1992 FHP on ebay

[predator20]

When is this car going to sell?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWDVW

[Charlie]

Hi: I am a new member looking for a SSP. Is anyone familiar with this SSP's condition? I have a week to bid and am trying to evaluate it. If so please post or PM me. Any other leads greatfully accepted. Thanks Charlie

[ImEvil1]

Welcome to the site, Charlie.

The car is pretty nice, but almost none of the equipment is correct, despite what the seller has listed in the eBay ad. If you are looking for a restored, "correct" car, then certainly take that into account when you bid.

For more info on the FHP cars (and proper equipment), check out the FHP resto section http://www.specialservicemustang.net/FHP.htm

[Charlie]

I thought it odd that Madison auto hasn't returned my e-mail questions. I shall look into other examples I guess. By the way. I just referred my manager and mustang fanatic James Duly. He is a recently retired captain of the Conn State Police. I asked him if he can help with period photos of Conn. SSP cars. Im sure he will contact you if he can. Charlie

[ImEvil1]

Good deal, thanks.

I wouldn't rule the car out completely, just be aware that it needs some work to make it correct.

Good luck and let us know if we can help in any way.

[mustang68949]

i have seen this car on autotrader a few times.. but the price is pretty steep tho.. or atleast i'm pretty sure its this one

[Charlie]

He put a buy it now price of 13.5 on it but when I called about it he wouldnt stand by emissions or safety inspections, both manditory here, I think something is not up to par on this one. Charlie

[Vintageracer]

Maybe I am missing something here?

My background before SSP Mustangs included 25 years of collecting, buying and selling 63-67 Corvettes, 67-67 Camaros's, 70 Chevelle SS convertibles and 65-68 Shelby Mustangs and the more promient and interesting cars. It was normal practice to to spend $10K-$30K to purchase a car in box! By box I mean a car that needs restoration or at a minimun 2-4 trips to pick up all the pieces!

Having said that, I find my interest in SSP's and Fox body Saleen Mustangs to be refreshing. $15K buys you a VERY nice car in both cases. No multiple trips to pickup the car, No paintwork, little or no restoration, drive the car imediately and most importantly, a whole new group of wonderful people to meet and with whom to become friends. After all, people are what make the old car hobby SO ENJOYABLE!

After reviewing the pictures and restoration of car that is the subject of this thread, I find myself puzzled at to the thoughts of other SSP enthusiasts and their responses to this particular car. I have not seen this car in person and my observations are only made from the pictures presented in the auction.

From my perspective this car "looks" to be a decent restoration of a real FHP SSP car. At a $13,500 BIN this car looks like a heck of deal given the fact of what it would/will cost to restore another FHP SSP to the level of this car. Decent paint work is now $3K-$5K. FHP stickers from M Squad are $300+, mechanical restoration for an engine/transmission is $3K. Weather-stripping, carpet, seat covers, door panels, headliner and dash restoration is an easy $1K. Have you priced Ford headlights, tailights and side marker light housings lately, Sure the repo's are cheaper and they look cheaper! Labor is very expensive. The mechanic and painter do not charge for their labor based upon the value of the car. They do not ask you what your car is worth before they price their work. If your car is worth $1K or $50K, their labor rate is usually the same. The same can be said for parts and other items needed to restore your SSP. Seat covers cost the same for the SSP you purchased for $1K or for one you purchased for $10K!

Yes, I know that it has been noted that the "equipment" on the car is not correct. Big deal! That is nothing that $1,000 will not fix very quickly! What a $1,000 will NOT fix is paint, interior, mechanical restoration, sticker/badging and all the other stuff needed to restore a SSP car.

Today the hauler will pick up 2 FHP SSP cars I just purchased in Florida. I think I bought both cars cheap however there is NO WAY that I can purchase and restore either of these cars to the level of the car presented in this EBAY auction for anywhere near his $13,500 BIN price. Never mind a year or two of time invested in these projects.

I have heard it said on the boards by posters that they are not into the hobby for the money and would not like to see SSP cars to become expensive cars. I am still trying to determine what SSP folks think is "expensive". Apparently my vision of expensive does not match other peoples view of expensive! Many folks may not be into the hobby for the money however they view sure does seem change when those "hobbyists" decide they want to sell their car and they then become sellers!

I find it intersted that without fail, whenever I go to look at any car or collector car for sale by an individual (not a dealer) and I ask them what they will take for the car I always get the same answer. The seller begins to tell me how much money they have "invested" in the car and therefore this is how much money what they want for the car as if their "investment" in the car justifies their asking price. It does not! I immediately inform them that what they have "invested" in the car has absolutely NO bearing on what the car is worth. I personally hope that the seller has absolutely $0.00 in the car and everything I pay them is total profit since I do not care at all how much money they make on me! On the converse side of that statement, I also do not care about how much money you may be losing on the car since the seller may have also spent their money on their car very poorly. The current market at the time year that the seller chooses to sell usually determines the value of the car. The value may be up or it may be down.

So what does all my babbling really mean? I believe the current valuation of SSP car in the market today does not support the money, time and effort needed to restore most SSP cars. It makes no sense to me to restore a car that has a value of $10K-$15K or less when completed when nice cars, as this car appears to be, are available for $15K or less! I know, it goes back to the love of the hobby or maybe that a person cannot afford a nice restored car right out of the gate. If that's the case, why not save $500-$1,000 bucks a month for 6 months to a year, during that time do whatever else you like to do and THEN come back to the SSP hobby and buy a better car for your first purchase? That sure beats having a junker SSP sitting around eating up all you spare time and money as you work on the car and also listen to your wife, children or girlfriend complain that all you do is work on the piece of junque SSP you have in the garage!

I see where "jarheads" Calypso Green car brought $8,100 on Ebay. Given the condition of the car, I also thought that was cheap for that car however others did not. The automatic transmission and local agency use may have been a limiting factor in the value of that particular car. Given the color and condition, it certainly is a nice car!

I utlimately think that SSP cars will be will be "valued" in the future by collectors and enthusiasts just like Vintage Race cars are valued today. The value of the car will depend on the provenance of the particular SSP car. Was the car ever in service and with what type of agency? What is the condition of the car? How period correct is the car presented? What level/type of restoration was performed on the car? Does the car have all "real" parts or lot's or repo parts? While several of the state patrol agency used very few SSP Mustangs and they are therefore "rare" in number, FHP and CHP cars may still be more valueable since they "may" be far more desireable to collectors or enthusiasts in general.

Having said all that babble above I now return to the point of this post. The car on Ebay looks like a good buy to me in the current condition will not a lot of work to make the car correct and stand tall!

[ImEvil1]

Mike,

I didn't pick the car apart....but I did say that the equipment is incorrect.

Originally Posted by Vintageracer

That is nothing that $1,000 will not fix very quickly

The statement above is totally incorrect. Guys have been looking, some for years, for the correct switchbox, as an example, for the FHP cars. You might have all the money in the world to buy one of them, but the challenge is to actually find one that's in usable shape.

[Vintageracer]

Mike,

My babble was not directed at you or anyone else in particular at all. Just my observation from quite of few hours of reading posts on both boards.

After all, that's what these boards are all about, helping each other and stating our opinions!