Group,
I purchased a new Tiger on October 8, 1965 in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. I do not have the serial number because I have only the paid note
and not the mortgage document. The dealer (Consolidated Car Company, owned
by J. W. Love and also known as Love Motor Co, Inc. or Love Motor Company)
stated that it was the first Tiger brought into Louisiana and had been used
by him as a demo. It had a few miles, maybe 1,000 to 1,500.
It was light blue with black interior, no radio. I added a Ford
Autolight four barrel on a Ford manifold. I think the carb was intended for
a 390 cu. in. The carb was so long I had to dent the firewall to provide
rear clearance for it, but the stock air cleaner and linkage fit fine. It
seems there was a v-shaped protrusion coming out from the firewall and I had
to flatten a part of it.
Later, Love wanted me to trade the Tiger even for a Shelby GT-350
with a few more miles, which I turned down. I sold the car to my brother in
1967. For reasons, I can only plead stupidity and the fact I had a 1966
Dodge Charger street hemi as a company demonstator at the time.
My brother drove the Tiger to California on vacation in August, 1968
and blew the clutch in Los Angeles. He thinks in or near Beverly Hills. He
traded the car to a Pontiac dealer on a Firebird 400 convertible.
Late in 1990, I saw an interior shot of what appeared to be my car
or a duplicate in Cars & Parts magazine in an article about a Shelby
gathering in southern(?) California. I lost the magazine but I still have a
letter from Robert J. Stevens, Editor, who took the picture but says he did
know the name or home town of the owner.
If anyone out there has a Mark I that is or was light blue and has a
dented firewall, please contact me. I promise not to try and buy the car
back (only because I can't afford it), but I would really like to know it
still exists. And I will send you a copy of the original note for $3,675.96
at $102.11 a month for 36 months!
Actually, I have never completely forgiven my brother for not towing
the Tiger back home. Would you?
Thanks for listening,
A. C. Tynes
Metairie, LA
Usetobe owner of a Mark I
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