Big News! Satellite Seminar!

Originally published March/April 1981

I wanted to communicate financial sanity to large numbers of my friends and clients across the country, keeping you up-to-date on the economy, and I have found a way – seminars by satellite, with two-way communication lines, designed to keep you informed on a bi-yearly basis. What a power base! The first one, the FIRST NATIONAL PROSPERITY CONFERENCE, is scheduled for April 5, to be broadcast line from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles to 20 locations across the United States with thousands expected to attend.

During this all day seminar in a hotel in your area, you will have an opportunity to listen to such well-known and prosperous individuals. So plan ahead and keep that day open for your own personal enhancement and education in the financial and business world. If you intend to prosper, you must get fully hated on prosperity. I’m excited about this event, and I hope you are, too.

I will be speaking on short range and long range investment programs you should be following, based on current economic trends. For those of you who feel you have little or no money to invest I will also be covering ways to increase your cash flow. I have found the major difficulty that 90% of my friends and clients have with cash flow is really difficulty in assuming the identity that will help make them truly successful. I will cover this at some length in my talk, and this data has changed many people’s lives. Contact my staff for more information on this seminar. I really want to see you all attend.

My advice is still full steam ahead on real estate. I feel that at this point the interest rates will level off or start going down. I see levels again at 12 ½ to 14% for first trust deeds. Of course, this is not guaranteed, and I wouldn’t wait until it goes down before you buy, because if it goes down, you can expect to see a tremendous increase in the price of properties, especially in the metropolitan areas.

If interest rates go down, it won’t last long, possibly six to twelve months. And I do expect within the next 24 months, that interest rates could climb back up to about a 25% level. The current rates could remain level for another six months. This is irrelevant for the buyer because we are in a good buying period.

It is very obvious that Reagan really wants to help control inflation, but I think he has much opposition from Volcker (Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board), over whom he has no control, so no matter what efforts he makes, there is no certainty about what will happen – more inflation, recession, depression – who knows? All I can say is – Become armed with data and protect yourself for any event.

My viewpoint has always stayed the same, as far as silver and gold are concerned. If you are buying silver and gold, buy for the preservation of your capital, and buy it on a dollar-cost-average basis. Using dollar-cost-averaging, you invest continuously every week or month, regardless of the price level. Generally, when the market is moving downwards, most people feel it is time to get out. That is the reverse of the true consideration – That is the time to buy. Strangely enough, I see by statistics in my organization, that we have many more clients that sell silver and gold rather than buy when the market is moving down. Similarly, when the market is moving up or is very high, that’s when they think they should by buying.

In real estate right now, most people’s intention is to sell, because they are afraid of getting caught. I think it is the best time to buy when people want to sell. Why not use the same viewpoint with silver and gold? While others want out, this is the time to buy.

I have seen corrections (short downtrends before the statistics recover and continue to rise) like this happen again and again since 1972. This time, because of the last levels of highs, when silver and gold hit a certain low level, you will see large institutions that have been holding back from buying silver and gold, start to put large amounts of capital into it. You can well imagine what would happen to the price then.

I am not talking about purchasing silver and gold on speculation or making large purchases because of the potential upward swing. I am trying to have you maintain a steady flow toward the preservation of your capital on a dollar-cost-average basis, and in this way, be ahead of the game in the future, when silver hits $150, and gold hits $2000 per ounce. You can feel confident that you have managed to stay above inflation, by being at cause, not effect, and sticking to a set of financial program that includes real estate, and always a percentage of your income to hard money like silver and gold. And don’t forget my last letter, when I told you to invest in yourself. Read it if you haven’t.

We are well on our way in achieving our goals and purposes of flowing you power and giving you the truth about money and financial matters. This year, 1981, will be a special year for all of us to remember, and we at the R.G. Stewart and Company are here to help you increase your net worth.

See you at the event April 5!

With much admiration,

Richard G. Stewart
R.G. Stewart

Richard's GT40 Mark V Speed Maker

GT40 Mark V Speed Maker

Magazine: Road and Track Magazine, Supercars, Special Edition 1991

With the precision of a drill sergeant, the crew chief guided me through the start procedure. “Master switch to hot. Fuel pumps: on. Ignition: on. Fire system: armed.” And, finally, “Crack the throttle and hit the start button.”

But his words took on a haunting tone, as I flashed back 25 years to that glorious day in June, 1966, when three of this car’s ancestors conquered Le Mans. My mind was absorbed with images of long, beautiful power slides and the red glow of brake rotors deep braking at the end of the Mulsanne Straight, with images of team leaders Caroll Shelby and Phil Remington and of drivers Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Ken Miles, Denis Hulme, Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson.

It was wonderful, lying there, nearly fully reclined in the tiny cockpit, thinking of the races, the struggles and the accomplishments of this racing legend. But wanderlust was instantly reduced to wonder-dust with the angry bark of the 8.0-liter V-8 just behind my head exploding to life. Dream time was over. Now it was time for me to go to work.

My job, ah, what a job, was to drive the Safir GT40 Mark V. Though new, this GT40 was built under license to J.W. Automotive, which, during the mid- and late-Sixties’ Ford GT campaign, was the constructor and leading team entrant of the cars. Built on the same tooling, and to the same specifications as the early cars, the Safir Gt40 Mark V is nearly identical to its ancestor, the Ford GT Mark II.

Keep your turbos and your twincams;

give me cubic inches.

The Marks IIs ran with 427-cu-in. Ford engines, and that was the configuration that won Le Mans in 1966.  Safir’s agreement with J.W. Automotive was to produce 50 cars, five of which are big-block models, the rest based on Ford’s small-block 302-cu-in engine. The entire run has been sold out, though production will continue for another year. Our tester came from the Richard Stewart collection of Canyon Country, California. Stewart, a self-made millionaire in his mid-forties, is a car guy’s car guy. He is rich enough to collect, restore, and exhibit some of the world’s most famous Fords, and passionate enough to want to. Stewart currently has the largest single collection of Mark Vs, several of which he plans to keep in his collection, some of which he will sell or trade for exotic racing Fords.

The Stewart Collection has the onsite capability to restore a car from the ground up and the in-shop talent to put the equipment to good use. On the day of my tour, four De Tomaso Mangustas and the famed million dollar Ford Indy Pantera were in different stages of restoration, and the attention to detail appeared to be second to none.

As for the tester, crew chief Bud Roggenbuck had everything in order, his confidence surpassed only by his knowledge. When the Dove Manufacturing all-aluminum big block hanged to life, its 493 cu in. inhaled air like a jet aircraft. The instruments snapped to attention, and Roggenbuck calmly shouted his final instructions. Oil temp, fuel and oil pressure; each would have to be monitored. I depressed the triple-disc clutch and drew the short gear lever over and back into 1st. A blip of the throttle and quick slip of the clutch (multidisc clutches are like light switches: They’re either on or off), and we were under way.

As I slowly moved the Mark V from left to right, building heat in its shaved BFGoodrich tires and getting a feel for stability and steering effort, I couldn’t help but get a sense of confidence in the car. This was no tin-hearted replica. This was a faithfully, carefully, caringly built reproduction of the original. And the like the early cars, it was ready to get to it. Fast, flat and furious.

With each gear change came greater speed at even greater rates. I cautiously drove the car through the Firestone’s Test Center’s Turn 1, a 180-degree corner with a 2-mile radius, but with narrow single lanes. At 145 mph, the turn was a non-event. Down the 1 ½ mile back straight, warming the engine and gaining speed, I entered the second turn at just over 170 mph. Still the Mark V was at ease, I couldn’t help but look out over the front fenders and wonder what people like Dan Gurney or A.J. Foyt saw as they did battle with Ferrari and Porsche in these great cars, but whimsical moments of romance quickly faded with speed. With one more pass through Turn 1, I reached into the throttle and called for more steam. Entering Turn 2 at 185 mph, I continued to be amazed at the absolute calm of the chassis and the total willingness of the engine. To be fair, having Nineties’ tire technology on a Sixties’ platform played a large role in the comfort-to-speed ratio.

As I neared the exit of Turn 2, it was foot to the floor. And still the engine drew me back in the seat. Hard. And now the big numbers started to roll up rapidly as we shot through he traps. At 193 mph it was still gaining. The 600-bhp big-block was just coming on song and the Mark V’s nosecone was still splitting the wind. The tachometer showed 1450 revs in reserve. I suspect my reverence for the car held it back. Clearly, as equipped, the Mark V could break 200 mph. Its Dove engine still pulling and, even more importantly, its chassis still willing. A most impressive showing under cautious guidance.

From the top speed oval we went to the road course where the Mark V proved no less capable. With tail-out corner departures and arrow straight hard breaking, the Mark V was light and responsive. Perhaps more surprising than the poise and balance of the chassis was the flexible power-band of the big-block engine. Low-end off-corner performance was wonderful, yet just moments before, this same engine had large power left in its belly at nearly 200 mph.

This is obviously a very developed package. As with any expensive collector car (current estimates place the value of the small-block Mark Vs in the $500,000 range), fit, finish and construction quality are paramount. At this level, beauty has got to be more than skin deep. Here, too, the Mark V serves its ancestry well; attention to detail and appropriate performance hardware is used throughout. This is a collector car for racing, not just for mirrored and marbled show rooms. A car to be used. A car for making the long drive down memory lane a short trip. 