Arbitrator

[1967 eight barrel]

It always stuns me how few millenials know those bands called the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.  Makes me want to slam my walker against the wall.  Kids! 

I'm not a millennial and I don't care for drug-era music.  The 60's did more to destroy the fabric of this nation than any point in history.
I love the Beach Boys. Jan and Dean and many others of the era.  However, if you're honest the Beetles or Mick Jagger can't really carry a tune in a bucket.
I also hold no musician up as a hero.  I served with many Heroes in two uniforms.
P.S. I'm in my early 50's.
                                                                                                      -Keith

[shelbydoug]

She didn't last for long on the Tonight Show. During the Carson era, there were lots of strange and obscure guests.

It's often difficult to determine cause and effect. She was fired from the Tonight Show according to one bio because NBC Exec's didn't care for her or her decisions.

One of the best Tonight Shows I thought was one with James Garner talking about his introduction to the car culture for the filming of Grand Prix. It was probably in '67. They were still in NYC. He remarked about being taken around the track as a passenger in a Cobra following a GT40. Mentioning Ken Miles.

That was before her time.

He talked about being in a Cobra with a "Comp windscreen" and being hit with the little pebbles that the the 40s tires threw and how they hurt.

Back then, Freddie Decordova. the shows producer, didn''t save all tapes. He regularly taped over them to save money. That happened to the Garner tape according to him. Too bad. It was a gem.

The '60s were certainly a social revolution. Everyone was affected in one way or another. More so if you lived through it but it certainly has lingering effects still.

If Garner's performance in that show was any indication, Shelby would have been fine as well. He certainly had a talent when in the limelight and would be a natural match up with Leno.

[69mach351w]

It always stuns me how few millenials know those bands called the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.  Makes me want to slam my walker against the wall.  Kids! 

I'm not a millennial and I don't care for drug-era music.  The 60's did more to destroy the fabric of this nation than any point in history.
I love the Beach Boys. Jan and Dean and many others of the era.  However, if you're honest the Beetles or Mick Jagger can't really carry a tune in a bucket.
I also hold no musician up as a hero.  I served with many Heroes in two uniforms.
P.S. I'm in my early 50's.
                                                                                                      -Keith

Not to mention Bob Dillon?  Who in the HE#% ever said he could sing?!!!
And IMO Led Zeppelin's music I CANNOT stand!!!  The ONLY song that I half way like is "Stairway to Heaven", Sorry to all you Zepp fans

But, I do like me some Motley Crue, AC/DC on occasion.  But really enjoy Boston, Styx, Eagles, Steve Miller, CCR, REO, Foreigner, Cars, etc,etc,,,,,,,

And I'm 57 yrs old(young)?

[Side-Oilers]

She didn't last for long on the Tonight Show. During the Carson era, there were lots of strange and obscure guests.

It's often difficult to determine cause and effect. She was fired from the Tonight Show according to one bio because NBC Exec's didn't care for her or her decisions.

One of the best Tonight Shows I thought was one with James Garner talking about his introduction to the car culture for the filming of Grand Prix. It was probably in '67. They were still in NYC. He remarked about being taken around the track as a passenger in a Cobra following a GT40. Mentioning Ken Miles.

That was before her time.

He talked about being in a Cobra with a "Comp windscreen" and being hit with the little pebbles that the the 40s tires threw and how they hurt.

Back then, Freddie Decordova. the shows producer, didn''t save all tapes. He regularly taped over them to save money. That happened to the Garner tape according to him. Too bad. It was a gem.

The '60s were certainly a social revolution. Everyone was affected in one way or another. More so if you lived through it but it certainly has lingering effects still.

If Garner's performance in that show was any indication, Shelby would have been fine as well. He certainly had a talent when in the limelight and would be a natural match up with Leno.

Doug, too bad that show's tape doesn't exist. Garner was the everyman's hero in almost every roll he played.

He and CS on the show together would've been impossible to beat.

[shelbydoug]

Kopec knew someone that knew Freddie. When they asked about it, that was the reply.

Garner got into it so much he tried to field a team of Corvettes in 68 which apparently went no where? At least, I never heard anything about it besides the announcement.

[Side-Oilers]

Garner had Dick Guldstrand build and prep the Corvettes.  Guldstrand's shop was next door to Traco in Culver City (where I grew up.)

There's a photo of Garner standing by the '68 427 Corvette he was driving on the street and, with it, one of the race cars and team members---if I'm remembering correctly.   

