By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

Choosing a style for your kit or replica build is all about picking something that inspires you. You might have just a nice driver in mind, or maybe the most affordable car to set a record at your local race track. Otherwise it might be an exact moment in history that you’re most inspired by, like a GT40 from Le Mans in 1966, or a Grand Sport from Sebring in ’64. The Factory Five Type 65 Coupe here on Craigslist not only appears to be one of the most thorough builds we’ve seen in a while, but it also takes inspiration from a legendary performance by Bob Bondurant and Jo Schlesser at Sebring in 1965.

CSX2299 was the first car to roll out of Carrozzeria Gransport’s factory and went on to be one of the most successful Daytonas built, piloted by some of the biggest names of the day. The car has victories at Le Mans in ’64, Daytona in ’65 and also took the Tourist Trophy in ’64. 2299 had an especially noteworthy performance at the Sebring 12 Hour event in 1965 however.

Searing heat caused fueling problems on several of the cars the morning of the event, but CSX2299 was one of two cars to get going without incident. Piloted by Bondurant and Schlesser, the car showed great promise and held the lead the majority of the day. But later in the day the weather shifted, and the Sebring airfield turned into a lake. It’s alleged that the Shelby team was even forced to drill holes in the Cobra floors to drain the water out. But CSX2299 soldiered on, along with all-four Daytonas, and the Bondurant/Schlesser car led to a fourth overall, and a first in the GT class with the other three Coupes in toe.

That’s clearly a car, and event, worth commemorating, and it’s obvious that a substantial amount of effort went into replicating the Bondurant/Schlesser car with this Factory Five Type 65 Coupe. The big cues are all there, like the paintwork, decals, FIA-style wheels and Goodyear billboard tires, and extra points are due for the amateur stripe across the front fender. It’s clear the builder also went above and beyond under the hood to make the car more convincing than your average build, with the turkey pan, valve covers and cloth-type plug wires.

The car was built by Legacy Motorsports in Plainfield, Indiana, and photos of the car can still be found on their website. After turning just 700 miles, the owner admits the car is selling for much less than it took to build at $75,000. It was previously listed at around $85,000, which put it on the top end of what Type 65 Coupes generally trade hands for, but I think this car’s pretty close at $75,000. After all, it’s not uncommon to see run-of-the-mill examples up around $60,000, and this car is anything but that.

See the Type 65 Coupe here on Reno Craigslist.