Seems to me that very few people are ordering new gt40's superformance? Cav? Bailey?...Are the cars becoming to expensive?
Feel free to answer..
'Thoughts on that from where I sit as
an old guy who, for a whole host of reasons,
truly would like to own one, but, none-the-less decided against it. The same might be the case for others these days:
Research into building/maintaining a GT40 revealed they require a
lot of time and attention in both of those areas...not to mention the initial year-or-so wait for the car to get here once it's ordered ('thinking SPF). At a certain age, both building AND maintaining a car
oneself become more of a
chore than a 'fun way to spend some time'. In addition, one can figure on spending at
least $150K to build a 'top drawer' '40 today vs. around $110-120K or so only a few years ago...and there's no 'factory warranty' in the normal sense once the car's built. You ARE its 'service department'. Additionally, it's a well known fact that a GT40's interior room is, to be kind, not at all 'palatial'. What may NOT be as readily apparent (although it ought to be) is how
claustrophobic a '40 can be for some people once seated inside with both doors closed (the Mrs. couldn't get out of the MKII we sat in fast enough).
Removing the nostalgia, racing history and uniqueness of the GT40 from the equation as considerations for purchase/ownership and looking at it strictly from a 'performance' standpoint; one can buy a 'turnkey' 2019 ZR1 delivered to one's door for as "little" as $120K 'sticker'...it has a warranty and a dealer service department (
IF they're needed)...and it will blow the doors off a GT40 on the track (or on the street if one chooses to be dumb enough to do that) right out of the box...and it'll do so with both its A/C and sound system 'on'. The only real 'service' a ZR1 needs is an oil change now and then. Again, "at a certain age" such things
do take priority.
HOWEVER, regarding all the above; the usually completely
clueless crew running things here in the 'States (congress) recently passed a law that now
allows low volume 'specialty car' manufacturers ( "kit car" manufacturers are among them) to sell a limited number of their cars '
turnkey' which would eliminate some of the 'issues' I mentioned above...for an additional
co$t, of course.
Still, regardless of all that, were I to stumble across a non-Roush 427 stroker-powered Heritage MKI or a black or silver/grey/tungsten, Robt Pond alum block-based 427 F.E.-powered MKII.........and I happened to be in the right mood........
There's really nothing at all like a GT40.