William Billing or Roger Lennon - anyone know them?

750hp · #1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 03:42 AM

I promise this is my last question on the NW Cobra Club forum (until my next one)...

William Billing and Roger Lennon seem to have both owned a Red Arntz Cobra just outside of Seattle at various times over the past decade. I really need to get some extra documentation to verify the car's age for me to be able to buy it.

I would appreciate if anyone has an idea of how to contact either gent to ask them if they still happen to have an old folder full of Cobra receipts!

Thanks for your assistance,

Craig

Here's the car, with it's distinctive rollbar:

Silverback51 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 08:03 AM

Is that the one for sale at Kompact Kar Korner?

Clois Harlan · #3 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 08:14 AM

If you like it buy it! It looks great to me and to be honest I am not sure what they can add to your decision because as with many things they probably dont' know what upgrades have been made over time. However, I commend you on your efforts to document the past owners.

Clois Harlan

Silverback51 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 09:05 AM

Thought the picture looked familiar.

Here is a link to the ad with more information.

http://www.kompactkarkorner.com/en_u...sp?unit=304503

Clois Harlan · #5 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 10:27 AM

I just noticed you were in Austraila...my bad!

Jake · #6 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 10:28 AM

Craig, I have no info on the car. I have had a couple negative dealings with the owner. The first one was a consignment where he sqeezed me for $2-3K more and lied about the sell price so he could make more money. The second was also a consignemt where he promised me that my 65 Impala Conv. would be in the showroom. He left it outside in the winter during 2 weeks of rain with the window part way down and the carpet was soaking wet. I had to pull the carpet out when I brought it home and dry it out. This car had never been in the rain since it had been restored and I heated words with the owner. I will never again use them or recommend them to anyone I know. That being said, they do sell lots of cars. I would suggest having a third party look at the car if you have not looked at it in person.

My 2 cents.

Jake

750hp · #7 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 10:41 AM

John - that's the one. The hedges/shrubs in the background are a giveaway for all of the cars that Randy sells. Seems to be their favorite photo location!

Clois - I like it and I want to buy it. I wish it was that easy! The reason I need documentation though, is because the Australian Government will only allow Cobra replicas to be imported if they were first registered prior to 1989. The body style / year the car represents is irrelevant, as is the year on the Title. Without proof of age, I simply cannot import the car. The car is a 1979 Arntz, but the registration paper that comes with the car lists it's first year of registration (the Value-Code/Year section on the form) as 1992. I'm sure it will have been first registered earlier than this, but without proof I can't buy it.

It's very frustrating, because I had agreed a price with Randy on the understanding that he had watertight documentation to verify it as a 1979 car. It wasn't until he sent me a copy of the registration receipt that the gap became apparent. I have no issue with Randy, and he's probably amazed that Aussies have to jump through so many hoops to import a car.

The hunt for William or Roger continues. It seems the car has lived within 20 minutes of Lynnwood for at least 10 years, so I'd hoped it might have been known to anyone living in the area. Fingers crossed!

Thanks,

Craig

750hp · #8 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 10:51 AM

Jake - it leaves a bad taste when someone doesn't take as much car with your car as you do, so it's a shame to hear. I seem to hear good and bad about so many car dealers. I was going to put the question out here to see if anyone was close enough (and willing) to take a look, but I naively watched the Youtube videos of the car over and over again to try to pick up little things about the car.

I'd be prepared to take a chance that the car might need a few things done here and there, but I can't take a chance on buying a car that has a question mark (in Australian Customs eyes) over the age of the car. If I just threw it in a container and sent it over, customs would turn it around and ship it back...

So to clarify - while I agreed a price with Randy @ Kompact, I haven't paid any money.... yet!

Silverback51 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 750hp

Jake - it leaves a bad taste when someone doesn't take as much car with your car as you do, so it's a shame to hear. I seem to hear good and bad about so many car dealers. I was going to put the question out here to see if anyone was close enough (and willing) to take a look, but I naively watched the Youtube videos of the car over and over again to try to pick up little things about the car.

I'd be prepared to take a chance that the car might need a few things done here and there, but I can't take a chance on buying a car that has a question mark (in Australian Customs eyes) over the age of the car. If I just threw it in a container and sent it over, customs would turn it around and ship it back...

