How Do act when you see a fake ?

[07SGT]

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Many, many, people want a Shelby but most cannot afford. So we should just be thankful for what we have and not try to necessarily shame or hurt others that want to fantasize.

[jerseygator]

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Many, many, people want a Shelby but most cannot afford. So we should just be thankful for what we have and not try to necessarily shame or hurt others that want to fantasize.

 

 

Absolutely!

 

[K Beast Shelby gt]

These kids that add Shelby and Cobra badges to their cars aren't hurting anyone and I'm sure if they could afford the real thing they would buy one. What really aggravates me is the arrogance of the self appointed Shelby police. Just because you buy a Shelby doesn't give you the right to call out people for modding their Mustangs to their taste or finances. These cars aren't investments their big boy toys, drive them and enjoy them and quit worrying about what people with limited incomes are doing to their Mustangs.

[K Beast Shelby gt]

No I'm not the Shelby police , but Carrol did give me a badge ... (On my car ) SAI even keeps records of fakes,clones and replicas in order to protect the Shelby name !!

[William Rodgers]

I think it is a compliment to us all.

 

With that said I have never seen a "Fake" or "Replica", I rarely ever see Real ones besides mine, maybe a few a year. Not many in my parts.

[ati]

No I'm not the Shelby police , but Carrol did give me a badge ... (On my car ) SAI even keeps records of fakes,clones and replicas in order to protect the Shelby name !!

 

So whats your point???

[FordRocks1]

Eh, I know what I have and if someone chooses to display theirs as a Shelby when it is really not it is what it is....heck, if people continues to buy Shelby parts it keeps SA going so we can see cool cars for years to come.

[K Beast Shelby gt]

I hear ya !

[SGT3477]

ironic, this thread hits a sore spot...

just yesterday i was in a car show. due to teh fact that "most vehicles " were either GM of PRE-1970

I ended up in a catagory of post 1970 ford

this lumped me into a catagory of... 2. yes.. 2 cars.

my competition was a 2006 mustang GT. it was begin presented as a "real" Shelby.

it started with the famous GT350 rocker stripe. vanity plate read 06 SHLBY

Every..yes every.. GT350 emblem..from the late 60's silver and gold 350 logo to modern GT500 tiffany snakes.

there was litterally every emblem ive ever seen stuck to this car. it had the GT500 offest SHELBY lerrering. flat square SHELBY plates on the upper rear quarters. and finally what appeared to be a peice of sheet metal with mr Shelbys signature glued to the Dash...and worst was a very poor job of gluign LEDs onto the headlights for an attempted "audi" look. it was just tacky.and fake.

 

he as much as told me "it started life as a standard GT" then went on to tell me how it was now a real Shelby. he had a display board claiming it was a Shelby. When I began to discuss some of the Finer points of years and models. it was very clear he did not know his ass from his elbow. at this point I spoke to "the" judge. I aske done question and that was what are you looking for. he said " rare-ness" and authenticity.

at this point I was feeling Very good about my Chances at the plaque...who wouldn't..right?

 

i blame the rest of this story on Ignorant Judging.

 

since there were only 2 of us in our class...i got " top 25" and he got Best of show post 1970 for plaque and medal and some other swag.

 

im sorry..but i was unable to stay quiet.. i blurted out " it not even a real Shebly" when they called him out...

and after the show i walked by and stated " i guess ebay and some super-glue is more impressive than a real Shelby."

 

call me what you will but, i found this ignorance insulting.

[robertlane]

I only find it offensive when they "badge" it or attempt to pawn it off as the genuine article. Not everyone can afford the real deal.

[Denstang65]

I totally agree with everyone! As a 65 Shelby tribute owner and not ashamed to admit that. I thank every one who has met me and my car, had appraised and accepted my interpitation of Shelby flattery. What makes me smile is even though I confront that I own a tribute, I still have people giving a thumbs up and a " NICE ". I also agree with every one that I, too, do not like owners that try to pass a fake off as the real deal. Be honest all you tribute owners, no matter what make and model. Trust me from my experience, you would gain more repsect and acceptence by being up front and honest at the begining. Remember, gain repect from the purist with honesty, you will gain repect from the croud.

