Continuation Mark IV- J cars?

[OnyxRider]

It's been some time since I've delved into the GT40 world.

Just wondering what some of you think about these 'continuation' Mark IV vehicles?


1967 Ford GT40 MK IV for sale | Hemmings Motor News

[Bill D]

Gorgeous! Wish I could afford one

[Mark IV]

Like these?

Doesn't everyone use their MK IVs as storage shelves?

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Like these?

Doesn't everyone use their MK IVs as storage shelves?

Fran's ?

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Fran's ?

Well of course! Because when your garage AND your storage area are full, your Superformance GT40 "R" sits outside on the trailer...........

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Well of course! Because when your garage AND your storage area are full, your Superformance GT40 "R" sits outside on the trailer...........

I kind of figured that

[OnyxRider]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Like these?

Doesn't everyone use their MK IVs as storage shelves?

You know that sort of looks like a small garage I had back in the late 70's with racing stuff piled to the ceiling. If those were from the '60's you would need a good swift kick.

[Jim Holden]

Folks:

You haven't lived until you have visited Fran's bunker in Pittsburgh.

Some years ago Peter and I delivered a couple of ERAGT kits out to Fran and he bludgeoned us (against our much better intuition) into spending a night at his home. The house is connected through a bathroom (with tub and rust ring from parts washing) to his concrete block garage in the backyard. Then as now, he had cars, valued many times in excess of the value of the house and property, jammed into the garage... but no tools. Parts of the ceiling were hanging down... a "man cave" from a time when man was a Cro Magnon, apparently

From the bathroom, you walked into his kitchen, which, confirmed bachelor that he is, he never used. His kitchen did not have a full size refrigerator, just one of those small office refrigerators (perched precariously on a plastic milk crate) with a six pack of TAB in it that he said he had purchased just for Peter. The sleeping options he offered were basic; Peter took the couch with a window curtain, a/k/a the "Shroud of Turin", for a cover, I slept in the only bed (apparently, last changed the decade before) and Fran slept upstairs somewhere on the floor.

The next day we went down to his T-shirt (and Crying Towel) printing shop... but that's a story for another time.

Jim

PS: The black GT is ERA's one and only MKII big block spyder.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Jim Holden

Folks:

You haven't lived until you have visited Fran's bunker in Pittsburgh.

Some years ago Peter and I delivered a couple of ERAGT kits out to Fran and he bludgeoned us (against our much better intuition) into spending a night at his home. The house is connected through a bathroom (with tub and rust ring from parts washing) to his concrete block garage in the backyard. Then as now, he had cars, valued many times in excess of the value of the house and property, jammed into the garage... but no tools. Parts of the ceiling were hanging down... a "man cave" from a time when man was a Cro Magnon, apparently

From the bathroom, you walked into his kitchen, which, confirmed bachelor that he is, he never used. His kitchen did not have a full size refrigerator, just one of those small office refrigerators (perched precariously on a plastic milk crate) with a six pack of TAB in it that he said he had purchased just for Peter. The sleeping options he offered were basic; Peter took the couch with a window curtain, a/k/a the "Shroud of Turin", for a cover, I slept in the only bed (apparently, last changed the decade before) and Fran slept upstairs somewhere on the floor.

The next day we went down to his T-shirt (and Crying Towel) printing shop... but that's a story for another time.

Jim

PS: The black GT is ERA's one and only MKII big block spyder.

Jim,

I too have has the "guest suite" upstairs at Casa Franco. I had a mattress on the floor and a TV but no lamp.

When I tell people about they think I am making it up.....I'm not that creative!

And the shirts shop is like an archeological dig site!

My wife offered to go to Florida to decorate his new condo.......you can imagine what that will look like!

I drove the MK II roadster and loved it! But only after Fran put $10.00 worth of gas in it.............

[Jim Holden]

Fran actually went into HIS pocket? Will miracles never end...?

J

PS: ...and no we don't make this stuff up. As my common law professor would say; "Truth is a complete defense."

