I am posting this new thread because I think we need to start a very elaborate registry with the club. The AC 428 Frua is a great classic car. It's got everything, It's very rare, it has racing history, it has great part availability (at least for the drive-train), it's very reliable but it's not well known.
As Jeffrey mentioned before, Paul's (Classicus) registry is a good start and should probably be moved to the member part of the club. If he agrees of course. Then the history of the cars could be updated by each owner with sales receipts for service, repairs, restorations, modifications Etc. Even photographs to document what was done to each car and when. This of course would greatly benefit owners who were forthcoming with information and penalize cars not listed.
I think a detailed registry will greatly benefit the Frua market. People are reluctant to spend big money in a car about which they know nothing. Just like the one on E-Bay at present, I know enough about these cars by now that there probably is quite a bit of corrosion, it would surely take more than $50,000 to make this car a show winner and most of it in bodywork. (I am very conservative here) $20,000 just for a new leather interior.
I believe the Shelby Cobra Registry has been a great help in the Cobra market. No one in their right mind will spend big money in a Cobra or even a Shelby Mustang if it's not listed. For these cars, it's just too easy to spend big money and find out later on you got scammed with a fake.
For the Frua, it's more a question of condition, where the car has lived, if corrosion repairs were performed, were they done properly or was the car just filled with lead or Bondo. Are there photos of a restoration for example. If a full and detailed history is available to an eventual purchaser, he will feel much better about spending big money. Also a car which has lived in a dry climate and has been cared for meticulously should benefit as well.
The word is TRANSPARENCY, I have met a lot of Cobra guys who would love a 428 but the lack of information and knowledge about the cars scares them. We have gone a long way already to inform people on our cars and it has worked, I think this is why prices are rising, I think we need to do more and create a very good registry.
Please give you opinion on this matter.
Emmanuel[
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