I'm still laughing. I don't know which was funnier. Falling out of bed or the kitchen pass. I can completely relate to both of them.

What made that Vette even cooler in my book was. It was a real 435 hp car, but the color had been changed. I said that the car sold for 19 grand. Car's that were still original were bringing 5 to 10 grand more then that. I would deffenetly do the cam and headers. I don't think I'd put flares on it though. I don't thing it would look right. A rag top with side pipes and fender flares? Besides tire's a lot better then they were in 69. A good set of Drag Radials is all you'd need. I got on it in second gear and it really didn't go nuts. A little haze of the tires but that's it. The car was gold. Since it was repainted already I would repaint it again. The car was originally that Butternut color. I wouldn't go there, but I can't remember the color of the interior though. I did to much partying back then. I sat here for for five minutes trying to think of it. I can't freaking remember.

Another Dream Car that got away was a 70 Cuda, 440 6 pack, 4 speed, and the Dana rear. That car was the hole package. I love that car. A now former friend had it. His parents got it for him when we were in high school. DIC#!!! Anyway I digress. He had no clue. I worked on that car more then he did. I even won his money back with after his done driveing a## lost a race to a 351 Cougar. I flipped out on him after that one. He got pissed and said if you think you can beat him then go ahead. So I went up to the guy that just won and said lets go again double or nothing. Lucky for me he was cocky with his friends around. I beat the guy by three or four car length's. S I told the guy that owned the Cuda that If he ever wants to seel it he has to sell it to me. I mean it was only fair I worked on it all of time for him. I went into the Army and came home on leave 6 months later. The D#CK sold it to some guy so he could go buy a 84 Z/28. I just lost it, and haven't really talked to him since. What makes it even worse is the guy he sold it to was just looking for something he could drop his Hemi motor into. I'll be right back.......................................................................................................Ok I feel better now. I had to go to the garage for a smoke and freeze my #ss off, and look at my dirty Cobra and dirty Coupe. Yea I feel better.

Talk about mythical cars we'll never own. Did you see any of that Barret-Jackson aucton? I sat there drooling all over my self. I think God played a joke on me. I was meant to be rich, and he's just F ing with me. There were so many cars there that I would have died to have, and most of them cost more then my house.  I just try to keep telling myself to be happy with what I have. Then I watch some guy but three Callaway Corvette's in a row. Drop 500 to 600 thousand like it was nothing. Just so he could have three cool cars. I would like to do that just once. How about you?

There you go ... the mythical Barret-Jackson auction where some rich uncle requires you to spend some obscene amount of money  in order to get the whole inheritance.   No wait, that was more like that Richard Pryor Movie 'Brewsters Millions.'  ... but what would I have my buying service shopping for?  Here's the line up: 1) a 427 GT-40, 2) a new Ford GT, 3) - as long as I'm slobbering over mid engine V8 Fords - a Pantera with a tricked out bottom end which would rev until the cows came home, 4) some sort of major league big block in a car light enough to move, but not so light that it was squirrely (440 Challenger, Trans AM, Camaro SS porcupine head ...  5) and last but not least the Corvette tri power

I actually made my 2 1/2 year old watch Smokey and the Bandit with me last night ... all that Trans Am talk got me going.

and the one that got away ...  a friend of mine (still friends, but still competing a little to make it interesting) found a 71 Torino 429 Cobra Jet (or SCJ, not sure) for $1100.  He didn't tell me about it until he was sure he couldn't scrape together the cash himself (minimum wage was $1.85 an hour back then).  I guess he figured if I owned it, he'd get to ride in it and drive it occassionally.  By the time he told me, it was sold.

I saw it shortly after that.  Imagine a 429 Cobra Jet with nothing but those little bolt on cherry bomb glass packs hanging off of the headers.  Ironically, when my hearing was still perfect, I would have loved that set up.

I saw some guy trying to sell a nice Camaro SS 396 at a swap meet a couple of months ago.  The car was real clean and of course, he wanted $20 K.  The funny thing was he was selling some monster carburetor on the side along with some other stuff.  I saw that and I thought 'that carbs probably used to be on that car.'  I looked though his stuff expecting to see his old cam at that point. 

...but I ramble ...   sides pipes on 63 - 73 vettes - thumbs up - Looks downright OEM to me ...

