Larry Zane friends

[Rex Myers]

 I am looking for any of Mr Zane's New Jersey Ford friends. I met one of the men who knew Larry and did some work for him while I was at a Carlisle PA Ford event with the Alan Mann car. Looking for any help to find him. Thanks. Rex M

[shelbydoug]

Are you aware of the complete story surrounding Mr.Zane?

[rkm]

I want to hear this story. In 1980 he was going to sell me a Hertz GT 350 for $10,000.

Who knew?

[JohnSlack]

Are you aware of the complete story surrounding Mr.Zane?

Doug, what's the tale, dish....

[Bill]

So please don't come after me. This is all that I know of or remember of it.

With my brief sideswipe with the above mentioned while attempting to purchase a 68 GT350 convertible he had "on consignment" in the early 80's, I think you pretty much nailed it with your post above.


Bill

[Coralsnake]

Has anyone ever had a positive consignment experience?

[Tom Honegger]

Wasn't Larry Zane the guy that had GT 350R 001 at Downingtown, SAAC 4(?)

[CSX4781]

Wasn't Larry Zane the guy that had GT 350R 001 at Downingtown, SAAC 4(?)

Yes Larry Zane had 5R001 at Downingtown. I thought Corvette dealer Larry Megibow (sp?) was the guy with a bunch of Cobras (including a Daytona Coupe) who also had a ponzi scam going. He was out of NJ too.

[shelbydoug]

Wasn't Larry Zane the guy that had GT 350R 001 at Downingtown, SAAC 4(?)

Yes Larry Zane had 5R001 at Downingtown. I thought Corvette dealer Larry Megibow (sp?) was the guy with a bunch of Cobras (including a Daytona Coupe) who also had a ponzi scam going. He was out of NJ too.

It's so long ago. We need clarification. Ned you there?

[kram350]

Wow, never heard about Zane in this light, but I guess twenty years in the Navy took me out of the SAAC know. Went I started racing in SCCA, 1974 or so, I wrote to him about obtaining an R Model plexi rear window. He responded with a very nice hand written letter, which I still have. He stated that Bill Maier had the original vacuum form and had produced a few windows, one of which I obtained and have to this day.   

[Jhockman]

https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/southjerseytimes/name/larry-zane-obituary?id=11134183

[98SVT - was 06GT]

What I remember. His dad had a Chrysler dealership in NJ (they got in trouble with Chrysler for false warranty claims and had to send a bunch of $ back). He had some guy nicknamed "Cousin Brucie". restore 001. He tracked down Rick Titus and had him drive the car at a back east vintage race. Somewhere I have photos of Zane, his wife, Rick Titus and the Kopecs with the car - it was taken by Titus' wife. There was a magazine article on the car and race - I think Rick wrote it. Larry sent the car to the west coast (on an open trailer towed by a Chrysler station wagon) to run at Monterey. We prepped the car in Rick Titus' shop in Monrovia and tested it at Willow Springs. While cleaning the wheels I found several cracks around the spokes. Larry sent some more so those went on. At Monterey the engine blew up. When we got it back in Titus' shop and pulled it we found "Cousin Brucie" had used hardware store nuts on the rods. He said "I thought it was just going to sit in a museum". Larry sent another engine out and we put that in. He also bought another long block from Randy Gillis and it sat in my garage for several years. While I was at work one day my wife got a call that someone would be by to pick it up. I don't know who called or who picked it up but it was gone when I got home from work. Larry wanted to make an offer on the crazy chicks Daytona Coupe. We tracked her down and offered a bag of cash as a deposit. She was nice and said let me think about it. A week later we went back and found out when we were there she was moving out. The new tenants said she worked at a jewelry store in So Coast Plaza. We went there and when we saw her she said if she ever saw us again she'd call the cops. We chalked it up as a no sale. Larry also said had the Donahue R Model and a 66 LeMans Ford GT - both unrestored. I remember he was a big Redskins fan and when the whim hit he'd fly to a game with his son. On game day they'd show up and buy some tickets from a scalper.

[martyjac]

Larry Megibow owned the Glass Car Company in Butler NJ which was the other end of the state from Larry Zane. Yes, he's the one who had the collection of Cobra's and Corvettes and sold cars on consignment.

[Bob Gaines]

https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/southjerseytimes/name/larry-zane-obituary?id=11134183

I believe the R model and the GT40 came from another eccentric - Doc Recknagel. I understand that was a whole other crazy story when Zane and our Randy G. picked those up.

[rhjanes]

https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/southjerseytimes/name/larry-zane-obituary?id=11134183

I believe the R model and the GT40 came from another eccentric - Doc Recknagel. I understand that was a whole other crazy story when Zane and our Randy G. picked those up.

Was this perhaps "Doc" out of Oklahoma?  Late 1980's, had some nice cars.  Was a dentist or a podiatrist.  Showed up at the Mid-America one year with an 18-wheel car hauler with his toys on it.  Then had a few college coeds to "polish" the cars.

OR, do you perhaps mean Rick Nagel out of the DFW area?  He was a real estate wheeler-dealer who bought up a lot of the racing pedigree stuff in the late 1980's, was going to open a museum.  He would operate the cars. He brought a Daytona and a GT40 to Texas Motor Speedway (the original one) one year for the Texas Shelby show.  I've got a photo of the two cars on the track and then one of Shelby climbing out of the Daytona after a few laps.  A great friend of mine assisted in moving some of Nagel's cars for a photo shoot.  My friend said the cars were stashed in garages of the rental homes Nagel had and my friend mentioned some were in "uncomfortable" neighborhoods. 

I remember hearing the Zane name.