Topic: What car have you been obsessing about today?

[Snowman]

WANT!!!!!!!

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/search/DRauSearchDetails.aspx?itemid=1751492

Wow 

[Firm]

I never understood the appeal of the NSX....Apparently I am weird.

[johngenx]

I never understood the appeal of the NSX....Apparently I am weird.

Incredibly so.

 

[Snowman]

I never understood the appeal of the NSX....Apparently I am weird.

[CanuckS2K]

I never understood the appeal of the NSX....Apparently I am weird.

Yes.....you're very weird!!   

[Solstice2006]

Saw a black right handed drive one yesterday on Hwy 6 on the stretch from Arthur to Fergus.. He was having a harder time than I was passing all the trucks towing trailers who where "camping" on the weekend...  Harder to see oncoming traffic....

[Fobroader]

I never understood the appeal of the NSX....Apparently I am weird.

Yes.....yes you are....Mid engined, reliable, comfortable, great looking, handles sublimely, the god like hand of Ayrton Senna blessed the design of this car....dont know what there is to not like about it.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Looks-wise, it was kind of "meh", especially when they ditched the pop up headlights and went with the bugeyes. Everything else about it was fantastic though.

[Firm]

Yeah, the looks never did much for me, and the fact that it's reliable also doesn't help me much....A car like that is something that I would only use occasionally and when I do, I want it to feel special, look special and act special (even if that means being a little tempermental). I've driven a couple NSXs and and while they do drive fantastic on the road, when I am sitting in it looking at the Accord gauge cluster, it just doesn't feel special to me....I'd take a Ferrari 355 at a similar price over the NSX anyday.

[Fobroader]

Yeah, the looks never did much for me, and the fact that it's reliable also doesn't help me much....A car like that is something that I would only use occasionally and when I do, I want it to feel special, look special and act special (even if that means being a little tempermental). I've driven a couple NSXs and and while they do drive fantastic on the road, when I am sitting in it looking at the Accord gauge cluster, it just doesn't feel special to me....I'd take a Ferrari 355 at a similar price over the NSX anyday.

I get it, when you get to these kinds of cars, looks are oh so very important as a car like this you buy with your heart....or the southern head . I dont think you can get an F355 for anywhere close to NSX pricing can you??

[Firm]

Yeah, the looks never did much for me, and the fact that it's reliable also doesn't help me much....A car like that is something that I would only use occasionally and when I do, I want it to feel special, look special and act special (even if that means being a little tempermental). I've driven a couple NSXs and and while they do drive fantastic on the road, when I am sitting in it looking at the Accord gauge cluster, it just doesn't feel special to me....I'd take a Ferrari 355 at a similar price over the NSX anyday.

I get it, when you get to these kinds of cars, looks are oh so very important as a car like this you buy with your heart....or the southern head . I dont think you can get an F355 for anywhere close to NSX pricing can you??

A quick check at autotrader suggests you're right....355's are around 50K (on the low side) and NSXs are sitting around the mid 30's. Still, I can probably think of 10-15+ cars I'd rather have at 30K before an NSX.

[johngenx]

I haven't owned a Ferrari, but knew quite a few PCA guys that also had a Pasta Rocket, and I wouldn't own one unless I was RICH.  Really rich.  We also had a chance to work on a couple with respect to sound system installs, and I couldn't believe the lack of forethought in interior panel design and the cost of ANY parts.  Honestly, outside of the driveline and key mechanical systems, they were pretty junky.

For a normal person, the NSX is 100x the car.

[Fobroader]

I haven't owned a Ferrari, but knew quite a few PCA guys that also had a Pasta Rocket, and I wouldn't own one unless I was RICH.  Really rich.  We also had a chance to work on a couple with respect to sound system installs, and I couldn't believe the lack of forethought in interior panel design and the cost of ANY parts.  Honestly, outside of the driveline and key mechanical systems, they were pretty junky.

For a normal person, the NSX is 100x the car.

I knew a guy in TO with an F355, convertible, tan leather, 6 sd manual.....it looked and sounded fantastic. They are in a whole other plane of vehicles....saying that, I mirror what John said, youve gotta have A LOT of money to run one. Anything on them is many thousands of dollars and they do brake down...on a regular basis. For me, an NSX is all the exclusivity, development, heritage of a pasta rocket, without all the horrid downsides of cheap engineering and build quality....now if we were talking about an F40... 