Everytime I've seen that pix, I wondered how 6'3" Garner squeezed his approx 225-pounds into that small interior.  I have a '70 Corvette and barely (at 6'1" and 180 pounds) can sit upright to drive it.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

True story:

When I worked for CS, as PR Manager, at the Shelby Autos facility in 1987-89, I got to know Leno a little bit.  He hung around a couple of times, met Shelby, talked cars, etc.

Bob McClurg and I shot a Mustang Illustrated Cover there in Whittier. We had one of the original 66 Converts and Leno with his Mark Garish built 427. Had a good time then we all went over to Dean Moon's and ate at the greasy spoon next door. CS gave me a couple sets of 3 piece modular wheels that fit my Plymouth Mini Van. With fresh Goodyears on them. I never bought tires for that car.

Nice!

That looks like the Dragula in the background....

Munster Coach. Dragula was the coffin.

[6R07mi]

Back then, Freddie Decordova. the shows producer, didn''t save all tapes. He regularly taped over them to save money. That happened to the Garner tape according to him. Too bad. It was a gem.

I had a similar experience, a number of years ago on our local Detroit talk radio JWR AM760, the morning host (who's a car guy) was at SEMA and interviewed Bob Bondurant. Bob talked about how the school got started following his serious accident and retirement from racing, selling the Cobra coupe for start-up $'s.
He mentioned in the 1st couple of classes was Jim Garner and Paul Newman, who he judged as the 2 most gifted drivers in Hollywood. He told how Paul didn't want to be known as "the movie actor" at the track so he went by the moniker "Mr Leonard" ( his middle name). He liked to just hang around the track in jeans & tee shirt, drinking Bud from a can and talking "cars" with the guys. He also said Jim Garner could have persued professional driving had he wanted to.
anyway later I called the station to see if they had tape of the broadcast and would they sell/share it, the reply was they only save the tape for a few weeks !
I think that recording would get a ton of hits on social media today !

best regards,
jim p

[Side-Oilers]

Back then, Freddie Decordova. the shows producer, didn''t save all tapes. He regularly taped over them to save money. That happened to the Garner tape according to him. Too bad. It was a gem.

I had a similar experience, a number of years ago on our local Detroit talk radio JWR AM760, the morning host (who's a car guy) was at SEMA and interviewed Bob Bondurant. Bob talked about how the school got started following his serious accident and retirement from racing, selling the Cobra coupe for start-up $'s.
He mentioned in the 1st couple of classes was Jim Garner and Paul Newman, who he judged as the 2 most gifted drivers in Hollywood. He told how Paul didn't want to be known as "the movie actor" at the track so he went by the moniker "Mr Leonard" ( his middle name). He liked to just hang around the track in jeans & tee shirt, drinking Bud from a can and talking "cars" with the guys. He also said Jim Garner could have perused professional driving had he wanted to.
anyway later I called the station to see if they had tape of the broadcast and would they sell/share it, the reply was they only save the tape for a few weeks !
I think that recording would get a ton of hits on social media today !

best regards,
jim p

Cool story, thanks for sharing!

[shelbydoug]

Charlize Theron. Mark Wahlberg. Candice Bergen. The list of Bob's students goes on and on. Virtually anyone who did their own driving in a film went through his school. Don't know about "Kowolski" in the Dodge though? (Barry Newman). He wanted to know what the XXX867 meant on my license plate. Told him my dog used to be a porno star. He made a face and said "sure pal".

Back in '82, he had Collen Kopec up on the guardrail flat out in one of those Cobra AC continuations at the Ford track at Utica. Gave my stomach serious butterflies. I was on that track too and wouldn't go anywhere near the top of the banking.

Reminded me of those water park tube rides where the tube is hanging over the top and no one cares how loud you scream?

Ooo. Just got the butterflies again on that.

[Side-Oilers]

Charlize Theron. Mark Wahlberg. Candice Bergen. The list of Bob's students goes on and on. Virtually anyone who did their own driving in a film went through his school. Don't know about "Kowolski" in the Dodge though? (Barry Newman). He wanted to know what the XXX867 meant on my license plate. Told him my dog used to be a porno star. He made a face and said "sure pal".

Back in '82, he had Collen Kopec up on the guardrail flat out in one of those Cobra AC continuations at the Ford track at Utica. Gave my stomach serious butterflies. I was on that track too and wouldn't go anywhere near the top of the banking.

Reminded me of those water park tube rides where the tube is hanging over the top and no one cares how loud you scream?

Ooo. Just got the butterflies again on that.

"Back in '82, he had Collen Kopec up on the guardrail flat out in one of those Cobra AC continuations at the Ford track at Utica. Gave my stomach serious butterflies. I was on that track too and wouldn't go anywhere near the top of the banking."

