New Member and original owner

[jwfisher]

Good morning -

I'm an original SVO owner from the eighties. I bought the car brand new because for the previous two years I'd been a Pit Marschall at the infamous the Longest Day of Nelson Ledges. This is of course where Ford tested the development success of their SVO prototypes - in a 24-hour showroom stock endurance race!

I paid full price for it (around 17 grand in the original '80s dollars), bought it right off the lot. Had it out on Watkins Glen just a week later and of course it was a superior track car. Compared to my previous track car, a 1983 302 GT, it was probaly about 1000% better (and it's brakes wouldn't die after afew laps!). I hated the GT, and of course the SVO was everything the GT was not.

I have some unique pictures of the Ford development cars at Nelson Ledges - pics like these don't exist anywhere else (and are copyrighted). See them on my site http://www.DrivingEnthusiast.net along with my original article detailing what Ford did, the impact it had on me, and how the race event turned out.

I ask you not to copy the pics and article; my intent is to turn the article into an article for a magazine. This is not a financial objective; my goal is to help ensure that the SVO legacy is remembered by more people.

It's really great to see SVOCA still up and running... it speaks to the normous impact SVO had on the hobby and on FMC. It set the direction for the company, and it set the initial direction for the SVT product lineup (until they turned into poor handling muscle cars in '03). All in all, a very significant car.

I'd like to see a history forum in SVOCA... where we could discuss the history of the car in the early years and throughout it's SCCA career. There are several people around who still remember aspects of that. I also have some experience with the Watkins Glen pace cars (a pair of SVOs), and long ago I use to see Ron Smaldone in his SCCA SVO at events I worked - including one event at Nelson Ledges where the car ended the event upside down.

[SVOeric]

Hey Jeff -- Welcome!
I'm glad to see you found your way here.

Thanks for the idea on the history section, that don't sound like a bad idea at all. We do get into history discussions quite often, but normally in the lounge.

A few of us will be gathering up for the reunion 2005 in KY this year, we'd love to have you join us --
www.svoca.com/events/reunion05

[Gator]

NICE !!! Thanks for sharing that, and welcome !!

Those same tire barriers are still at Nelson's :D

[lonchair]

Welcome to a fellow Austinite. I remeber your site well. I read it several times when i first got my SVO.

[svobud]

Jeff,

Thanks for the Nelsons story. That's got to be my favorite documentations on the SVO of all times. I might suggest you try a quick SEARCH - and look for Jim Smarts email that's listed here. He's an editor for Mustang Monthly and was interested in doing more SVO articles - especially ones based on the history.

Glad you finally made it onto our forum. WELCOME!!

[NavySVO]

Here is the thread.

http://www.svoca.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8888

[svobrown]

I also have read that many times. Good to see you checking up on us.
How is your car now after all these years. Any pictures?
Thanks for the great reading.

[svono50]

VERY COOL! I haven't read that story in some time and it is still a great read. I feel honored that JW has joined our community and look forward to his insites.

On a little side track, yesterday I recieved a vintage 1982 copy of a magazine (doh, can't remember what mag) that had the Nelson race SVO coverage and now need to compare it to JW's account. :cool:

[svobud]

Originally posted by svono50


On a little side track, yesterday I recieved a vintage 1982 copy of a magazine (doh, can't remember what mag) that had the Nelson race SVO coverage and now need to compare it to JW's account. :cool:

This one Ted? Road & Track (http://svoca.com/history/82_road_track_sm.jpg)

Guys - take a second and look through our HISTORY section sometimes. We try to list all kinds of cool memoribilia there.

[jwfisher]

Originally posted by Gator
NICE !!! Thanks for sharing that, and welcome !!

Those same tire barriers are still at Nelson's :D

Did they ever clean the johns? Yuck!

[jwfisher]

Originally posted by SVOeric
Hey Jeff -- Welcome!
I'm glad to see you found your way here.

Thanks for the idea on the history section, that don't sound like a bad idea at all. We do get into history discussions quite often, but normally in the lounge.

A few of us will be gathering up for the reunion 2005 in KY this year, we'd love to have you join us --
www.svoca.com/events/reunion05

I'd like to see history in it's own section, to keep it more easily preserved and separate from all the blather in the lounge. IT wouldn't be a huge forum, but it shoudl be relevant stuff only.

[jwfisher]

Originally posted by SVOeric
Hey Jeff -- Welcome!
I'm glad to see you found your way here.

Thanks for the idea on the history section, that don't sound like a bad idea at all. We do get into history discussions quite often, but normally in the lounge.

A few of us will be gathering up for the reunion 2005 in KY this year, we'd love to have you join us --
www.svoca.com/events/reunion05

I would like to join you sometime, but this year is out. I foresee making an illustrated presentation out of my web article, adding some additional info I haven't put in there. Let's talk about me doing that next year... in fact you should bring the group down to Texas and we'd do a high speed drivers education event at Texas World Speedway too.

[jwfisher]

Originally posted by lonchair
Welcome to a fellow Austinite. I remeber your site well. I read it several times when i first got my SVO.

Thanks!

I heard there is an SVO running around town with a late model IRS in it? Not original, so I'm not crazy about that, but apparently it's still SVO-powered?

[jwfisher]

Originally posted by svono50
VERY COOL! I haven't read that story in some time and it is still a great read. I feel honored that JW has joined our community and look forward to his insites.

On a little side track, yesterday I recieved a vintage 1982 copy of a magazine (doh, can't remember what mag) that had the Nelson race SVO coverage and now need to compare it to JW's account. :cool:

I'd like to see that, too. Any chance of getting a scan? I don't have any articles left in my library about how the outside world saw those events... if they did at all (except in C&D and R&T, who races against each other there for about 3 years or so).

