In a message dated 3/6/99 12:44:22 PM Pacific Standard Time,
rpalmer@ames.ucsd.edu writes:
<< I, however, feel personally much less indebted to
Mr. Shelby than either Mike or Rande seem to. I do like to hang out with
Shelbyites; e.g., Cobra Club and Shelby Club events at Willow Springs, etc.
A lot of great people, fun to be around and drive with/against. But as far
as Mr. Shelby per se, I don't feel the Tiger marque owes him much. >>
Bob-
I don't feel indebted to Shelby for being the first group (I think Ken Miles
was already employed by Shelby American when he did the first conversion,
maybe not) to effect the V8 transplant. The fact is, Garrad could have hired
any number of West coast fabricators to do the same job (Troutman and Barnes,
perhaps?). The fact remains that Shelby's shop did the first conversions,
figured out the engine set back parameters, fitted a rack and pinion (with the
genius of hot rodding, Doane Spencer behind that choice) and built/fabricated
the prototype. To me, that is a more significant engineering feat than the
work which went into subsequent "Shelby" autos and requires us, as Tiger fans,
to acknowledge their contribution.
Mike
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