Job for the FC Police

Really, Dale ? Or is this just a ruse to get 'other persons' to state their beliefs or opinions (to the contrary) ....
so that they can be served with a writ ? And No, I'm not prepared to make any further comment at this stage !

 

link wants a user name and password Doc. cant access the site otherwise!

 

Hey Dale did you notice everyone's fav Ferrari killer Lord Brocket is now a Modivational speaker and was the star of the british "I'm a Celeberty get me out of here..."

 

When Collectibles Gain Value, Ruses Become More Clever
By JIM MOTAVALLI

Published: June 14, 2004



RAIG JACKSON, who has sold plenty of valuable cars as president of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company in Scottsdale, Ariz., is building a turntable at his home to show off one of his own, a 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible powered by Chrysler's 426-cubic-inch Hemi engine.

One of only 14 Hemi-powered 'Cuda convertibles made that year, and equipped with the most desirable options of the era, the value of this well-authenticated muscle car is estimated by Mr. Jackson at $2 million. You can understand why a simple pedestal would not have been enough.

It follows that when any object reaches this level of desirability - whether it is an Impressionist painting, a Tiffany lamp or a limited-production automobile - the temptation to create replicas becomes powerful.

"A very valuable 'Cuda can be built for $50,000 by someone with a rust-free Barracuda body and a brand-new Hemi crate motor," said Galen Govier, who appraises and authenticates Chrysler muscle cars. The term "crate motor" refers to new factory-built engines produced for enthusiasts.

Building a visual clone of a rare automobile can be far more involved than that, and goes well beyond installing the reproduction badges and trim parts that are available for restoration projects.

The most desirable collectibles are often those referred to as matching- numbers cars - an indication that the body, engine block and other major components are the same units originally joined on the assembly line. The increased value of cars with matching parts has given rise to a minor industry in restamping factory codes. In some cases, an entirely new identity is created.

Mr. Govier cites a case in which an enterprising Midwesterner produced 10 to 12 vehicle identification plates with authentic Hemi 'Cuda numbers and attached them to restorable cars. The buyers may have known the cars were clones, said Mr. Govier, whose practice is located in Prairie du Chien, Wis., but subsequent owners may not be made aware.

Mr. Govier said that he could often spot a fake within five minutes, usually by deciphering the body-code plate in the engine compartment. The plates, which can reveal the car's original color, trim and major options, can also be fabricated, so authenticators need to become connoisseurs of factory welding techniques, riveting methods and other arcane matters.

"There's a lot of fraud out there, and it involves not only muscle cars but also competition Ferraris and vintage Alfa Romeos," said Dave Brownell, who often serves as a judge at classic-auto shows and was formerly editor of Hemmings Motor News, a collector-car publication.

In one high-profile forgery, a visually correct Ferrari 250 SWB (for short wheelbase) was fabricated by mating SWB body panels to the chassis of a relatively common 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2. The car was represented as an original SWB and sold by Lord Brocket, a British collector, who subsequently went to jail in 1996 for insurance fraud involving other exotic sports cars from his collection.

The thriving market for American muscle cars of the 1960's and early 1970's has generated many instances of misrepresentation - a good reason to hire a professional appraiser before making a big purchase - in part because the performance models were usually no more than specially outfitted versions of basic sedans and coupes. The incentive to convert, say, a bread-and-butter 1965 Pontiac Tempest convertible worth perhaps $9,000 into a GTO valued at more than $30,000 - Pontiac itself made the GTO from a Tempest - is great.

The ready availability of restoration parts for hot cars has made cloning popular with enthusiasts, and for many, an affordable way to own an otherwise unattainable vehicle. Mr. Jackson, whose auction company must be alert to such non-original cars, pointed out jokingly that in 1967, fewer than 3,800 Corvettes were built with the 435-horspower, 427-cubic-inch engine, but that 5,000 exist today.

Daniel Carr, a graphic artist from Loveland, Colo., researches the history of high-performance Chevelles and El Caminos as a hobby. He says that buyers should get a complete history of the car's ownership, if possible, and all available paperwork, though these records can also be forged. The best documentation, Mr. Carr says, is the build sheet, a list of a car's equipment used by workers on the assembly line. "Sometimes the line worker would toss the build sheet in the car and the carpet would be installed over it," he said. (The sheet may also be tucked into the space over the gas tank.)

The best clones can even fool the experts. David Williams of Fast Lane Classic Cars in St. Charles, Mo., recently bought a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT-500 convertible advertised as a matching-numbers car at a reputable auto auction. He later discovered that the engine was not original. "It was a real Shelby convertible," Mr. Williams said, "but the fact that the engine was replaced makes it worth $100,000 instead of $125,000." He said he was seeking restitution from the auction company.

Sometimes, though, sellers don't know that their cars are fakes. Dave Ellis of Macomb, Ill., discovered the original build sheet under the seat of the 1970 Chevelle SS convertible he purchased for $2,500 in 1978. He bought it with the understanding that it was originally equipped with the 454-cubic-inch LS-6 engine option, but the sheet proved it actually came with a 396-cubic-inch L-78.

"I wasn't cheated," Mr. Ellis said. "The guy I bought it from thought it was a genuine LS-6." Perhaps easing Mr. Ellis's pain is the fact that the asking price today for L-78 convertibles can top $100,000.

 

Why on earth anyone would pay $2 Million bucks for a car that looks exactly like one that can be bought for $50K is beyond me.

I understand that a Hemi Cuda convertible with all the right options and matching numbers blaaaa blaaaaaa blaaaaaaaaaaaa is a rare car. BUT, it looks exactly like all the other Cuda convertibles AND you can build an exact replica for $50k.... those facts to me say that the real think is stupid at a 7 figure price.

I mean really, you can buy a REAL collectible car for that! Who is his right mind would pay Ferrari 750 Monza money for a freaking Plymouth Cuda? For the price of this Cuda..... you could buy a real D-type Jag AND an 275GTB/4. These mass produced muscle car prices to me are a HUGE bubble.

Hey, Im not saying that because I dont like muscle cars. I do like them. But I would never pay the kind of money for a matching numbers car that they bring today when I could own a clone for 1/100th the price.....

Its not the same as regarding a Ferrari replica or such either. Building a 250GTO or TR replica that is an exact duplicate except for VIN is a pretty tough thing to do. It requires a Ferrari donor car and some serious craftmanship. But building an exact duplicate Hemi Cuda convertible clone is a piece of cake. Get an old clapped out 6cyl example and just rebuild it with repro parts off the shelf. Anybody can do it.


Terry

 

It doesn't always exactly come across like that, Dale !

Yep - realise that, and I'm trying to keep my posts on the straight and narrow, nowadays. Strictly factual ....

Haven't you noticed how many of my postings get re-edited after they have been submitted. Not just tidying up paragraphs, punctuation and 'typo's' always, either. I re-read some of them several times ! Paranoid - Moi ?

You too, Dale ....

 

but Lord Brockett's still in the can isn't he?

i also read somewhere that all the crushed cars were being restored. any info??

 

did 2 years of 7 and now is a star on BBC

 

that's amazing!