Hide your heads in shame!!!!!

[factory5racer]

Your boss has got balls to go after Factory five!! It seems he is living up to his slimball reputation! The only "snake" trademark that he should own is on the term "snakeoil salesman"!

[Sheppard]

Hang your head in shame....I think not come out back to the woodshed children...

I'm not easily lead by slick press releases...Most of the folks I know in this club are not either... this is all about $$$$$$$$$$$$$. ..."we don't wanna hurt anybody but we have rights too!!!" "Golly come on guys lets all be friends" "We negotiated for years...we tried to be reasonable..." Pleeese...smells like you all wanna cash in on what you failed to achieve thirty years ago. If Shelby had invented the off-white computer case we'd all be paying a ton of money to even speak to one another. And he'd make sure no one built a white computer case to boot!

I don't do trademark and patent law. We specialize in product liability cases, but the themes are very similar.$$$$$$$$$$$.

The Smith Bros have captured a niche market. They produce a well groomed product that offers maximum bang for the buck. Indeed with the recent changes to the hoods and trunk and doors is in my humble opinion improving their product. The Smiths have market share and better yet a following...and they are growing their company.

Shelby never never never produced a product that regular folks could own. Shelby never marketed for the little folks...

What better target for a bunch of Corporate fat cats to raid.

Ford and Shelby won't take on all the kit manufacturers only the biggest and those with market share. And then only one at a time. Your going after FF5 because they are visible and have much sweat equity in their business. Thus they will fight and can be made an example to all others.

Enter the big city gun slingers that bill out at 400 per hour...it takes three of those guys to put together a motion costing their client 1,000.00 per hour. I would love to see the billing and the retainers that have been put on the table.

We as club members and owners can not sit back and watch the carnage that's about to occur. I for one do not want to have a choice between paying mega bucks for a Shelby knock-off of an FF5 car (no I didn't get it backwards) that supposedly is similar to a thirty year old aluminum bodied car.

Shelby and Ford! Geez now there's an group! What does Ford care about the Cobra, Cobra sales don't amount to a tenth of a per centage of Ford's sales. Cobra don't even compete with the Ford products, if anything it gives them a second life.

Shelby should step back and take a look at the new balance of consumer power and awareness. What do think the backlash will be to his preditory lawsuit. If he though for a moment that he would loose sales against his already limited market as some sort of backlash to his preditory law suit...those "inspirations" would guide his actions. Indeed those thoughts should guide his thoughts on the subject.


I'm gonna do what I can to take some affirmative steps to "help" FF5. The last thing any of us should wanna do is pay a royality to Mr. Shelby...he already got his fill!

Just my .05 worth

Jay

Clearly I won't be lookin for any of those over-priced roller rocker arm assemblies to put on my Edelbrock heads...thanks anyway

[hands7]

SHAME.....SHAME....SHAME.....SHAME....SHAME....SHA ME....SHAME.....SHAME.....SHAME......hOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?

[shrew bellyed]

sounds like some people don't like to pay to play. if they would just follow the law of the land then there would be no problem. if it were you in carrol's or ford's shoes you would be upset if someone was making money off of an idea that you had created, copywrited, shed blood sweat and tears for(oh yeah carrol did lose a good, good friend creating the legend that they are cashing in on!) way to go SAI & FORD.

[Cobranut]

[This message has been edited by Cobranut (edited 07-20-2000).]

[Sheppard]

First let me welcome you to Club Cobra.

We're all just a bunch of good hearted country boys at heart... we like to talk trash and drive fast cars. Probably the glue that keeps this site alive... We're all very American and actually encourage those with different opinions to share them. Not only is it constitutional thing but sometimes you can learn something from another's opinion.

I note that you have mispelled "Henderson" one of the fastest growing portions of the country given all the new construction there during the past few years. Actually the area is quite nice with its view of the Las Vegas lights and the broad expansive views that living on the hill affords.

Thank you for sharing your opinion regarding Mr. Shelby, flawed as it may be. CS didn't invent the Cobra, but then you probably knew that. Moreover legends are not copywrite. Indeed legends to be legends arise from actions, deeds and words which necessarily are public and therefore within the experience of the public.