[wing]

Anyone interested in an NSX?  I know someone selling, he's asking $18,500

[ChaosphereIX]

anything with the phenomenal Busso V6...loving that sound and am replaying the memories in my head over and over again

cant wait for the end of the week when I call to put down the deposit on the 155

[Scarecrow]

I've started looking into research about getting a GT40 kit. I want one so bad. I need to talk to Scarecrow as it seems very difficult to get a turn-key kit into Canada. If my budget was high I'd go Superformance but it seems like there are other great kits available for a little cheaper (if your attention to detail isn't OCD).

Man...I don't blame you for lusting after a GT40.  They're awesome!!  Wish I could afford one.

There is a Canadian importer/distributor for Superformance who can source a new vehicle for you with Transport Canada's blessing.  He's located near St. Catharines if you're interested (www.riversideracers.com).

There are a couple of Canadian importers/distributors of other brand GT40 replicas too, namely Campbell Race Concepts in Burlington (www.campbellrace.com) which represents RCR-Race Car Replicas from Michigan, and Kremyr Chassis Works in Cloverdale BC (www.cavgt.ca) which represents CAV-Cape Advanced Vehicles from South Africa.

Superformance GT40s are available in MkI and MkII body styles.  RCRs are available as MkI, MkII and MkIV.  And CAVs are available as MkI only.  All of these manufacturers have good reputations and the SPFs carry official "continuation series" chassis numbers if that matters to you.  ERA Replicas also makes a great car, but they recently stopped making GT40s so the only option there would be used.

As with Cobra replicas, it's possible to import a completed GT40 replica from anywhere as long as it was fully assembled 15+ years ago, and there is some official paperwork to prove the car's age.  I know someone who imported an older GTD replica from the U.S. this way.  But from experience I can tell you that sellers rarely have the right kind of paperwork so you need to be patient.  Nonetheless www.CobraCountry.com is a good place to look for cars for sale, especially in the U.S.

You should keep your eye out for resale and unfinished cars in Canada too.  They aren't that commonplace, but I've seen a couple in the last two years that looked really nice and tempting.  I know one of them sold, but the other might still be available.

If you wanna discuss more, PM me your phone number.

[Scarecrow]

ATTN: Vmango -- This ERA GT40 was just listed on Cobra Country...

###

For Sale: 1968 E.R.A. GT40 Mk1, ERA#2050. Porsche Polar Metallic Silver. Magazine cover story car. Semi-monocoque chassis as original, John Wyer wide body (same as ’68 & ’69 LeMans–winning Gulf-sponsored #1075). All flares. Left-hand driver position. Under the engine deck: Ford Motorsport 302 cid small-block V8 (dyno report upon your request). Engine oil cooler complete with cooling fan. Ceramic-silver–coated bundle-of-snakes exhaust system. Header tank (coolant expansion tank) as original. Geartrain: rugged 5-speed German ZF gearbox as original, custom bellhousing, custom halfshafts. Rolling stock: Halibrand style GT40 6-pin drive wheels as original [front 10x15, rear 11.5x15], fitted with [1960s] tread Dunlop rubber [225/60Rx15" front; 295/50Rx15" rear]. Suspension, brakes: front & rear double-adjustable shocks & springs, front & rear anti-roll bars. In the cockpit: Stewart Warner blackfaced instrumentation, air conditioning (not charged), carbon-look shifter boot, heater & defroster, seats as original [with 'correct' brass grommets and fitted with seat tracks (with car but not installed)]. Four-point seatbelts, custom Soundown sound deadening throughout interior. Door pulls inside door panels, black carpet, removable steering wheel, windshield wipers. Other particulars: carbon fiber covers [A/C cover, battery box cover]. Rustproofing & undercoating, radiator stone guard, Deltron-painted chassis, rack & pinion steering, two cross-linked impact-resistant foam-filled tanks, fresh air brake scoops. Cibie headlamps and fogs as original, custom heat shielding firewall, ceramic coating on all suspension & water tubes. Supplied by E.R.A. in 1993 and finished by me in 1998. Current mileage is 2,400 [3,863 km]. Registered in Rhode Island as a 1968 Ford coupe. $105,000 obo. Note to Canadians: this 'fab Forty' was first registered in 1998; the owner is currently checking to ascertain the exact original registration date, to determine if it has yet met the 15-year minimum required to go into Canada. Contact Eric at 401•663•4754 EDT (cell), or email: e.hall@hallspars.com

Bristol, Rhode Island
1 July

[Scarecrow]

Given that this GT40 was the first ever produced by ERA Replicas, there's a good chance that it's also eligible for importation into Canada.  You'd need to confirm what paperwork the seller has to prove its age.