Oh Man you got me ging now. I'm going to be dreaming of these cars know. The Pantara put me over the edge. I've always loved those cars.  I'll see if I can stop at five. 1) a real 427 SC Cobra, 2) I'm with you a GT-40 old or new I don't need both. Who I'm I trying to kid yes I do. Ok both. 3) 68 Hemi Dart, 4) 429 Boss Mustang, ( either year I'm not that picky) 5) 69 Yenco Duce, 6) ( see I knew I couldn't stop at 5) 67 427/435 Vette, 7) 70 Hemi Cuda 8) 70 Hemi SuperBird, 9) 69 ZL-1 Camaro 10) ? Now it get's tough. A Pantara, a Ferrari F-50, or a Calloway twin turbo Vette. They all have their own pluses and minuses. See I forgot a Shelby GT-350R. I could do this all night. A Ls-6 Chevelle, 70 Challenger *** 64 Fury with the Max Wedge, A Sunbeam Tiger, A 930 Slant nose turbo Porsche, a 63 409 Impala SS. I gotta stop I'm going nuts.  Any one of those I'd be a happy sole. I guess so would most of the other car nuts out there. I'm into airplanes too, but I not going there.

and now from our vintage memory file ....

A Hemi Dart with bias plies; because you haven't heard enough tire squealing until you've watched someone completely destroy a pair of tires in one pass. 

A 427 Camaro (your Yenko I think) because you haven't been amazed until you saw someone completely break traction and fishtail when they punched it at 25 miles an hour.

... and just because you couldn't figure out what to do with that 400 horsepower 351 you just happen to have laying around, a Sunbeam Tiger (4 wheel disc brakes added because if any car should have them it would be this one). 

... are there more ...   ??

The best I could ever do would be  to save up $ six grand $ and put a nice crate motor in some old wreck.  But, that's okay, because I'm short, fat and bald and I would look funnny in $40,000 dollar sports car.  ... naaaah ... I'd still drive one I guess ...

What's wrong with that. You can't see yourself driving down the road so who cares. There is this guy around here that lives our dream. He is the owner of a big trash company in our area. He has a F-50, a Lambo, A Boss Mustang, plus countless other exotic cars. He has a Maserati cup car. It's like a IROC car here in the states. It's all tricked out aluminum and carbon fiber everything. It's an open top car with this tiny windshield. Anyway I'm 6'2 250. He's got to be close to the same height but he'got a good 100 LBS on me. You should see him squeeze into this poor car. Then when he's in it still looks like he's only halfway in. He has to wear avation goggles when he drives the car. It's not a pretty site at all.

The Hemi Dart's came with slicks in the trunk I think. So what beter way to rid yourself of those useless bais ply tires.

A 427 Camaro smoking them off at 25 MPH. That is completely the point. The 69 Yenko Duce was worse. Picture a 69 Nova with the same 427 as the Camaro. I read that Don Yenko said that was the only car he ever built that was way to much motor for the car. In 70 he put a LT-1 in the Yenko Duce's.

The Sunbeam Tiger? Yeah four wheell disk brakes for sure.  Big ones at that. I think the 351 would be abit to node heavy for that car. A dart aluminum block. With a nice 347 kit in it, and AFR 205's. I think that would do the trick

That one made me laugh out loud.  I was picturing the big guy with the goggles and somehow I automatically imagined him wearing the Rocket J. Squirrel leather hat along with them.  At the same time, I pictured him looking like Flounder in the movie animal house.

An aluminum block in a Sunbeam Tiger; that would help with the understeer.  Why not throw in a Cobra independent rear end.

In reality it's worse then that. Picture in your mind what a owner of a trash company would look like. Big, Overweight, Bolding salt and pepper hair, and what hair he does have is longer then it should be. He's very gruff looking. It is one of the funniest sites I've seen in a long time. Of course he has a trophy wife. I've only seen her in the Lambo though. I guess the other car would mess up her hair.

Understeer? I guess but it won't be anything that a slight push of the right foot wouldn't fix.  A Cobra IRS would be cool under one of those though. Hey why not.

Here you go. It's not real but how cares.http://www.hmn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/popups.carphoto/id/2076055

Cool looking car.  Not exactly a daily driver, but who needs a heater anyway. 

Here is a link to a Jay Leno interview.  Apparantly, he and Bill Gates have nice car collections.

http://www.m3registry.com/m3forum/archives/topic/show/16454

I seem to remember that Reggie Jackson and David Letterman do to.  I always figured they would be chaufered around, but with the right goggles and Rocky the squirrel headcovering maybe nobody would know who's Lamberghini just blew by.

