[Trevor Legate]

Hello Bert

Thank you so much for your reply! Yes I would LOVE to hear Frank Monise's story as I will be using a previously unpublished photo of one of Ed's 427s at the Nurburgring. Stuck here in the UK its hard to track down the people who were at the sharp end of such adventures. Goes to show - ask the right question in the right place and somebody somewhere will have the answer!!! I'd love to know how to contact Frank. Lets get the story right. And if he has any info re homolgation papers - even better.

Pat

Thanks for your thoughts. I apologise if I appear to cast doubt on the parentage of the Mighty 427, but I live in the UK and make judgements on that basis. Over here, a 427 is as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. I have driven 7-litres, race cars, MkIIs, AC289s and even Tom's excellent FIA car. Bottom of my wish-list is the 427. In this country we are blessed with roads that have bends (lots) and roundabouts (hundreds!!) and we need cars that do not carry huge lumps of Deetroit iron up front that haul us smiling into the scenery. This is why I drive a Caterham 7. Quick into bends, even faster out, steering on the throttle. Try that in a 427 and you just end up facing the way you came. Not much fun.

I bow to the more expert opinion of Martin who is the mechanic at Hawk Cars where he has 3, 427s and assorted 289 Cobras at his disposal. He drives a regular 'demonstration' route and the fastest car is the 289, by a substantial margin. The 427's just tramline over white lines, road markings and suffer from the serious problem we have with bumpy, uneven roads - very often, the rear of the 427 will just pick up the camber at the side of the road and before you know it, you are sideways and heading for the bushes.......no such problem with the 289's! On roads that are an easy 80mph for the 289, you'd be working very hard at 50 in the 427. Blame the Romans if you will. PLUS - the first time you fill the fuel tanks of your 427 here in good old Blighty, you'd be begging to be allowed to buy a 1-litre Toyotahonda rice burner when you see the bill. Trust me!

Ron

Hope the above is not too philosophical - just my side of the coin.

Tom

You keep building 'em and I'll keep saving my pennies in the hope that one day Gerry can build build my FIA. It will look resplendent in a shade of metallic gun-metal grey.
Hey ho, its a warm sunny day, so a blat in the 7 might be in order!