twobjshelbys Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Hemmings article http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/01/22/shelby-american-opens-shelby-heritage-center-in-las-vegas/?refer=news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Nice! I am assuming the fab and speed shops are all still out by the track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperNC Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Finally a reason for me to get excited about going to Vegas. Been there so many times for sales meetings, it has become mundane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark17357 Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 We are going to the 50th (to race the half marathon rather than race the car) and staying on the strip so it will be easy to pop over to the new digs while we are there in April. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Does the site by any chance have adequate parking that we might leave a trailer if visiting there in the summer. We visit Vegas a couple of times a year at least once in the summer and I'd love to tow my GT out but there isn't enough parking at our friend's to have three vehicles (car+truck+trailer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Handler Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Nice! I am assuming the fab and speed shops are all still out by the track? My buddy and I were in town last week and we stopped by Shelby American's new digs just off the strip. The offices, museum, fab, and retail are under one roof. Jer was kind enough to take time out of his day to show us around the new digs. In addition, Jer mentioned that they will soon have a retail desk for parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 So the Shelby Engine speed shop is still at the track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Everything is now here under one roof. As for trailer parking, unfortunately, no, we don't have the parking lot space we used to. Not that we couldn't possibly arrange something, of course, with enough notice. I'd give it a try for you. Jer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks for the info Jer, just wondering where to come in March to see my CSX7000 50th being built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DubbsFaris Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Wow! Congrats Mike! What a stable you are building! (Or snake farm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nshttpd Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Cool. I'm planning on stopping by in March when I'm out there for the kickoff weekend for March Madness. -steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Wow! Congrats Mike! What a stable you are building! (Or snake farm) Thanks, and yes to make room I am having to part with my '70 AAR 'Cuda, so closer and closer to a Blue Oval guy with lots of snakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ageishecker Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks for the info Jer, just wondering where to come in March to see my CSX7000 50th being built. You're being awfully optimistic about build time. You might want to ask about the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 I know Al, they told me at least a year before I could even think about driving it. And after waiting 10 months for my GT350 build last year, the last thing I am is optimistic about SAI timing. Just thinking while I am in town for the MIT geology field trip and the WAC championship tourney (which I hope my alma mater wins), I could see a few sheets of fiberglas being laid or something like that as a diversion from all the other mid-March activities... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks for the info Jer, just wondering where to come in March to see my CSX7000 50th being built. Port elizabeth south africa? And it's likely to be March 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 So SAI does nothing at all in 'Vegas for the CSX units???? I may have been hallucinating, but when I picked up my GT350 last June, I remember many CSX bodies under various stages of construction in the fab shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 So SAI does nothing at all in 'Vegas for the CSX units???? I may have been hallucinating, but when I picked up my GT350 last June, I remember many CSX bodies under various stages of construction in the fab shop. In a nutshell, no. Well sort of. The fiberglass cobra shells are manufactured by HiTech in South Africa (at the same plant that makes Superformance Cobras). Normally the aluminum bodies for the CSX cars are partially built by Kirkham out of Salt Lake (and they start in Poland). Chassis installation and final trim (e.g., dash, carpet, etc) and assembly are done in Vegas. However, I don't know for certain if the alloy anniversary cars are Kirkham. When I was in the throes of deciding between a Daytona Coupe which had changed from Superformance to the Shelby CSX9000 car I was offered a hand rolled alloy car being constructed at HiTech. It doesn't matter!!!! You're gonna love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks, but somehow the lack of manufacturing involvement by SAI and the complete outsourcing of the units to third world countries like Poland and South Africa (???? are you kidding??) take a lot of the prestige and exclusivity out of the whole thing, especially considering the high price. I had heard rumors of all this, but wanted not to believe it. I avoided the Kirkham bodies (they say they are building the aluminum 50th Anniversary units), since I knew of this third world connection and outsourcing. Just a disappointment. So I guess no reason to stop by to see anything, since nothing will be happening on any CSX7000 car. I have been talking to the engine builders, they all seem to be in Windsor, Calif., but now guess I should check where the blocks, head, crank, Webers, etc. are really cast, built, and assembled. Guess I need to wrap my head around reality here. Thanks again two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Thanks, but somehow the lack of manufacturing involvement by SAI and the complete outsourcing of the units to third world countries like Poland and South Africa (???? are you kidding??) take a lot of the prestige and exclusivity out of the whole thing, especially considering the high price. I had heard rumors of all this, but wanted not to believe it. I avoided the Kirkham bodies (they say they are building