Chicago Craigslist 250 GTE

[Benjamin]

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/04/14/win ... ri-250gte/

"Bring-A-Trailer" has picked up this GTE with a Ford small block. The body and interior look quite nice but the scoop on thr hood looks like a Lusso or Maserati 3500. Obviously, many will disagree on this, but from the three pictures posted in the ad, wit does look like someone took great care to preserve what they could of is car and keep it on the road. I imagine it worth the asking price in parts alone but others will know better.

Anybody know this car?

[Tom Wilson]

Probably a decent buy if you have a spare 250 engine...

This car has been around the block a few times, but looks good. The original engine went away in the 70/80's and was replaced with a SEFAC SWB engine, so I would imagine the original was lunched. I saw this car at the Richard Freshman auction in 2002, after the SWB engine was returned to its original chassis. The car at that time was Blue on White, trashed, without an engine and sold for $12,000. (Note that I got my non-runner, but with its engine and all else a year earlier for only $3,000 more). The hood scoop is said to be original, but may have been added with the SWB engine.

In 2005, Junior Wilson (no relation) brought it to Concorso Italiano restored to this condition, but with a small block Chevy engine (Ferrari transmission, though). Between 2008 & 2009, the Ford engine was installed. In 2009, it sold for $61,000 on eBay.

I am glad someone respected the car, even though the engine was gone. A lot of work went into this one and I hope the next owner enjoys it as much as the others did.

[kare]

Ford engine was installed by Charles Wilson in 2005. Best wishes, Kare

[william]

Car belongs to a friend of mine.

[Racerrad]

Quick update on this car. A friend of mine purchased it. It was delivered yesterday and I had quite a lot of fun driving through the countryside. The car is really well done. His original intent was to source a 250 or 330 engine, but that may change. It may be blasphemous, but the car is much nicer to drive as is than say a reproduction cobra.

Rad

[Benjamin]

That's great! Did it stay in the mid-west? Can you let us know if it sold at or near the asking price? In my personal opinion, it's not blasphemous to leave as is - I would not expect anyone except the most-devoted (and better funded) to undertake to put the car back to original configuration. In my personal opinion, its better that the car remain on the road in at least by outward appearance a form that is faithful to the original, than left to rot or chopped into parts.

Congratulations to your friend and keep us up to date on any developments.

[Tom Wilson]

There is a GTE engine on eBay if your friend is interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150804532062

[John Vardanian]

There is a GTE engine on eBay if your friend is interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150804532062

This would be the correct engine for an SWB replica. But, most likely it will end up as a spare for an SWB racer.

john