I don't normally write stories like this, but I will in this case. This is about a local guy who pals around with many of us in the NorCal Cobras group and among friends in the River City Shelby Club. Just heard this story at the local River City Shelby Club meet this evening from another close friend. For those of you who have experienced the wait and see game with the SB100 saga, you might appreciate this and what happened to the person in this story. The guys name is Donn "S" and maybe some of you now who I'm referring to here in Norcal. Nice guy, and long friend for many in our neck of the woods. Like stories you see from time to time here on ClubCobra, this guy has been through a few really tough years himself over the last 3-4 years. Donn owns an NAF 427 Cobra with an FE in it that my friend Gary Cook from GT built him over 16+ years ago. It's a fun little car and Donn has driven the pants off of it enjoying it a lot on many road trips with the guys; with Gary keeping up the maintenance for him ever since. After a while Donn wasn't showing up much around the shop and we didn't see him on drives much any more. Later we learned a bit more as to why he had not been coming around, but always hoped he'd be back.
A few years ago Donn experienced a series of medical and heart related issues, one problem after the other, losing his ability to work for some time, and many other things going on just making life really hard to swallow. Next thing, he ended up in an unfortunate divorce, bills and costs through the roof, and just not having the best of times. All Donn wanted from it all was to just keep his Cobra, and the wife could just have everything else as I recall it being said. He did not care much at that point, "just let me have my Cobra" he said. At the same time, his car was starting to have major motor issues after many long years of great service. Motor was going to have to come out at some point, but certainly not on the priority list of things and finances at this point.
As the year went on and to try and cheer things up a bit, we tried to help Donn to be able to attend the Western States Cobra Bash the first two years. The first year it just wasn't going to happen for Donn in his Cobra, so he drove his regular car and followed along with many of us; just wanting to participate going on the WSCB 100 mile drive and stops and all. He took a lot of good photos. It was great just to have Donn there. A real trooper.
The second year, Donn was working on his health getting himself in order and Gary Cook at GT Auto offered to just cover the R&R labor costs for Donn and pulling together parts to help him out to get the Cobra car back on the road after sitting for some time. We donated his registration/fees/cost to get him there to WSCB and all was lookign up for Donn right up to WSCB 2006. Well, low and behold, right down to the wire one day before the Bash, the rear main and crank was having a catastrophic failure and the crank had to come out again. Don was just not going to make the Bash in his Cobra as he had hoped and dreamed at that point. Gary and a few of us were really bummed once again. Don then decided to drive his regular car up once again. He showed up for WSCB 2006, and he had fun once again without his Cobra.
The next thing to come along was the whole 65 Cobra title issue that many of us got caught up with way before SPCNS/SB100 was available, and his next goal was to just get the pile of parts together, get the car retitled under Special Construction and SB100 and to hopefully be on the road again after several years of downtime. Some of you know what I'm talking about. Just get the God D$!MN SB100 number and be done with it.
So, the past few months Gary gets the extra replacement 427 block/crank that Donn had stored away for many years in the parts pile, putting it together at home on weekends on the side to further help Donn out; and because Gary is a great friend. Maybe even a new paint job to boot in Gary's barn since its now needing a paint job from all this sitting and wasting. All while Donn starts feverishly working on the next steps for getting his California State issued SB100 sequence number, and to FINALLY get it ready by May 2007 so he can finally bring his Cobra to the Western States Cobra Bash after the 3rd try. Things really look like they start coming together now for Donn and the sight of the end of the tunnel is starting to come into vision now. Donn calls and gets all the proper steps and consulting for obtaining his SB100 number, where to go, what to do, when to show up, all paperwork and things prepaid and staged - now all he needs is the number and final assembly on the car.
SB100 Day:
Donn makes his way to Placerville DMV January 2nd before 3:00 a.m, early, ready to go, and he is the only one there. He's first in line and jazzed to go. Just five more hours to go, and its showtime. Ugh... a few hours pass and Donn starts to get really really sick, vomiting, and feeling just terrible. Thinking Thinking Thinking and getting really sick to the point where he just can't hang in there. Unfortunately somewhere before 6a.m. Donn is so ill that he has to leave, forfeiting his SB100 number attempt, and having to wait yet another year to try again in 2008 and probably not making the Bash. Donn calls Gary and they start the plan to just build a smoggable FE to go get it smogged and try for it later. Oh MAN, BUMMER! Many of us would have just wanted to throw in the towel at that point, right, not able to drive his Cobra legally for another year; and now after many years of waiting.
So what's a guy to do now at this point in the game?
As anyone can imagine - Donn is just not wanting to believe this is happening again. He is down, bummed, and scrambling at the same time trying to figure out what to do next after all of this. All the SB100 numbers were gone by 10:30 a.m. on January 2nd. A day or so later, Donn goes right back to DMV in Roseville asking for any kind of help; maybe even wishful thinking, not ready to give in. He says, "can you check the SB100 numbers for me, please". They tell him multiple times, "all the numbers are gone, all the numbers are gone". He then insists they call DMV downtown to check. So they reluctantly call on his behalf, probably feeling sort of bummed for him and make the call anyhow. As it turns out, there was one number left for some reason. UNBELIEVEABLE - number 500 NEVER GOT ISSUED; got skipped, accidentally bypassed, for whatever reason, it was still there on it's own. Everyone at DMV thought all the numbers were gone. Donn got SB100 number 500, the last one - a few days after they were suppose to be gone! Donn, it was meant to be and your angel was looking out for you on that day friend - If anyone deserves it, you do. We'll see you AND the NAF Cobra at WSCB 2007.
