Colin chapman in my house?
legend behind the cowl
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Colin chapman in my house?
Well I've been Doing history on my neighborhood and I come to learn the sheppard "import car" dealership was a few blocks from here in the 50's.
Cool thing is it was the ONLY lotus dealer around back then and some works? cars were prepped for A Sebring 12 hr there. There is a story of Colin chapman testing works cars up and down bayshore blvd at "somthing over 100mph" since he was quoted as sayISg that's where the swing axle of the car became a nusance.
Well since my building was a pretty swanky hotel in those days and a few blocks from the dealership I'd like to think mr chapman stayed here. Forget George Washington this is much cooler in my eyes.
the sign for the Bayshore royal hotel (Bayshore and Howard) in the background of an Early Publicity Photo (That's where I live)
Sorry to be a geek. But now that I have the dates I can see if I can find old guest
registers.
Cool thing is it was the ONLY lotus dealer around back then and some works? cars were prepped for A Sebring 12 hr there. There is a story of Colin chapman testing works cars up and down bayshore blvd at "somthing over 100mph" since he was quoted as sayISg that's where the swing axle of the car became a nusance.
Well since my building was a pretty swanky hotel in those days and a few blocks from the dealership I'd like to think mr chapman stayed here. Forget George Washington this is much cooler in my eyes.
the sign for the Bayshore royal hotel (Bayshore and Howard) in the background of an Early Publicity Photo (That's where I live)
Sorry to be a geek. But now that I have the dates I can see if I can find old guest
registers.
Last edited by treekiller; 04-16-2010 at 12:28 PM.
legend behind the cowl
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Oh and sheppard was the ac-Bristol importer (ac ace which later became the ac "Shelby" cobra) he raced an Aston Martin at Sebring in 1959. 1959 there was also a young hot shoe serving his 5th year And last year as an Aston martin driver. "Carrol Shelby" Both drivers dropped out early that year with mechancial failures exactly 3 years prior to Shelby calling ac-cars and asking for a chassis to fit a v8 in.
Actually the dealer was 1413 south Howard (where bellas is today) quite literally across the street
Actually the dealer was 1413 south Howard (where bellas is today) quite literally across the street
Last edited by treekiller; 04-15-2010 at 09:49 PM.
Lucky
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Swanky. I like it.
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Originally Posted by JustMiata
It's like this: The toadstool juice fires through the unicorn injector into the fairy dust chamber, where the tiny wizard does his secret work...Then a gang of keebler elves get hopped up on the crystalline byproduct of the wizard's tinkering, (they smoke it) and then the elves push the spinning triangle through a series of dimensional portals to a final realm codenamed the "exhaust port..." At least that's my undersanding of rotary sorcery...
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Hmm...could explain why the elevator is half the weight of a normal one, but leaks oil....
5 Cylinders Of Fury
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Very cool. Its nice to know our area has a bit of interesting racing history to it.
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2004 S60R - 350+ HP, AWD, Custom FMIC & Exhaust, Active Suspension & A Big Set Of Brembos
2004 S60R - 350+ HP, AWD, Custom FMIC & Exhaust, Active Suspension & A Big Set Of Brembos
Crazy Camber, Stretch & Poke; its the new triple-stack-bleacher-wing ricer fad that's all the rage nowadays, lol
legend behind the cowl
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there is actually a New speakeasy opening up on the ground floor. I expect it to return some of my much desired "Swank"
Here is a Link to the "Tampa Hotshoe" an article about Sheppard and CLASSIC lotus photos
http://lotuseleven.org/Race%20Success/tampa_hotshoe.htm
Last edited by treekiller; 04-16-2010 at 12:34 PM.
! Ne shab'rud'ni !
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Nice history find.
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if you can only race me in a straight line then whats the point 
...91 SMF SCCA
...91 SMF SCCA
I see people out there spending money on the car to improve it … If you spend half that effort just working on your driving skills, making you and the car work together as a team, then you’ll go faster – period. To make the car go a second faster on the track takes a lot more energy and money than making yourself drive it one second faster.
– the late Tom Thrash SCCA Solo E Production
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In Florida that's known as an indoor swimming pool.... 
I'm actually surprised they could dig one -- the topsoil here is pretty thin.
I'm actually surprised they could dig one -- the topsoil here is pretty thin.
legend behind the cowl
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but yes... It has potential to flood.
Last edited by treekiller; 04-19-2010 at 02:33 PM.
