I have spoken extensively with Drew about the stash. I just want to give you guys a little history about Drew Serb. Is real name is Andrew. He has been a Cobra guy for many, many years. I have seen pictures of several of his cars. They are great cars. He has a little known full on restoration shop in N. California. Does Cobras. He now also owns Finish Line. When Mike decided to farm his Cobra panel fabrication off site he chose Drew. Debeste knew that. I'm getting a little ahead. Drew and I have exchanged ideas frequently thru the years. We are very, very close. Much more frequently over the last 6 years while the final push on my car was going on. He has asked for some parts in the past for some very special cars in his shop, where NOS 60's only could do. Jamo this leads to this following story. Drew had to have an absolutely original Comp / S/C puke tank,
oil tank on the firewall. I said which design, as there was a production change. I had to know the CSX number to supply the original tank. He thought he knew everything, NOT. After I knew the CSX, I said no problem. He challanged me and said I have the original but it was severely damaged. I can tell if you send a reproduction no matter how good it is. I said I have NOS OEM complete and ready. Years ago by office manager, the one who spends and I do mean spends huge amounts of time locating parts for me. She has worked in my office for over 35 years. She took up where I left off amassing the parts. Rather she became a member of the sick one's team. She located the original manufacturer fabricator of the tanks. I don't know how. She handed it off to me. I asked for the oldest guy in the shop. That was the owner. We talked for a while and he said he remembered a guy in California ordered what I was describing in 1964 or 65. He said he had asked for 90 as he checked his paper records - no computer back then. He said the guy wanted 50 immediately and would take the next 40 SOON. That soon never came. Get my drift. He remembers the story. Mind you all this conversation with the old timer was probably 1980. It was only 15 years since the Shelby guys placed the order. Understand also that Shelby fabricated the first ten or so tanks in house and I guess were too time consuming and found this guy to do the run of the remaining 90. I said WHERE ARE THE TANKS. He said give me a day and I'll see if they are still around. Again only 15 years old at the time. 24 hours to the second I called back and he said found them. I said all? He had I think 42 complete and several main tanks extra without the tubing installed. He said it looks like I have enough bent tubing to do about another twenty tanks. I said how much? He said how many? I am sure you guys already know what I said, if you read the SAAC article. I said I want them all. He gave me a price I could't refuse. As we were finishing the details and preparing a Fed Ex envelope with cash, he said I also have extra caps. How many? 250. Add that to the order. You want all the firewall supports. I said sure. I said are the rivnuts installed? He said yes. Are they crooked. He looked and said yes. But wait only a few, he said. I remember my guy was just drilling them in and they were all over the place. I made him make a jig to get them straight. Bingo now we have just found three designs for the tanks. Early, late crooked rivnuts and straight rivnuts. I said hold on partner, where's the jig for the rivnuts. He said he was looking at it and that was why he remembered. Now talking about pulling one out of a hat. DO YOU HAVE THE JIG FOR EACH TUBING installation on the sides? He said just funny you asked. I DO . He threw it all together and an oversized, over weight, UPS box was delivered 5 days later to Miami. Knowing Drew CSX number and with the help of the original fabricator I sent a tank to Drew to knock him out. He went absolutely crazy when his firewall support fit the crooked rivnut line perfectly on the back of the tank. I think his comment was, "You ARE the man." Evan do you think Drew wants to get his hands on those tanks and jigs? My tanks actual are the ones that were originally made and destined for CSX 3054 to 3099 . Imagine that . Now that's NOS if I say so. That's it for tonight. And yes I have discussed the stash that Drew has seen and evaluated. Bob