[jerseygator]

I totally agree with everyone! As a 65 Shelby tribute owner and not ashamed to admit that. I thank everone who has met me and my car, had appraised and accepted my interpitation of Shelby flattery. What makes me smile is even though I confront that I own a tribute, I still have people giving a thumbs up and a " NICE ". I also agree with everone that I, too, do not like owners that try to pass a fake off as the real deal. Be honest all you tribute owners, no matter what make and model. Trust me from my experience, you would gain more repsect and acceptence by being up front and honest at the begining. Remember, gain repect from the purist with honesty, you will gain repect from the croud.

 

 

Exactly Dennis...

[K Beast Shelby gt]

I feel ya back to the guy around the corner he's got people in the neighborhood asking have I seen his rare Shelby . Like some of these guys on this page , it's ok to fix up a mustang but when u start convincing others , and yourself it's real ( can't even produce a moroney to show its real) u have problems in the head. Next u will see Ford fiesta 's with Shelby badging !

[K Beast Shelby gt]

I've met Denstang65 and he is a nice guy , honest and has a great looking replica ... I met him at a Shelby car show @ Bob's big boy. He doesnt pass his off as a real Shelby . The guy has class .

[jsimmons]

How do I act?? LIKE AN ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

I think I've met you...

 

Here's the outlook from a non-Shelby owner, with as much - if not more - respect for Carrol Shelby than all of you.

 

I'll let you know ahead of time - my car is not a Shelby. If I owned a Shelby, I'm afraid I would be tempted to test my known-to-be diminishing reaction times, more like ly to the detriment of the car and myself. So, to keep everyone from crying when they see pictures of the twisted wreckage of yet another Shelby sacrificed upon the alter of "too much car for the driver", I chose a V6 when I got my 2012 Coupe. Another reason is that my wife coughed up a mlarge hairball when she saw the $65k sticker. We can afford it, but even I couldn't justify buying the car to be used as a daily driver (however, I'm REALLY hopiing we win the lottery - soon).

 

Now, I'm a long-time Ford performance fan, and have driven a lot of impressive cars, including 427 Cobras, a Nascar Taladega Torino, Thunderbolt Fairlanes, Shelbys, and even had a 1965 GT-350 R-Model "replica" with a dual-qud 302, toploader, narrowed 9-inch 31-spline rear, welded-in roll cage, racing seats and five-point harnesses. I was also a LOT younger, and parts were a LOT cheaper, and I was immortal.

 

All of this leads me to my post. When I got my 2012, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted it to look like. It had to be white, and it had to have gaurdsman blue stripes. Period. End of discussion. It also had to be lowered and have decent wheels, and I really liked the KR-style hood, so I got one of those, too. Further, I've alwys admired the early '67 Shelby center-mounted fog lights (and I get real annoyed when people refer to these as "elleanor" fog lights). So, I got a base V6 and spent $12k making it mine. That's MORE than it costs to have Shelby do the GTS thing on it (I don't like the body kit they use on the GTS). The only badges on the car is the new style "Powered By Ford" fender badges that I got for just $48 - a SCREAMIN' deal because it was just 1/3 the price if you buy them at retail.

 

Here's my car, sans the body color painted mirror covers I added recently, and with the pony grille emblem that I've since removed:

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see - the only body part I used from a Shelby was the spoiler, I kept the Mustang faux gas cap, and there are no attempts at all to make people thing it's a Shelby via badging or rocker stripe text. Despite these facts, Shelby owners generally act like asshats when they see the car - not all of them, but the vast majority of the ones I've met. The blue on white paint scheme is not exclusive to Shelby, and the front fascia/grille isn't even from Ford, much less Shelby, and the fender badges are generic enough to not be directly connected to Shelby.

