September 8, 2008

ACE News

The ACE lives!! Since I last submitted a newsletter, all of the revisions & detail improvements I wrote of have been incorporated into the first production units. This Labor Day weekend, after 6 months of construction on the first orders I was finally able to slip into the seat of the first series-built ACE and pilot it around some of my favorite roads. This is the car built for Gary, who, as I mentioned, owns several serious sports cars.

Because the show quality paint & upholstery Gary will get are still being finished, I had equipped the car with black primered body parts: it looks like a stealth ACE. Four a.m. Saturday finds me warming up the first production ACE in the dark outside our shop - I switched on the lights & gently motored out, through the I-90 tunnel and across the Lake Washington bridge - the only vehicle on the road and another magical drive. In all modesty, Gary will be blown away!! A H-D 103'' Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam B and changes to the clutch, overall gearing, rear shock & tire selection add up to give the production version ACE an extremely compliant ride, superb cornering and a massive punch of torque!

It has been many months since I have been able to drive an ACE as the original has been stripped for upgrades & restoration. With no seat time, I had begun to wonder if the pleasure and thrill I seem to remember was really justified: the labor day weekend drive gave me my answer: this car is BIG, BIG driving fun!!

Along with the great articles about the ACE lately in the German Magazine 'Dream Machine' and Swedish Magazine 'MCB', a wonderful new development is the invitation extended by the Seattle International Auto Show to feature the ACE in the show Nov. 5-9. The ACE is not only displayed on their web site, but local Fox 13 television will do a 1/2 hr. short feature on the car. Two cars will be ready for this show and Patty & I are really excited as it offers a perfect 'rollout' for the ACE, capping years of effort! I am hoping to make over the web site around that time, adding the many more construction & completed photos that you have requested.

Thanks for keeping the faith!!

Respectfully submitted,
Pete Larsen