Clearwater Superboat Race, Jeff Beck and Collier collection
 

Sorry I have to catch up but wanted to drop this thread. Attending the Superboat races, the fastest offshore boats around, hanging with my best buddy's friend and bandmate Jeff Beck. Maybe try the drum kit for a song tonight at Jeff's show. Dam Jeff likes them fast like me!!!! Don't have a Cobra in the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area but "Going Down" to Naples in the morning to check out the Collier collection with Jeff. I still think Jeff looks like Cozy to this day. I would have posted yesterday because I have extra tickets for the locals but have been busy.

Jeff Beck Group - Going Down - YouTube

Jeff Beck - Over the Rainbow - YouTube

Sounds like a fine damn trip you're on.

Used to go walk around the Cunningham Collection in Newport Beach almost monthly...now part of Collier's collection. Don't know how much of it was kept together.

Beck was on TV the other night from somewhere in the UK. He had female bass player who looked about 15, and Eric Clapton dropped in for a few numbers with him. It looked like a Yardbirds reunion! Beck looks like ten miles of bad road now but he can still make that Strat sing like a bird.
Bill

Not Tal Wilkenfeld was it?
Brilliant young Aussie bass player.

Could have been. I didn't catch it from the beginning; I was watching something else and I always keep an "escape channel" programmed in my remote to jump to and avoid commercials and political ads. If I spot it again I'll watch the whole thing, maybe play along on my Strat; and maybe pigs.........
Bill

I was allowed a tour of his garage one time......not bad..... :)

Yeah Briggs place was great!!!!!!! I know he was sorry he didn't place it near Disneyland or I think very close to Knotts Berry Farm. It would have had a lot more traffic. Every once in a while Briggs had to sell some stock to keep it going. I spent some summers when I was a teenager helping him on some of the cars. I was just born when he moved out of Green Farms(westport,CT) but my grandfather knew Briggs well.

Collier has sold bits and pieces over the years. I think he has tried to keep his word to keep them together.

Beck was mentioned in that Bruce Meyer piece I posted. Good ride down memory lane. Now I have something new to post instead of events from 30 years ago. Bernie burning out tires on rental tires.....lol Me and Beck going 160!

I saw Tal playing with Jeff on TV a couple of months ago and was blown away:



I don't know which knocked me out more, how good Tal was for such a young player or how Jeff was as good, if not better, as when I saw him at the Boston Tea Party in 1969.

I have great stories with Cozy, however the 160 with Beck was in a powerboat. We never made it to Naples. He had time I think his tour was going to Texas and then jumping all round.

Miles Collier has sold more than bits and pieces over the years. I remember when I found out that Briggs sold his entire collection. I thought he was selling just one or two, maybe the Royale and the next thing I know it's all sold. Miles (Sam Collier) and Briggs had a great history, however so did my grandfather with Briggs. They use to fly my granddads Mustangs (and later Sabre) off the estate property. They all use to race on the property as my great grandfather did. I think Collier's was Overlook in westchester. Colliers dad had over a million acres in Florida at one time.

Well I blew something in my head the day I found out Briggs collection was sold. I didn't have the funds at the time like my grandfather and he had almost unlimited funds. He would have purchased everything if he knew about it.

I believe the Royale was sold right off the bat by Collier. Registries don't tell everything that is why I make comments about them. Miles Collier has sent many cars to shows and his name is kept out of it many times.

Ron Kellogg of California I think purchased 5 or 6 from Collier and has since sold those.

If anyone wants to know I can post info.

Three cars I was interested I never purchased for one reason or another. Back in the late 70's early 80's was when my interest peaked in these.

1) The turd Fiptop Cobra
2) A Daytona Cobra.. had a chance from Shoen and then that Soprano @$%#@ in Westcheter had a sign on his Daytona don't even ask. I asked and he didn't take it seriously. I was 19 or 20 at the time. Next thing I know there was a trade with Strauss with that god aweful brownish GT-40 that I had my hands on at an earlier time. He screwed up on that one.

3) Scarab.. oh I had several chances, even the man that restorated the original Scarab trailer(later Cobra) ...I had the chance. Even Collier's scarab I discussed purchasing it from his collection. Not sure of the status of that one. The orginal frame was burned or damaged and had a replacement frame on it. It was trashed maybe 2 -3 years ago in California in a vintage race. Not sure if it was rebuilt yet with original frame.


Anyway if you want to know about a particular car from Briggs I might know about just ask.


Peace

Le Monstre...think of it every time I race in a 24 Hours of LeMons event. Love to duplicate it and push a few cars off the road.

Saw some really good (Kirkham level) C4-R reproductions being offered at Monterey years ago...thought seriously about one for a time.

Collier Museum
 

My son and I were fortunate enough to get to see the Collier collection about ten years ago(after he bought the Briggs collection). Spent about four or five hours there. Best collection I've ever seen!! Great people too.

Only problem is Miles C. is a Porsche guy! The museum does open up for certain events especially if you are a member of a car club that uses his place for those purposes. Otherwise you have to get in through the back door. lol Usually have to leave your camera and phone behind I've been told for a number of reasons.

Collier Museum
 

Exacxtly right! I was going to pass through Naples on my way to the Keys. I had read about the Collier Museum in a Porsche Panorama magazine article and wanted to see the cars but couldn't find any information anywhere about how to get in so I called the local Porsche dealer in Naples and asked to speak to their enthusiast(car guy) salesman and he was a friend of someone that worked for Collier. He set up the visit. We were the only guys in there and left alone to wander around. As you said, no cameras allowed because the flash would ruin the cars!!! Very memorable day.

Uh oh giving away trade secrets now! lol I didn't read that article but I know the man. He still has the same Porsche he went to college in the collection. I know a lot of people that would like to visit the place and I tried to give a clue to find an area club that may use the Collier facility. You won't find any info these days on the collection unless doing a search and find some threads in forums like this and some pictures here and there. Some try to email :eek::eek::eek: The REVS Institute which you can look up the info but frankly I think they are getting tired of the requests through REVS.

Actually I know a few that might take your approach if they read this. You wanted to see the collection and found a way to get in. Good for you.:cool: