[Jim Maxwell]

When Tom Cotter decided he wanted to buy a 289, he also knew that he had never driven or ridden in one, and wasn't sure he would like it. Someone told him I had a 289 and a 427 so he called me out of the blue in the fall of 2000 and asked if he come take a ride in CSX 2401. He and his good friend and racing buddy, Jack Cassingham, drove to Greensboro from Davidson and we spent the entire day driving both cars, switching drivers and having a grand time. It didn't take but a few minutes for Tom to know the 289 really was the car of his dreams.
We became friends and together bought the barn find 289 Cobra CSX 2149 and proceeded to take it apart in his garage and restore it to like new condition over the next couple of years. That Cobra inspired Tom to write "The Cobra in the Barn", which led to numerous other "Barn Find" books and now his "Barn Find Hunter" internet show.
I am absolutely positive there in no other original Cobra that gets driven more miles every year than Tom's 289. He goes on drives of a couple hundred miles all the time and we will do another 1000 mile Tour shortly with 14 other original Cobras. This will be the 16th annual Tour for us, having toured in places as far apart as Idaho to Maine. Tom also did an Alaska Tour with a few other owners. That was too far for me to ship the car cost-wise and I was still working at the time so I couldn't get that much time off.
Tom has more energy and drive than most other humans and comes up with creative ideas for books, tours and just about anything else faster than you can blink an eye.
He has a new book coming out called "Secrets of the Barn Find Hunter", to be released
May 24, 2022. I got to review an advance copy and I think all Cobra and other car lovers will enjoy it.