RogerS Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 For Shelby historians I believe it is a valid question. So I'm thinking today, what it SAI offered a Shelby GT "R". What would it look like and what components would be added and or deleted. Here is brief on the 1965 GT350 The marriage of Ford and Carroll Shelby began in early 1965 with Ford attempting to enter the market of GM's famous Corvette. Unveiled by Mr. Shelby, January 27, 1965, the Mustang Fastback had some mild exterior changes. The fiberglass hood with functional hood scoop and clean looking grill first caught the eye. With all Mustang emblems removed, a tri-colored running horse was located on the driver's side of the grill. All Shelby's in '65 would be one color, a "take it or leave it " Wimbledon White with a bold blue GT350 side stripe located below the door. Also available as a dealer option were LeMans stripes running over the top and down the center of the body. The interior was a black only option with roll bar and a special flat wood-rimmed 3-spoke steering wheel. A special instrument pad located in the center of the dash surrounded a large oil pressure gauge and a tach. It also had competition seat belts. A special fiberglass shelf replaced the rear seats and was the new location for the spare tire. It had to be a 2 seater sports car for SCCA rules. Later, when the rules changed, Shelby had to use a coupe due to the fact that the fastback was considered a two-passenger car, thus the Talidega racing coupes. A special intake manifold raised the horsepower output of the already venerable 289 V-8 from its normal 271 h.p. to a whooping 306. The exhaust from the new Tri-Y headers exited the body in front of the rear wheels. Each '65 Shelby had a Borg-Warner T-10 4 speed coupled to a 9" Detroit locker "no-spin" rear end. Each Shelby GT350 had extensive suspension work including a larger front stabilizer bar, special Pitman & Idler arms, lowered upper "A" frames, Koni shocks and rear traction bars. The front section was stiffened considerably with an export brace and a Monte Carlo bar. The battery was located in the trunk. The wheels were 15" 5-spoke Crager on Goodyear Blue-Dots. The 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang was the most race worthy of all the Shelby's ever produced, including the famous big-block Cobra's! There were a special group of race prepared Shelby GT 350's called "R" models. They only built 37 Shelby "R" models and it is estimated that only 32-34 of them remain in existence today. Each one was basically hand built by Carroll Shelby and his team, in an old airplane hanger in California. They were ordered from Ford with the following items "deleted": carpet, headliner, side glass and rear windows, door panels, original gas tank and bumpers. Then Shelby did their magic to them. Windows were replaced with plexiglass. The rear window was replaced as well but the top portion of the rear back window was left "Open" for a vented slip-stream. The front apron was replaced by a 'fish mouth' fiberglass opening which allowed fresh air to be ducted for the oil cooler, radiator and brakes. The quarter panel vents were riveted closed while the front fenders were flared. The rear bumper was initially painted white and then eventually eliminated entirely on some "R" Models. Shelby Mag Wheels were replaced by the American Racing Mags. Even the speedometer was replaced by a 0-160 m.p.h. version and the tach with an 8k unit. Special dash lights were installed to indicate alternator, high beam and turn signals below the instrument pod. Each car received a roll bar, fire extinguisher and a special fiberglass seat. The motor was 'Shelby-ized" by Shelby Americans wizards and each boasted 350-370 h.p. by the time it left the airplane hangar (factory). The engine had huge oil breather stacks and a mammoth 7.5 qt sand cast aluminum oil pan. The gas tank was replaced w/ a 34 gallon unit, which was fed by opening the trunk. Even the battery was moved, for weight transfer gain, to the trunk. Every "R" model was track tested at Willow Springs Ca. before delivery. Shelby even gave notice to all Corvette racers that "the only time a Corvette would see Victory Lane would be if a Shelby GT350 wasn't in the race". SCCA rules allowed only one change between the "B" Production class race cars and the cars sold to the public-and that was a change to either the engine or the suspension, so the above modifications made by Carroll Shelby was basically to the engine and it was automatically a winner. The suspension of the regular street version Shelby GT350 was left unchanged. At a price of $4,000 in 1965, the GT350 was not a hot seller. A buyer had to be a real car enthusiast because these cars were basically a factory built race car, right off the showroom floor. Future years of Shelby's would see many changes to satisfy the more comfort oriented consumer as well as Ford's needs to beef up sales. The 1965 Shelby GT350 has become probably the most significant vintage American race car in recent history. Hence the legend of the 1965 Shelby GT350 was born. Fast forward to today, what would it look like with todays technology? How much nostalgia would you keep? Bring on the wish list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattInDetroit Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Cool! I'll remove the copy here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Oh.......sorry about that. I have the skin selector on the bottom of the home page set to black and not blue and white. Thanks Matt. Maybe