GT350 Road Tour
The day before SAAC 35's Friday kickoff, a group of purposefully early arrivers gathered for what you might call a pregame warm-up. Motivated by the presence of original GT350 project engineer Chuck Cantwell, his wife Carol, and the couple's recently purchased '66 GT350, first-gen GT350 owners organized a fun-filled road trip through the back roads of Northern California. We were fortunate to be along for the ride in the '65 Mustang GT convertible of area resident Brian Ferrin, who graciously plotted out our day and functioned as tour guide extraordinaire.
We found parking at a premium...
We found parking at a premium during a fuel stop in a small coastal town. Three of our party did get into this lot: from front to back, the '66s of Chuck and Carol Cantwell, Dave McDonald, and Dave Lennartz.
We snapped this shot while...
We snapped this shot while our party was inside tasting Sonoma Valley wines . . . Jim Boyd's carryover '66 and Mark Hovander's 5S003 lead the lineup.
Our group took up a number...
Our group took up a number of courtyard tables at the Union Hotel, where stories were swapped over a fantastic lunch. Having the Cantwells (far right) present with us this day was a real treat.
Major props go to Allen Cheng...
Major props go to Allen Cheng and family, who not only accompanied us on our Thursday drive in their gorgeous '66 GT350H, but also drove the car straight through from Vancouver, British Columbia, to SAAC 35 on Wednesday. That's right, no trailer, and they had the bugs on the front of the car to prove it!
The group tallied an intimate seven '65-'66 GT350s, a wonderfully manageable number. Beyond the joy of being on the road with a pack of Shelby Mustangs, highlights of the day included driving through groves of Coast Redwoods, the scenic Pt. Reyes National Seashore, lunch at the historic Union Hotel in Occidental, and wine tasting in the Sonoma Valley. In all, it was surely one of the weekend highlights.