Now if you are referring to the driver, [Dave MacDonald], that was killed in an accident involving a Cobra...it is ludcridous to even suggest that he gave his life for Carroll Shelby.

Men die for principles not principals as in employers. Men die for freedom and other such lofty things, nobody steps into a race car and says today I risk giving my life so that CS can make a good living from my death...atleast nobody that I would trust with my vehicles and reputation. It is said that if you die doing what you like you are most fortunate...most dedicated racers accept the risk of their sport...but that's as far as it goes.

I suspect the only thing CS has shed tears over, atleast recently, is the fact that he failed to follow the law of the land and because of his lack of foresight.... he now has to spend a ton of money in an effort to take something he probably does not really own....remember that the legal system derives "justice" through advocacy and not necessarily what is moral. Justice, it is believed, comes from the contest and only the strong survive, thus the my distinction between right and wrong.

Obviously I think the Smiths are good and decent folks that wouldn't steal anything that was truly owned by anyone else. Recently they have given an "Roadster" kit to cover another entrepeneur's mistakes. They are clearly not motivated by greed.

Well gotta get off the soap box...again welcome to the club...hope I haven't been rude...its just that this whole thing strikes a nerve...look forward to meeting you at one of the events. I suspect you'd be the one carrying water for SAI.

Jay {My thanks to Bob Evans for the correct name of the driver]

[This message has been edited by Sheppard (edited 07-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Sheppard (edited 07-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Sheppard (edited 07-21-2000).]

[Robert Evans]

Ken Miles was killed at Riverside Raceway while testing the J-Car (GT-40) in 1966, nearly a year after he had stepped out of the Cobra. The Cobra racing program had long since been abandoned at his death.

If it was Dave MacDonald he is referring to, he died at Indy driving a bizarre handling car for Mickey Thompson in 1964.

Just FYI.

Bob

[meat]

"Speak with Wayne and Jason" who? I don't see either of them posting here. That's a suprise.

Boycott Shelby American, Inc.

Your pal,
Meat.

[shrew bellyed]

dear shep,
dear dear shep,
your response is fantastic. yes i incorrectly typed my hometown into the registry, much like your incorrect spelling of copyright(i too, mispelled this oh well discussion, not editing101). we are not in a competitorship with each other. i graciously accept your welcome to the forum for discussion of the topics we obviously share an interest in. i was referring to ken miles, and yes i know he was driving a gt-40. i was refering to the "legend" of any car that CS had graced with his opinions. i'm not the water boy, just a large fan. we all knew he had pulled a fast one over on AC and FORD alike. heck, he even sued ford for the 350 in the early eighties, didn't he? i also am not stating that the smiths are greedy, i see kit cars as no different from plastic models young boys put together. i do believe that if the trademark/copyright laws are followed, that's cool. a great deal of the people building kits are putting serious effort and talent into making their projects works of art. you were not rude, just not sitting in my shoes.your ruse amuses me, by the way. i do like the grand vista here in henderson(i wrote brent to ask humbly for a correction, thanks. i probably wouldn't have caught it otherwise.) i will probably catch more flak for future comments but i love silly banter.

[Cobra2]

I love the view from Henderson also. I visited vegas for the first time last month and topped that hill just after sunset. The city was beautiful lying in the valley with all the lights and the beautiful strip of neon running through the middle of it.

[Turk]

Mr. shrew,

The response you MUST be waiting is under "NO CSX FOR ME".

Aytac "TURK" Ercen



[This message has been edited by Turk (edited 07-27-2000).]

[Matt M FFR 1502]

Save a little energy for that ERA, Turk

[Turk]

Matt M,
I am now getting pissed off. There is no reason for this in here or anywhere else. I don't know if someone so ignorant will even understand what I wrote.

I am trying to refrain from using too many big words. I heard shrew couldn't spell "CAR" if I spotted him the C and the A.

Turk

ps. Now you know why I ordered a "roller". I knew I would be exhausted from sparring with idiots while awaiting the arrival of the car. 4 more moths to go!