 

I've heard a Shelby owner say that my car is a "lame attempt at making a Shelby". I had a KR owner get real upset when someone identified my hood as a "KR hood". His response was , "That's NOT a KR hood!" (his emphasis, not mine). Geeze, dude, come down out of the clock tower and unload the rifle - seriously. In every instance of misidentification, I've corrected the person by informing them that my car isn't a Shelby (there's no point in lying about it). I honestly don't understand the butt-hurt - maybe it's because they were fooled by the car. It's starting to have an adverse effect on my thought processes to the point that my Type-A personality starts to rear its ugly head, and I've almost bought "SHELBY" letters for the car a few times. I really don't like to unintentionally annoy someone, so as long as they're annoyed, I figure I should give 'em a reason. I've managed to resist this overwhelming urge to push them over the edge, but I'm getting weaker. The last time that happened, I'd gotten to the point of filling out the credit card info and hovering the mouse pointer over the "PURCHASE NOW" button.

 

When I'd had the stripes put on the car, the Ford Accessories guy at the dealer said I should put "SHELBY" on the car, and I refused, but mostly because it was a V6. Then I found out about the GTS program -- available for ANY Mustang, even the V6. I'm thinking that if Shelby sees enough value in a stock V6 to put his name on it, why shouldn't *I* be able to do the same thing? Sure, it doesn't have the Shelby interior, and I used a different body kit, but that's essentially the only difference bteween the current state of my car, and a GTS. My personal opinion is that the GTS cars are a dilution of the Shelby brand, but hey, the man *himself* opened up that can of worms.

 

In the end, we all own Mustangs, a lucky few of you own the Shelby version of the car, and a good number of us want to but for one reason or another can't, so we try to make up for it in other ways. Like someone else has already said, as long as it's executed well, what's the big deal? It's okay to admire a non-Shelby. Really. Honestly.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some letters to buy.

[ARMORINE]

ROFL!!! simmons your my new hero.

 

v6 or not that things sharp.

[ati]

Nice car simmons,

You can park your car next to mine anytime. :beerchug:

[jsimmons]

ROFL!!! simmons your my new hero.

 

v6 or not that things sharp.

 

 

Thanks.

 

My only regret is that I didn't get painted-on stripes, but I'm gonna be fixing that sometime in the future.

 

I also discovered that I can't order the letters from Shelby because my car isn't one. Oh well...

[Denstang65]

I've met Denstang65 and he is a nice guy , honest and has a great looking replica ... I met him at a Shelby car show @ Bob's big boy. He doesnt pass his off as a real Shelby . The guy has class .

 

Thank you K Beast! I remember you. It was my understanding that you attended both the 50th Vegas Bash and The Shelby Tribute at the Peterson Museum, didn"t you? I appologise if I missed seeing you. We will have to get together some time, maybe get a few cars together for a Sunday drive and lunch. Take care of that beautiful Shelby.

[Denstang65]

I think I've met you...

 

Here's the outlook from a non-Shelby owner, with as much - if not more - respect for Carrol Shelby than all of you.

 

I'll let you know ahead of time - my car is not a Shelby. If I owned a Shelby, I'm afraid I would be tempted to test my known-to-be diminishing reaction times, more like ly to the detriment of the car and myself. So, to keep everyone from crying when they see pictures of the twisted wreckage of yet another Shelby sacrificed upon the alter of "too much car for the driver", I chose a V6 when I got my 2012 Coupe. Another reason is that my wife coughed up a mlarge hairball when she saw the $65k sticker. We can afford it, but even I couldn't justify buying the car to be used as a daily driver (however, I'm REALLY hopiing we win the lottery - soon).

