Our Excellent Adventure to Amelia Island Florida

[Aero426]

The Porsche 917 to me is simply the greatest racing car of all time. All those together, WOW!

I really appreciate your thoughts on the Hugh Hawthorne Superbird. After all the years of a line or two in a magazine about it it finally surfaces. Even if it wasn't built in 1970, to me what it shows is the thinking of the period 1972-1978 or so. Now that you have the Stott car,have really looked over the K&K car, closely looked at the Marcus car, and more I'd guess that you have a new feel for how the different teams built things up.

The 917 was my favorite Aurora HO slot car as a kid and the display was awesome, that's for sure.    The Hawthorne Superbird certainly warrants its own thread for discussion.
 
Porsche 917-10 Can-Am Turbo Panzer


Martini 917 Longtail - the "Hippie Car"



The #20 car in the background is McQueen's car from the movie Lemans.

[C5HM]

Awsome gathering of cars. Simply incredible.

The #7 fits right in there with the other cars. Great photo's as well Doug.

Doug's car fits in even better since it is real.

[Dave Kanofsky]

VERY COOL DOUG!  Thanks for sharing.  Love the pic's of your car next to The King's.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Wow, this was an awesome post!  Great narration of the pics (for those of us that don't know all the cars)   Definitely a once in a lifetime event.

[gtx6970]

With all those historic race cars I knew I shoulda went . Buddy of mine and his wife were there.
He has the 3rd bird built ( 1st one released for sale )


Excellant pictures , thank you , thank you, thank you 

[seagulfender]

  cool

[superbirdtom]

you always wonder where all those old racecars go. and now  we know.  I hope someone is smart enough to stash away some modern cars today  and theyll pop up someday in 2050 .

[69*F5*SE]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing the pics.   

[41husk]

WoW !!! great picks, I would need to pintch myself after attending that event.

[maxwellwedge]

Nice deal Doug! From Tim's all the way through!   

P.S. Dave Snyder will be probably be contacting you on another show.

[73rallye440magnum]

Nice pics! Do you know who owns the Hudson Italia? I've worked on a few of those. Unique cars...

[Aero426]

Nice pics! Do you know who owns the Hudson Italia? I've worked on a few of those. Unique cars...

Yes, in the program, it lists the owner as Adrienne Pschirer of Grenville SC.     Cool car, didn't they only make about 25 of them?

Also, thanks to everyone for the nice comments.    It was a great opportunity to attend the show.

[73rallye440magnum]

24 or 25. We are finishing our second one at work right now. Nice to see some wing cars thrown into the mix. Looks like all of the automotive generations were welll represented at Amelia island.

[nitrometal]

Doug,

Outstanding story and photos. What an adventure! Thanks so much for sharing all that incredible history. Those Porsche 917's are my 2nd favorite race cars of all time.  I watch that Steve McQueen movie "LeMans" all the time just to see & hear those cars running.

What really blew my mind is that Stirling Moss fell 3 stories at 80 years old and survived? That's a tough old man!!!

I'm a bit biased of course but I really appreciated the Petty Bird detail pics (more things I need to add to my car). I remember that car being mentioned before in some old posts. Could you refresh my memory? Was that a real race car?

One more question, I forgot to ask you at Talladega.  Why do you prop open the hood with the stick? Are those A-body hinges worn out or they never really supported that huge extended hood that well to begin with?

Phil

[Aero426]

Hi Phil, my impressions of the Petty car was that it was built around 1976-77 with any prior history unclear - but underhood details do not match the 1970 race cars at all.  

Yes, we were looking forward to seeing Moss at the event.    At the dinner, they played a video of him extending well wishes from his bedside.    I can't imagine falling three stories at any age and living to tell about it.    All those 917's at the show were incredible.   One of my favorite race cars as well.   I missed the 917 drivers seminar on them, but heard it was really good.

On the 7 car hood,  the A-body springs are not strong enough to hold it up.    In fact, here is a photo from 1970 at Milwaukee with the hood being propped up even back then.    

[nitrometal]

On the 7 car hood,  the A-body springs are not strong enough to hold it up.    In fact, here is a photo from 1970 at Milwaukee with the hood being propped up even back then.    

But they did actually do the job, right?  I don't remember seeing Tim's #71 car or any old photos using a prop stick.

[Aero426]

Yes the #71 hood stays upon its own.  I do not know whether the #7 hood springs could be adjusted in some way, or if they are just weak.

[moparstuart]

Yes the #71 hood stays upon its own.  I do not know whether the #7 hood springs could be adjusted in some way, or if they are just weak.

With it not having as much re-enforcement as stock hoods , I would think it would be a good idea to prop it anyway , especially out side . 

[gtx6970]

I talked to a friend of mine late last week, He's a former judge+ car recruter for the Ault Park concurs show here in Cincinnatti OH

He said this was the BEST show he's ever been to bar none, hats of to the organizers and participants of this event.

Outstanding pictures and commentary, Thanks again

[Ghoste]

It was good to meet you there too Doug.  The Amelia show is always strong on the vintage race cars and it's one of my favorite auctions for that reason.  Would it make anyone jealous to know that a fair number of the race cars were stored inside the same garage as our auction cars so I may or may not have had some very private and up close time with several of them. 
There was a very good technical seminar on the 917's a couple of days prior to the concour's as well.  I didn't get to hear all of it but what I did eavesdrop on was interesting.

[Aero426]

It was good to meet you there too Doug.  The Amelia show is always strong on the vintage race cars and it's one of my favorite auctions for that reason.  Would it make anyone jealous to know that a fair number of the race cars were stored inside the same garage as our auction cars so I may or may not have had some very private and up close time with several of them. 
There was a very good technical seminar on the 917's a couple of days prior to the concour's as well.  I didn't get to hear all of it but what I did eavesdrop on was interesting.

Good to meet you as well.   Do you know why the Mark Donohue 917-30 was inside for the Friday seminar but not on display Sunday for the show?

[Ghoste]

I don't.  I was lucky enough to get a few pics of it during the seminar but I never saw it after that.  It never came down to the garage so my only guess would be that it was taken back home for whatever reason.

[ViperDMCG]

I wish we had taken more pics along the way so we could have done like you did.
We had the Posey Challenger and the Petty kit car Challenger at the show.  I think we talked to you during the day.  It was a great show and we got second with the Posey car.  Just being there is winning.  We stayed with friends about 5 mins from Moody AFB.  My friend Jack works as a civilian worker at the base. I just got back from there this week.  I will be going back at the end of January on the way to Daytona for the Rolex 24 hour race.
I went to Ramo's house a few years back.  We were looking at the 2 Petty kit cars he had.  Way in the back of his house we found some 71 Road Runner Nascar front ends that had been cut off.  I sure wish we could have taken some of them home.  We did find a Street superbird under some junk but all that was left was the rear fenders and the front end had been folder up over the interior.  The top was gone and none of the bird parts was left.  It was Hemi Orange and had the faded out Plymouth still on the fender and the holes for the wing and the imprint where it was.  The braces under the wing were still there.  It was too far gone to be restored but the Vin number should have been on the radiator support.
We have a stock bird (Petty Blue 999) that is on the rotisserie right now and it will be a couple of years till it is done.
I have always liked the Ramo bird.  Glad it is out and being shown.  Maybe we will cross paths again some day.

Thanks  Dave

[71ChallengeHer]

Great pics and fantastic story telling. I really enjoyed it. Thanks. 

[DonC1]

I agree. Great history there.