Messages

Anyone up in the London, Ontario area who is heading to MCACN later this month in Chicago? A friend of mine is trying to get a pair of air extractors to the show.  If anyone can help, please IM me.  Thanks.

I think this is a brilliant idea to keep everybody updated way in advance of next year's convention. I know it's a huge help for me.

I go every year. Last year I delivered a very rare AL 66 Shelby trans to a fellow SAAC  member here.This year I may be hanging  by my friends SAAC survivor gold 69 Boss 429. He drives it on the street. Here he was picking me up to go on a cruise. Incredible car.

"Baba Yaga!  I once saw him kill 3 men in a bar.. with a pencil!"

I'm hoping to go again to the Muscle Car and Corvette National's on Nov 21st and 22nd and was wondering who else will be attending from our area? 


Brian

I am not from your area but I will . I hope to see you and others there. 

Bob,

We always consider you part of the celebrity sightings at the show.  The only question is are you famous or infamous... (only kidding, I look forward to saying hi again this year.)

I'm hoping to go again to the Muscle Car and Corvette National's on Nov 21st and 22nd and was wondering who else will be attending from our area? 


Brian

I literally just spoke to him.  I feel like I want to throw up.  He was such a good guy, a rarity in this hobby.  God Bless his wife Nancy.   

I was hoping to go but dealing with a kidney stone.

It saddens me to notify everyone here that long time SAAC member John Callis of Cornelius, NC passed away today, August 10th, 2026.  He bravely battled dementia and was lovingly cared for by his sister Patricia Callis Powell.

John was born on May 31st, 1949 and grew up in Orlando, Florida.  He was a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War.  His Nascar racing career began during the 1980 season and included competing in seven Sprint Cup Series events.

Besides racing, John worked for numerous championship teams including Blue Max (Rusty Wallace) in 1989 and Robert Yates Racing in 1999 where he stayed until retiring from Nascar in 2015.

Most notably, he was also a master mechanic and when Holman Moody needed a 427 engine built for their continuation GT40's, John was the man they called.

John loved Shelbys and Fords in general and his prized possession was a 1967 nightmist GT350. 

He will be greatly missed.  Funeral arrangements are to be announced.



Here is a pretty neat interview of John with a local Carolina radio show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZRu-awVFhk

1968 Shelbys are awesome, but don't settle if you really want a '67.

I'm posting this for a guy I know.  He is located in the Raleigh/research triangle area.  This was his forever car but a family health emergency forces him to sell it. 

Here is what I know:

1968 Cougar XR7-G
Strong Numbers matching 390
C6 rebuilt with shift kit
Headlights converted from vacuum to electric
Holley carb
Factory AC (all components replaced new except dryer)
New leather interior
Custom center console
JVC stereo with apple/droid
All switches work properly
Sequential tail lights work properly

He has a Marti report stating it's an XR7-G, though it doesn't have the sunroof, hood or hood pins.  Anymore and you have to speak with him.

Here are some pics: 

https://imageshack.com/a/ghb57/1


Asking $40,000 but he is open to reasonable offers.  The car was originally born with paint code W, Saxony Yellow.

If interested, reach out to me and Ill give you his contact info.

This Memorial day weekend saw the Sandhills Motoring Expo in Pinehurst, NC come off with what started out as a rainey morning but quickly became a stellar day.  If any of you haven't made out to this wonderful event, you really should plan to in the near future.  It kicked off on Friday night with a party sponsored by Hagerty Insurance.  I'm sure many of you  know our local Hagerty representative and friend of the SAAC Carolinas club Paul Kaperonis pkaperonis@larryhelms.com   Give him a call if you need any insurance help.

The diversity of cars present was wonderful, and everyone could find something there they liked.  The town of Pinehurst is lovely and makes the perfect backdrop for an event like this.

Congratulations goes out to SAAC Carolina's members Mike and Debbie Rogers who were awarded Best in Show for the sporting class. Their car, CSX-3131 is one of only 32 Shelby 427 narrow hip Cobras produced in 1966 and one of just 10 known to remain in original body configuration with its original engine and drivetrain.  It is considered by many Cobra experts to be one of the finest examples in the world.

