Well, going into this, I had no idea of what to expect. Worst case, I’d waste 25K AA Miles.
Perhaps it is my direct sales experience, where I set low expectations for myself and thus am never really disappointed by a customer (I take a lot of “no’s” before I get a "yes"!). Possibly, it’s just my life experience... (43 years) has worn one me a little. Maybe, it’s some of the cars I had over the years that have been the proverbial ‘upside down gold mine”. Maybe the fact my daily driver is a very comfortable and well balanced car; a 2000 BMW 528i.
In any event, this real meat of this story begins a little more than a year ago… When ERA announced their GT in the early 80’s (if memory serves), I thought this was my chance to have a Ford GT. A real one was just not going to be possible... A Safir, forget it. Plus, with out having extremely deep pockets, chances are a real one would need more than a fair share of TLC (read cubic $$$) to meet my (seemingly unreasonable) expectations… It’s hell being an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist. It’s truly a disease when it comes to cars, motorcycles & other such things.
I started looking around and found CAV’s GT. Seemed interesting. The idea of a factory built car (Superformance model) was a good one, and really appealed to me, but Cobra’s just never did get me going, I just don’t care for open cars. Having had about all of the cars I have ever really wanted, I started doing my research in earnest. In February 2003 I flew out to Vegas for the SAAC does Vegas meet. I met with Roy Hunt and then with Bob Lacey. Unfortunately, no running vehicle in sight! I did see Steve Toner’s car, and was quite pleased with the quality, fabrication and fit/finish.
On the way back to Dallas, the wheels started turning... Hmmm. How to make this all work! Damn stock market. Just my (bad) luck, I am in the tech sector. Well, getting more serious I started speaking with other CAV dealers and the occasional owner. I have been around Shelby’s, Pantera’s, and Ford Performance cars for years. I even read the detailed entries in the SAAC registry when I have time to kill. I was surprised and pleased with their knowledge, interest & suggestions.
Still, no seat time... I am not going to shell out about 70 G’s in dead presidents just yet. I have to drive one...Plus, I am 6’ 2”, am I even going to fit into the car? Well, cash in some miles, and I am on my way to San Diego for a day trip. (At this point, the wife thinks I’m nuts!) Bob Lacey was kind enough to clear his calendar on less than two (2) days notice and picked me up at the airport last Wednesday morning. He showed me around, and gave me plenty of time to familiarize myself with the cars on the floor and all of the options. After a quick cup of coffee and some GT chit-chat, time for us to head off to the garage. He had a Silver GT with a 347 & stack injection.
He got me out of downtown and headed towards Palm Springs. Damn, this thing REALLY does turn heads... Almost an interruption as I tried to stay focused on the nitty gritty details. How well does it run, does the car drive well, ride quality, is the AC good? You know the drill. Again, as I said above, I went into this with low expectations. I did not want to be disappointed. Jeez, was I ever wrong.
The car drove out real well. It tracked nice & straight, no problem with bumps or potholes or tar-strips. It was a firm ride, but in no way stiff or uncomfortable. I’ve been in M3’s that were more harsh to ride/drive in. This one had solid lifters (I love that sound) and the stack injection, but the cabin was pleasant and we could talk in normal voices. The AC was just fantastic (remember, I live in Texas, it’s got to be good! I was surprised beyond all belief. Hell, I’m sold. Glad I left my checkbook in Dallas. Wife’s gonna flip for sure.
Now the tough part... ZF or Getrag??? Remember that obsessive-compulsive thing? It’s killing me... But, having driven one, I am going Getrag! It just hit me; I knew those Audi 5000’s were good for something! It will work for me. If I want to go ZF, I can always do so at a later date. It’s only $$$. I’ll save the 7K for now. CAV cars can be finished either way. It’s up to me & my $$$.
I call the wife from the airport; she asks me how it’s going. I say it was good, better than expected. She does not say go buy it, but she did not say give it up either. Hmmm... Quick thought... I bring her two (2) pounds of See’s Chocolates. Smart move. That night in bed after a long, but very exciting day, I heard her say what I was waiting for; “well, if it will make you happy, go buy it…” Damn,,, I hate it when she puts all that pressure on me!
So, what did I do??? I am waiting for #67, BMW (of course) Le Mans Blue with a 331 Keith Craft Stroker. Induction, Holley 670 Avenger. I’d like to do the stack injection, but hey, ya know, I gotta cut back somewhere.
