MCACN Member Will Show an Incredible '65 GT350

[bashton]

Outstanding 1965 Shelby GT350 with Great History To Be Shown by MCACN LLC Member Colin Comer

We often say, it's the cars that bring us together, but it's the people that make the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show the truly special event that it has become. One of the reasons the show "works" is because the MCACN Members are true enthusiasts. We all participate in a wide variety of automotive events, not only showing, but racing, restoring and so much more. Today I'd like to share with you the story of a very special car that had a very special owner that MCACN Member Colin Comer will be showing this November 20-21.

The Story of # 156

In May of 1965 Arnold "Bud" Podzimek, Jr., a dyed-in-the wool performance car guy, drove to Los Angeles in his almost new 1964 Corvette to celebrate his honeymoon. And while the marriage to his new bride would survive the trip the honeymoon with that Corvette would not. The reason? Bud decided to head over to 6501 W. Imperial Highway and check out the Shelby American facility he'd read about in the magazines of the day. Soon the question of "how do I get a new GT350 for myself?" was answered with "that's simple. Drive over to Hi-Performance Motors and we'll sell you one!" So that's just what Bud did. He motored on over to HPM in that '64 Vette and traded it in on the spot on this car, the 156th 1965 Shelby GT350 built. The price was $4,808.75, including the Ford AM/FM radio Bud had them install, less $2,350 for the '64 Vette. Sorry, Corvette, it was nice but you're no 1965 GT350!

Bud drove #156 back to his home in Chicago, with a stop in Las Vegas along the way (it was a vacation after all!) without incident. Well, that is, until he would receive a "T.O." (traffic offense) ticket in Illinois in June of 1965 for his "excessively loud modified exhaust,'' otherwise known as the factory GT350 glasspacks with side-exiting pipes.

Bud drove old #156 a lot during the first three summers he owned it. But in June of 1968 his first son was born, and the family men among us know what that meant. It made the two-seat GT350 a heck of a lot less practical in a hurry. As a result, soon #156 ended up being parked in Bud's mom's garage with just 38,000 miles on the odometer. There was one close call in November of 1978 when Bud nearly, in a moment of weakness, nearly traded #156 in on...wait for it...a brand new Chevy Vega. Thankfully his wife was able to snap him out of it and, even though the title was signed, she wouldn't let Bud trade in his GT350- especially on something so obviously inferior! In 1980 his mother moving to an assisted living facility meant #156 would again live under the same roof as Bud, though it still wasn't pressed back into service. He drove the car after it was in the garage just to keep everything working. His kids (four, eventually) would ride on the rear package tray, which had gained a custom-made padded vinyl snap-in cover, and just hold on during laps of the neighborhood. Years later Bud's grandkids would get to experience the same package tray rides around the neighborhood when they would visit.

Unfortunately in 2020 Bud passed away. He had owned his prized 1965 GT350 for nearly 55 years after falling in love with it at Hi-Performance Motors in Los Angeles in early 1965. Bud's widow Mary Ann contacted noted Shelby historian (and MCACN Member) Colin Comer for advice on finding #156 a new home. But when Colin saw it, much like Bud, he too fell under #156's spell and became its second owner. A sympathetic restoration at Colin's hands followed to return #156 to pristine condition, and thanks to Bud's care to this day it retains all of its original sheetmetal, drivetrain, and even its interior. Seeing that #156 lived in Chicago for its entire life, Colin thought there would be no better way to unveil "Bud's GT350" and return it to a less sedentary life at the 2021 MCACN show. And we are quite honored for the chance to play a part in the story of this amazing early 1965 Shelby GT350.

So many great cars and so many stories to be shared. That is what MCACN is all about! The MCACN team certainly hope you will be joining us, November 20-21. There is no doubt that we will be making up for the "lost" event in 2020!

Bashton