Inman Lanier
12-30-2023, 05:17 PM
Back in 1997 I purchased frame 1189. As one of the crew back then later explained to me, the first digit was for marketing purposes (to make it seem like they'd sold alot!) - so ignore it, the first 6 Chassis were R&D/prototypes. FFR 1007 was the first customer purchase, so I was kit #183. Obviously this is a Mark I. I was so dedicated to getting this thing that I built it in 1 month and 3 days (stripping the Mustang took another 10 days before that). It took the body shop longer to paint it! 3 days after I got the car, I drove it to the FL keys to shake it out on street tires at the Bay Bottom Crawl. Boy was it interesting in the right handed sweeper at 95 mph drifting across the lanes!
Ours was not a trailer queen. We built it to drive and have fun. I took it to many autocrosses; typically taking home FTD. We worked with some of the old guard to let SCCA accept these cars to run in the same classes as original Cobras, etc. When my boys became of driving age - they were not insured in the car (needed to be 25 years of age) - so our workaround was them learning to drive a stick shift in local autocrosses. I was even unavailable one event working at a Nuclear plant, so I told the boys - go have fun. They loaded it on the trailer, drove 45 miles north and kicked but.
Unfortunately at a track event locally 10 years ago or so (!) - I missed a shift and bent some valves (and later learned broke some rockers).
So... my son - with 5 grandkids now amongst the 3 offspring starts harassing me about getting it back on the road so the grandkids can learn to drive a stick (his sidebar smack was that his daughter is only 9 - 5 years after damage, he's giving me a lot of warning so I can actually finish before she drives - too funny). It took me some time to actually get motivated and fix the mechanicals, but that was done by later 2019. since my wife asked for me to put in a passenger roll bar AND we had some prior accident damage with less than pristine repairs, it made sense to do a refresh.
The refresh has been delayed largely by Covid and painting, but it included new carpet, finally installing the Classic Instruments 'Smith' look-alikes that I bought 18 years ago(!), some new 5 point harnesses, new chrome stuff (lights, etc.) from FFR, and a cleanup of the Image Halibrand replica wheels (brake pad material bonding to uncoated aluminum - arghh). The wheels will hopefully be done early next week with some new R compound rear tires.
So... anyone out there still driving theirs that is older than mine?!
Pics below. We're at the finish line - hopefully driving it soon!
193818
193819
Ours was not a trailer queen. We built it to drive and have fun. I took it to many autocrosses; typically taking home FTD. We worked with some of the old guard to let SCCA accept these cars to run in the same classes as original Cobras, etc. When my boys became of driving age - they were not insured in the car (needed to be 25 years of age) - so our workaround was them learning to drive a stick shift in local autocrosses. I was even unavailable one event working at a Nuclear plant, so I told the boys - go have fun. They loaded it on the trailer, drove 45 miles north and kicked but.
Unfortunately at a track event locally 10 years ago or so (!) - I missed a shift and bent some valves (and later learned broke some rockers).
So... my son - with 5 grandkids now amongst the 3 offspring starts harassing me about getting it back on the road so the grandkids can learn to drive a stick (his sidebar smack was that his daughter is only 9 - 5 years after damage, he's giving me a lot of warning so I can actually finish before she drives - too funny). It took me some time to actually get motivated and fix the mechanicals, but that was done by later 2019. since my wife asked for me to put in a passenger roll bar AND we had some prior accident damage with less than pristine repairs, it made sense to do a refresh.
The refresh has been delayed largely by Covid and painting, but it included new carpet, finally installing the Classic Instruments 'Smith' look-alikes that I bought 18 years ago(!), some new 5 point harnesses, new chrome stuff (lights, etc.) from FFR, and a cleanup of the Image Halibrand replica wheels (brake pad material bonding to uncoated aluminum - arghh). The wheels will hopefully be done early next week with some new R compound rear tires.
So... anyone out there still driving theirs that is older than mine?!
Pics below. We're at the finish line - hopefully driving it soon!
193818
193819