My first day!

[Whiplash]

Saturday comes and the delivery truck is finally here. Interstate pulls off three expensive cars. People walk their dogs, business as usual. Some people slow down to see if it's a movie set.

Randy starts my car and everything within a 300 yard radius stops. An old man walking his dog starts telling me about his son's Mustang. A guy in a hummer stops and asks me if I'll trade him. I give him the eyebrows, and we both laugh. One of the other cars that came off the truck sticks around to watch it come off the truck. He's stoked for both of us.

I had a guy stick a gun in my face when I was younger. Didn't faze me at all. My hands are shaking so bad I can barely get the key in the ignition to start it up for the run home. We all have a good laugh.

This morning I woke up like a kid on X-mas morning. Drymouth, at 5 am? Not since my collge days, and for different reasons

I go into the DMV and ask the girl if she has registered a specially constructed vehicle before. She says yes and asks for pictures of my tractor. Through the advice of other members and the use of this site, it's a breeze and I walk out with a temp permit for the next three months. Call my broker and have my insurance in another 30 mins.

So I need to get 100 miles on it before Mother Nature raises her ugly head and gives us the 4-letter word-rain. Going to Vegas for the weekend for supercross with 15 buddies. Thinking about the wedding coming up on the 20th in Reno after the WSCB (Yea that's the Sunday of the bash).

So I call off the work schedule and head over to pick up my friend Matt for a maiden voyage. On the way over I set off no less than 5 car alarms, had 10 thumbs up, one civic rev it's engine, a guy do a wheelie on his bike after sitting next to me, a hot girl in the haight with a GTO STOP in the middle of haight street to ask me to pull over to talk to me, a teenager on the side of the street run along the sidewalk pumping his arms in the air yelling "Fu*K YEA!!!", Umteen random people giving it the "smile" everytime I stopped at a light, gas station, stop sign, about 20 camphone pictures from various locations, one "is it real", and one scowl from a Prius driver-I told her it was next years Prius. I tried to drive it respectfully in neighborhoods with kids. They all stopped and pointed when I went by (future Cobra owners of America).

I'm worried (and fooking stoked) about the noise it's making and the first cop I come across give me a thumbs up.

All in all, it's my first day. I'm just cruising. Car has 40 miles on it. It's mild mannered and drives like a *****cat. Matt and I get to a space in the city that's kind of open-I drop 2nd and give it a little love. It's goes from *****cat to demon in less than a second, Matt laughs that nervous laugh that says "holy sh*t". I think-ok the car IS fast. I didn't tell him I only got in it about half throttle, after all I am breaking it in.

So thanks to CC for the great advice and a big shout to Jay and Vintage for putting together not only a car, but a childhood dream that has gone far beyond my very high expectations of what this experience would actually be. No issues yet except I forgot the turn the battery switch back on, and caught myself before calling anyone.

It's a completely unique and singular experience to spend any amount of time in the saddle, and one I'm proud to say, I'm finally enjoying.

Cheers

-Sean

Oh the bad news is I have been "advised" by the finance minister that it would be unadvisable to give girls I don't know a ride if they ask for one. DAMN!

[SS COBRA]

Congratulations, we took delivery of our Backdraft (#251) in Sept. 05 and when we take it for a drive now, it still feels about the same way. Hard to explain until you experience it.

[Cashburn]

I've said this before, I will say it again...

There is only one car that has the universal acceptance and appeal, we can take these to any form of automotive event (classics, cruise, auction, import, late model, foreign, rich toys, main street, etc.) and get nothing but love.

Happy to be part of the experience for you Sean. I hope you have a lot of sun block...

[h2oman]

Sorry to hear about your uneventful day.

It'll only get better, I promise.

Nothing cooler than a Cobra!

[Smoking Cobra]

Have had mine 4 years and it still makes me shiver every time i start her up.
Some nights i just take a peak in the garage to make sure she's still there and not a dream.
joeg

[tony martin]

Sean,

Congratulations On Your New Car,and Thanks To Jay For Doing Such A Good Job For U.

I Dont Know If Its The Cars,or Happy Customers Like U,but I Really DO Love My Job!!!:

May U Drive Many Many,safe,happy Cobra Miles.

