I'm Dying...and I want to drive my car...All Read Please

[HOGDEALER]

I am the Buddy who sent the information on line to everyone. If you have any questions e-mail me at: dkmiller@harborside.com or call me at 541-266-7051

[HOGDEALER]

I forgot to put my name on the above post:

Danny Miller

[Excaliber]

Thanks Danny, I hope your friend get his car built post haste.

[clayfoushee]

Danny,

It's good you showed up. Without going into any details for reasons articulated by Jamo above, you'd be very surprised at all the behind the scenes activity going on.

[Jamo]

Danny...good of you to show up.

Anything new re the situation that you can share?

[Jamo]

Oh well.

[clayfoushee]

Just a drive by............

[HOGDEALER]

I would like to thank all of you for letting me invade your forum. I am a Viper owner (2 of em). I very much enjoy racing them in the Viper Days Viper Racing Leage. I feel Cobra guys and Viper guys are cut from the same cloth. Both of us come out of the mind of Carroll Shelby. I am a former Lawyer, however I am in recovery. The 12 step process is almost complete. I own a Harley-Davidson Dealership in Coos Bay, Oregon and Dwayne is one of my closests friends. I do not spell very well, (that is what dictation was for) nor do I type very fast. I think alot faster than I type so bare with me.

I wanted to clarify some of the questions you all have had about Dwayne and his situation. The story about Dwayne is, sadley, very true. Dwayne did not ask me to do this. I am his friend and this is what friends do when freinds cannot do for themselves. Dwayne is a very simple man. He was a vet of nam. He worked for slopping out oil tankers and fixing engines on oil tankers. He spent a lot of time away from his family. He has one older son that he is proud of. While he worked for Exxon he was exposed to large consentrations of benzine. The doctors at Exxon new he had Bladder Cancer and did not tell him for several years. When he got sick, due to the cancer, they fired him. Dwayne spend the next five years battling his cancer and the courts against Exxon. The case went to trial Exxon offered him next to nothing. The jury gave gave him 5.1 million. After the appeal, lawyer fees, expert fees, he got about 1.8 million in his pocket. He spend most of the money buying an annuity to provide for his future health costs and his family. The one big ticket item he wanted was a new REAL Shelby Cobra. You see twenty years earlyer he had built his own. He spent several years and $50,000 for a fiberglass one. He said it never was right. Many times he would pull out the picture of that car and show it to me, long after it had to be sold to care for his family.

In late October 2002 (26 months ago!!) after much looking around he went to Vegas to see Shelby Automobiles, Inc. THEY RECOMENDED that he have Roy Hunt from Finishline Motorsports build his car. They told him that he built the finnest Cobras around, and he was just down the street. So on October 29, 2002 Dwayne Ordered his Cobra CSX4311. Dwayne is a big Harley-Davidson buff also and he wanted to it painted Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Silver with black stripes. Kroyer was going to build the engine 600hp and 570 ft of torq. (More than my Viper sad to say Therefore, Dwayne gave Roy Hunt a Check for $50,000 and was told that his car would be done in NINE MONTHS (9 not 27).

At this time his he was cancer free and was expected to live for at least 10 years. It was only last friday that it was discovered that the cancer had moved into his liver and other near by organs.

In February of 2003, Roy Hunt called Dwayne and said his aluminum 427 was ready to go to paint and he would need another $50,000 since the paint job was expected to cost $11,000+. The paint was to be done by Shelby's People.

March 2003, I went to Vegas with Dwayne. I was in the room when Bob Marsh confronted Roy HUnt and heard Roy admitt he had lied to both of us that the car he showed us was not Dwayne's. He admitted that Dwayne's Cobra aluminum body was not even in existence. He admitted that the engine and components shown to us and represented to belong to Dwayne's car was in fact not his, but other customers. I told Dwayne to ask for his money back. Dwayne ask Roy if he could cut him a check for the $100,000 he had given him. Roy said that he could NOT right now, but would need a couple weeks to get that kind of money together. Roy prommised Dwayne that he would still finish the car and it would be of the highest quality. Bob Marsh said he "Roy builds the best Cobras". Dwayne said "I want my car and I want it to be perfect". Roy said he had another aluminum chasis in his shop (we had seen it) and he would use it for Dwaynes car, and let Roy continue on with the build. Dwayne said I do not feel that I should have to give you anymore money untill the car is done. Roy agreed that he would not need to give him any more money.

January 2004 we went to Vegas again to see the painted car. It had just come out of the paint booth days a couple days before. It was AWESOME!! In another Meeting with Dwayne and I Roy says I do not have the money to finish you car. Dwayne says I do not feel compfortable giving you and more money after you lied to us last time. Roy said he would use other people deposit and work on Dwaynes car as he could. It was left at that.

February 2004 Roy asked for more money because he did not have the $11,000+ to pay for the paint job from Shelby and Shelby would not release the car until the paint was paid for. Dwayne sent him another $20,000 as per the contract. At this Point they have $120,000 of Dwaynes money and all that has been done is a painted aluminum shell. At this time Dwayne got Brent involved and was told that if Roy did not finish the car they would. However, they had to let Roy try to get it done.