�There was also a red 1967 GT350 fitted with a Paxton supercharger present, though most spectators had no idea what they were looking at.  It just tells me that we still have a lot of educating left to do about our wonderful vehicles, and events like these are the perfect venue to accomplish this.
 
Here is a link to a bunch of pictures taken from this weekend:

[ https://imageshack.com/a/PPT57/1]

   
We are but a few days away from the 2026 Sandhills Motoring Expo.  There are multiple events that take place starting on Friday, May 22nd  , concluding with the concourse event on Sunday May 24th from 8:30 am to 4 pm.

To find out more information please go to:  https://www.sandhillsmotoringexpo.com/#

I'd like to thank everyone would braved the weather and came out for last Saturday's SAAC Spring event.  It took place at Gibson Mill in Concord, NC and Tom Cotter was the perfect host.  The location is perfect for car events like the Cars and Coffee that took place concurrently. 

Here is a link to some pictures from the day:.   https://imageshack.com/a/Dot57/1

We even managed to have three original Shelby Cobras (two small blocks, and one big block) on location.  We hade three 1966 GT350's, one 1967 GT350, one 1968 GT500, one 1970 GT350 convertible, three Sunbeam tigers, multiple replica Cobras, and modern GT350/500's in attendance.



A special thanks to Mike Rogers who was a long way from his usual circle at Pebble Beach.  His 427 Cobra (CSX 3131) was runner's up in its class this year.  What a privilege to have it on hand in all its 'narrow hip' glory.  Mr Cotter also brought out his famous 289 Cobra (CSX 2490), always a pleasure to see, and a small block Cobra in the midst of a full restoration.  (CSX2429).



Also, thanks to Don Nelson for bringing his '67 GT350 no. 2343, A striking combination of red with bright white LeMans stripes. Don Whitehead's carryover 6S251 and the infamous 'Mr Bill' who drove from South Carolina in his concourse restored 1970 Orange convertible GT350.  Rumors were that Bill had a full support team for the trip, including a enclosed trailer, with a bar and jacuzzi, which he ditched a mile up the road to appear like he drove all that way.  Ah, it must be nice to be rich.  There were others, and I'm sorry I didn't get everyone's name and car number.



The highlight of the day was the tour of Tom's classic car dealership and restoration shop, the Auto Barn.  He shared with us his personal workshop which included a long lost Indy race car and an original Cunningham that idled smoother than my 2025 Kia!  Amazing.



It truly was a lot of fun.

[one more time:]

As Kenny Loggins once sang many years ago, "This is it!"  Our SAAC Carolinas Spring Event is next Saturday.  Please remember, our fledgling little group depends entirely on having members show up to our once a year event.  This year it is located in what is perhaps one of the simplest to attend locations, and many folks are coming specifically just to see some unique and classic Shelby Automobiles and their corresponding replicas.  Let's not let everyone down with a poor showing, shall we?

So for redundancy sake, here are the particulars one more time: 

When:  Saturday, May 9th, 2026
At 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where:  Gibson Mill
325 McGill Ave NW, Concord, NC 28027

I have included a map to help with locating where we will be and where to park a trailer if you are utilizing one.  Please note, make sure to bring appropriate wheel chocks to stabilize your trailer as I'm told the parking lot has a slight pitch to it.

If you are lost, confused or just want to converse with another Shelby nut, you can always reach out to me at:

919 265-4081

I can't wait to see you all there.


Brian





Sincerely,

Brian R. Glover
SAAC Carolinas' Northern Representative

SAAC Carolinas
180 Providence Road
Suite 3
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919 265-4081
919 748-3012 Fax
SAACCarolinas@gmail.com

Don't we know that guy???lol
Very cool, congrats.  I never knew you owned a 67, Nevermind one of the original 40 Paxton cars.  Then put original owner, unrestored and the coolness factor is off the charts.