[This message has been edited by Turk (edited 07-27-2000).]

[Jason Len]

I am only a Shelby dealer and cannot speak for the factory and certainly not for Carrol Shelby. I can also assure you no one asked my opinion regarding this suit.
I hate to see such ill will regarding these cars. I happen to feel that the CSX cars are far superior for several different reasons, but I rather prove that in the market place than in court. ( where rarely does anyone really "win"). This is a hobby filled with many different ethusiasts looking for different attributes in thier cars. I personally feel there is plenty of room for both the "kit car" and the real CSX cars and hope that this thing can get settled quickly and to everyones satisfaction.
Kit cars fill a different customers needs than a CSX car and I hope that people can understand the differences in them.
Regards
Jason
XKs Motorsports

[mrmustang]

Hey Jason,

Just a reality check here, but the only "REAL" CSX cars are the ones built before 1967. Antything now holding a CSX number can no longer be considered a "REAL" Cobra, just a continuation car. yes, produced by Shelby American, but certainly still viewed as a "KIT" car these days, just a very expensive one....
The opinion stated above is not just mine, but that of the SAAC organization, an organization that CS himself supports. It's best if you refrain from calling the new continuation cars "REAL" CSX's, as this is just not the case in the year 2000, 34+ years after Shelby American stopped producing the real cars.....


Just my 2 cents worth on this subject. I will not play semantics with you on this, as it would be a waste of your time and mine to take this any further.

Yours In Fords,

Bill S.

Originally posted by Jason Len:
I am only a Shelby dealer and cannot speak for the factory and certainly not for Carrol Shelby. I can also assure you no one asked my opinion regarding this suit.
I hate to see such ill will regarding these cars. I happen to feel that the CSX cars are far superior for several different reasons, but I rather prove that in the market place than in court. ( where rarely does anyone really "win"). This is a hobby filled with many different ethusiasts looking for different attributes in thier cars. I personally feel there is plenty of room for both the "kit car" and the real CSX cars and hope that this thing can get settled quickly and to everyones satisfaction.
Kit cars fill a different customers needs than a CSX car and I hope that people can understand the differences in them.
Regards
Jason
XKs Motorsports

[Shelby American Inc]

Please see All Cobra Talk for pubilc apology to Turk from Shelby American, Inc.

Wayne Stoker

[Jason Len]

[quote]Originally posted by mrmustang:
[b]Hey Jason,

Just a reality check here, but the only "REAL" CSX cars are the ones built before 1967. Antything now holding a CSX number can no longer be considered a "REAL" Cobra, just a continuation car. yes, produced by Shelby American, but certainly still viewed as a "KIT" car these days, just a very expensive one....
The opinion stated above is not just mine, but that of the SAAC organization, an organization that CS himself supports. It's best if you refrain from calling the new continuation cars "REAL" CSX's, as this is just not the case in the year 2000, 34+ years after Shelby American stopped producing the real cars.....


Just my 2 cents worth on this subject. I will not play semantics with you on this, as it would be a waste of your time and mine to take this any further.

Yours In Fords,

Bill S.
According to the SAAC club the CSX cars built today are a recognized Cobra and are listed in the SAAC annual. No one is saying these cars rate in the same rank as a 2000 or 3000 series car, but they are far more than a "kit car" or replica built on Mustang 2 components. They are also holding thier value far better than most kit cars which barely sell for half of thier original costs. So someone must be seeing the value.
Regards
Jason

[Cobranut]

Yeah, What Bill said...

I just get amused when these guys refer to their CSX4000's as "real" Cobras. The ONLY real Cobras were built in the '60s.

Later,
David

[Sheppard]

Guess it costs nearly $100,000 to deny reality...

Jay

[Tom T.]

A CSX 4000 series car is not a CSX 3000 series car; a CSX 4000 series car is a copy of a CSX 3000 series car; a CSX 4000 series car is a replica of a CSX 3000 series car.

Some replicas use Mustang II components, some do not. Many of both classes command well over half of their original prices.

Tom T.