 

Now, I'm a long-time Ford performance fan, and have driven a lot of impressive cars, including 427 Cobras, a Nascar Taladega Torino, Thunderbolt Fairlanes, Shelbys, and even had a 1965 GT-350 R-Model "replica" with a dual-qud 302, toploader, narrowed 9-inch 31-spline rear, welded-in roll cage, racing seats and five-point harnesses. I was also a LOT younger, and parts were a LOT cheaper, and I was immortal.

 

All of this leads me to my post. When I got my 2012, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted it to look like. It had to be white, and it had to have gaurdsman blue stripes. Period. End of discussion. It also had to be lowered and have decent wheels, and I really liked the KR-style hood, so I got one of those, too. Further, I've alwys admired the early '67 Shelby center-mounted fog lights (and I get real annoyed when people refer to these as "elleanor" fog lights). So, I got a base V6 and spent $12k making it mine. That's MORE than it costs to have Shelby do the GTS thing on it (I don't like the body kit they use on the GTS). The only badges on the car is the new style "Powered By Ford" fender badges that I got for just $48 - a SCREAMIN' deal because it was just 1/3 the price if you buy them at retail.

 

Here's my car, sans the body color painted mirror covers I added recently, and with the pony grille emblem that I've since removed:

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see - the only body part I used from a Shelby was the spoiler, I kept the Mustang faux gas cap, and there are no attempts at all to make people thing it's a Shelby via badging or rocker stripe text. Despite these facts, Shelby owners generally act like asshats when they see the car - not all of them, but the vast majority of the ones I've met. The blue on white paint scheme is not exclusive to Shelby, and the front fascia/grille isn't even from Ford, much less Shelby, and the fender badges are generic enough to not be directly connected to Shelby.

 

I've heard a Shelby owner say that my car is a "lame attempt at making a Shelby". I had a KR owner get real upset when someone identified my hood as a "KR hood". His response was , "That's NOT a KR hood!" (his emphasis, not mine). Geeze, dude, come down out of the clock tower and unload the rifle - seriously. In every instance of misidentification, I've corrected the person by informing them that my car isn't a Shelby (there's no point in lying about it). I honestly don't understand the butt-hurt - maybe it's because they were fooled by the car. It's starting to have an adverse effect on my thought processes to the point that my Type-A personality starts to rear its ugly head, and I've almost bought "SHELBY" letters for the car a few times. I really don't like to unintentionally annoy someone, so as long as they're annoyed, I figure I should give 'em a reason. I've managed to resist this overwhelming urge to push them over the edge, but I'm getting weaker. The last time that happened, I'd gotten to the point of filling out the credit card info and hovering the mouse pointer over the "PURCHASE NOW" button.

 

When I'd had the stripes put on the car, the Ford Accessories guy at the dealer said I should put "SHELBY" on the car, and I refused, but mostly because it was a V6. Then I found out about the GTS program -- available for ANY Mustang, even the V6. I'm thinking that if Shelby sees enough value in a stock V6 to put his name on it, why shouldn't *I* be able to do the same thing? Sure, it doesn't have the Shelby interior, and I used a different body kit, but that's essentially the only difference bteween the current state of my car, and a GTS. My personal opinion is that the GTS cars are a dilution of the Shelby brand, but hey, the man *himself* opened up that can of worms.

 

In the end, we all own Mustangs, a lucky few of you own the Shelby version of the car, and a good number of us want to but for one reason or another can't, so we try to make up for it in other ways. Like someone else has already said, as long as it's executed well, what's the big deal? It's okay to admire a non-Shelby. Really. Honestly.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some letters to buy.

 

Your car does look nice no matter what people say. I call my tribute "the red headed stepchild" That is the term I use if I am around purist to get a laugh out of them. Kind of like an ice breaker to show that I know mine is a fake and that I know they have the real deal. This way, the purist who put their cars on a pedistal because it is the real deal can keep their cars on a pedistal and shows that my personality will not take any offense what so ever. Worst case senario, walk away and talk to soneone else that will appreciate mine. Life is too short to worry about what others think. Keep the good, toss the bad. Enjoy your ride! I know I would if I owned it.