###

REDUCED! ERA GT40 Mk1 replica, serial#2003. This is very first ERA GT40 ever produced. Finished in stunning Competition Yellow [Ditzler Delthane urethane enamel] with black stripes. The original certificate of origin comes with the car dated January 1989 [1989 MSO (Mfr's Statement of Origin)]. The previous owner of this car was Chuck Gutke, owner of Cobra Restorers Ltd. and Cobra & GT40 builder extraordinaire. Being the first factory-produced GT40 from ERA, the fiberglass is thicker on this car than those produced thereafter. On the world stage: this 'Fab Forty' was featured in the Matco Tool Company calendar in 1989, Super Ford Magazine feature article in October of 1989, Sports Car International magazine cover car in July, 1990 [replete with full-sized fold-out wall poster; see the links to full cover story below; be sure to open your browser windows to FULL SCREEN SIZE for each of these high-resolution article images], World of Speed and Beauty in December of 1991, and Petersen’s Specialty Car Magazine front cover car in the summer of 1994. Under the engine deck: a Ford 302 cid cast-iron block outfitted with: a Boss 302 crankshaft and rods, Gurney 'Eagle' semi-hemi cylinder heads with four 48 IDA Weber carburetors, TRW forged pistons, double-roller timing set, and high-volume oil pump. It's also fitted with an Aviaid oil pan, Ford Hi-Po camshaft with solid lifters, Mallory dual point centrifugal distributor with MSD 6A spark box, 180° (bundle of snakes) exhaust system, and Gurney 'Eagle' aluminum valve covers. All of this underhood componentry collaborates to deliver approximately 550 horsepower@6,500 rpm. Geartrain: custom bellhousing; a rugged German ZF#5 DS-25/2 transaxle [5-speed; 5th gear is an overdrive with a reverse lockout]; a pair of custom half-shafts delivers the power to the rolling stock. Rolling stock: original magnesium Halibrand knockoff GT40 wheels shod with 8"x15" front; 8.5"x15" rear rubber. OEM Marchal Quartz-Lode 9" headlamps. In the cockpit: full array of Smiths Instruments gauges and speedometer that registers 200 mph, leather-bound Ford GT steering wheel, premium wool carpeting with custom piping, Legend-correct brass-ring-riveted seat upholstery. It's air conditioned with a Mitsui compressor. This 'fabulous Forty' has logged only 2,083 miles [3,350 km]. $99,500 obo. Contact Jeff at: 770•530•5634 EDT (cell), or email: FredJeffreyAgnew@gmail.com
Gainesville, Georgia (north of Atlanta)
23 May







SCI/Sports Car International cover story ["(GT40) 'Look-Alike'," July, 1990]:

Cover page: http://www.cobracountry.com/GT40s-forsale/GT40-agnew-SCI-01.jpg
Page 76-77: http://www.cobracountry.com/GT40s-forsale/GT40-agnew-SCI-02.jpg
Page 78-79 http://www.cobracountry.com/GT40s-forsale/GT40-agnew-SCI-03.jpg
Page 80-81: http://www.cobracountry.com/GT40s-forsale/GT40-agnew-SCI-04.jpg
Page 82-83: http://www.cobracountry.com/GT40s-forsale/GT40-agnew-SCI-05.jpg

[Scarecrow]

Hah! 105 grand...... I will have to stay obsessing for now.

Me too.  GT40 replicas are in the 100 grand snack bracket, I'm afraid.  :-(

...particularly if you opt for a fiberglass body.

Might as well.  The original GT40s were fiberglass.

...I have my visit to damn Legendary Motorcar to blame.

I was there three week ago and there was an original GT40 sitting in the showroom.  A road car converted to Wyer Gulf liveried race spec.  Chassis GT40 P/1028, I believe.

[2JDM]

Alfa Romeo Giulietta.