I found my Mark IA (382001028) in Fort Walton Beach, FL in 1973 about a year after I joined the Air Force. I am the third owner and paid $1200 for it from an Air Force Captain who was on a remote assignment. When he returned from Turkey he bought a new 240Z. I bet he doesn't still have that. My car had 48,000 miles on it (today it has 153,000) and was stock except for a color change (Ford Dark Red - originally carnival red) and a Holley 500 cfm two bbl. I joined CAT in March/April 1973 and have a complete set of Tiger Tales since then. I still have the original 260 but it was long ago replaced by a 289 with a wide ratio transmission. Roll bar (dealer installed) was in it when I bought it. Has been through various wars, wrecks, and restorations. Shelby signed it in 1991 when he was Grand Marshall of the Road Atlanta runoffs.
My second car is a Mark II (382100400) which I have owned since March 2011. It belonged to my good friend Frank Pinner who bought it about 1974. He personalized it over the years (color change, stripe, dash replacement etc.) which all seemed like good ideas at the time when we were driving $2000 used cars. Frank was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and died of agent orange disease in 1998 at the age of 52. His car sat in his widow's basement for 13 years until she called me to sell it. I got it back on the road this year and it is a work in progress. I am conflicted as to the path forward, but in no hurry since I don't intend to sell it. I may take it back to originial, or I may leave it the way he wanted it as kind of a memorial.
Attached are some photos - the Mark IA photos are from the recent article in Motor Trend Classic, and the others show my friend Frank and the extrication of the car from the basement and the cars together. Thanks for your attention.
Bill Bulpitt/Atlanta
My second car is a Mark II (382100400) which I have owned since March 2011. It belonged to my good friend Frank Pinner who bought it about 1974. He personalized it over the years (color change, stripe, dash replacement etc.) which all seemed like good ideas at the time when we were driving $2000 used cars. Frank was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and died of agent orange disease in 1998 at the age of 52. His car sat in his widow's basement for 13 years until she called me to sell it. I got it back on the road this year and it is a work in progress. I am conflicted as to the path forward, but in no hurry since I don't intend to sell it. I may take it back to originial, or I may leave it the way he wanted it as kind of a memorial.
Attached are some photos - the Mark IA photos are from the recent article in Motor Trend Classic, and the others show my friend Frank and the extrication of the car from the basement and the cars together. Thanks for your attention.
Bill Bulpitt/Atlanta
