priced a Superformance coupe after selling my roadster. Doing the paperwork $ figuring on it, I would have been into the build right near $80K. And that was doing nothing truly exotic to the engine or drive train, it included such things as taxes and licensing, transportation costs etc.
I know Superformance prices have gone up for the roller in the last year or so.

If I was in the market for a Coupe I would look for a "used" one unless $$ were no object.

Dave Grabowski · #9 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 10:47 PM

I suggest you look at JUSBIT's Daytona Coupe for sale. It is in the for sale section. I doubt if there is any nicer and faster around.

CoupedUp · #10 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 08:51 AM

Bob,

I purchased a SPF Brock Coupe back in March of 2005. The quality of the install is very critical to these cars. If you buy one used, you get instant gratification but make sure the install was properly done. Knowing what I know today, I would only buy a used one if the install was done by Olthoff's in NC. Otherwise, I would order one from Olthoff's and have them do the install. There is also an outfit in Washington State that is getting very good with the coupes. The company is called "Coupe Connection" and the guy's name is Scott Merrell. You could order the car from the dealer in WA state and have Scott do your install. He is doing some really cool custom stuff to SPF coupes to improve the performance and reliability of the cars. That gives you a West Coast and an East Coast option.

Good luck with your decision and feel free to contact me any time (send me a PM and I will give you my contact info).

Doug, SPC088

Mulv · #11 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 09:27 AM

You should never , ever buy any fake Cobra, GT40 or Daytona new. The depreciation on these things is phenomenal, but plateaus at about 45% of the original cost. I bought a Superformance Cobra that had a build cost of $105K for $45K with 1300 miles. I drove it for 4 years and sold it for the same $45K. There are lots of cars for sale at any given time and you can save a ton of money letting someone else get whacked on the depreciation. Many will argue about these statements, but they are not people who have sold their cars yet... Take a look in my gallery you will see pictures of my car which, by the way, Superformance stole two of and photoshopped in some grass for their screensavers. The car was perfect and both myself and the new owner had a win-win deal at $45K. It still took 6 months to sell the car at that price. You will also see pictures of the Daytona Coupe that Bondurant drove to win the world championship in Germany, it is one of two of the 6 that are here in Scottsdale.

Excaliber · #12 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 10:39 AM

Mulv there is one BIG reason for buying NEW. It's the only way you can get exactly what you want. It is highly unlikely you will find a used car (GT40, Cobra, etc.) that meets your specs, like color, engine, trans, wheels, tires and the list goes on.

Plus the satisfaction that comes from 'designing' and 'specing' it your way. Will it cost you more? Actually that depends on the car, it is not a 'slam dunk' you will save money buying a used one. It is not uncommon for a guy to spend a LOT to get that used car changed to his specs.

...not fakes, REPLICAS!

IF you choose to spend a $105K on your Superformance or any other number of brands you can usually count on loosing a significant amount on re-sale. Thats ALWAYS been true for any customized 'Hot Rod'. Rule of thumb is you simply don't recover the cost of 'special' items. Those who want to maximize their 'return on investment' would do well to stick to known recipes and standard items. Color, wheels, tires, interior is best left in the 'stock' category to maximize return. But for some thats not as much fun! If you got the money, go for it! Chrome everything, go over the top, screw the used car value and LIVE a little! For many it's not about driving it, it's about parking a piece of art in the garage, I can dig it!

wtm442 · #13 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 10:53 AM

Bob

There are quite a few manufacturers out there. I just bought a roadster cuz my height ... too tall for coupe.

I made up an Excel list of manufacturers with active hyperlinks to their web sites. There are about 10 "coupe" manufacturers.

List of Manufacturers

Mulv · #14 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 12:05 PM

Be aware that when you are buying a fake new Daytona, you will blow about $30K for the dubious distinction of being the first to drive it... Buy used and you can paint your fake any colour you want...

