New Shelby book called "Snake Bit" about- Series 1

[snakeeyes]

I never cared much for the styling myself--a little too derivative of some other designs, IMHO--but they were undeniably quick, at least in optional supercharged form. I was behind one on the highway near Road America the same year Cal rode in one (that statement reflects our relative social levels--Cal rides in one while I stare at one from my rental car). At one point the driver downshifted and nailed it, the back end squatted a bit, and the thing disappeared. It's a shame that, between quality control issues, delivery delays, and escalating prices, the cars never had a chance. It will be interesting to see how the market for them is in twenty years.

Of course, in twenty years the Kirkhams will be selling turnkey aluminum Cobras for $19,995--

[Jamo]

Some have suggested I shouldn't admit this, but I damn near bought one.

At the 99 Monterey Historics (it WAS Audi's year ), I had just finished having a short discussion with Leno while we both stood enjoying a stack of Kirkham bodies near the Shelby area (first I'd heard that Mormons have fun), when Cheerleader and I checked out the Series 1. Had a nice conversation with a dealer from Florida (boasted he sold more than anyone else) and set up a drive in the evening after the track events shut down for the day.

Drove it around the hills above Monterey (mostly 68 towards Pacific Grove). This was, of course, a non-supercharged model, but I still felt it had some nice power. The Olds motor did need more revs than a typical V8 than we were used to, but it was enough to test the suspension. Yes, there was some creaking and cowl shake, but less than the POS Viper roadster we had rented for a week in Hawaii a few months earlier, and it definitly sounded better. Actually, my biggest problem was (you guessed it) being able to fit in the damn thing...footwell especially. The dealer and I talked about things we could do to make it fit better (maybe there would've been a Series 1 "J" model ). The dash, doors, and convertable top left a bit to be desired, but I'd say it was no worse (better in some respects) than the Viper at the time...both far behind a Vette.

The next time I rode in one, I was at the mercy of that crazed Director of Fun, Gary Patterson, who did his best to unravel me in Vegas during VICE (2002) in a supercharged model. Different car entirely...and I don't just mean the gobs of power. Better interior fitment, very little cowl shake, etc. Maybe this should've been the car they were selling in 99.

Cheerleader liked the Series 1, and we actually did some talking with the Florida dealer. I'm not afraid to admit it, the bad press made me walk away as much as anything.

[Hal Copple]

ah, and i remember back in spring, 82, i was finishing a fellowship in Denver, and was about to be assigned to Ft. Bragg, finally actually making some money. After so many years of tight living, i was ready to buy a real car again.

I wanted a Delorean. So i drove one at a Denver dealer
; of course, not much power, but back then a "Vette had something like 160 hp anyway.

I tried to talk my wife into doing it, but she was just not ready to take on a car loan, so regretfully (at the time), i couldn't make it happen. I think it was about $27K??

But i did get a near new TR-8, with lots of Huffaker racing stuff on it. Loved it, nice throaty exhaust, tons of torque, loved it with all my heart, rollbar, etc.

Unfortunately, about a year later, had a fuel leak, and burned in my garage in quarters, taking the garage off the end of our quarters at Ft. Bragg.

Then, i wanted to replace it with a '66 GT-350 up in NC i heard about, but my wife beat me to it, she got a nice little handsome Old's Cutlass, those pretty ones of the early '80''s. I was demoted to the Vanagon, she got the Cutlass.

It was another decade, in '90, before i got another performance car, my AWD Turbo Eclipse. Which was a fine, hi-tech car for the time, but one day, up in Charlotte about 7 years ago, i wanted to merge in front of one of those 300 HP Northstar Cadillacs, and couldn't out pull him, so vowing to never let that happen again, put on a big turbo, lots of performance parts, and cranked that little 2 liter up to about 300 Hp or so, sorta like a handsome Evo.

Which went to Canada when i got my SPF four years ago. In which my daughter and i drove about 150 miles today, up to the Olthoff's and back. While there, she sat in one of Bob's red SPF Coupes, looking all cool and so pretty with that blond hair of hers. She is off for four months in Italy monday, she said it would be nice to have that Coupe to run down to Rome next week!!!