From our friends at Saleen Automotive.
Great Scott! Look what just arrived from the future! Who would want a Saleen Mustang used in a remake of Back to the Future?
[Source: Saleen Automotive]
HAPPY BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY!
Tag Archives: News
PARNELLI JONES INTERVIEW WITH A.J. GORDON ON CARSTORIES
The Jones’ Always Beat the Odds Podcast
Oct 20, 2015
Podcast Interview By A.J. GORDON
Article Written By YOAV GILAD
Growing up Mr. Parnelli Jones was into horses but when he turned 16 he sold his horse and bought a hotrod. After that, he was unstoppable. It was a 1923 Ford T-bucket, the same kind of car that he’d seen Troy Ruttman racing at Carrell Speedway. He still remembers Ruttman started at the back and fighting his way to the front to win the race. Jones started racing his car about a year later at the same track. “It was a radical car—needed a lot of maintenance,” but the car and the link to Ruttman fascinated him and so Jones raced it.
Jones loved racing, it really captivated him, but he wasn’t a natural, he really had to learn. After wrecking his car week after week, he blew his engine and finally didn’t have the money to fix it. A guy told him he’d build an engine for Jones, if he’d just slow down and stop trying to win at the first corner. Over time something clicked because he began finishing a bit more, and finishing well. But there were still crashes.
After becoming more consistent, Jones began earning his way and being able to keep his car out of trouble and win some races he started climbing the ladder and was invited into different racing divisions. He raced at Gardena Stadium (Carrell) every Sunday and Jones thinks it was this exposure that led him into Modifieds (finished first in his first race), Midgets (finished second overall in his first season), Sprint cars, and Stock cars. “I’m the kind of guy who liked to see what’s on the other side of the hill.” If someone offered a ride in a different type of car, Jones was in. There was a period during which he was driving about 65 races per year.
And although the danger was always present, he was lucky enough to never spend a night in the hospital.
By the time he went to Indy, he was pretty well established. Jones guesses that he could’ve gone sooner, but he waited to ensure he’d have a strong car. Asked if he was intimidated, Jones replies that he realized that legends “Put their pants on one leg at a time,” just like he does. Perhaps it’s because Indy 500-winner Jim Rathman approached a then-rookie Jones in the pits to find out how he had passed him. Jones would win the famous race two years later.
He’s also known for racing, and winning, in major off-road competitions such as the Baja 500 and Mexican 1000. Why did he enter off-road competition? Jones was goaded into it by Bill Stroppe who said, “Well, you’re probably not man enough, anyway,” when Jones initially refused Stroppe’s offer. He was man enough.
Ironically, Jones didn’t encounter his greatest challenge until his sons began racing. PJ and Page, are Jones’s boys and both fell in love with mechanical things very quickly. They could both ride a motorcycle by age four. But Jones didn’t want them to race. They kept asking though, and eventually he relented. In their first kart race, PJ won and Page crashed, but both loved it and wanted to keep racing.
Over time, it became clear that Page was a phenom, winning 18 of 42 races in stock cars or open wheels, in one season. In one race, the following season he understeered badly into the wall, flipped and was struck in the roof by a pursuing racecar. The collision didn’t look too bad on TV, but Parnelli received a call from the hospital in Ohio and the doctor told him to come out. It was a very serious crash.
Page suffered traumatic brain and spinal injuries. A nurse guaranteed that he wouldn’t walk out of the hospital. She was right, but he survived and went into rehab.
Over the last twenty years, Page has learned to walk, talk, and live normally again. It has been a fight to survive and re-learn all that we take for granted. “We just pushed and pushed… Judy and I never accepted that this was where he was going to stop,” Parnelli recounts. All the Jones’ refused to give up or accept his condition as an unchangeable constant.
And somehow, it’s as though they knew Page would regain his faculties from the beginning. “We had a great friend in Rich Sloan,” who has filmed Page’s entire recovery. He showed it to some folks in the movie industry who wanted to produce it. And so they did. It’s called Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones.
But it isn’t a documentary about racing or cars. If you watch it for wheel-to-wheel action or high-speed Indianapolis highlights you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s about a man and a family beating the odds, and their strength, determination, and will.
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[Source: Carstories.com]
WM GTA DEBUTS CHINA SALES OFFICE
From our friends at Saleen Motors International.
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[Source: Saleen Motors International]
1st XP (98-0001X) OFFERED ON eBay
Price: $16,500.00
VIN: 1FMDU32P2TZA60309
Vehicle Title: Clear
Year: 1996
Make: Ford
Model: Explorer
Sub Model: XLT
Body Type: SUV
Number of Cylinders: 8
Engine: 5.0 Liter 302 cu in
Fuel Type: Gasoline
Transmission: Automatic
Exterior Color: White with Black Stripes
Interior Color: Gray
Mileage: 107,947
For Sale By: Private Seller
eBay #: 221883928505
This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Most people have never seen, ridden in or owned a Saleen Explorer, this is your chance to knock out all 3 in one shot. As if that is not good enough, you have a chance to see, ride in and own the very first one ever built! This in the original prototype and first production XP8 Performance Utility Vehicle. It was built on a 1996 Ford Explorer XLT chassis (registered/titled as a 1996 Explorer) and utilized as a press vehicle and test mule for the company. This vehicle was featured on the original Saleen Explorer Sales Brochure, Saleen Performance Parts catalog and numerous periodicals during 1997-1998. This is not the XP8 in the MotorTrend video. 98-0001 and 98-0002 (built on a 1997 chassis) were both featured in a lot of the early photoshoots and appearances. 98-0002 had a carbon fiber hood, 98-0001 did not. I have a lot of documentation and paperwork on this vehicle all the way back to the original owner (the daughter of Steve Saleen’s former business partner). Options are the key in figuring the value of these XP8’s. This has all the options that were available at the time (the carbon fiber hood, Alcon brakes and Saleen pedals were not available yet)
Drivetrain:
5.0L motor with Powerdyne supercharger, 4 speed automatic transmission, 3.73 limited slip rear axle and Borla exhaust.