Perhaps it is my direct sales experience, where I set low expectations for myself and thus am never really disappointed by a customer (I take a lot of “no’s” before I get a "yes"!). Possibly, it’s just my life experience... (43 years) has worn one me a little. Maybe, it’s some of the cars I had over the years that have been the proverbial ‘upside down gold mine”. Maybe the fact my daily driver is a very comfortable and well balanced car; a 2000 BMW 528i.
In any event, this real meat of this story begins a little more than a year ago… When ERA announced their GT in the early 80’s (if memory serves), I thought this was my chance to have a Ford GT. A real one was just not going to be possible... A Safir, forget it. Plus, with out having extremely deep pockets, chances are a real one would need more than a fair share of TLC (read cubic $$$) to meet my (seemingly unreasonable) expectations… It’s hell being an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist. It’s truly a disease when it comes to cars, motorcycles & other such things.
I started looking around and found CAV’s GT. Seemed interesting. The idea of a factory built car (Superformance model) was a good one, and really appealed to me, but Cobra’s just never did get me going, I just don’t care for open cars. Having had about all of the cars I have ever really wanted, I started doing my research in earnest. In February 2003 I flew out to Vegas for the SAAC does Vegas meet. I met with Roy Hunt and then with Bob Lacey. Unfortunately, no running vehicle in sight! I did see Steve Toner’s car, and was quite pleased with the quality, fabrication and fit/finish.
On the way back to Dallas, the wheels started turning... Hmmm. How to make this all work! Damn stock market. Just my (bad) luck, I am in the tech sector. Well, getting more serious I started speaking with other CAV dealers and the occasional owner. I have been around Shelby’s, Pantera’s, and Ford Performance cars for years. I even read the detailed entries in the SAAC registry when I have time to kill. I was surprised and pleased with their knowledge, interest & suggestions.
Still, no seat time... I am not going to shell out about 70 G’s in dead presidents just yet. I have to drive one...Plus, I am 6’ 2”, am I even going to fit into the car? Well, cash in some miles, and I am on my way to San Diego for a day trip. (At this point, the wife thinks I’m nuts!) Bob Lacey was kind enough to clear his calendar on less than two (2) days notice and picked me up at the airport last Wednesday morning. He showed me around, and gave me plenty of time to familiarize myself with the cars on the floor and all of the options. After a quick cup of coffee and some GT chit-chat, time for us to head off to the garage. He had a Silver GT with a 347 & stack injection.
He got me out of downtown and headed towards Palm Springs. Damn, this thing REALLY does turn heads... Almost an interruption as I tried to stay focused on the nitty gritty details. How well does it run, does the car drive well, ride quality, is the AC good? You know the drill. Again, as I said above, I went into this with low expectations. I did not want to be disappointed. Jeez, was I ever wrong.
The car drove out real well. It tracked nice & straight, no problem with bumps or potholes or tar-strips. It was a firm ride, but in no way stiff or uncomfortable. I’ve been in M3’s that were more harsh to ride/drive in. This one had solid lifters (I love that sound) and the stack injection, but the cabin was pleasant and we could talk in normal voices. The AC was just fantastic (remember, I live in Texas, it’s got to be good! I was surprised beyond all belief. Hell, I’m sold. Glad I left my checkbook in Dallas. Wife’s gonna flip for sure.
Now the tough part... ZF or Getrag??? Remember that obsessive-compulsive thing? It’s killing me... But, having driven one, I am going Getrag! It just hit me; I knew those Audi 5000’s were good for something! It will work for me. If I want to go ZF, I can always do so at a later date. It’s only $$$. I’ll save the 7K for now. CAV cars can be finished either way. It’s up to me & my $$$.
I call the wife from the airport; she asks me how it’s going. I say it was good, better than expected. She does not say go buy it, but she did not say give it up either. Hmmm... Quick thought... I bring her two (2) pounds of See’s Chocolates. Smart move. That night in bed after a long, but very exciting day, I heard her say what I was waiting for; “well, if it will make you happy, go buy it…” Damn,,, I hate it when she puts all that pressure on me!
So, what did I do??? I am waiting for #67, BMW (of course) Le Mans Blue with a 331 Keith Craft Stroker. Induction, Holley 670 Avenger. I’d like to do the stack injection, but hey, ya know, I gotta cut back somewhere.
