Mae West once said, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful," and few cars are more emblematic of such rosy sentiments than the original Shelby GT350. Aiming to create a car that would dominate SCCA racing, Carroll Shelby, whose Ford-powered Cobras were already raking in plenty of trophies, turned his eye on the successful new Ford product that was taking the car market by storm. Starting with a standard Mustang Fastback Coupe, Shelby installed a heavy-duty rear axle from a Ford Galaxy, bigger brakes, a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual, a massaged motor with solid lifter cams and other upgrades, a set of cast-magnesium center Cragar wheels, and numerous suspension tweaks. To qualify as a 'sports car' for SCCA, the rear seats were removed and in their place a full size spare was mounted. Offered in only one color (Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker stripes—optional 'LeMans' stripes could be ordered) the '65 GT350s hit the ground running and took home numerous victories in the hands of privateers. With its emphasis on speed, rather than creature comforts and civility, the first year GT350s are seen as the purest of the breed, free of the luxury features that found their way onto later models. With only 562 original GT350s produced, they are rare birds indeed. However, their pedestrian underpinnings and mass appeal have bred numerous recreations in varying degrees of correctness. The offered example, restored to GT350 spec in 2007, is certainly one of the finest recreations around. Beginning with a solid 1965 Mustang, the car was brought down to bare metal and built up from there into a exceptional copy of the original GT350. The interior was completely redone with correct gauges, steering wheel, seats, and spare tire location. The motor was blue printed, balanced, built up to GT350 standards with solid lifter cams and dynode at 337hp. Emerging from the motor is a correct, glass pack, side-exit exhaust system. Power is delivered to the Cragar, center cap wheels by a 9" Detroit Locker rear end with 3.89 gearing. Even the seat belts are Shelby-style pieces. Not one to shy away from the opportunity to sign one of his creations, it seems even 'ole Shelby was impressed enough to take it as original as his John Hancock graces the glovebox door. In total, some $50,000 was spent to turn this 289-powered Fastback into a facsimile GT350. With genuine '65 GT350s reaching well into the six figure range, this car represents a fantastic value and the perfect car to get in and drive without worry.
Mae West once said, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful," and few cars are more emblematic of such rosy sentiments than the original Shelby GT350. Aiming to create a car that would dominate SCCA racing, Carroll Shelby, whose Ford-powered Cobras were already raking in plenty of trophies, turned his eye on the successful new Ford product that was taking the car market by storm. Starting with a standard Mustang Fastback Coupe, Shelby installed a heavy-duty rear axle from a Ford Galaxy, bigger brakes, a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual, a massaged motor with solid lifter cams and other upgrades, a set of cast-magnesium center Cragar wheels, and numerous suspension tweaks. To qualify as a 'sports car' for SCCA, the rear seats were removed and in their place a full size spare was mounted. Offered in only one color (Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker stripes—optional 'LeMans' stripes could be ordered) the '65 GT350s hit the ground running and took home numerous victories in the hands of privateers. With its emphasis on speed, rather than creature comforts and civility, the first year GT350s are seen as the purest of the breed, free of the luxury features that found their way onto later models. With only 562 original GT350s produced, they are rare birds indeed. However, their pedestrian underpinnings and mass appeal have bred numerous recreations in varying degrees of correctness. The offered example, restored to GT350 spec in 2007, is certainly one of the finest recreations around. Beginning with a solid 1965 Mustang, the car was brought down to bare metal and built up from there into a exceptional copy of the original GT350. The interior was completely redone with correct gauges, steering wheel, seats, and spare tire location. The motor was blue printed, balanced, built up to GT350 standards with solid lifter cams and dynode at 337hp. Emerging from the motor is a correct, glass pack, side-exit exhaust system. Power is delivered to the Cragar, center cap wheels by a 9" Detroit Locker rear end with 3.89 gearing. Even the seat belts are Shelby-style pieces. Not one to shy away from the opportunity to sign one of his creations, it seems even 'ole Shelby was impressed enough to take it as original as his John Hancock graces the glovebox door. In total, some $50,000 was spent to turn this 289-powered Fastback into a facsimile GT350. With genuine '65 GT350s reaching well into the six figure range, this car represents a fantastic value and the perfect car to get in and drive without worry.
.jpg?w=400 "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