[mrmustang]

Wait, you got a choice of a couch or a bed, boy where you guys spoiled rotten by Fran

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Jim Holden

Fran actually went into HIS pocket? Will miracles never end...?

J

PS: ...and no we don't make this stuff up. As my common law professor would say; "Truth is a complete defense."

Yeah, but also he said as he went into the station to prepay for the gas "Want something to drink?" Sure I said.....he came out with two 16oz cups of water and told me "you can get this free at the self-serve fountain."

He did buy dinner at one of his favorite pizza places. We then went to visit my customer Fred to see his GT. Fran's knees can be seen in this video https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

In twenty-five plus years or so I have known him he NEVER ceases to amuse/amaze/confound. I met a guy from Pittsburgh recently who I found out is a car guy.....I mentioned I have a friend there with a lot of interesting cars who is "special".......he said 'Oh, you know Fran Kress?"

[Jim Holden]

Now, a bit of a back story on how I ended up in Fran's bedroom and Peter on the couch (underneath the shroud, etc.)...

Peter had called me up and said; "Its time for a road trip.... Are you in?" (With the usual "I'm not telling you. Its too stupid, so that's why we're doing it." in response to my question of where we were going.)

So, I checked my calendar and said I could get up to New Britski that Thursday evening and we could take off (to wherever) the next day.

On Friday morning, after a night on Peter's couch (I think I had to wrestle his German Shepherd, Abbey, for sleeping rights) we drove over to the shop, hitched up the two car trailer and loaded an ERA427SC.

"Where to?" I asked. "Waterville, Maine." was the reply, "Just north of Boston..." Well. it is sort of just north of Boston, but only if you're looking at a wall map of the entire country. For you left coasters looking at a map, I'm here to tell you that it is a good six hours driving time, each way, pulling a trailer. The drive up was uneventful (albeit cold an damp) and we arrived by mid afternoon. (I would note that this was almost twenty years ago and we were younger then and did not need to stop as frequently as we do now...) We unloaded the car and turned it over to another happy ERA camper. By 10:00 pm that evening, we were back at the ERA shop and loaded two ERAGT kits for the following day's journey.

After another night wrestling Abbey on the couch, we were up early for the journey. "Where to today?"; "We're taking these out to Fran in Pittsburgh." "Pittsburgh!!!" ...and, so, off we went.

Now Pittsburgh is more than an eight hour haul from ERA's World Headquarters, so it was early evening before we arrived. Our destination was actually the home of one of Fran's cronies, a circa 1890's "Captain of Industry" Victorian mansion up on a high hill over looking Pittsburgh.

A long winding driveway curved in next to the house and then on further down the hill to a more modern, good sized building where the owner kept his toys.

All the way out, Peter had been moaning and groaning about having to deal with Fran. "He'll give me a whole bunch of checks and none will be his. He'll want credits for things that he doesn't want or for things that he sent me for some other project. I won't keep up with him and I just know I'll come out short."

We unloaded the cars and then walked over to a patio table next to the house. The wind was blowing and the temp had to have been 40 degrees, but felt much colder. And then it began. Back and forth they went, Peter and Fran, little slips of paper with numbers on them blowing off the table, a pile of checks (the only one that had a Kress name on it was an account of Fran's mother) being waived around.

Things finally got resolved and the owner of the mansion asked if we would like to stay there that evening, that his wife was away and there was plenty of room. We replied that we planned to stay at a Holiday Inn out next to the PA turnpike, when Fran chimed in and said; "No, you have to stay at A la Maison Kress." He would not be denied, and so down into Pittsburgh we went. ...and so that's how I ended up in Fran's bed. (Peter said that since I had slept on his couch for two nights, he would take the couch at Fran's, although, I think the real reason was that he was suspicious of what else might be living under Fran's sheets.) And just so the record is clear, Fran spent the night on the floor in the unfurnished apartment upstairs.

...and, to this day, Peter has never forgiven me for caving into Fran.

Jim