Afraid to modify Shelby GT!!!

guydon · Jun 7, 2008

Hi all,
I have a 08 vista blue Shelby GT (08SGT0270). I want to do some tasteful mods, but I’m really concerned about affecting the value. I’m a “car guy” and as such I go through a lot of cars, but this one I’m going to hold on to for the duration. My 07 premium I modified like crazy with not a care in the world, but this is different. Now that I have told you my life story…here is the question, what should I do mod wise? I’m thinking pretty much staying with things that can be changed back to original quickly and easily, and also things that I can register with Shelby without having to send it to Vegas. I want to do ¼ window scoops, window tint, ducktail spoiler, engine dress-up (what can I do about that ugly-ass elbow for the CAI???), and of course supercharger. I can remove all pretty easy I think, but the supercharger is worrying me. Should I send it to Shelby to do? I’m registered on their site and it doesn’t go in to a lot of detail about what will or won’t affect value, and leads me to believe that as long as you register your changes with them and they file them, you are good to go. Not sure what to do, and would appreciate your input. I would also like to see any modded SGT's you have out there
Thanks

guydon · Jun 7, 2008

No replies yet, going to bed. I will check back in the morning!!!

ScreamingRoush · Jun 7, 2008

I notice the key phrase "hang on to it for the duration". It is your car, your dream, so make it yours. Change what you want, do it with top quality parts, take your time and enjoy the heck out of it. Frankly (not being nasty), I don't believe the GT will be a highly desirable collectible car, not while the GT500 is out there, the GT/CS, etc. There are also Roush, Saleen, Steeda, Foose and a host of other limited editions that I think would also dilute the market of S197 collectible cars (for the future). If you are dreaming of cashing in for hundreds of thousands at Barret Jackson for a SGT, I don't think that's going to happen. In any event, that level of collectability is decades away and is somewhat based on rarity. SGTs won't be that rare. If you're only interested in holding residual value for a few years (and not keeping it 'for the duration'), then I think it will hold reasonably well no matter what you do (within reason, don't junk it up, crash it, thrash it by racing or paint flowers on it). The SGT is a great baseline for tasteful modifications. I wouldn't worry about affecting originality but do keep and store any parts you remove.

BTW, I recommend the Kenne Bell twin screw and install it yourself! I haven't so much as changed my own oil for 25 years and my wife and I installed it with perfect results. If you can read (follow the KB instruction manual to the letter) and are reasonably patient, you can do it.

That's my $0.02....

ranger04 · Jun 7, 2008

I agree, for the money you paid, do with it what makes you happy, not what might make the next owner happy. It's your investment, your dream car, don't let the dream die untill it's just the way you want. If it's a keeper, you'll most likely have it untill you pass on, then you won't be around to worry about it anyway. So an unmolested 67 shelby is worth 200 grand, but a modded one is only worth 175 grand. See my point, thats 25 grand worth of enjoyment and still make awesome money on the investment. Drive it like you stole it, have fun with it, make it your own, thats the only way to justify the money you paid for it in the first place. A car like that shouldn't be worried over, it should be driven and have fun with, thats what life is all about, you only go around once, "so enjoy"!!!!!!!!!

jasongt06 · Jun 7, 2008

On the Cold Air question, since the CAI on the Shelby is the Steeda one, you can order their high-flow elbow for it. It would replace the factory elbow.

shooterm1 · Jun 7, 2008

"Tasteful Mods" better = easily reversible ....

otherwise you'll be killing its resale value.

but with the end of the "Second Golden Age of the Muscle Car" rapidly approaching,

it might not matter that much.

guydon · Jun 7, 2008

ScreamingRoush said:
I notice the key phrase "hang on to it for the duration". It is your car, your dream, so make it yours. Change what you want, do it with top quality parts, take your time and enjoy the heck out of it. Frankly (not being nasty), I don't believe the GT will be a highly desirable collectible car, not while the GT500 is out there, the GT/CS, etc. There are also Roush, Saleen, Steeda, Foose and a host of other limited editions that I think would also dilute the market of S197 collectible cars (for the future). If you are dreaming of cashing in for hundreds of thousands at Barret Jackson for a SGT, I don't think that's going to happen. In any event, that level of collectability is decades away and is somewhat based on rarity. SGTs won't be that rare. If you're only interested in holding residual value for a few years (and not keeping it 'for the duration'), then I think it will hold reasonably well no matter what you do (within reason, don't junk it up, crash it, thrash it by racing or paint flowers on it). The SGT is a great baseline for tasteful modifications. I wouldn't worry about affecting originality but do keep and store any parts you remove.

BTW, I recommend the Kenne Bell twin screw and install it yourself! I haven't so much as changed my own oil for 25 years and my wife and I installed it with perfect results. If you can read (follow the KB instruction manual to the letter) and are reasonably patient, you can do it.

That's my $0.02....