I should change it back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbydream1 Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 For Shelby historians I believe it is a valid question. So I'm thinking today, what it SAI offered a Shelby GT "R". What would it look like and what componants would be added and or deleted. Here is brief on the 1965 GT350 The marriage of Ford and Carroll Shelby began in early 1965 with Ford attempting to enter the market of GM's famous Corvette. Unveiled by Mr. Shelby, January 27, 1965, the Mustang Fastback had some mild exterior changes. The fiberglass hood with functional hood scoop and clean looking grill first caught the eye. With all Mustang emblems removed, a tri-colored running horse was located on the driver's side of the grill. All Shelby's in '65 would be one color, a "take it or leave it " Wimbledon White with a bold blue GT350 side stripe located below the door. Also available as a dealer option were LeMans stripes running over the top and down the center of the body. The interior was a black only option with roll bar and a special flat wood-rimmed 3-spoke steering wheel. A special instrument pad located in the center of the dash surrounded a large oil pressure gauge and a tach. It also had competition seat belts. A special fiberglass shelf replaced the rear seats and was the new location for the spare tire. It had to be a 2 seater sports car for SCCA rules. Later, when the rules changed, Shelby had to use a coupe due to the fact that the fastback was considered a two-passenger car, thus the Talidega racing coupes. A special intake manifold raised the horsepower output of the already venerable 289 V-8 from its normal 271 h.p. to a whooping 306. The exhaust from the new Tri-Y headers exited the body in front of the rear wheels. Each '65 Shelby had a Borg-Warner T-10 4 speed coupled to a 9" Detroit locker "no-spin" rear end. Each Shelby GT350 had extensive suspension work including a larger front stabilizer bar, special Pitman & Idler arms, lowered upper "A" frames, Koni shocks and rear traction bars. The front section was stiffened considerably with an export brace and a Monte Carlo bar. The battery was located in the trunk. The wheels were 15" 5-spoke Crager on Goodyear Blue-Dots. The 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang was the most race worthy of all the Shelby's ever produced, including the famous big-block Cobra's! There were a special group of race prepared Shelby GT 350's called "R" models. They only built 37 Shelby "R" models and it is estimated that only 32-34 of them remain in existence today. Each one was basically hand built by Carroll Shelby and his team, in an old airplane hanger in California. They were ordered from Ford with the following items "deleted": carpet, headliner, side glass and rear windows, door panels, original gas tank and bumpers. Then Shelby did their magic to them. Windows were replaced with plexiglass. The rear window was replaced as well but the top portion of the rear back window was left "Open" for a vented slip-stream. The front apron was replaced by a 'fish mouth' fiberglass opening which allowed fresh air to be ducted for the oil cooler, radiator and brakes. The quarter panel vents were riveted closed while the front fenders were flared. The rear bumper was initially painted white and then eventually eliminated entirely on some "R" Models. Shelby Mag Wheels were replaced by the American Racing Mags. Even the speedometer was replaced by a 0-160 m.p.h. version and the tach with an 8k unit. Special dash lights were installed to indicate alternator, high beam and turn signals below the instrument pod. Each car received a roll bar, fire extinguisher and a special fiberglass seat. The motor was 'Shelby-ized" by Shelby Americans wizards and each boasted 350-370 h.p. by the time it left the airplane hangar (factory). The engine had huge oil breather stacks and a mammoth 7.5 qt sand cast aluminum oil pan. The gas tank was replaced w/ a 34 gallon unit, which was fed by opening the trunk. Even the battery was moved, for weight transfer gain, to the trunk. Every "R" model was track tested at Willow Springs Ca. before delivery. Shelby even gave notice to all Corvette racers that "the only time a Corvette would see Victory Lane would be if a Shelby GT350 wasn't in the race". SCCA rules allowed only one change between the "B" Production class race cars and the cars sold to the public-and that was a change to either the engine or the suspension, so the above modifications made by Carroll Shelby was basically to the engine and it was automatically a winner. The suspension of the regular street version Shelby GT350 was left unchanged. At a price of $4,000 in 1965, the GT350 was not a hot seller. A buyer had to be a real car enthusiast because these cars were basically a factory built race car, right off the showroom floor. Future years of Shelby's would see many changes to satisfy the more comfort oriented consumer as well as Ford's needs to beef up sales. The 1965 Shelby GT350 has become probably the most significant vintage American race car in recent history. Hence the legend of the 1965 Shelby GT350 was born. Fast forward to today, what would it look like with todays technology? How much nostalgia would you keep? Bring on the wish list! How about 2 color schemes-white with guardsman blue stripes and guardsman blue with white stripes for the real nostaglic feel and perhap the best nostalgia to keep-----the $4000 price tag :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyb Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 How about 2 color schemes-white with guardsman blue stripes and guardsman blue with white stripes for the real nostaglic feel and perhap the best nostalgia to keep-----the $4000 price tag :D hummmm what if? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 hummmm what if? OK...................here is my take Exterior: White in color only w/Super Snake striping pkg in Gardsman Blue 65 Hood scoop molded into the hood no add on Functional front and rear brake ducts, side scoops become functional vs. under car Front brake duct in lower grille only, no driving lights no grille 3D Carbon rear duck tail spoiler Rear gas cap insert with SGT"R" Agent 47 mirrors painted body color AC delete Power seat delete Radio delete Rear seat delete 4 point roll bar Racing style drivers seat w/competiton belts for both seats Shelby signature guage cluster or overlay w/ center pod aux guages Shelby legend series Torque Thrust wheels in magnnesium Flat cap on wheels with recessed allen head fasteners and Shelby script in center OR Signature Forged lightweight alloy wheels Shelby Eibach coil over suspension Watts link Stainless headers Different front facia with Carbon Fiber splitter Shelby signature strut tower brace Cold Air kit Underdrive pulley system Supercharger 2200 Novi with larger intercooler or the 5.0 Cammer Motor Forced air induction Throttle body modification Granitelli coil on plug upgrade Bear 6 pod front caliper and rear caliper and rotor upgrade with Red Powder Coat Stainless steel rear brake line upgrade Regular Production competition street/autocross or summer only tires Upgrade to Borla highflow exhaust system Aluminum drive shaft Ring and Pinion upgrade to 4:10 Double Adjustable upper and lower contol arms Caster/Camber adjustment plates Upgraded aluminum flywheel and clutch w/3650 6spd tremec from GT 500 Racing pedals Fuel Safe Fuel Cell Rear diff. cooler Power steering cooler Transmission fluid cooler That's it for now...........know I'll refine my list. What about you? How about 2 color schemes-white with guardsman blue stripes and guardsman blue with white stripes for the real nostaglic feel and perhap the best nostalgia to keep-----the $4000 price tag :D Like the color schemes but I doubt we will ever see a price like that agian. Maybe when we pay $60,000 plus.....40 years later someone will be on another board saying the same thing :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webba Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Im sensing a revelation coming on Amy's end.....just make sure I get my GT350 before Adam gets his SGT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Im sensing a revelation coming on Amy's end.....just make sure I get my GT350 before Adam gets his SGT Now that's not right......but funny............ :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
04Retro Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Great ideas but you gotta remember--the GT350R was NOT street legal and never intended to be...and for the modern version...Ford has already beaten Shelby to the punch with the "Boy Racer" that is currently running in the current Trans Am/Grand Am series (correct name?)..in the last yr I think they changed the divison name to: Koni Challenge if i'm recalling correctly. As in 64/65 Ford outsourced the development of the car...instead of Shelby they went through Multimatic (spelling?)...took the championship in 05 and then Ford walked away leaving it up to private teams to continue on... Discovery/TLC did a great show on the car's development a while back--I'll see if I can dig up the name of the show...it still might be avaialble for purchase for the real Mustang diehards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Retro, You are exactly right. On all accounts. But if you look at the SVT "R" program 93 107 units, 95 250 units (I currently have #192) and 00 350 units. On that theme it is possible to do, in limited numbers. They were street legal race cars. Same principle as the 65. Different body sanctioning rules and very different goverment enviromental standards. And yes "Boy Racer" did just what it was supposed to do. The Koni Challange is the new designation and the privatetiers are doing well. You can buy your boy racer through Ford Performance Parts if I am not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07shelbygt109 Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 hummmm what if? Amy, is there something you need to tell us?????? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Here is a link from May 07 where the FR500C won the first European Cup GT4 race ever. Also competing in FIA GT3 competition. http://www.stangsunleashed.com/index.php?c...2_articleid=185 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Greenwell Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Just for the record, I predict a GT 350 White with Blue Stripes sometime in the 08 model year. Amy has hinted this several times when this color combo is discussed on several forums. GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Just for the record, I predict a GT 350 White with Blue Stripes sometime in the 08 model year. Amy has hinted this several times when this color combo is discussed on several forums. GG You may just be right with that assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerS Posted June 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Bump to the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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