Here is the final pricing on the 8.8 rear end Summit p/n FMS-4006B355

from Ford with tax $ 866.91

from Summit with $ 85 shipping (no tax on out of State stuff for them) $ 863.44

i.e Summit is cheaper before I even figure out if Ford would charge for shipping.

Oh man you didn't know Jay is a car nut? I've seen shows that feature his collection. He has a lot of cars and motorcycles. I think most of Jay's collection is really old stuff though. I mean teen's, 20' and 30's. I know he does have some cool new cars, but he's passion is for the old stuff.  

I've never heard anything about Bill Gates having a car collection. He's has the money for it we all know that, but I didn't know he is into cars.

Reggie is my hero. He's a big Chevy guy though. That's ok I like Chevy's too. He collects all of the really cool Chevy muscle cars. He's had a ZL-1 Camaro, LS-6 Chevelle Convertable, Yenco's. You name it and he's either has it or has had one. He lost a bunch of cars in the Oakland fires a number of years ago I heard.  

Letterman is a little bit of a car guy. I think he's more into driving then the cars themselves. I really don't know one way or the other on him. I just know he gets in trouble sometimes when he's behind the wheel, and he flys everywhere he goes.

The Summit Rear might be the way to go. Although why would you have to pay shipping from Ford? Can't you pick it up from a local dealer? You should pay to get the rear to them so they can sell it to you. I don't know if I'll get a chance to talk to Eric this week but I'll see if I can talk to him some time soon. To see if the deal he was working on for cores came through. I can tell you though it will be more then the deal from Summit, but it will have the 31 splines. Which I'm not so sure you need right now but it would be nice to have for the future. You'd have money in the long run. I know that with a 2 year old you need to save now, and later.

I can dip into the savings here and there, so I'm interested to see what Eric could sell a 31 spline 8.8 traction loc for.   Getting extra clutches would be a second estimate I would be interested in too.  Summit could ship it to my door for $85 because it was coming from Nevada, so I would think shipping would be more from where you are.

So, any idea how much time might be shaved off of the quarter mile by going from a 2.73 to a 3.55 ?  Just a SWAG ....

Jay Leno seems to show up everywhere and I get the impression he is even funnier in person than he is on the Tonite Show.  I used to watch Battlebots on the Comedy channel.  People had these megabuck robots that slammed into each other.  Then Jay Leno shows up with his robot 'Chinzilla' which had Jays face painted on the front.  It also had this enormous Jay Leno chin extension which the robot tried to flip other robots with.  I've also seen news coverage of him on his Harley and in other classic cars.  It looks like he enjoys himself.  It was really cool that he pretty much just wanted to get out and play.  I think that's pretty difficult for famous people to do. 

Maybe the trash company owner has the best of both worlds. He's rich and not famous (plus it sounds like he's married to a biscuit who loves him for his er, uh personality).   

LOL LOL LOL. I saw you know what that means now. I was rolling. I have to do a searce on this guy and see if I can find a picture of him. I doubt there is one, but I  have to look. BINGO!!! I knew if I looked long enough I'd find him. He's all cleaned up for the pictures. There is a shot of the Maserati I talked about, and the Lambo. None of the muscle cars though. Just the exotic stuff. http://www.libertybellmp.com/HTML/showroom7.html

Try to send Eric a e-mail and ask him about the rears. Tell him you have been talking to me. Oh you don't know my real name. It's John. You can meantion my car too but he'll know who you've been talking to.

Okay John.  Thanks. 

I checked out the Maserati.  It cracked me up (almost laughed out loud) when it said 'This particular model was 385 pounds lighter than the standard version supercar'.  It looks like with that guy in it,  the car would weigh in just about the same as 'the standard version supercar.'

Tom

I'm telling ya, he was cleaned up in those pictures. If I get a chance I'll talk to Eric for you and let you know. I just don't know when I'll be able to do that. So I thought you might be able to get ahold of him faster then I can. Like I said I sould have some free time next week. If you want to wait then I'll talk to him. Let me know what you want to do.  

I'm probably not going to be able to afford anything from Eric right now, but just out of curiosity, if you get a chance to touch base with him, I'd like to see what his prices would be if he starts with a core.  I'd appreciate it if you get a chance to talk with him next week.