[Michael C Henry]

When I was younger(1969),before I was drafted or married I had a 428. It came in a 63 1/2 gallaxy and I traded it for another freshly machined 428. I cracked that block so I converted that car into a 352 .I ended up buying and trading to that original block back while on leave (1970). It became a project and the plan was to sometime get a 69 failane I was drafted within days. I had it as a project at home while I was in Vietnam (1972) I had ground the police rods down removing all the casting flash and expected my little brother to sand and finish polishing them. When I returnrd I finished polishing the rods. I bought better heads, sidewinder intake manifold, 1050 CFM three barrel carb, polished and chromed everything By late 74 I had it running on a trailer made from the front frame of a car with headers, radiator, generater. I used to light it and rev it up in the garage, turn it off, shut the garage door and watch all the neighbors look out their back doors. We moved out to Washington state (1975) and things were tight. I had in a wooden frame on a roller base, under a triangleur table in my garage with carb,distributor, and fuel pump removed with rags stuffed in all the openings for several years. I had a 56 Bristle that I had to use as everyday transportation in that same garage. I thought things were over kids and all. So I sold the enginei to a guy from up in everett (77). He was going to put in a really lifted red shortbed pickup. I gave him all the extra parts and instructions First call ,he had mounted the mechanical fuel pump and ended up pushing that rag into the timing chain cover. The engine had a Holman&Moody 882 high torque cam and I had sent a Ford 276° solid lifter cam ( original equipment in 406) with it. I warned him about the cam bolt . Next call Bigger than c^%p he had used that special bolt somewhere else. I had more into it than I sold it for. I regretted selling for many many years. Then things around here changed and I was stressed ou, and while on a business trip a friend took me to car show andsawi saw a red replica and decided that t was my goal, something to look forward to.(Van Hallen "might as well jump". I had allready been flirting with replica manufactures, collecting brochures. I had made my intension heard and painted my self into a corner with a time line years in the futer ,ultimatium and all (1991). Time clicked away and finially things started getting better around here(1998). I had heard about Hot August Nights in Reno and thought that would be a getaway and get together trip for the wife and myself. She made the arrangments and we flew. We had to rent a car to get around. She really got into the auction tracking prices and emotions and all that making notes as it went on. Next year(1999) we drove down and stayed up Truckee. I found this one cobra replica in a huge room full of cars and sevaeral (maybe 8) Cobra replicas. We started going to the auction on Thursday afternoon. The Cobra I was interested in wasn't to come up untill Friday. The Replica came on stage and the auctioneer started. How it got to the figure I heard ,I don't know.. But there wasn't anybody bidding at that price so they backed down and started over . It got to my set limit and and another $500 was going to make it mine. I stuck my hand up and I got it. Panic set in. Theer wasn't enough antascids tablets to do the job. I drove it up to the Motel and sat up most of the night watching it from the window. I had to drive it back to Reno and pickup some parts that went with the car brfore startingthrdrive home. I neglected to turn off the master switch at the dealers lot and the fans came on and drained the battery I had help getting it started and then we stopped at a gas station/ convience store and did it again but that driveway had enough incline to start the car that time. We drove ,Her in the Toyota Landcruiser and myself in the Cobra replica to Roseburg ORG. We met pair of couples that were trailering motor cycles. They offered to box my car inwith their rigs so it couldn't be molested. That is when the regrett of selling that 428 fell away, not completely.= 22 years since I sold that 428 and it's now been another ten years. It's rare when you can find someone that appreciates what you've done and is willing and able to pay for it.