Interesting article from "Classic Motorsports" in 2008

[Ray]

http://classicmotorsports.net/articles/replica-vs-real/

Ray

[riptide motorsport]

excellent atircle, spot on.....who's Mark Weber?, I know Mark and dave Smith...........Steven

[BLTFRDTUF]

excellent atircle, spot on.....who's Mark Weber?, I know Mark and dave Smith...........Steven

Wonderd that too. says here he was the Director of Marketing for FFR

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-weber/9/459/84

[KERMIT1]

Wonderd that too. says here he was the Director of Marketing for FFR

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-weber/9/459/84

He was the MARKETING guy for FFR from I think 1997 until I believe it was the middle of 2009. Good guy.

[tirod]

Nice read, and clearly states the case - you don't own a 427 sideoiler CSX, it owns you. But - if you build your own, you can easily build it better. A more modern, more powerful, lighter weight motor will do the job every time.

Replica cars haven't ruined things for the originals. They've kept them in the public eye and increased the market value for those old veterans by enlarging the number of bidders who are willing to pay more for one. I don't see the same thing happening for Cosworth Vegas or even Sunbeam Tigers. They aren't commanding prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If not for replicas, Cobras would be trading in the $60-100k market, like all the other hybrids - an American engine in a Brit made '50s replica of what? A Ferrari Barchetta. I'm not much for lighting a candle at the altar of the 427, it was a truck motor then and now, and it wasn't the car that won the FIA championship. That was done with a 289, which in typical American style, gets much less respect than it earned.

What's interesting in the article is that the Windsor block is now the most popular choice in Ford replicas, and until 2009, the Ford engine in NASCAR. It went decades longer winning races - not that anyone seems to want to admit.

Ironically, replicas and Windsor blocks are the foundation of what Cobra owners cash in when they sell. Both create the broader public appeal they enjoy.

[flynntuna]

Thanks Ray, for posting that article. Ever since I Saw an article in Road & Track on the Cobra the hook was set. Even though I was just a kid then, and could never afford one, that dream of owning one has never gone away. Now that I'm older, it's good to know that Factory Five and the good people here on this forum can help bring those dreams to life.

[68GT500MAN]

Mark Webber worked at FFR until sometime in 2009. He moved to RI and may now live somewhere else. A great guy to work with.
Doug

[skullandbones]

Yeah. Thanks, Ray. That was pretty interesting. I think they did a fairly unbiased estimate of the two machines. WEK.