Moving some Blue and Silver stuff for a friend, Part 1

Mar 04, 2021,07:53 AM
 

A friend asked me to help retrieve a car from his dry storage facility. 

I said, "What Car?" and he said, "My Shelby KR500". "Count me in" I reply. 
The catch is the car is down in Palm Springs and we'll have to drive down in his Porsche. Oh well.



It was cloudy when we set off from home in the Macan S. We decided to take the back way also known as "over the hill" or "the twisty way".



It's not exactly 21st century territory. 



More like 1850's.



Hey! We found the source of the Blooming Monsters in the Wilderness revealed in my White Van Man Journeys of 5 years ago!



We talked to one of the artists and learned 1, everything here is for sale, 2. shipment and installation available, and 3. today is the day to make a deal.



Sadly, we didn't have time to buy a T-Rex, or stop at the Cahuilla Casino, because we had an important appointment.



And despite being in the Porsche, we couldn't make good time in these mountains. Too much to see and a few too many cars.



 No masks up here though, at the Paradise Valley Cafe. No BMWs either, despite the Roundel on the front of the Cafe.



We left the forests and entered the high desert terrain.



Keeping an eye out for Borrego (wild bighorn sheep)



and absolutely nut-case bicyclists dicing it up with trucks on a windy cliffside road that challenged even the Porsche.



Surviving the trip, we pulled into the parking lot to see a LIMITED EDITION (400 units) Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. In 1957 this was the most expensive production car in the US - about $14,000 when a R-R was $10,000.



Today this car is $140,000. Note the nifty hinged covers on the dashboard air vents, and the unique little lenses poking out of the dash to show your blinker is working.



Notice the progression of the fins from Stubby to Dangerously Graceful in just a year or two. I would have loved to have been around then, in the Fifties. (Oh wait, I was). 
Notice the suicide doors on the Brougham, and the stainless steel top.



Interior of the yellow car is very nice, but not like the burgundy one.



There's a 12 foot-long rear quarter panel!



There were a few more inside the warehouse. It doesn't look too fancy -- most of the money paid for storage here goes to heating and air conditioning in the summer. The ceiling insulation is being replaced, so most of the cars have been moved out of this side, including the Mustang and Mini. 

Bright yellow Toronado shares a rack with Clenet Neo-classic, and a neo-Tbird.



Porsche, M-B, Avanti and Allante -- quite the mix.



Here we have a Lincoln Continental, Cadillac and Willys (?) Notice the shiny ceiling, to keep in the cool air.



Enough of that stuff. My friend’s John Cooper Works Mini was pulled up onto a flatbed for shipment to the dealership. 


I pumped up the original tires on this 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra 500 King of the Road.



The plan was for me to get the Shelby back over the mountains to San Diego in one piece, while my pal followed the tow truck to Ontario, checked in his not-running Mini, and then came south.



What could go wrong with a car like this under me?

2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR

“King of the Road” GT500 was a GT500 shipped to the Shelby Automobiles facility in Las Vegas, where upfitting to KR status was performed. The Ford SVT-engineered 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 was enhanced with a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack to boost horsepower to 540 and torque to 510 foot-pounds. The added power came via revised ignition and air/fuel calibration, a Ford Racing-inspired dual exhaust and a cold-air intake system specially designed for the KR’s carbon fiber hood.

Engine
Type: 90-degree DOHC supercharged V-8
Displacement: 5.4 liters / 330 cid
Horsepower: 540 hp @ 6,250 RPM
Torque: 510 lbs.-ft. @ 4,500 RPM
Bore x Stroke 90.22mm x 105.8mm (3.552" x 4.165")
Compression: 8.4:1

Suspension
Front: MacPherson strut, 34-mm tubular sway bar, Ford Racing front strut tower brace, uniquely tuned struts & shocks
Rear: 3-link solid axle with coil springs, Panhard rod, 24-mm solid sway bar and uniquely tuned shocks & springs

Brakes
Front: 14 in. vented Brembo disc, four-piston aluminum caliper
Rear: 11.8 in. vented disc, dual-piston caliper
ABS: Four-channel ABS system, with all-speed traction control & electronic braking force distribution

Wheels / Tires
Wheels: Unique GT500KR 18" x 9.5" machined aluminum wheels 
Tires:  Exclusive Goodyear Eagle F1 tires
Front: 255/45Zx18
Rear: 285/40Zx18

Performance
0 – 60 MPH Acceleration: 4.3 seconds 
1/4-mile @ MPH: 12.5 seconds @ 114 mph    

Ah, the Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men ... continued in Part 2




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Moving some blue and silver stuff for a friend, Part 2

 
 By: cazalea : March 4th, 2021-08:12
I eased the sleepy monster onto the road, and the skies opened up and began pelting Palm Springs with a rare winter rain. Since this was my friend's car, with a massive carbon splitter on it, and hard not-quite-round tires, I decided to take the freeway u...  

Wow, a serious road trip...

 
 By: Cpt Scarlet : March 4th, 2021-10:26
The Shelby 500KR sounds a blast if it was on new rubber. In the rain on old tires is a recipe for sweaty palms, especially in someone else’s car. Is that a new Corvette I see the last photo ? Thanks for sharing this experience Mike.

You have good eyes, Captain

 
 By: cazalea : March 4th, 2021-10:40
But I fear they deceived you in this instance. That is a “no longer new” Corvette 🙂 More info to come... ...  

That’s cheating Mike ! ...

 
 By: Cpt Scarlet : March 4th, 2021-11:40
I’m really pleased for you, congratulations ! Please tell a fellow “old” Corvette owner how you are enjoying it.

Thanks for the tour!

 
 By: nacelle : March 4th, 2021-10:41

The Avanti for me please!

 
 By: Emil Wojcik : March 4th, 2021-09:58

Here and hang on

 
 By: cazalea : March 4th, 2021-11:00

Awesome! At second 35 I could hear it, but I actually feel bad..

 
 By: K-Lo : March 4th, 2021-11:04
It’s rainy out and I am asking you for car sounds while you are driving a rear wheel drive beast 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I didn't turn it over, thankfully

 
 By: cazalea : March 4th, 2021-11:08
I promise you will get a good video soon

LOLOL 🤣

 
 By: bimbeano : March 5th, 2021-10:51
Moving stuff is always fun, unless it’s that piano i already moved twice for a friend 🥶.

Well done!

 
 By: bimbeano : March 5th, 2021-23:56
I remember the second time we moved it, my cousin got pretty annoyed. Our friend always asked us becaus ehe knew we had a big (real) truck with a loading platform. He told us to be very careful and absolutely not to slode it over the floor. One moment he ...