the aluminum 50th Anniversary units), since I knew of this third world connection and outsourcing. Just a disappointment. So I guess no reason to stop by to see anything, since nothing will be happening on any CSX7000 car. I have been talking to the engine builders, they all seem to be in Windsor, Calif., but now guess I should check where the blocks, head, crank, Webers, etc. are really cast, built, and assembled. Guess I need to wrap my head around reality here. Thanks again two! This has been known in the Cobra community for at least a decade, maybe almost two. But at some point the pieces and parts DO come to Vegas for as I call it "final assembly and test". Many here (check out the Cobra subforum) have photos of their cars being combined in Vegas. Do don't give up yet. It's just you won't see fiberglass being laid down. To me that part of it is like drywalling a house - I used to do it myself and found it a lot of work and in the end, dissatisfying. Let someone who knows what they are doing do it. And those Polish aluminum guys ARE artists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 As for engines. The Denbestes now own Carroll Shelby Engines and as far as I know they are still manufactured at the Shelby factory in Gardena. I visited the warehouse (of Carroll's collection) and the engine factory a few years ago. I got to see one of the largest aluminum CNC machines in the country (about the size of a bus) manufacture an aluminum 427 block from start to finish. It took a little over an hour. As an engineer, tt was one of the most exhilarating things I'd ever seen. Then they had another block had been built into an engine being final assembly and put on the dyno and fired up for the first time. Also very cool. But if you want the most awesome Shelby engine get the one with the hemi heads. !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 This has been known in the Cobra community for at least a decade, maybe almost two. But at some point the pieces and parts DO come to Vegas for as I call it "final assembly and test". Many here (check out the Cobra subforum) have photos of their cars being combined in Vegas. Do don't give up yet. It's just you won't see fiberglass being laid down. To me that part of it is like drywalling a house - I used to do it myself and found it a lot of work and in the end, dissatisfying. Let someone who knows what they are doing do it. And those Polish aluminum guys ARE artists. You're right, things are very different today. But I really enjoyed watching the fiberglas artisans in Ohio at the MFG plant building my 2012 Corvette ZR1 body, and all the process from Wixom's GM Power-Train Performance Build Center (where I built the engine myself) through to final assembly in Bowling Green. Yes, it is mundane, but Americans can do this. I have been to Poland and South Africa many times on business, they never impressed me as manufacturing folks, seemed very inefficient and slow, maybe that is why it takes a year or more for a body from them? Anyway, it is what it is, take it or leave it, guess I will make the best of it and focus on the engine which surely, from Shelby Engines, will actually be made in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Johnston Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 The Shelby engine blocks are done at the Shelby plant in Gardena, but the assembly is done in Denbeste's northern CA fantastic engine shop. The work and testing is of the best quality. Hey, Jer, I will be in LV to see the shop in early Feb. and hope to get a tour as well as catch you and Gary P. while there. Is there a better time of day to catch you guys? I will have the usual bribes from Hawaii. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Don, Absolutely. Mon/Wed/Fri are the best days... Let me know! Jer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Johnston Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 We are shooting for Fri, Feb. 7 or Mon., Feb. 10, right now. Are there any white walls for signatures in the new location or is that concept all done away with? Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 We are shooting for Fri, Feb. 7 or Mon., Feb. 10, right now. Are there any white walls for signatures in the new location or is that concept all done away with? Don Those dates should work… Currently no signature walls... Jer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperNC Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 In a nutshell, no. Well sort of. The fiberglass cobra shells are manufactured by HiTech in South Africa (at the same plant that makes Superformance Cobras). Normally the aluminum bodies for the CSX cars are partially built by Kirkham out of Salt Lake (and they start in Poland). Chassis installation and final trim (e.g., dash, carpet, etc) and assembly are done in Vegas. However, I don't know for certain if the alloy anniversary cars are Kirkham. When I was in the throes of deciding between a Daytona Coupe which had changed from Superformance to the Shelby CSX9000 car I was offered a hand rolled alloy car being constructed at HiTech. It doesn't matter!!!! You're gonna love it. I think that is also the same company that makes the bodies of the Backdraft Cobra's as well. If not, I know they come from South Africa. It's a small world these days. Looking forward to visiting the new Shelby location upon my next trip to Vegas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARALD KELLEY Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hemmings article http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/01/22/shelby-american-opens-shelby-heritage-center-in-las-vegas/?refer=news Great article. Grand opening in conjunction with the Mustang 50th, awesome! Read in MCA Mustang Times that a reception is planned at SA. Cannot wait to see the new facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sgt Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 NO SIGNTURE WALL come on that's part of going to Shelby's part of the history at Shelby . Come on get us our WALL . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeljgt500kr Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 NO SIGNTURE WALL come on that's part of going to Shelby's part of the history at Shelby . Come on get us our WALL . +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helge Ruchelski Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 +2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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