Mystery Car

Apogee · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2003, 08:56 AM

Back in the late 60's I bought a 427 street car for a buddy. The car ended up in the Washington DC area. It was dark metallic grey in color with a black interior. It was purchased from him in about 69'-70' "as is", with the front 18" of sheet metal cut off. I can provide a good deal of the early history of this car to the present owner. I would prefer to handle this over the phone, but will answer e-mails as well. I can be reached at (952) 473-6243.

Eric Paulsen

Cal Metal · #2 (**permalink**) 03-03-2003, 09:44 AM

Specifically, what are you looking for? I don't see a question.

Apogee · #3 (**permalink**) 03-03-2003, 09:45 AM

Some further info wich may help. The car was purchased new at Tousley Ford in Minneapolis MN by Bill Jenson. I bought it for a Life magazine photographer by the name of John Olson.

Eric Paulsen

Apogee · #4 (**permalink**) 03-03-2003, 09:51 AM

Besides the offer of early history I am just curious where it ended up.

Eric Paulsen

Bumpster · #5 (**permalink**) 03-03-2003, 06:33 PM

Eric - If you are asking about a Cobra 427S/C and you have the serial number, anyone with a Shelby Registry can help. I don't see how anyone can help you without knowing the serial number, unless they have personal knowledge of the car. Lots of luck after thirty years.

Bumpster

Apogee · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2003, 05:28 AM

I thought the color, location of purchase, cut off front sheetmetal, and previous owners name might have been enough for some one to have recognized the car. Figured no harm in trying.

Eric

Cal Metal · #7 (**permalink**) 03-04-2003, 03:36 PM

While the Registry shows around 5-6 CSX 3xxx cars invoiced to Tousley Ford of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, I show nothing for a Bill Jenson as the first purchaser of any of these cars. Could he have purchased it from Tousley as a used vehicle?

Sizzler · #8 (**permalink**) 03-04-2003, 04:05 PM

This wouldn't be tied into the whole CSX2440 brouhaha front clip switch would it?

Apogee · #9 (**permalink**) 03-05-2003, 06:06 AM

Bill was a pretty young man at the time (still in college I recall) and for a multitude of reasons it may have been registered in a different name; or maybe it had a "Prior Owner".

When purchased, I believe the shop it was at was called "Modifications Unlimited" up by Georgetown. One other detail which may help is that it had mismatched wheels; two Campanellos and two Halibrands. A local tire shop here in Minneapolis chipped the other two Companellos trying to mount tires on them. I still have one of them here by the fireplace as a memento.

Is this any help? At least we can narrow it down to present or prior owners of the 5 or 6 S/Ns for Tousley Ford. How many of these S/Ns are still able to be located?

Eric

Apogee · #10 (**permalink**) 03-06-2003, 06:06 AM

Maybe this will ring a bell for someone. The car was purchased from a Life Magazine photographer by the name of John Olson.
Does this register with the known histories to any owners?

Eric

Cal Metal · #11 (**permalink**) 03-06-2003, 06:30 AM

In looking at any history that relates to the purchase of a CSX 3000 from Tousley Ford, there is no mention of a John Olson.

Apogee · #12 (**permalink**) 03-10-2003, 01:16 PM

John Olson was the buddy I purchased the car for, and NOT the original buyer from Tousley. How many of the Tousley S/N's are accounted for, and possibly contactable?

Eric

Cal Metal · #13 (**permalink**) 03-11-2003, 06:45 AM

As a secondary or tertiary buyer, he would show up in the Registry. My hunch is that the car was bought from Tousley as a used car and was never invoiced as new. If so, his name would show up somewhere among the 350+ cars in the Registry, but not as a Tousley invoiced car.

In addition, while the Registry is very accurate, there is always room for error.

Apogee · #14 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 08:01 AM

Am I to understand that the name John Olson (my budy who owned the car in the late 60's) doesn't show up as a secondary owner in the registery, or that that is the next step?

Thanks!
Eric

Cal Metal · #15 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 11:20 AM

No, the problem is that he does not show up under any car sold by Tousley Ford of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Now, since that eliminates about four cars out of 300+, it would require going through every CSX 3000 numbered car, looking for that name in each car's bio. A lot of work, which would take a little time, assuming he shows up at all. Again, the Registry is very accurate but not infallible.

Excaliber · #16 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 03:03 PM

Hey Cal, wouldn't it be cool if the registry was offered on CD and you could do a name search!

So, when you going to do an OCR on that bad boy? LOL

Ernie

750hp · #17 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 05:20 PM

Cal, surely you've heard of John Ohlsen?

http://www.cobracarclub.org.au/articles/cobraman.htm

Here's a page from the Cobra Daytona Coupes book. Ohlsen is in pretty good company, with Carroll Smith and Phil Remington to name a few...

Cal Metal · #18 (**permalink**) 03-12-2003, 07:17 PM

Craig:

I think the initial search was for a photographer by the name of John Olson not John Ohlsen of SAI fame.

Apogee · #19 (**permalink**) 03-13-2003, 05:15 AM

What is the status of the register, is it on line or otherwise available to me to search through?

Eric

computerworks · #20 (**permalink**) 03-13-2003, 05:25 AM

It's ~$130 book available from the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC)
http://www.saac.com/saacStuff/index.html