SAAC do you belong?

[Jim Maxwell]

I have been a member of SAAC for at least 20 years. The work that the Registrars do to document the history of each and every Shelby is an awesome task and is an incredibly valuable thing for all current AND FUTURE owners. Imagine having to try to track down the individual ownership history, factory records, documents, etc. on your own. Impossible for many of the cars since quite a few prior owners are now doing laps in the clouds. My personal thanks to Ned Scudder for all his efforts over the last 3 1/2 decades!
I have found the early SAAC literature to be an invaluable source of information on Shelbys for all years. I find the more recent Shelby American magazines to be nice publications, but of little help to a fanatic like myself.
The conventions are wonderful. you decide what parts excite you the most and concentrate on those. You want track time? You want literature, collectibles, parts, advice, history, or just to look over more Shelbys than you can possibly digest in the time available? I could spend the entire convention admiring all the cars, including many of the replicas. But I usually get sidetracked talking to all the fascinating stories of the owners. If you live near the site of a national SAAC meet, you owe it to yourself to attend. I'm fortunate that this year's event is 50 miles from my home. I just haven't figured out how to get 4 cars there at once. But I will.
I hope any Club Cobra member will look me up at the convention. If there are open track "parade laps", I will be giving rides, so come by. Last time, the same guy got three rides because everyone else either didn't know it was going on, or didn't ask. If you don't ask, I won't be able to have you enjoy the ride with me. Consider this an open invitation.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

I'm a SAAC member and have seen both sides of the story, firsthand......There are some in every group, no matter what club it is, there are going to be "holier than thou"......

From my expirences,the most "pompous" ones were the Shelby employees.........

Then you have guys like Kopec who took time to speak to me as a newbie about his #98 Essex Wire car and told his story of the time he ran the Gumball Rally........

Then you have guys like Howard Pardee who has spoken to me many times and we still exhange e-mails from time to time.....I helped him out with some info on a couple of cars he was tracking down in my neck of the woods......

Then you have guys like Jim Maxwell, a true car enthusiast from the word go and all around nice guy, gives people rides in his original Cobras (note plural) at the drop of a hat and lets other drive them from time to time (something I do not think I would do if I owned the cars he does).........BTW; Jim, I'll be at SAAC in VIR and would definetly like one of those rides in any of your cars, and in turn you would be more than welcome to take my track car (65 Mustang coupe) out on the track for a spin.......BTW2, It's your turn to buy the beer....
I think the "parade laps" are during the noon hour break........

I decided long ago not to let people bother me in any walk of life..........I go to the SAAC conventions to enjoy the cars and see old friends and meet new friends and that's exactly what I do and have a ball at it, no matter what anyone else does or says, I just will not let the "pompous" few spoil my fun.......

David