So to clarify - while I agreed a price with Randy @ Kompact, I haven't paid any money.... yet!

If you like I can take a look at the car this weekend for you. Just let me know the specifics that you want looked beyond the usual visuals.

spookypt · #10 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 02:55 PM

nice craig!

750hp · #11 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 03:54 PM

John - thanks very much for the offer, I really appreciate it. Until I know for sure if I can import it though, I wouldn't want to waste your time.

I've found contact details for two Roger P Lennons and emailed them both. It's hard to write an email so that you can give an unknown person 100% assurance that you're not a Nigerian scammer!

spook - get back to the Australian forum. This is all supposed to be a secret!

Silverback51 · #12 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 750hp

John - thanks very much for the offer, I really appreciate it. Until I know for sure if I can import it though, I wouldn't want to waste your time.

I've found contact details for two Roger P Lennons and emailed them both. It's hard to write an email so that you can give an unknown person 100% assurance that you're not a Nigerian scammer!

spook - get back to the Australian forum. This is all supposed to be a secret!

Well Craig, if you get to the point you need it looked at and I'm not working and in town I will be glad to help out.

Andrew Teal · #13 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 06:50 PM

I was at a sale many moons ago and this Cobra was for sale as I remember the roll bar and I thought it was black? It could have been painted since than. This was before 1992. as I got my Cobra in 1992.

Andy

slider701 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-06-2010, 07:23 PM

If this particular car does not work out for you there is another Arntz at this link below:

http://www.myhotcars.com/inventory/?dt_page=1

I noticed it when I was looking at the "Kirkham for Sale" thread

Jake · #15 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slider701

If this particular car does not work out for you there is another Arntz at this link below:

http://www.myhotcars.com/inventory/?dt_page=1

I noticed it when I was looking at the "Kirkham for Sale" thread

That appears to be a good price!

Jake

750hp · #16 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 04:48 AM

Andy - that's interesting about spotting the roll bar many years ago. I really don't doubt the car was on the road in the 80s, but I need to find some documented proof to be sure I can get the car in.

I have said to Randy from Kompact that I can't buy the car if I can't import it. I asked him to hold it for a couple of weeks while I submitted my customs import approval request - with all docs to date plus some other magazine article, copies of original order forms, etc. If it was approved, I'd buy it same day. If it wasn't approved, I'd be out of pocket for the application fee and Randy would have had the Cobra for another 2 weeks. Considering it's been for sale for many months now, I thought he'd see it as a worthwhile "risk" considering how long he's had the car, and how many times it's been on Ebay. I'm not asking for the car or for a title / registration / ownership transfer, I just need to get a yes/no from Australian government to answer whether they would approve the import of the car if I chose to bring it in.

Not to be - he didn't respond and hasn't replied to any emails. Disappointing...

Slider - I agree it's a good price. It needs a bit of work here and there, but it looks basically like a good car. Same problem in that the only documentation is a 2003 (or 2004) title. If I'm going to take a risk on only one car, I'd prefer to try for a big block. If either company give me the option to submit my import approval docs and it all goes through, they'll be the one to get the sale...

Rich · #17 (**permalink**) 08-26-2010, 10:00 PM

Craig, I work with Bill Billing. I'll shoot him an email tomorrow with a link to this thread.

Excaliber · #18 (**permalink**) 08-26-2010, 10:37 PM

I went through this with a potential buyer for my car in Norway. I finally got documentation from Texas that the car was first registered there in 1986. BUT, by time the whole email/phone calls/fax thing was done I was burnt out on the whole issue. So was the potential buyer, we called it off. He just seemed to have one problem after another trying to get the car into Norway. We were going through Germany at one point, whew, what a nightmare...

750hp · #19 (**permalink**) 08-27-2010, 04:24 PM

Rich - excellent news! Thanks very much for letting Bill know.
Ernie - I can understand why a seller would be more interested in a local buyer just turning up with a pocket full of hundred dollar bills, so I'm really happy that Randy @ Kompact has held the car until I hear back from customs. Fingers crossed!