DubbsFaris
Full Access Member
Bottom line is if you think there is some "Raptor Purist Ideaology" Shelby has overlooked, I think you are sadly misinformed as most Raptors, FRF approved or not, don't ever see the use and abuse reputation you would wish to project on the nameplate.
I know the consensus on FRF is of course to have a build that fits what some have suggested, but even most of our members can't afford 40k for a total engine rebuild, suspension and the Shelby features one expects, much less 75k for a true rebuild of the Raptor, or we would see dozens of Outlaw Raptors, not 4. I'm a FRF paid member, and I would have loved to see a more involved build here myself, and I'd like my TV to make my dinner and serve it to me too, but those are wishes, not successful business models, and I wish more people knew the difference in the two. The research was gone over and discussed, and even fought about for months- but you can't deliver the world for a pence. Market research is what the build was created on, not on what Q from James Bond could create in his lab.
I know- counter argument is- Shelby should have left the Raptor alone if they couldn't do it "right" for a profit. Except this brings up another problem. Shelby is married to Ford. They can only do builds on vehicles Ford produces. They do Mustangs, Ford GTs, the Focus ST and Raptors- all SVT nameplates are vehicles Shelby build a package for. Why not a Winstar or regular truck or Flex? Shelby built 4 F-150s when they offered regular trucks to get a package. they got 4 total bites on that. why? Because people that buy those vehicles will not spend money upgrading those vehicles. There is no personal attachment to them, they are disposable with no concern for the identity shared between them like SVT owners have with their vehicles. It is why Shelby is IN business, and why SVT still has a place in Ford. Talk to John Clor with Ford for 5 minutes, and you will find out in the first minute that Ford would gladly just do away with SVT if they could.
If you follow the logic of keeping a business operational, you begin to understand what options Shelby actually has.
They have to keep building to stay in business, and there no other Fords available for them to pull into their design. I could not illustrate it any clearer if I used crayons. Either you get it or you don't. They are building it, people are buying it. You can like it or hate it- but either way life goes on. Shelby sold another 15 today I hear. Good for them.
I want to make it clear that while I'm happy to hold people's hands through this process of showing how businesses are able to sell products, it does get a bit old and time consuming. I have no emotional currency in this discussion other than to illustrate why Shelby is doing what they are doing- in my personal opinion.
I'll discuss, but don't expect an emotional battle here. Internet fighting is for retards.
I know the consensus on FRF is of course to have a build that fits what some have suggested, but even most of our members can't afford 40k for a total engine rebuild, suspension and the Shelby features one expects, much less 75k for a true rebuild of the Raptor, or we would see dozens of Outlaw Raptors, not 4. I'm a FRF paid member, and I would have loved to see a more involved build here myself, and I'd like my TV to make my dinner and serve it to me too, but those are wishes, not successful business models, and I wish more people knew the difference in the two. The research was gone over and discussed, and even fought about for months- but you can't deliver the world for a pence. Market research is what the build was created on, not on what Q from James Bond could create in his lab.
I know- counter argument is- Shelby should have left the Raptor alone if they couldn't do it "right" for a profit. Except this brings up another problem. Shelby is married to Ford. They can only do builds on vehicles Ford produces. They do Mustangs, Ford GTs, the Focus ST and Raptors- all SVT nameplates are vehicles Shelby build a package for. Why not a Winstar or regular truck or Flex? Shelby built 4 F-150s when they offered regular trucks to get a package. they got 4 total bites on that. why? Because people that buy those vehicles will not spend money upgrading those vehicles. There is no personal attachment to them, they are disposable with no concern for the identity shared between them like SVT owners have with their vehicles. It is why Shelby is IN business, and why SVT still has a place in Ford. Talk to John Clor with Ford for 5 minutes, and you will find out in the first minute that Ford would gladly just do away with SVT if they could.
If you follow the logic of keeping a business operational, you begin to understand what options Shelby actually has.
They have to keep building to stay in business, and there no other Fords available for them to pull into their design. I could not illustrate it any clearer if I used crayons. Either you get it or you don't. They are building it, people are buying it. You can like it or hate it- but either way life goes on. Shelby sold another 15 today I hear. Good for them.
I want to make it clear that while I'm happy to hold people's hands through this process of showing how businesses are able to sell products, it does get a bit old and time consuming. I have no emotional currency in this discussion other than to illustrate why Shelby is doing what they are doing- in my personal opinion.
I'll discuss, but don't expect an emotional battle here. Internet fighting is for retards.
ROI is what it is about and Shelby was about making money. That is a well known fact. Interesting that you quote a Ford source and advise that they would love to get rid of SVT. Interesting indeed!
