State of Hobby

[69L89396]

I don't see a problem in someone building a clone and selling it as a clone but when they advertise a clone as an orginal car, then that is when I have a problem with it.
I think the biggest problem is that some people are able to get paper work for a clone and that is what messes things up.

[Belair62]

I just saw this ad in Hemmings too ! He is taking orders !?

[Edited by Belair62 (03-04-2002 at 10:16 AM).]

[DjD]

Just using the AC Cobra as an example. There must be 30 companys that offer kits to reproduce a Cobra. I wouldn't know a replica from a real one but from talking with an owner once at a show, he wasn't bothered and actually has a replica to drive and shows the real one. If there is a way to identify the real from the replica it's no big deal.

Dennis

[69L89396]

I'm going to change my option on this subject. What I did not think about is what happens to the "cloned" cars years from now when someone sells one to an unspecting, uneducated buyer for alot of money thinking they are getting the real thing, then finding out later it is a fake or clone. This kind of thing could have a drastic effect on this hobby generations from now.
The big question is how do we protect the hobby from this kind of thing. I really don't see a solution to policing the sell of cars and even the parts that are sold.
If you think about 50 or 100 years from now what will this hobby look like?

[Tom Hendricks]

I think you protect yourself in the car hobby, just like you protect yourself in life. Education and experience. The smarter you are, the less chance of getting burned. It doesn't hurt to have smart friends too !

[Unreal]

I agree with Tom on this. The most common argument I hear against the clone builder is that somewhere in the future some poor, unsuspecting buyer might get taken. Then in the next breath we brag about the great deal we got from some poor, unsuspecting seller.

We protect the ignorant buyer, but take advantage of the ignorant seller?

[TimG]

It is very interesting to read the Shelby Registry on 427 Cobras. Some original ID numbers from destroyed cars have been attached to aluminum clones. Informed buyers can determine a clone, uninformed buyers may get taken. Here, the registry will give insight to the true history of the vehicle.
As the history of cars gets cloudy, it may be hard to determine the true origin of many vehicles. It would be nice to have some type of Supercar registrty. I had a L89 Corvette and there was an informal registry for these vehicles.