101 Cars, Part 7

Lane Bailey - Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:35

I don’t know how this 101 Cars I must drive is going to turn out.  On one hand, 101 cars isn’t that many… there are thousands of cool cars, but on the other hand, 101 cars is a LOT to think about.  But, whenever I think about cars, I think about my Wimbeldon White with Guardsmen Blue Striped ‘65 Shelby GT 350.

It was at once great and terrible.  Compared to new offerings, the performance was not exciting.  Compared to its contemporaries, it was excellent.  NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) were off the hook.  The clutch was tight enough to strain a leg.  The steering was heavy and twitchy.  I built chest muscles pulling into a parking spot.  The engine torque curve was reasonably flat, but the engine was loud and harsh and the shifter was clunky but solid.  In the middle of a turn it wanted to plow like a tractor, but a little throttle manipulation would balance the car and allow the line to be altered with a little right foot…

I miss that car.

I sold it just before the values skyrocketed to a guy that had wanted one since he was in high school.  I got too much for it, but not nearly what it would have fetched a year later… but it wasn’t about the money.

At 70 mph on a slightly twisty road, it came alive.  The heavy steering started to be an extension of my arms.  The rough ride became feedback from the road.  The shifter was comforting as it clunked into a gear.  The V8 engine was music.

I miss that car.

Don’t hesitate to shoot Lane a message if you have any questions, or need any help. And check out the new links for FREE Property Searching, FREE Comparative Market Analysis and FREE Market Reports. They are near the top of the page…

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  • Awesome! This is simply unbelievable! I'm good to go.
  • Lane,
    Why didn't you wait until I could afford to buy it?!? I went shopping for a 66, 67, or 68 two years ago and the prices had doubled from a few years before ;( I opted for a 2007 Shelby GT but would trade it in a heart beat for a "real" one!
  • Sold it such a long time ago. I would have.. but I would have been able to retire on that car if I'd sold it at the top of the market.
  • I actually have kind of big forearms... I think that might be part of the reason. But when that car was at speed it was like a comfortable tool. It just worked.
  • Lane,

    I didn't know that youhad owned a gt350. Back in about '75 I had a '66 GT 350 opposite colors though. Blue w/ white stripes. You're right about the heavy steering. Driving that thing everyday you end up with forearms like Popeye!
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