By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

“You couldn’t build it for that price.” We’ve all heard that line before summarizing the idea that a car is priced well below the sum of its parts. I’m pretty confident that’s the case with this Factory Five Daytona Spyder GT though, as it’s not only represents an exceptionally unique V8 roadster for the money, but you’d also be hard pressed to find another one for sale.

Word is that Factory Five only built 39 of these Daytona Spyder GTs, which is clearly a roadster version of the iconic Le Mans-winning Shelby Daytona Coupe. And just like the original Daytona project was curtailed for the upcoming GT40, the Spyder GT was ended after 39 units to allocate resources to the upcoming FFR GTM.

The platform feels familiar to FFR fans, and the car is based on a tubular steel chassis with coilover suspension and tubular A-arms up front. Most Spyder GTs are completed with Ford 8.8-inch rear ends, which are probably solid axle if memory serves. We’ve seen several high-quality Spyder GT builds surface in recent years, and we feel that they represent really solid value, not to mention a roadster without equal on the street. If the Spyder tickles your fancy, this low-mileage example will be hard to beat, with just 346 miles on the clock.

The car’s completed with a 5.0-liter Ford V8 with billet accessories and what looks to be a Holley four-barrel. The seller reports that a five-speed “racing gearbox” is installed and shifts like a dream. Disc brakes are used on all-four corners, and Hankook Ventus rubber is mounted on large-diameter alloys. The fiberglass bodywork wears magenta red pearl paint, which the seller says is finished to show quality. Interior features are spartan by modern definition, with only a handful of Auto Meter gauges and a few warning lights and switches to take your eyes off the road. The icing on the cake is the odometer readout, of course, which displays just 346 miles.

Buyers should expect to do a little fine-tuning in the coming miles, which is the one downside to a kit car that’s seen little use, but the flipside is that everything should really be in as-new condition. As stated, it’s also pretty hard to beat the price on this one at just $39,999. That’s Cobra money, and this car would sure stick out in a crowd, and make a splash at any Cobra meet.

Check it out here on Central New Jersey Craigslist.