Messages

+1 Rickmustang. 

For those of us who weren't able to attend the event, and who also haven't met very many of our forum friends in person, would someone please I.D. the people in that group photo that Steve posted?   (Kopec, of course, everyone knows...including most state troopers!)

Screen names only...so no-one has to risk being abducted by an Evil Corvette UFO. 

Below is what I posted over on the FGT site. (And yeah, that trip into Home Depot sure looked like an advertising payoff. Doesn't everyone know what a Home Depot looks like? Did they really need to spend the time on that?)

I don't know who these guys are (I'm happily old and out of touch with "influencers") but Mr Green Shoes & his buddy dressed-up in "Hazmat gear" and then stood around the car breathing in all of its flora before putting on their masks.

To me, finding an 18-year-old car in a garage that's really not as messy as a lot of them, doesn't really qualify as a "barn find". It's more likely the result of someone dying and the property (and GT) sitting idle for a bunch of years in a humid environment.

That guess made...what's the full story, YouTube guys? Would be interesting to know how that GT got there, whose house it is, and how many miles are on the car. Like, check the CarFax and let us know...was it a one-owner car? Where was it originally sold? The last time it was registered?

I realize that TV guys (I worked in that industry for a long time) occasionally have to gin-up excitement, for the benefit of the drooling viewers, but to start the engine (without checking any fluids, or flushing out the old gasoline) is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Then, to rev it while it sounds like it's in limp-home mode, and try to drive it up that steep driveway is plain ol' stupid.

So, I'm hoping there's more to the story than just what they showed. I haven't searched around for previous, or later-date, videos. So, perhaps they did actually do the right thing with fluids before starting it.

That old battery in the car sure had a lot of juice in it. Hmmmmmm...

I was at Popular Hot Rodding in those days, and we drove/tested several GNs each year...just because they were so fun and badazz for the day. 

I shot a giant GN  burnout photo up in the canyons one afternoon that plumed so high, we though people would think there's a brush fire, so we split that scene pronto.

E.Ts that I recall running at our beloved OCIR track were 15.5s at right about 90 mph. Give or take, depending on the heat. Considered quick for the day. Good enough to beat a 5.0 Mustang if you did everything right. You needed to shift the transmission manually, or it got all FUBAR'd with the boost schedule (more on that below.)

Random stuff I remember about the GNs:
The turbo made great power when everything was cool in temp (including ambient) but once heat soak took over, it was a stuttering stumbling on-boost/boost-dumping boost ride. Thus, the popularity of the Kenne Bell stuff like an intercooler (factory installed on the GNX.)

That ribbon dotted-line tach was next to worthless. As was the 85 mph speedo. Didn't the Grand National get a proper 120 mph speedometer?

The doors seemed long and heavy.

The Lear/Siegler seats were a big improvement over the base seats, but still were very flat and not all that comfortable for a long trip.

The "H-point" (driver/seat/steering wheel orientation) of the car seemed a bit off to me. I never really could settle into a comfortable driving position. This wan't just a GN problem for me. I felt the same in the other A-Body hot GM cars then...Olds 442 and Monte Carlo SS. I just fit into the F-bodies better. Might have been just me.

The automatic (700R4?) was a POS in terms of dealing with the boost application curve.  That added to the stutter-step of acceleration unless everything was perfect.  And this was with every GN we ever tested. Not just a fluke.

The car handled pretty well, and I liked the GN's chassis tuning the best of all the hot A-bodies. Adding big anti-roll bars and sticky rubber could make them quite good in the twisties.

When the 300 hp GNX came out, it was considered beyond the holy grail. More power, super-badazz appearance, and better performance than the Vette (which Buick must have snuck through the GM system sort of like DeLorean did with the original '64 GTO.)

I spent quite a bit of time with the Buick engineers in those years (as well those of the other domestic car makers) and understand how good those 3.8 V6s were. They stayed in production a long time, including being supercharged in some of the early '90s Buck Park Avenues. And the Pontiac SSEi too. That was a cool sedan.  But with more buttons than a coat factory.

Fond memories of the GN and the turbo 3.8 V6. Good luck with your sale, even though that beauty will sell itself. Price is very reasonable.   

Another great photo! 

I agree with Brett (98SVT) and am also not convinced the Cobras in that photo had black windshield frames. 

Light/shadow and 60 year old transparency film (converted to digital via FB) will play tricks on your eyes.

I wonder if ol' Shel' actually sprayed his own pits with that stuff every day? 

I supposed he'd have cases of laying around, so as long as it worked, why not?

I think it'd be pretty humorous to be getting ready in the morning for work, and see a likeness of your own face on the deodorant can you're using. 

Hey, there's a great Christmas gift idea for the car guy who has everything! Personalized cans!

Great chart, Pete.  So, cast iron 427 block and heads together = about 365 pounds. 

Substituting aluminum for both items should shave off what...at least 100 pounds? Maybe little more?   

That's what I've always figured.

I think that's smart.

BTW: Thank you, and the others involved, for your hard work on this project. I know the transition isn't easy, or fun, but having a better-operating forum is greatly appreciated.

Okay, so far. Familiar but different.