Exterior:
Crystal White paint, XP8 aerodynamic body kit (Front fascia, side skirts, rear bumper and rear wing) and carbon fiber mirrors
Interior:
Medium Graphite interior, Recaro Trend front and rear seats, Saleen instrumentation, carbon fiber accents (dash, rear console, steering wheel) and CoCo floor mats
Other:
Racecraft Suspension and Speedline magnesium wheels with Falken Ziex 255-55-18 tires (they have about 1500 miles on them)
I have owned 4 of these over the years. They are all special for different reasons. The XP8 specific parts are made of unobtanium. In most cases the only place to get one is from another XP8. There are several parts that are specific to this vehicle. It is one of two with these front and rear bumper (notice no gills) covers and the carbon fiber rear console. There is also a set of one, maybe two off carbon fiber rear diffuser covers that go with the vehicle but are not currently on the vehicle. They were damaged years ago. This is one special truck and holds a special place in Saleen history. Imagine if you had the chance to buy the first Saleen Mustang.
I have a lot of rare XP8 items that the next owner will have the first chance of refusal to purchase. I will not sell any of them without the vehicle. They include but are not limited to Saleen carbon fiber hood, extra Speedline magnesium wheel, XP8 blanket and throw pillows, Saleen Explorer Banner, NOS set of rear CoCo floor mats, Saleen boost/vacuum and fuel pressure gauges and a full set of Chicane stainless steel lug nuts. In addition, I have magazines, magazine articles, an original copy of the press release and photos featuring this vehicle. I have spent many years collecting this stuff at great time and expense. Any of these items that the new owner decides not to buy will go up for sale in the future.
As can be expected of a 19 year old vehicle that has over 100,000 miles and 4 owners, there are some items that you may want to know about. I tried to get a picture of the ones that could be photographed. There is a scratch on the drivers door, a chip in the paint just above the rear license plate, multiple scuffs on the front bumper, some of the paint has flaked off between the hood and the windshield and just above the windshield, the transmission leaks and is starting to slip under heavy acceleration, the check gauges light is on as soon as it warms up but I have never had any problems with any of the gauges, the fuel reset light is on at idle when it is in park (I believe this is due to the 255 lph Walbro pump in the tank) and the check engine light does not work. I know it is not on because I have always been able to smog it. Maybe the bulb is out or it was disconnected at some point.
I have done my best to describe this truck to the best of my ability. With that said, it is a 19 year old, 107,000 mile vehicle and is sold as is, where is. You are encouraged to come see it in person prior to bidding. I am not interested in any trade and do not need to sell it by any means. I hate to see it set and it deserves to be driven and enjoyed. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have if you are serious about acquiring it.
Good Luck!
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2015 SPORT CAR CLUB RACE EVENT
From our friends at Saleen Motors International.
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[Source: Saleen Motors International]
#FridayFacts
From our friends at Saleen Automotive.
#FridayFacts is a new segment we will be posting occasionally on Fridays. This week’s fact is:
Among several other cars we built for the new Need for Speed movie, we built camera cars to be able to keep up with the supercar chase scenes in the movie.
[Source: Saleen Automotive]
19th ANNUAL SALEEN CAR SHOW & OPEN HOUSE
18th ANNUAL CHENGDU MOTOR SHOW
The 18th Chengdu Motor Show
CDMS 2015
The 18th Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS 2015), the premier event for both domestic and overseas auto giants foray into western market, will take place from September 4 to 13, 2015 at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center (CCNICEC), Chengdu.
Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS) is a motor show of high standard, premium quality and rich content. International brands, joint venture brands and domestic self-brands have all made their presence by displaying their most coveted products.
Last year, CDMS 2014 covered an exhibition area of 150,000 sqm, attracted over 1,300 vehicles from 102 auto brands. The proportion of auto makers directly involved in the show is up to 98%, with a historical record of 68 debut vehicles and 17 concept cars. There were a total of 32,652 vehicles, including 973 luxury versions, total visits were well over 674,500 during the 10-day show. 7,125 domestic and foreign reporters from over 2,200 media covered this grand occasion.
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[Source: Saleen Motors International]
PERFORMANCE AUTOSPORT MOVES TO NEW DIGS
From our friends at Performance Autosport Inc.
All moved in to our new location, 6403 E Dickens Place and our number is still 804-358-2505.
[Source: Performance Autosport]
VIDEO: SALEEN S7 TT (05-056) SURPASSES PRE-SALE ESTIMATE
From our friends at RM Sotheby’s.
Published on Aug 18, 2015
Relive the auction action of the Pinnacle Portfolio as another highlight from the unprecedented collection, the 2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, crosses the auction podium. One of only two competition package-equipped S7s, capable of producing 1,000hp, the ultimate American-made supercar brings a final price of $682,000, well exceeding its pre-sale estimate.
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[Source: RM Sotheby’s]