[AstroDan]

I think I've met you...

 

Here's the outlook from a non-Shelby owner, with as much - if not more - respect for Carrol Shelby than all of you.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some letters to buy.

 

 

Hmmm... Personally I like your car, clean.

For myself, $12k is almost a Terlingua! JMHO.

I don't care what anyone does to their own ride and it's not my job to police others beliefs.

BTW, there is a LOT of respect here for Da man!

[MMcGuirk]

Thanks.

 

My only regret is that I didn't get painted-on stripes, but I'm gonna be fixing that sometime in the future.

 

I also discovered that I can't order the letters from Shelby because my car isn't one. Oh well...

 

 

Yeah, but you can buy them from Branda!

 

However, as a long time home built tribute driver, I wouldn't. As Carroll told me when he signed my Limer "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" His signature and my Team Shelby stickers are the only Shelby badging on my car.

 

I correct people when they call my car a Shelby, I tell them my Shelby is at home in the garage.

 

I really like your car and the spirit with which you created it!

[07SGT]

In the end, we all own Mustangs, a lucky few of you own the Shelby version of the car, and a good number of us want to but for one reason or another can't, so we try to make up for it in other ways. Like someone else has already said, as long as it's executed well, what's the big deal? It's okay to admire a non-Shelby. Really. Honest

 

He is right. And I said it before. those of us that own Shelbys should consider ourselves not only lucky but also Blessed. If someone wants to feel better by trying to have something they do not and cannot own, what is the harm. Over the decades I have learned life is too short to hate. They are not hurting me with their reproduction or whatever.

[jsimmons]

One day the wife and myself went for a cruz around Los Angeles , that's when we seen a fake grabber orange Shelby gt . She warned me to be nice cause she knows me , but I just couldn't resist I missed my light on purpose so he could see me. His kids kept pointing at my car and I let him take off and it was the quietest mustang or Shelby ( wink wink ) I ever heard. I then pilled out so loud my Nitto tires damn near fell off...... I'm sOrry guys I hate fake!?

 

 

So what about the GTS? Shelby American will turn any Mustang into a GTS. All you have to do is pay the minimum $9K price of entry. I haven't looked into the details, but they essentially have stage 1 through 3, with stage 1 being nothing more than a body kit, interior upgrades, and the Shelby number plate, and maybe even axle-backs, and it would be the quietest Shelby you've ever heard.

[jsimmons]

I wanted to say that I'm happy to see that a larger number of Shelby owners are more accepting of the tribute/replica cars that are out there. It's appreciated.

[2+2]

One day my friends were trying to explain how my car looks and everytime they seen a gt with strips they swear that was a Shelby . My mother does the samething . " Oh the guy across the street has a Shelby like yours son " So I drove 250 miles to visit her and see this neighbor and sure enough I had to teach her the diffenrence from a gt with stripe vs a collector , entry level track car and it made me look like I was stuck up or all about my car .. But shit I just want to prove my point . I don't win awards at car shows because I have a mustang that looks like a Shelby . I win because it is a Shelby ..

 

 

I always get this one. " I seen a blue Shelby just like yours yesterday." Every time it turns out to be a V6 vista blue Mustang with the pony package and has rocker stripes. It just kills me that the average person just does not look at cars in detail like most here do. My Shelby is just another Mustang to most. Hard to believe Shelby fans.

 

I have a white 65' fastback that I fought putting stripes on for years. Now it is odd to see one without them.

 

I do have to say that when I seen a 08' GT350 drive by me the other day, it did make my blood pressure rise. As did the nice 07' candy red california special with the Shelby letters on the back.

 

it just does not cost much more now for a used SGT. I dont get it.

[jsimmons]

I always get this one. " I seen a blue Shelby just like yours yesterday." Every time it turns out to be a V6 vista blue Mustang with the pony package and has rocker stripes. It just kills me that the average person just does not look at cars in detail like most here do. My Shelby is just another Mustang to most. Hard to believe Shelby fans.