July 2004 Dwayne takes his attorney from Texas to see Shelby and Roy Hunt. More song and dance this time in a meeting with Brent and Roy Hunt. Dwyane asked them "Am I ever going to get my car" They said yes all they needed was another $20,000 so they could get the engine back from Kryoyer. Dwayne gave them another $20,000 and the car again was promised with in 60-90 days.

November 2004 (24 months now) Dwayne meets rRoy Hunt and goes to Kroyer the engine is almost done. The car still has no transmission, no seats, no brembo brakes, no dash, no 42 gal. fuel cell, no electrical. It is far from done. Roy has his hand out angian for more money. It is agreed that the car will be done for christmas.

Last Friday Dwayne was diagnosied with cancer in his Liver and and other organs, not just the Bladder cancer he has been battling. We sold his motorhome and car trailer this week to pay for his trip to the Mayo Clinic. We got his will in order, the one thing he wants is to drive his car. He does not want to cut in front of anyone in having his car built. We think that over TWO YEARS is long enough to wait to have any car built. We do not want to see Shelby go out of business, we think Caroll who gets most of the money from these cars needs to step up to the plate and see that this car gets finished NOW. The balance on the car is $8,000 for a total of $148,000. Shelby's people told Dwayne that the car he ordered was worth every penny of it.

[HOGDEALER]

Mr. Mustang THANKS!!

I made two calls at 12pm this afternoon (est). One to an old friend at the local CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, the second to Shelby Enterprises letting them know that I had alerted the local media..............

[Durt]

Thanks for the post

[HOGDEALER]

Many asked how i sent the e-mail letter to them. I registered Dwayne on the Shelby Forum from SAI. I wrote the post in first person and posted it. Within 30 minutes the post had been taken off by SAI. I then sent it directly to members who had e-mails hoping that soeone would be able to repost it on that forum and other like this one. I was just rying to get the word out. My first thought was that Carroll himself might call Roy Hunt and tell him to get the car done. I have spoken to at least one Dealer who told me Carroll really does not care. That is a real shame.

[clayfoushee]

Danny,

Thanks again. You really seem to be very sincere, and virtually everyone, by now, seems to believe the story.

What do you think of the Brent Fennimore explanation that Roy Hunt is the one to blame? Anymore insight on that?

[Turk]

Brent?

What do you guys have to say?
What can SA do?

There has been enough information passed on, enough disgust displayed, surely someone in Las vegas, whether it be Roy or Shelby must be mildly interested in this thread.

Most importantly ALL efforts must be made to get this car done and delivered. With all the scrutiny and protest of the other cars that are delayed , I don't believe Shelby Autos can afford another black eye, and this.

I ask that you not only respond, but make it your daily routine to keep the membership and this man updated with what is being done, if ANYTHING.

TURK

[HI Cobra]

Wow - I spent the week in Kalaupapa, Molokai (the old
Leper colony) working on a project and just read this thread.

Hogdealer - thanks for coming aboard and clearing up the
string of events. What has happened is very wrong and I
am looking forward to seeing this mess cleaned up.

If I ran my business this way, I would be looking at loosing
it quickly, going to jail, and quite possibly ending up as
shark food if I did stay out of jail. Lucky I live Hawaii!

It will be interesting to see if those involved will see the writing
on the wall (and/or forums) and make this situation right before
it ends up on tv or major news media to the detriment of CS and
the Cobra arena.

I'm hoping they will - but I'm not holding my breath waiting.

[Jamo]

HOGDEALER

I gotta ask, because I am one...does he currently have counsel or not? Where is the attorney that went to Vegas with him, or was that you?

[TerrysSPF]

Hogdealer: Thanks for the insight. Best of luck to you, and God speed to your friend. I sure hope he gets his car and it turns out to be everything he hoped for. It SHOULD.......he waited frikin' long enough.

[mrmustang]

Hogdealer,

It's not much, but at least it was something. Whether the local affialiate stations decide to run with the information as posted and forwarded to them remains to be seen........I do wish your friend the best of luck.........

Sincerely,

Bill S.

Originally posted by HOGDEALER


Mr. Mustang THANKS!!

I made two calls at 12pm this afternoon (est). One to an old friend at the local CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, the second to Shelby Enterprises letting them know that I had alerted the local media..............

[PatBuckley]

Contacting the media was a good idea - but what about the Nevada AG?

[Dan Semko]

I certainly appreciate the dilemma and time table that Dwayne is facing. If Dwayne wants to enjoy a cobra right now, I will be happy to trade my completed Superformance for whatever this mess is with Hunt and Shelby.

Drop me a private message at : sudans2@insightbb.com
if I can be of assistance.

[HOGDEALER]

JAMO & PatBuckley

Dwaynes Attorney is Reed Morgan from Texas. Reed has been in on this from about February of last year till now. I wanted to go to the DA after our meeting with Mash & Hunt in March of 2003. Waht Finish Line did was absolute fraud under the law. Dwayne wants his car so bad that he is willing to take all this **** to get it.

Here is another item that I have hesitated to post. On eday in the middle of all this Dwayne called Roy Hunt to ask when he was going to get his car. Dwayne told me, and some other HOG Owners that Roy told him "You have been a pain in my ass" I mean the guy takes a boat load of cash from this guy and then gets pissed off at him!!

Danny