Oh and to help you understand the difference between replica and fake:

Many people — and many dictionaries — still regard replica in the same way as the entry in the 1965 edition of Fowler’s Modern English Usage. That says firmly that a replica is properly an exact copy of a work of art made by the original artist, and adds: “It is this proper sense that alone makes the foreign word replica worth maintaining in English by the side of the abundant English words for copies or duplicates”.

World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2007

Do you have an aluminum body and round tube frame and two 6 volt batteries in series behind the seats?

Stentor · #15 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulv

You should never , ever buy any fake Cobra, GT40 or Daytona new. The depreciation on these things is phenomenal, but plateaus at about 45% of the original cost. I bought a Superformance Cobra that had a build cost of $105K for $45K with 1300 miles. I drove it for 4 years and sold it for the same $45K. There are lots of cars for sale at any given time and you can save a ton of money letting someone else get whacked on the depreciation. Many will argue about these statements, but they are not people who have sold their cars yet... Take a look in my gallery you will see pictures of my car which, by the way, Superformance stole two of and photoshopped in some grass for their screensavers. The car was perfect and both myself and the new owner had a win-win deal at $45K. It still took 6 months to sell the car at that price. You will also see pictures of the Daytona Coupe that Bondurant drove to win the world championship in Germany, it is one of two of the 6 that are here in Scottsdale.

$105k to build a Superformance Cobra seems a bit steep (given that the roller is now a little over $40k, and was less than that a few years ago).

Must have had one heck of a motor and a bunch of modifications and all the bells and whistles.

Excaliber · #16 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 04:45 PM

Mulv, personally I find the word 'fake' rather offensive. The definition of said word has been discussed ad nauseum for years around here. Along with 'real', 'original', 'continuation', 'completition series', 'fakey doo', 'plastic pos', etc. etc. You offer no new significant insight to the ACCEPTED definition of the word on THIS web site.

When YOU get a Cobra, you might be able to speak with more authority on what you wish to call yours. MINE is a 'replica' from ERA, and I'm proud to say that.

froggyman · #17 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 05:17 PM

MULUV,

You seem very definite in your recurring use of the word fake, why? Anger maybe?

ENTDOC · #18 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulv

Be aware that when you are buying a fake new Daytona, you will blow about $30K for the dubious distinction of being the first to drive it... Buy used and you can paint your fake any colour you want...

Oh and to help you understand the difference between replica and fake:

Many people — and many dictionaries — still regard replica in the same way as the entry in the 1965 edition of Fowler’s Modern English Usage. That says firmly that a replica is properly an exact copy of a work of art made by the original artist, and adds: “It is this proper sense that alone makes the foreign word replica worth maintaining in English by the side of the abundant English words for copies or duplicates”.

World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2007

Do you have an aluminum body and round tube frame and two 6 volt batteries in series behind the seats?

I do, but it is still a fake; I got no problem with that

saltytri · #19 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 05:30 PM

"Do you have an aluminum body and round tube frame and two 6 volt batteries in series behind the seats?"

Yes, Mulv, as matter of fact I do. So, do I have a replica or a fake? Or something else? Please let me know right away. My happiness is hanging in the balance.

Gotta go and pop some popcorn into the microwave.

CoupedUp · #20 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoupedUp

Bob,

Knowing what I know today, I would only buy a used one if the install was done by Olthoff's in NC. Otherwise, I would order one from Olthoff's and have them do the install. There is also an outfit in Washington State that is getting very good with the coupes. The company is called "Coupe Connection" and the guy's name is Scott Merrell.

Bob,
I forgot (I don't know how, but I did) about one other option for a coupe install - Woodsy at Gearheadcity.com. He is in Illinois, so that gives you a midwest option. I believe that Dynamic Motor Sports is the closest dealer to Woodsy. He is also on CC (as WOODZ428) and knows coupes backwards and forwards. He is an owner as well as installer and does all sorts of cool car stuff. His website is definitely worth perusing - http://www.gearheadcity.com/.

Good Luck!
Doug