Need info

[Lynn Larsen]

Scott, like I and others have said, the FAV plate is/was available to anyone with the pocket change that wanted one. What ever is on the plate is, for all intents and purposes, meaningless.

So, the chances that you have some sort of VERY valuable barn find are completely astronomical. Mearly not disclosing the location of the car will protect that small latent value that the car represents, so if you really want some help in determining its value either post some photos or give us a detailed description of what you have.

If this is just too risky for you, pick someone who is in a completely different part of the country from you or the car and confide in them. Most of us have given our locations in our profiles (at least the state anyway) I can be emailed through the forum as can many of us who have been around for a while. If any one of us were the type to run out and try to buy a car out from under someone else, believe me it would have gotten out by now.

Regards,
Lynn

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Scott, I have seen exactly three cars with original number plates that I was certain had been there since Day One. One car was GT40 103, the former Wonder car. The plate said Ford Motor Company, actually. Second was Fran Kress' car 1054, the plate on which said FAV. Third was 1072, the car in the Marriott collection, which is documented to be 1072, and the plate said FAV.*

Not only have the plates been copied and knocked off too many times to count, but the only LHD GT40s around were the seven Mark III cars, all of which are accounted for AFAIK. So- what you are probably looking at is a kit car which someone stuck a copied FAV plate on.

However, any GT40, original or kit or whatever, is worth getting excited about. The only cloak-and-dagger story that we know of with a happy ending is Chris Melia's, which couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. (when the update edition of "The Cobra In The Barn" comes out, I hope Chris' story is in it). What we HAVE heard from time to time is stories of cars which were advertised as "original" cars and turn out not to be. Not too long ago there was a red car, which I think is an ERA car, which was touted by a dealer as an original GT40 or something like that, and of course wasn't. Nice car- fake story. Not the owner's fault.

In most cases, something that is too good to be true, like an incredibly valuable vintage race car that has remained undiscovered, IS not true. But if you've found a driveable or restorable GT40 of any kind at a fair price, it's worth your while. Even if it isn't the real thing. Just make sure you don't spend champagne money for what turns out to be Diet Coke. Nothing wrong with Diet Coke at a Diet Coke price, is there...

* Four. I forgot Jim's car...J6. I don't know whose plate is on that one, but it's been there since it was built, I believe.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Scott, I have seen exactly three cars with original number plates that I was certain had been there since Day One. One car was GT40 103, the former Wonder car. The plate said Ford Motor Company, actually. Second was Fran Kress' car 1054, the plate on which said FAV. Third was 1072, the car in the Marriott collection, which is documented to be 1072, and the plate said FAV.*

Not only have the plates been copied and knocked off too many times to count, but the only LHD GT40s around were the seven Mark III cars, all of which are accounted for AFAIK. So- what you are probably looking at is a kit car which someone stuck a copied FAV plate on.

However, any GT40, original or kit or whatever, is worth getting excited about. The only cloak-and-dagger story that we know of with a happy ending is Chris Melia's, which couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. (when the update edition of "The Cobra In The Barn" comes out, I hope Chris' story is in it). What we HAVE heard from time to time is stories of cars which were advertised as "original" cars and turn out not to be. Not too long ago there was a red car, which I think is an ERA car, which was touted by a dealer as an original GT40 or something like that, and of course wasn't. Nice car- fake story. Not the owner's fault.

In most cases, something that is too good to be true, like an incredibly valuable vintage race car that has remained undiscovered, IS not true. But if you've found a driveable or restorable GT40 of any kind at a fair price, it's worth your while. Even if it isn't the real thing. Just make sure you don't spend champagne money for what turns out to be Diet Coke. Nothing wrong with Diet Coke at a Diet Coke price, is there...

* Four. I forgot Jim's car...J6. I don't know whose plate is on that one, but it's been there since it was built, I believe.