HELLO, YOUNGSTERS: I GUESS THAT IT'S ABOUT TIME FOR ME TO CLAIM THE "OLD FARTS" AWARD.
I'LL BE 66 IN DECEMBER. THAT'S ON THE OUTSIDE -- AND ON THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE. ON THE INSIDE -- WHERE IT COUNTS -- I'M JUST GOING ON THIRTY. I'VE BEEN IN MY MID-LIFE CRISIS FOR JUST ABOUT 40 YEARS NOW - AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I'VE LOVED CARS ALL MY LIFE AND BEGAN RACING "JUNKERS" ON SATURDAYS AT "TWIN CITIES SPEEDWAY" BETWEEN SHERMAN & DENISON TEXAS. NOTHING LIKE RUNNING A JUNK YARD SPECIAL ON THE OLD TEXAS FLAT TRACKS IN THE DUST, DIRT & MUD. MAN WOULD I EVER LOVE TO DO THAT AGAIN. I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE THEN AND WE HAD TO RACE UNDER "ASSUMED" NAMES BECAUSE IT WAS A COURTS MARTIAL OFFENSE AT THE TIME TO PLACE THE GOVERNMENTS INVESTMENT AT RISK.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY RACING DAYS WAS GETTING TO RACE AN AUSTIN-HEALEYS (BN2L) AT EAGLE MOUNTAIN LAKE IN FT. WORTH (IT'S PROBABLY A CONDO NOW) FOR A FEW SEASONS. HAD THE PLEASURE OF HAVING MY DOORS BLOWN OFF BY MR. SHELBY WHO WAS DRIVING FERRARIS AT THE TIME. ONLY THREE THINGS KEPT ME FROM MAKING IT TO THE BIG TIME. I WAS TOO YOUNG, TO0 STUPID AND TOO AGGRESSIVE. DARN NEAR TERMINATED MY FLYING CAREER BACK THEN.
SAW MY FIRST COBRA - A RED 427 SC AT KOONS FORD IN FALLS CHURCH, VA IN 1966. (PRICE TAG READ $7800.00). I WAS A SENIOR CO-PILOT ON THE AIRLINE AT THE TIME BUT MY EX-WIFE TALKED ME OUT OF BUYING IT. 2ND SON ON THE WAY.
SEVERAL YEARS LATER WE SAW AN IDENTICAL CAR AT THE SAAC MEET IN HERSHEY, PA. ($40,000.00) I WAS FLYING CAPTAIN BY THEN BUT DARN IF SHE DIDN'T TALK ME OUT OF IT AGAIN (NEW HOUSE THIS TIME). (ANYBODY STILL WONDERING WHY SHE'S MY EX-WIFE??). I BECAME HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH AUSTIN-HEALEYS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SOLD ALL THREE OF THEM WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST COBRA THREE YEARS AGO. A BLACK EXCALIBUR WITH A 5.0 HO ENGINE. NICE CAR AND A REAL "CRUISER" - I STILL HAVE IT. SIX MONTHS AGO I ACQUIRED AN ERA 427 WITH A VERY EXCITABLE 427 SIDE-OILER UNDER THE HOOD. WOW!!! THIS ONES A REAL "BRUISER". HAVING TWO OF THEM ALLOWS ME TO STILL HAVE ONE TO DRIVE WHILE I'M WORKING ON THE OTHER ONE.
I BOUGHT THE FIRST ONE ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE "MEDICS" TOLD ME NOT TO BUY ANY "GREEN BANANAS". THEY GAVE ME 12 MONTHS +/-, SO I BOUGHT A COBRA AND TOLD THEM THAT NOW I COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR BILLS. SO -- THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER 12 MONTHS +/-. SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER COBRA. GUESS WHAT - ANOTHER 12 +/-. I'M LOOKING FOR A GT-40 NOW. THIS SCARES THE HECK OUT OF ALL OF THEM. IT MEANS THAT NOW I'LL PROBABLY OUTLAST ALL OF THEM.
YOU YOUNGER GUYS HAVE GOT THE RIGHT IDEA. BUY THE COBRA EARLY AND ENJOY IT MUCH LONGER.
Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY NOW, YA HEAH?? YOU ARE THE GREATEST.
BLACKJACK #21