But, are the post-count numbers back to stay? What's the reasoning?

I have a new-in-the-bag front plate bracket (repop) that I'll sell for $15 plus the ride.

Nope, it's not Riverside.  Too green.  Hills are too small (although the density of big rocks is pretty close.)

Count the number of non-CA license plates. (Are there any CA plates?)

Oops, just read silverton_ford's post:  "May 11th 1968 Cumberland MD races held at the local airport"

More pix to come in the next day or two.

[OEM Ricardo 6-speed Transaxle.]

Hey everyone,
I bought a low-mile, one-owner, 2006 FGT a few months ago, and am interested in selling the OEM take-off parts that were included. 

Prices are "Or Best Offer", and Do Not include shipping.

I live near San Diego, CA, and much prefer pickup at my location for the large items, rather than having to ship.  However, the transaxle is in its Ford crate, and can be shipped.


OEM Ricardo 6-speed Transaxle. Ford Part #4G7Z-7L073-A. Removed from a second GT (a red car) that my GT's original owner had bought to run in top speed events. The transaxle was removed at about 5,000 miles of street use, before he began the top speed mods. That car's VIN# 1FAFP90S16Y400189 (plus FGT2207 and D69906) is stamped on the transaxle. At that time, he had a second transaxle built with racing parts, and 3.9 gears, for his red GT, and kept this original (with 3.3 gears) transaxle as a spare. It is reportedly 100% stock original.
$12,500.

Set of four OEM Ford GT optional BBS forged aluminum wheels and original Goodyear Eagle F1 P235/45ZR18 and P315/40ZR19 tires mounted. Removed from my car at less than a few hundred miles, as there is virtually no wear on the tires. Even the little tire molding nubs are intact. The wheels are likewise impeccable, with no curb rash or anything else I can see, except for one very tiny chip. These are perfect for a concours show car, or anyone who wants as close to brand new as it gets.
$10,000 set of 4.


The rest of the parts were removed from my street-driven Tungsten GT at around 2000 miles:

Set of four OEM Ford GT coil-over shocks. $7,000 set of four.

Stock OEM Supercharger. $6,500.

Stock OEM Ford GT muffler. $2,000.

Stock OEM Ford GT clutch. $1,800.

Stock OEM Ford 3.30:1 gear set. $1,000.


Remember: All prices are WITHOUT SHIPPING, and I will only charge the actual shipping amount. Never a mark-up.

I am happy to answer any questions, and send you photos, etc., to make for an easy transaction.  Please PM me.

Thanks,
Van

["...the lack of respect for someone else's property is amazing."]

"...the lack of respect for someone else's property is amazing."

SAM83, you summed up today's world perfectly.  I'd like to think that the elderly parents in the Corolla would've had more common sense and courtesy than they did, but then I remind myself it's 2024, not 1964 or '74 or even '84 or '94, and my head shakes "oh yeah." 

We've probably all had the situation where we park out in the BF Egypt region of a giant parking lot, only to return to find one or more not just regular cars, but big bro-dozer trucks, parked right next to us.

I truly don't understand that mentality. It's a 100-yard walk away from the store's front doors, and there are a hundred open spaces much closer than where I'm parked, but it still happens more often than not. 

Are these people spacially/dimensionally-challenged and can't estimate distances, or do they do it on purpose to piss-off us nice-car owners?

Or, do they just think their vehicle is safer when it's parked next to me?  (It undoubtedly is, but please leave me at least a half-space clearance on all sides, guys.)

As for car insurance, I've had AAA since 1974 (50 years...yikes!) and Hagerty for about 25-30 years.  Never had to make a claim at Hagerty, and only once with AAA (my bitchin car stereo and Recaro seats were stolen. They paid off, no problem.)

As for towing, I've never used Hagerty.  I was a member there for couple years, then figured that it kinda duplicated my AAA towing (with my Premiere level AAA membership.) The AAA towing (always a flatbed, no exceptions, I'll wait the extra time to send one) has 90% been a pretty good experience, with only a couple a-hole drivers over the years.

What I do now, is to not only emphasize over the phone to the AAA person how expensive and rare and perfect my car is, then I repeat that to the driver when I call him en route (always ask the dispatcher for the tow driver's name and cell number.)  Once he shows up, I do a walk-around with him and chat him up to hopefully get him interested in the car and will treat it nice. Then, I'll pull out a $50 or $100 (depending on the car, the urgency, danger of the situation, etc. ) and ask him to please take great care of my baby. That seems to be the charm. Cash still works!

Cena's stunt is a ripoff of the PR stunt Chrysler did, circa 1994, when they unveiled the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Hall.  While all the stupefied "journos" stood around by the front of the auditorium, awaiting Jeep to begin its press conference, Lutz and Casting and someone else from Chrysler management drove the GC off of the street, busted through the candy-glass (very well kept secret...no word leaked out ahead of time!) and shocked the sh!t out of everyone. 

That was a true "breakthrough."

Interesting coincidence (?) in the 1966 Santa Barbara race program that Brett posted:  Michael Szabo, Cortina driver. 

Any relation to our own Stephan "Szabo"?