My recollections are to my best memory... and there is even more I need to add to them. Like Jack Rousch running around, more on the cheating (and burning, I extinquished one once that came in on fire) Camaros, and my weird encounter with James Brolan...

[JTurbo]

Jeff, Right after I read your original post, I just happened to be flipping through an old issue of MMFF (Nov99) and low and behold, you're web site is featured on P38 (Cyber Stallions).

It's the same issue as the Mustang Triathalon that featured Ken Shultz's 86 9L comp prep. :D

Thanks for sharing the goods!

JT

[jwfisher]

Thanks, yes, I've got a PDF of that issue and the original hung up in my library.

[lonchair]

Originally posted by jwfisher
Thanks!

I heard there is an SVO running around town with a late model IRS in it? Not original, so I'm not crazy about that, but apparently it's still SVO-powered?

That ones not me. My car is a Black 85.5 with a Red. White and Blue grand sport stripe on the driverside fender and 98 GT "waffle" 5 stars. I live in north Austin (183/Duval area) and work down town. Hope to see you on the freeways.

I'd love the chance to see any memorabila you have. I've got a fare sized SVO related magazine/brochure collection myself.

[jwfisher]

I still haven't seen your car... unfortunately I haven't seen an SVO in a few years here in Austin.
And I'm in the market for one myself now - 85.5 or 86.
I have updated my SVO article, and moved to a dedicated URL for my overall site. See it on my sig.

[SVOeric]

Thanks for the update Jeff. We have several members around texas, I'm sure they will speak up if they see an svo for sale.

[stickman73]

alot of great material, alot of info I would have never known.
thanks.

[jwfisher]

My pleasure....

[tonye]

thanks for the pics and write up

[Ken Potter]

I was just Googling stuff on the Pace Car, and what do you know this came up. I'm just bumping it now so I can come back later today.

Does anybody have Jeff's contact info? I've looked around on all of his links and couldn't find where to get it touch with him.

[jwfisher]

"Feedback" at the lower left of the page. Too much spam to leave an email address anywhere out there...
And, yes, I had a Pace Car too. And would like to have another... but first another SVO - a grey 85.5/86!
Also, on the site, I made a separate category just for the SVO stuff. If I ever get some time, I'll raid my library and copy some more stuff out there. For now, my SVO story will have to do...

[Ken Potter]

I now own the 84 SVO Watkins Glen Pace Car and would like any info you might have on it. I've been in contact with Mark Steigerwald curator of International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen. He is chasing after some photos for me. I have also mailed a letter today to John Scott who owns the 85.5 Pace Car.

I'm waiting on a price and delivery of a period correct Dietz amber 4 light roof bar that appears in this pic.

[jwfisher]

The 84 was there for a very very short period of time... I understand that something had gone major wrong with it. I worked events there in those years, specializing in grid (so that I could be close to the racecars): all the SCCA events, IMSA events (particularly the 24-hour showroom stock enduros), and others. And drove in a bunch of open track events there as well (and even a high speed auto-x earlier when the track was in receivership) - culminating in a wild 165-MPH blast down the (uninhibited) back straight in my last event there with the SVO (which required 2:73 gearing and an open side exhaust, with cyl head mods and more boost - I can report that the car's aero did not work well at that speed at all, it was nose high).

I did get a "pace" ride at speed a few times in the 85.5 white car and saw it in use for a few years. It was usually the same guy driving it - he was very smooth and always on the right line - while simultaneously tracking the traffic behind him. I may have a picture taken inside the car somewhere - I will have to go thru some old negatives to find it one of these days. I was interested in the car and made inquires before it was finally sold - my dealer (Rick Muck @ Muck Motors) was connected extremely well with Ford and brokered a deal for me. However, I unfortunately turned it down. It was 100% stock, other than the pace lights. Although it did have to go back to the dealer regularly for brake pads et al. An engineer at Ford later claimed that they developed the pads on this 85.5 that later became the Crown Vic police package (they were never offered on the SVO, but were functionally interchangable). Those pads and the aluminum pistons in the calipers were the hot ticket for upgrading the SVO brakes when they surfaced again years later in the SVO catalog (and were used in the '87-93 Saleens). You'll note that I built up a '91 with these brakes several years later (detailed on my site) and had the opportunity to take it to the Glen in '93.

Whatever you do, get yourself to Watkins Glen for a track weekend. It's such an absolutely awesome place, it's one of the top three tracks in the country, and a weekend there is just a fantastic experience in so many ways.

And, yes, I think it's a damned shame that Ford is no longer sponsoring this great track (and Bondurant, too). Ford has let us all down in so many ways, most recently in this overweight pig mistakenly labelled as a Mustang. The car has no sporting ability at all. And just when SVT started to look good - although hampered by terrible quality and lack of even adaquate testing - the entire concept is gone. The concept of form follows function, of building a "complete" car where handling dynamics preceeds power. All gone now.

So I'm glad to see people preserving the history. The SVO was the first serious car Ford had built in years and years... we may not see it's equal again.

One of these days, I'll do a presentation at the SVO national convention and talk up the entire Nelson Ledges event. It was a huge milestone for Ford.

(oh, and I apologize, I thought at first you meant an Indy Pace Car, because I had one of those too and was just looking at one earlier today)

(Note: I've just updated my Nelson Ledges article as well)

[coop]

Jeff

what are you doing here? :LOL:

I am also looking for an 85.5 or 86 SVO, had an 86 back in 92-93 and wish I had kept it.

See you in June