SCOA Saleen of the Month

DECEMBER

By Bob Vervaecke, Owner

This is the story of my Saleen Mustang. I’m Bob Vervaecke, and together with my wife Ronda, we own Saleen Mustang # 00-493, a white supercharged convertible. This is the first Saleen we’ve owned, and we really do our best to enjoy the car every chance we get.

Ronda & I met in 1983. Cars played a big role in our meeting, and have been a part of our lives ever since. We’ve both owned several neat vehicles – mainly Fords, including several convertible, concours, and modified Mustangs. Our latest toy was a much-modified 1965 Shelby GT350 clone that sported many restomod touches like 17” rims, a 5.0 / 5-speed, and tubular suspension. That car defined us for 10+ years, and made several appearances in Mustang & Fords, Mustang Monthly, Mustang Times, and Mustang Enthusiast magazines. The ’65 participated in Mustangs Across America, MCA 40^th Anniversary, Mid-America Shelby Meet, and several MCA National events. Each winter we did a little more until the car finally got to where it was becoming too nice to drive. At a show in July 2005, a fellow enthusiast offered enough money to pry the 65 from us, and a deal was struck.

We wanted something as unique as the 65 was and as fun as her last convertible. I also wanted something turnkey, and low maintenance. With daughters in college and high school, time seems to be very limited anymore. The obvious solution was something late model and unique, like a Saleen Mustang! While the sale price of the 65 was enough to tempt us to buy new, we both knew we’d want something that could be driven and enjoyed. Starting with a zero-mile car would’ve probably tempted us into preserving the car instead of enjoying it!

So, the search was on, and it really didn’t take too long. I really wanted a Saleen Cobra, but as we all know, the numbers were pretty limited. We spotted a very unique car (00-68) on a local specialty dealer’s lot. After a couple test drives, it was very tempting – Ronda liked the automatic, I loved the Saleen options, but we never could warm up to the Sunburst Gold color. Really unique in it’s own way, but just not our style. We told the dealer that if that car were white or blue, it would be a deal. That car ultimately ended up in California, owned by another Saleen enthusiast. A few weeks later, I got a call from our dealer friend – he was at a collector auction in Lincoln, NE and was looking at a white 2000 281SC convertible. He gave me the numbers; I called Saleen, ran a Carfax, and gave the OK. A couple hours later, after a little negotiating involving the speedster top, I owned 00-493 sight unseen. Since it was our 21^st anniversary (August 25, 2005), I waited until dinner that night to tell Ronda what I had done.The car was more or less what we wanted and expected. Not perfect, but very presentable, with a few miles on it. We’ve been working to clean and detail the car since, along with fixing some nagging imperfections, like missing/damaged decals, floormat hook, jack, etc. The car did originally wear white wheels, and a previous owner swapped to chrome. While I prefer the present chrome wheels, I’m keeping my eyes open for a deal on a set of white wheels, just to keep. I have several friends who are Shelby owners, making me appreciate what future preservation can mean. According to Saleen, 00-493 is “one of 2 built” with its colors and option content.

While our primary interest is in maintaining the car in near-stock condition, we’ve also done some modifications based on both personal taste and preservation of original parts. Since 00-493 was a heavy, supercharged convertible, without the optional brake upgrade, I went ahead and converted to Cobra brakes all around, using plain rotors and black Mach I calipers for a more stock appearance. I also upgraded to a Magnaflow catted stainless X-pipe for improved sound and performance. From an appearance standpoint, we’ve changed to smoked headlights, a grill delete, and rear bumper lettering inserts. I also have a Saleen heat extractor hood, just waiting for paint. All stock items removed have been stored away for the future. The horsepower bug hasn’t bitten, and everything I’ve done is easily reversible. I’m always watching for Saleen accessories on the various websites and Ebay. I’ve got a collection of Saleen shirts and jackets, and my office is decorated with autographed Saleen posters, advertisements, and press kit items. I’ve also located many take-off and accessory items like hoses, filters, intercooler tanks, floormats, front bra, top storage bag, and other goodies like the Wind-gard. All my Mustang friends told me I’d never survive keeping a car “original” after owning the modified ‘65, but so far, I’m having fun with accessories and bolt-ons.

Our primary interest is pleasure driving, as we enjoy cruise nights and group outings. However, we’re both pretty particular about appearance, so the show field is a lot of fun too. We used to hit 20-25 shows a year, but have slowed up a bit lately. With a car like the Saleen, you have to enjoy the performance driving aspect as well;