I was there too, and Bob let me drive it (right place, right time, I guess.)  Still have the photo of the speedometer at 120+ mph on that track.

Later in my career, I drove on banked tracks many times, at top speed. A fun Motor Trend TV segment I did was giving commentary with the in-car camera and taking my hands off the wheel of a Ferrari at top speed on the banking at Ford's Desert Proving Grounds in Kingman AZ, to prove that it would track around by itself.  Fortunately for all involved, it did. 

[shelbydoug]

Charlize Theron. Mark Wahlberg. Candice Bergen. The list of Bob's students goes on and on. Virtually anyone who did their own driving in a film went through his school. Don't know about "Kowolski" in the Dodge though? (Barry Newman). He wanted to know what the XXX867 meant on my license plate. Told him my dog used to be a porno star. He made a face and said "sure pal".

Back in '82, he had Collen Kopec up on the guardrail flat out in one of those Cobra AC continuations at the Ford track at Utica. Gave my stomach serious butterflies. I was on that track too and wouldn't go anywhere near the top of the banking.

Reminded me of those water park tube rides where the tube is hanging over the top and no one cares how loud you scream?

Ooo. Just got the butterflies again on that.

"Back in '82, he had Collen Kopec up on the guardrail flat out in one of those Cobra AC continuations at the Ford track at Utica. Gave my stomach serious butterflies. I was on that track too and wouldn't go anywhere near the top of the banking."

I was there too, and Bob let me drive it (right place, right time, I guess.)  Still have the photo of the speedometer at 120+ mph on that track.

Later in my career, I drove on banked tracks many times, at top speed. A fun Motor Trend TV segment I did was giving commentary with the in-car camera and taking my hands off the wheel of a Ferrari at top speed on the banking at Ford's Desert Proving Grounds in Kingman AZ, to prove that it would track around by itself.  Fortunately for all involved, it did.

That's cheating! My Pantera is like that too. The faster that you go, the more stable it becomes. Up to about 150mph though. There the slightest cross wind will chatter the steering. Mostly aerodynamic lift. A chin spoiler raises the top speed somewhat before it does that?

I think 125 was as fast as that "Cobra" would go? Bonduraunt said something to that effect. It had a 302 GT engine in it as I recall?

I remember the first time I drove a Pantera. It was Ken Ebers. It was a yellow '71 with Webers on it. He asked me if I wanted to buy it since he didn't like it. There is a road here that has a "reputation". Rt684. I suppose I was test driving it?

I was driving the car up the local service road, Rt.22, and entering 684 north right near the Westchester Air Port. I was just accelerating normally for me and I heard Ken say, "what are you nuts?". I looked down at the speedometer and it was at 110. Third gear too? Good thing he flagged me down before I actually got out onto the open road probably? It was only on the entrance ramp.

It was very stable and quiet in the cabin. Sure all the racket was behind us. He had just bought the car from Lynn Parks "little" brother. Engine was worked a little? 


The Utica track I didn't like. Lots of traffic on it and I kept running up on peoples bumpers. We had a no passing "rule" at the time. That's where I was using my $10 motorcycle helmet and we had no lawyers making us sign waivers. I ran over the brake scoop of a '66 GT350 that blew off the guys car. Scraped up the paint on my fender. Exploded the brake scoop though.

[Side-Oilers]

You are correct as to the top speed of that car Bondo had.  My pix is at 120 and a few, with the tach at or very close to redline. I'll see if I can dig it up and post.

That track (IIRC) was concrete and very bumpy too.

Your last paragraph made me laugh. $10 helmet. Dodging flying parts.   Yup, those were the days.
Good times!

I have respect for Panteras. One you work the overheating bugs out of them, and add some more power, they are fun.  I don't remember ever seeing Lynn's brother's car. If that was Eddie, I knew him a little bit, but must have missed that one.

[shelbydoug]

That was '82. I didn't have my Pantera then. That was my 68 GT350 with the Boss 351 and Webers on it.

It's funny when you get on a track, the little whiny sob's come out. They bitch to you that you are pushing them and really are just pissed that they can't pull away at 130 like they thought they would. Seems their car wasn't as fast as they thought it was or thought it should be? Amusing when it comes down to it really?

I don't know who kills the fun faster, them or the attorneys who demand a
Snell number on your cast aluminum COBRA supporter cup?

I told them those Le mans stripes don't make 100hp more. I think the six attorneys on the board voted 5 to 1 that they do?

[deathsled]

I'm a lawyer but...I've always ascribed to "If it doesn't make it go fast, then it makes it go slow." Paint has always been and always will be all show and no go.

Best,

Richard E.