2009 Saleen Clone
Scott Kuntz
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I spied this Saleen at the Somernites Cruise show in August. I typically check the vin of every S197 I come across looking for 2009 owners to recruit. It's a huge pain in the ass, especially when there's 760 Mustangs in one spot. This particular day though, I hit the jackpot, finding 5 new non-club owned '09's out of the 760 Mustangs on display. Now I figured the likelihood of this being one of the ten S281 coupes was slim to none, and was not disappointed when I discovered it was a clone.
For reference, Saleen only produced 26 cars in 2009.
For reference, Saleen only produced 26 cars in 2009.
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This car is a looker, especially in person., and had no problems attracting attention at the show even with 73,000 miles on it. The paint is in great shape, wheels and wheel wells were clean and it passed as a true Saleen to many onlookers.
Now, before y'all start giving this guy Hell, screaming it's fake and all the other crap; you need to step back and think about what all's involved with cloning such a car first.
Going to a junkyard to pull parts is out of the question as these cars rarely do much other than collect dust in someone's private collection. Then factor in that Saleen parts are hard becoming increasingly difficult to find lately and are extremely expensive compared to Roush and other kits. After some digging, finding and pricing exterior parts only, which are no longer offered as a kit, you're looking at $8000 before paint!
The exterior parts are as follows: front fascia, rear bumper, spoiler, tail lights, deck lid panel, center exhaust kit and side skirts, and 20 inch Saleen wheels. There are also other various parts scattered through out the car like the Saleen horn button, and ignition coils. The amount of time spent parts hunting, installing and check writing really adds up quickly and commands respect in my opinion.
Now, before y'all start giving this guy Hell, screaming it's fake and all the other crap; you need to step back and think about what all's involved with cloning such a car first.
Going to a junkyard to pull parts is out of the question as these cars rarely do much other than collect dust in someone's private collection. Then factor in that Saleen parts are hard becoming increasingly difficult to find lately and are extremely expensive compared to Roush and other kits. After some digging, finding and pricing exterior parts only, which are no longer offered as a kit, you're looking at $8000 before paint!
The exterior parts are as follows: front fascia, rear bumper, spoiler, tail lights, deck lid panel, center exhaust kit and side skirts, and 20 inch Saleen wheels. There are also other various parts scattered through out the car like the Saleen horn button, and ignition coils. The amount of time spent parts hunting, installing and check writing really adds up quickly and commands respect in my opinion.
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We got to talk briefly with Scott at the show and he confirmed that the car is a daily driver. He was reluctant to open to the hood or doors to cameras since he had just driven the car a few hundred miles from Indy to get to the show, but under hood and interior were a lot cleaner than he made them out to be. Impressive car all around, check out if you see it at a local show.
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Here's the Breakdown on 2009 Saleen production:
S281 s/c coupe=6
S281 s/c convertible=3
S281 s/c Sport=3
S302 s/c coupe= 1
S302 E coupe=3
S302 E convertible=2
Dark Horse coupe=6
Dark Horse convertible=2
S281 s/c coupe=6
S281 s/c convertible=3
S281 s/c Sport=3
S302 s/c coupe= 1
S302 E coupe=3
S302 E convertible=2
Dark Horse coupe=6
Dark Horse convertible=2
