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New project....Dad wrecked Saleen for the 4th time!!!


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I so want to hold my feelings in but...I just hope he keeps being lucky! But I would urge him, if he's going to drive recklessly, he do it alone next time. Looking at the passenger door his girlfriend is VERY lucky. I just don't know how I would feel if my dad was killed in a car I built for him that he really shouldn't be driving. As people age their eyesight and reflexes deteriorate. His reaction time and mental quickness, Doctor or not, are impacted. He's trying to capture or hang on to the old days of careless youth only today his carelessness may cost someone their life.

 

I pray it never happens but I would think twice before I enabled him anymore. It's not going to stop him from going out and buying something himself but he's an adult even if he doesn't always act like one.

 

Good luck!

 

-Jeff

I know your dad has a love for performance cars as we all do. Its almost like an addiction or obsession. But with his past track record with accidents I think Jeff is bringing up a very important point that needs serious consideration. It is obvious that he has a difficult time controling a performance car and if he has enough accidents, eventually he will have one where he gets hurt or worse has a really tragic out come. knowing what you know now and building him another car, and having something bad happion will leave you with remorse you will never be abel to get over. At the very least have one with the most safety features available, including full cage and harnesses.

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I have a 99 for sale :D

 

LOL...The black 99 conv you see in the first pic I have for sale too...will sell it for $10K if any one wants it...has a brand new 01 Cobra motor, trans and clutch as well as new windsheild, battery and 01 Cobra wheels...

 

Will get more pics of the 98 up and start the new project in the next few days...98 is completely gutted now...

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Here is some more progress. Car is pretty much parted out and almost ready to go to the wrecking yard. We are taking all the nuts bolts and clips off the car too to transfer on to the new chassis which is a 13K mile car that was hit in the front that I parted out 10 years ago to build a Factory Five Racing Cobra Kit Car. The front aprons and radiator support will be cut off this car to put on the new chassis as it is still perfect.

 

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Also too..the other 3 X he wrecked this car, the paint shop that fixed it did a terrible job...bad welds, overspray everywhere, color not matching etc. Anything salvagable will be re-used, cleaned up and detailed, anythign not will be thrown out. His K-member is bent, so we are going to install a new tubular one, or find an unhit original...

 

I still think he is crazy to want this project done...he can afford any car he wants, but insists this is his favorite body style, so we'll keep on going...if you all keep wanting updates, I will keep posting the progress here...

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I read the story and looked at the first pic.... hmm, not too bad

 

scrolled down to the second pic and let out a "HOLY S**T!"

 

His insurance company must LOVE him!!!!

 

Yeah..In British Columbia, Canada there is only one insurance company BCAA. He pays over $3500 per year for his Lincoln LSE and the Saleen. They paid him $32K CAN and let him keep the car, but told him it can NOT be put back on the road...this is why we are transfering all the parts to another car!!

 

He says he hit oil on the road around a corner and hit a small tree with the front fender and spun the car around into a pole. Airbags did not deploy. Again, I can not stress enough adding subframe connectors to any 79-04 Mustangas this is what saved his girlfriend from being crushed. The seat and the floorpan crushed to the subframe connector.

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got the new car prepped today...scuffed, primed and undercoated underside, and painted all components to prevent rust as he seems to like driving in the rain and snow (against my approval, obviously!!) Will get some new pics of the build uploaded in the next couple days...

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got the new car prepped today...scuffed, primed and undercoated underside, and painted all components to prevent rust as he seems to like driving in the rain and snow (against my approval, obviously!!) Will get some new pics of the build uploaded in the next couple days...

AND, your dad will wreck it again! :hysterical:

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LOL...The black 99 conv you see in the first pic I have for sale too...will sell it for $10K if any one wants it...has a brand new 01 Cobra motor, trans and clutch as well as new windsheild, battery and 01 Cobra wheels...

 

Will get more pics of the 98 up and start the new project in the next few days...98 is completely gutted now...

 

 

99 Saleen Cobra

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  • 1 year later...

I thought I would bring this post back up for you all to see the finished project. It has been finished for a while, I just haven't had the time to take pictures and post. For those of you that don't know the story, go back and read the first three pages, you will get a kick out of it!!

 

All in all, the car cost over $20K to put back together, plus I gave him a clear title 13K mile 95 Cobra chassis, and all my labor for free. We worked on it in between my own projects and customer projects. Basically the car is better than new now, and he loves it once again. Only this time, I am keeping the car down in Palm Springs for him to drive when he is down here instead of shipping it to Canada for him to drive in the snow and rain!!

 

He was down here for my birthday last month and got pulled over by one of my cop friends, who in turn called me on my cell phone and told me he had a red Saleen pulled over with a guy in it claiming to be my father. He was going 80 in a 50 and got out of the ticket. My buddy that pulled him over luckily was a Mustang guy ( I built him a 650 RWHP 03 Cobra, a 450 RWHP 97 Cobra and a 580 RWHP 02 Lightning) Long story short, I didn't let my Dad drive the car the rest of his trip and gave him a Lincoln Towncar to drive that will keep him out of trouble. Several of my cop friends have come by my shop since to tease me about my Dad....

 

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Alex

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LOL...Lots of questions...

 

 

Dad's girlfriend is in her 20's, younger than me. Weird, but a late midlife crisis??

 

Why didn't I paint Chrome Yellow again?? He wanted Torch Red after seeing several of my cars that color ( 94 Cobra, 03 Cobra, 07 Z06) I think yellow was bad luck for him. I also built him a Lincoln LS in Yellow and he wrecked it several times too...As far as the VIN, it is illegal to swap them, even if you own both cars, so I did not. Anyone that buys the car in the future will get all the documentation, plaques, and pictures of the car as it was before as a 98 Saleen Cobra.

 

I think overall, the car turned out great and is better than new, and is a clear title 95 Cobra with 13K miles with all the parts that were usable off a 98 Saleen Cobra.

 

As far as being a good son..I like to think so, but my Dad was pissed off that I took the car away and gave him a Towncar to drive while he was here....

 

Son's should be able and wiling to clean their rooms and garages.....

 

Alex

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  • 2 weeks later...

he has a Lincoln LSE I built for him too..also yellow...it is way less HP and he has wrecked it 2X...I think I need to put a cage in the Saleen this time!! If it weren't for the subframe connectors, there is no doubt in my mind that the accident would have crushed his girlfriend...it crushed all the way to the connector and crunched the seat up to that point too..not to mention buckled the roof and broke the dash in 3 parts...

 

 

How about you stipulate that he completes a driving school prior to getting the new car?

 

RP

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LOL...I've only let him drive it a couple of times since completion...I think I am going to sell it and give him a slow car with an automatic that he can drive when he comes down to Palm Springs that his girlfirend can drive too...

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