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Show TT. Feature r SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 19, 1995 ting pw By Barbara Pyles Writers Note: I used to think 12 l Wade has the skill and ability to create power with his hands. was fun, but after a ride He manufactures replicas of around the block in CarlAVades popular sports cars, to the speci289 FIA Cobra, this writer de- fications of the buyer in his shop veloped a love for sports cars. at 280 N. Main Street in Fredonia, Arizona. And if youre Indianapolis 500 here I come! V'jj;' looking for a way to impress the ' A Viking Blue Cobra roared neighbors, his cars are licensed Vi 'V down the race track at well over for the streets as well as the race MZ i(Tl $ 140 mph. The first few laps were track. g excitement. The Wade is fairly new to the area, driver accelerates. The car however, hes been involved in snarls. It was a thrilling sound the building of engines and cars to the man behind the wheel. in California since 1960. During The Cobra flew down the his career, Wade has built evstraightaway like a runawayjet. erything from top fuel dragsters Everything was running per- to road racing sports cars. Besides making replicas of the fectly. And after a while, the driver didnt feel as if he was 289 FIA and 427 Cobras, he also builds the J2X Allard, Scorpigoing fast any more. Carl Wade brings the car to a ons, Grand Sport Corvettes, the Derek Daley, ESPN television announcer and former Formula One race car driver, endorsed Carl Wade's GT40. halt and gives a thumbs-u- p sign. 30 SSK Mercedes, and Fords Wade raced this car at a sports car race in Indianapolis and won. No, the year wasnt 1964, and he GT40. Wade says he is about to show for one of the wasnt driving an authentic Co- build a new car called the GTO tomers owns a GT40, a 427 Co- - Wade builds the car's engine, for a e bra and 14 Burger Kings. Sev- - to the customers needs, in San NASCARraces at Charlotte bra at Riverside International Ferrari. cars hold world speed Diego. He brings the engine tor Speedway in Charlotte, Just what kind of people buy Raceway. Instead, Wade, of Clasrecords. of his cars was fea- back to Fredonia and as- - North Carolina. We knew it One sic Innovations in Fredonia, was his automotured in the RX7 Mazda TV com- sembles the car in his Fre- - would fold up because the front testing out his latest creation, a biles? Wade has buyers from all over the world. One of his cus- - mercial, and Derek Daly, TV donia shop. Wade has the rep- - end was all fiberglass. We moved, replica of a 289 FIA Cobra. announcer for ESPN and former lica painted, and another ex- - the drivers and controls back Formula One race-ca- r driver, en- otic machine is finished. (As inside where the trash goes, dorsed Wades GT40. soon as he opens his machine says Wade. Articles and pictures of his shop in Fredonia, he will build Grinning broadly, this soft spoken man sheepishly admit- replicas enhance his office his engines there). walls. In fact, one magazine or Each car undergoes a thor- - ted the truck made the record another is always waiting to do ough test on the race track or on because it was the only jumping an article on one of his cars, the road. Wade drives his racing garbage truck. For example: Bill Moore of Co- - cars at Willow Springs Race Wade is also a seasoned race-br- a Magazine drove and evalu- - Track in California. If its a street car driver. He and the sports ated the 289 Cobra that sur- - car, he drives the automobile faced in Kanabs last July 4 four or five hundred miles around the area where he lives. parade. Moore put about 1,000 miles I want the car to be perfect time, says Wade. Thats what on the car, valued at $39,500. when I hand it to the customer, we're there for. Wade will continue to use his Later, Moore wrote the article says Wade. According to Wade, the most mechanical skills to build sport Living with a Cobra that appeared in the COBRAS WIN- - unusual race machine hes ever cars, and he is now open for P jf TER 1995 edition. built appeared in the Guinness automotive and truck repair. He ' A A1 A of Wade manufactures all his Book of World Records. It was has the professional know how. At 8 for an appoint-Vs- y cars from scratch. This is the the worlds longest jumping gar- - Call it Y?0rk5! He receives a call bage truck. Wade built the truck ment. Wade won a sports car race at Indianapolis in ibis GT40 car. ne nCn uao 2 from the office in shop in Fredonia where he builds replicas of sports cars. Ramona, California for a certain type of car. Where he makes the frame, depends on what kind of car the customer orders. If for instance, someone requests an Allard, he builds the frame in his shop. If its Quality NAPA Parts! a Cobra, he builds the frame in Gadsen, Alago-karti- ng T L': yuar x '4&. x dnfrfrnvnr ? heart-stoppin- pre-rac- Mo-eralof- his high-horsepow- er - 643-781- C.C. Auto Parts Largest Inventory in tbe Area! Nationwide Warranty! Parts for Cars. Trucks, Semis. RVs. Boats & Motorcycles! 801-865-11801-644-25- 26 418 Eaisreoo sotrth KBfemsa Kar?at7rMT 8474t rf V, ;!Ji 00 tflUlTiEw 970 North Main Cedar City, UT 84720 bama, because they have a jig for frames. Many of his car bodies are fiberglass and he gets them from Phoenix. But Wade imports the frames and bodies for the GT40 from En gland. The frames and bodies for the 30 SSK Mercedes come from Uruguay. And he uses Jaguar suspension systems from England that he rebuilds and mounts Carl Wade still like? to drive his creations, such as his latest 289 FIAQgbra. He even gave e to-th- frame.- - ' the writer of this stoty a ride. Photo Vy Barbara Pyles. ( |