March 2007
The story of SA-10 # 5 by Mark Allen
I really do not know where to start. About
5 years ago I was talking with Stu Akers about the SA-10’s and after a
few minutes we where off on what happened to them. Of course Stu is
full of knowledge and had a great deal of information on all 9 cars.
One was destroyed in a fire (as the story goes), one is confirmed stolen
and never recovered, and that left 7.
Finally we came to car # 5 and what had
happened to it. Stu had found the original owner in or around 1996 and
had actually seen the car. At that time it had around 1200 miles on it.
The owner said he would never sell so Stu did not keep track of the
car. Fast forward to 2002, as always I was looking for another Saleen
and came across some notes I made on Stu and I’s chat. So just for the
fun I Google searched the original owners name (I knew the State and
Town) and what do you know there was a name very close to the one I was
looking for. After a few days I decided to call. The phone was
answered by the father of the original owner and he told me his son did
in fact still have the car and it was being stored in his (father’s)
garage. The father was a very nice man and after a few minutes he gave
me his son’s cell number. I made the call to the son as quick as I
could get the dad off the phone. To my surprise he answered. I told
him who I was and why I was calling. He told me he did not want to sell
(EVER), but he would take my name and number just in case.
Over the next few years I made the call
several times just to keep in touch. As we all know life changes and in
late July of 2006 I got the call of a life time. SA-10 # 5 was for sale
to me, if I wanted it. I made arrangements to see the car over the
following weekend. I called on Friday to make sure our meeting was
still on; to my disappointment he had to be out of town. I had to wait
one more week. That Saturday took for ever to get here. With a great
deal of excitement and a few good friends in tow, we headed off to see
the car.
When I arrived the owner, his wife and
father all were waiting in the garage for us. SA-10 # 5 was waiting in
the drive. Since Stu’s visit only a few 100 miles had been added and
her condition was near perfect. I spent the better part of 2 hours
talking with the owner and trying to get a price I could afford. The
owner was a man of his word and a hand shake would hold the car for some
time. Enough time for me to figure out how to get the money together.
Needless to say the trip home was interesting. I had just bought the
car of my dreams on a hand shake with no idea how to pay for the car.
It took me 45 LONG days to get my act together.
I brought the car home in late August 2006.
Sporting just 1,489 original miles. After further research # 5 was one
of the highest optioned SA-10’s built. Delivered at Eddie Gilstrap Ford
on 11/8/93 she was ordered with the following options
Balanced and blue printed block
Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads
Saleen SC upper/lower intake
B-trim blower upgrade
65 mm throttle
77 mm mass air
30 lb. fuel injectors
T-rex external fuel pump
Saleen blower grind camshaft
Saleen 1.6 ration aluminum roller rocker
arms
Saleen 3 row X-L radiator
Auburn limited slip differential
Tremec HD short throw transmission
Tri ladder subframe assemblies
Saleen rear sway bar
A/C center vent mount gauges
For a whopping as delivered price of
$49,749.85.
SA-10 # 5 now has a permanent spot in the
garage next to her other Saleen siblings
P.S. I have spoke to several other SA-10
owners and we are planning to get as many as possible together for the
2007 Saleen Nationals.
That would be way cool.