[jdog]

Congratulations, my first day, is on my "best days of my life" list!

Last weekend, I parked the Cobra at the local Ford dealership to get some parts for my F250, & the sales mgr came out & offered to trade me a new Shelby GT500 for it!

I think I hurt his feelings (that's if auto sales mgr's have feelings), when I told him not for 2 of them!

jdog
P.S. Ask your 'finance minister' if the girls have gas money does it go from a "free ride" to a toll fare?

[Excaliber]

I haven't driven mine in a month or so, been very busy, blah blah blah...

Went out for a drive last Sunday. WOW, after many years it's STILL a THRILL! My first day? Burned into my memory in color! Yup, I too was shaking when I put the key in the ignition.

[imagine2frolic]

Sean, the guy with the gun is an easy thing. If he pulls the trigger absolutely everything is over. With the first turn of the key.....it is absolutely the BEGINNING!

[BDR298]

My Backdraft was delivered at 10:00 at night. I started it to put it in the garage and my neighbors came over to see what the noice was all about.
It was cold but we went for a ride. It just keeps getting better, last fall my 83 yr old aunt saw a picture of it and came over for a ride. Her comment was 'I don't want to get killed but I do want to go fast' My brother took pictures of her BIG smile when we got back home.

[SACoupe]

Where are the pics guys,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NO pics.....it didnt happen

[jdog]

Here is the first start-up of my Cobra!



A fellow Nor-Cal member took this picture, how cool is that!

Thanks again for the memory, Jim!

jdog
P.S. I re-live that moment every time I start her up!

[SACoupe]

Nice car jDOG

[DonC]

Sean:
The fun has just started.
Took delivery of my ERA in Sep. of 04 and it has been a remarkable 15000+ miles since then. Being looped by cell phone photographers on the freeway, the only thing visible from another car is an arm out the window with a thumbs up, a woman in her 70's crossing in front of the car at a traffic light giving you the "run it up" finger spin, the list goes on an on. Add to this the fact that "you meet the nicest people when you're out with your Cobra" syndrome and you have a lot to look forward to.
ENJOY THE RIDE.
DonC

[Cobra_Troop]

NIce man..I know that has to be an awesome feeeling!! I cant wait to be in that same position!!!

[ROUSHAC]

Congrats, Sean!

Wishing you many more fun safe miles.

Cheers!
Dave

[Whiplash]

So here's the update. 250 miles on it and I've met the seargent in charge of park police in SF randomly. She said it's a little loud and smiled when she gave me her business card.

Drove up above the Golden gate bridge this past weekend and as soon as I parked a 72 year old woman came over and told me a story about how she drove an original, and RENTED a Mustang GT350 back in the day. Renting a GT350 from Hertz, lol

The motor has just started to break in and it's starting to sound like it's a beast. I really try and drive mellow, I do, but I still end up ahead of everything I line up against (ok-sure there's a little of that going on here)

I remember being 6 years old, in 19xx, and seeing an original crusing down Hollywood blvd, back when they were $7k. I thought to myself, yep, I'm going to have one of those one day. For the last 30 years, I have rolled down my window and turned the stereo off when one was next to me. Trolled the sites, e-bay, etc to find 'my' car.

Now I smile when I roll up and see that window roll down.

I had a girl in the haight propose marriage this past weekend, thought I'm not sure what she looked like, it was still a smiler. The fiancee didn't like the story near as much as I did. She thought the car was a car when I bought it. Little did either of us know.

So here I am at my 250 mile blog, far far behind most of the crew here. But I'm totally stoked to be part of a very small group of pepole that owns a singular vehicle that not only inspires their owners, but everyone who seems to come into contact with it to have a smile and a good time/story.

Thanks for the well wishes guys, and right back at you. Look forward to meeting you in our travels....

-Sean

[tony martin]

SEAN,

I REALLY DONT KNOW WHO IS MORE HAPPY,U OR ME.

ANYWAY I STILL LOVE MY JOB.

WE WISH U,SAFETY,HAPPYNESS,AND FUN,IN YOUR NEW CAR.
FROM ALL AT BACKDRAFT IN SOUTH AFRICA