Danny was struggling g to get 12k for his very nice cobra.

Trouble is for around £20k you can get yourself a very nice Cobra with a V8. The Kobra is a nice easy, cheap and quick kit but it is always going to have a price ceiling because of the other replicas available. At the moment you can't buy a 2fifty kit and there is a waiting list for a Tribute. There are also very few around so prices are going to be pushed higher.

The Kobra and 250's whilst a similar idea and a similar product are both very different. Whilst the 250 pulls it off as a replica, the Kobra doesn't do it so well, in fact it doesn't look "right". Its as simple as that, the 250 is a winning formula which is why it is so successful. It will always be worth more than even the very best built Kobra.

You are right about the market segmentation. Just how many people would pay £20k plus for a 250 remains to be seen.

Blimey where have you been? You may scrape a Pilgrim rover 3.5 just about or rough older AK for just over but anything very nice will need nearly 30k upwards

Anyways, I'm MOT'd - detailing next...

I've been looking and just before xmas there were a few nice V8's for around and just under £20K

You're right, you might find a Ford Cortina or Sierra based car under £20k but all the Jag based cars with V8's are now highly regarded as "classics" in their own right. Expect to pay over £30k for a good one.

That's why the Tribute 250's are good value at £20k ish, what else is there in the classic replica market that comes close ?

Yes ..........................or get Jeff to do the whole lot .... I just gave that as an example of the maths and based it on prices I can confidently quote ...I have no idea what Jeff would charge to fit a kit ...I know what I would ...

Anyway , it was an example to prove a point , not a die hard , fixed in stone , this is the way you must do it , scenario .........

I understand smash''s position, but there are a few on here who have been well pleased with the official build agent, Nubodi. Just saying.

Seriously?? I haven't mentioned Nubodi here apart from quoting a turn key price from one of their build agents sites (which is obviously out of date)

I know, and no criticism intended. Just pointing out that there ais a tribute appointed build agent.

So you meant to say, "I understand Lancelot Link's position..." - he's the one offering the alternative build service not me!

Fair enough

Both the home built cars that I've seen and the ones built by the build agents look great on the whole. The only issues that come up is the GRP itself . Reports of movement, bubbles, stress marks and the effects of hot and cold weather. I'm no expert but that can be down to a few factors. In my own experience I wouldn't paint a freshly moulded GRP surface for a considerable time, maybe 6 months or so. It does tend to move and settle for ages before it is 100% fully cured and dried out or it might be my lack of skills at laminating fibre glass ? Either way , the longer you leave it the better it gets.

I recall Quantum stating that they cured their car bodies overnight in a heated mould area (I guess 'autoclave' like cf is done). I have to say I've seen some very old Quantums (quanta?) with perfect bodywork.