Thanks for the comment. I would have to disagree a bit on the value say in 30 years, and let me tell you why. The SGT will not compete for bids with the 500 or others it will compete against other SGT's and their avalibility. Mine is 270 out of 2300. I have seen at least 20 wrecked 08's already in this forum or that, and a few totaled completly. In 30 year I figure at least half will be off the road. Second Shelby is 85 years old, he only has a few years left, and while I'm sure the Shelby name will be used after his death, there may be a call for cars built while he was still on this earth. Lastly, gas fueled cars may very well be a thing of the past by then. This is a decade that will be looked at as a great one for fast cars, so that with the other reasons stated, I beleive the car will have good value. I'm not trying to make 100,000 off it, I just don't want it to lose value. I guess we will all have to wait and see

jrad98 · Jun 7, 2008

I went thru the same concerns with the Mach.
As much as an original car will potentially be worth in 30 years I have to be realistic. I live today. I want to have fun with the car today. If we can all still afford to drive our cars in 30 years to the cruise-in, or just for a cruise, the car will still be a 2003 Mach 1.

Nothing I have done, except for welding in sub-frame connectors, cannot be reversed easily if I want to go back to stock. If I decide to get into the engine, I will buy a used one and build that one and pull the stock one out in tact.

Enjoy the car as you want. If you mod it and are worried about its value down range, then keep all the parts and put it back when you are done.

Mr_Q · Jun 7, 2008

Sticking to "Shelby" branded mods will help reduce some of the resale hit. I know it sounds a little silly but it's true.

Paying 15% more for a part with Shelby's stamp on it can be hard to swallow.

For me I just did only what the car needed for road course performance and safety. And most are transparent to the driver and passerby.

shooterm1 · Jun 7, 2008

Mr_Q said:
Sticking to "Shelby" branded mods will help reduce some of the resale hit. I know it sounds a little silly but it's true.

that is an excellent point ...

original sales receipts can also help.

klaw · Jun 7, 2008

I'm a car driver not a car collector. I invest in my own company and a few others and would never consider my car an investment - that doesn't mean that I beat it like a rented mule either. When I bought mine I bought it to build it like I thought Shelby should have. I wasn't about to pay all the extra $$$ for a nameplate on the dash but rather put the extra $$$ into the fit, finish, and performance of the car - for my own satisfaction and enjoyment. My advice - at this point, modify the car into what you really want and forget about ever making a dime off of the Shelby nameplate. After all, it's really only just a base GT with a few bolt-on mods that could have been done by anyone. Do you really think that in 30 years people will believe that CS had any more to do with "designing/building" your car than they do now?

Mr_Q · Jun 7, 2008

Funny, my dad had people tell him the same thing when he bought his '69. "That one isn't even touched by Shelby that much, wasting your money!"

Uh-huh.

And contrary to belief it isn't just about investment. It's about pride in Shelby and the heritage behind that "little metal numbered plaque." Even more so than the "Made in Flatrock, MI" sticker.

guydon · Jun 7, 2008

All good points, thanks

klaw · Jun 7, 2008

Mr_Q said:
Funny, my dad had people tell him the same thing when he bought his '69. "That one isn't even touched by Shelby that much, wasting your money!"

Uh-huh.

And contrary to belief it isn't just about investment. It's about pride in Shelby and the heritage behind that "little metal numbered plaque." Even more so than the "Made in Flatrock, MI" sticker.

Your dad's Shelby was markedly different in performance from the base model it was based on and CS had alot to do with the design choices at that time. Your 07 GT is not significantly different in performance from tens of thousands of similar cars both base and modified. If you bought a base GT and paid for the upgrades to make it performance equivalent to the Shelby, you'd have the same car and alot of $$$ left over. If you invested that money at even a modest rate of return for the next 30 years, you stand a way better chance of having a real gain at the end. I intend no disrespect for CS - he's built some incredible cars in the past. Unfortunately, the current Shelby GT's are much more about marketing of the CS name than living up to the CS performance reputation and I think the future price of those cars will reflect the difference. If you get a warm and fuzzy prideful feeling from spending the extra $$$ for the metal plaque, then I guess you got some value. To me CS was always about high performance and I'm proud to be trying to make my car as high performance as it can be. If you want to honor the CS heritage by buying a metal plaque to stick on yours instead, that's what makes North America great.

stangdude2000 · Jun 8, 2008

If you are concerned about the resale value of your car, only do modifications that can be reversed easily and without significant cost. Unfortunately even now the SGT doesn't hold much value over the base GT. Whether or not that will prove to be true over the long run is anyone's guess. I'm always one to push for the "it is your car, do what makes YOU happy" theory. If you want to supercharge it and build the engine like crazxy, go for it! If you want to leave it stock, then that's fine too. But like it was mentioned previously, don't worry about the value for the next person - worry about the value for you.

ranger04 · Jun 8, 2008

I don't believe we will see the demise of the combustion engine anytime soon, it to efient. However I do believe we will see a variant of different fuels used and alternitive sources. Sure there will be hydrogen and electric cars as there needs to be to relieve the demand on oil. Once there are other sources of fuel available, oil should level off and even come down. Oil will have to fight for your business just like hydrogen and electric or other sources of energy. I believe E-85 and bio diesel is the wave of the future for the combustion engine. When you can make one gallon of gas with only 15% oil, that will really strech a barrel of oil. Corn isn't going to get it, but switch grass and sugar beets like they use in Brazil sounds a lot more promising.

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