 

There's absolutely nothing you can do about non-enthusiasts except smile, nod, feign interest and amazement, and appear genuinely interested in what they're saying. Thanksfully, all you normally have to say is, "Wow! That's pretty cool!"

 

I have a white 65' fastback that I fought putting stripes on for years. Now it is odd to see one without them.

 

My experience is that the older first/second generation mustangs are more typically restored to original paint/appearance. But the stripes you see on them were inspired by the race cars of the same time period. I think most of the time, they look okay, unless they're too far appart, or too wide.

 

I do have to say that when I seen a 08' GT350 drive by me the other day, it did make my blood pressure rise. As did the nice 07' candy red california special with the Shelby letters on the back.

 

 

So, was it implemented well? would it be believable as a GT-350? I don't understand why it would bother you , even if you do happen to own a 2008 Shelby yourself. BTW, how do you tell the difference between the 2005-2009 cars, or even the 2010-2012 cars? The bodies within those two groups all look the same to me, and I'm not privy to the variations in OEM front/rear fascias on the unmodded cars (if a truly unmodded Mustang even exists today ).

 

It just does not cost much more now for a used SGT. I dont get it.

 

A four-year old Shelby still costs more than a new GT Premium, which costs about $12K more than what I bought my V6 for new (and my payments are only $328). I would also be hesitant to daily drive a Shelby, so buying one doesn't make sense for a single-car person. Add to that that I don't buy cars to hide them in a temperature controlled garage (not saying everyone here does, but c'mon, it's a Shelby). FWIW, putting "SHELBY" letters on a car that has CS stripes on it is kind of - well - strange, but hey, we don't own the car, do we?

 

Further, even though I'm 56 and have an absolutely spotless driving record, my insurance went up $50 when I got rid of my Crown Vic Sport (4.6 liter V8) and bought the V6 Mustang. If I had bought a GT, it would have been even higher, and if I'd bought a Boss or Shelby, god knows how high it would have been. There are things to consider other than just the cost of the car.

[jmn444]

So, was it implemented well? would it be believable as a GT-350? I don't understand why it would bother you , even if you do happen to own a 2008 Shelby yourself. BTW, how do you tell the difference between the 2005-2009 cars, or even the 2010-2012 cars? The bodies within those two groups all look the same to me, and I'm not privy to the variations in OEM front/rear fascias on the unmodded cars (if a truly unmodded Mustang even exists today ).

 

Variations aside, it's easy to tell it's a fake gt350 as there was NO gt350 made in the 05-09 body style.

 

A four-year old Shelby still costs more than a new GT Premium, which costs about $12K more than what I bought my V6 for new (and my payments are only $328). I would also be hesitant to daily drive a Shelby, so buying one doesn't make sense for a single-car person. Add to that that I don't buy cars to hide them in a temperature controlled garage (not saying everyone here does, but c'mon, it's a Shelby). FWIW, putting "SHELBY" letters on a car that has CS stripes on it is kind of - well - strange, but hey, we don't own the car, do we?

 

not if you are looking at a SGT and not a gt500, and why not drive it daily???

 

Further, even though I'm 56 and have an absolutely spotless driving record, my insurance went up $50 when I got rid of my Crown Vic Sport (4.6 liter V8) and bought the V6 Mustang. If I had bought a GT, it would have been even higher, and if I'd bought a Boss or Shelby, god knows how high it would have been. There are things to consider other than just the cost of the car.

 

I'm assuming $50 for 6 months, right? Plus I'm assuming the vic was somewhat older than the V6 stang, which has a lot to do with replacement value as well. My 07 SGT is only $100 more every 6 months than my wifes 06 HHR. A gt500 would be more, but I think you'd cry about fuel costs more than insurance costs if you drove it how it was meant to be driven.

 

 

[EL SHELBY]

Most of the S197's regardless of the year with the GT300, GT350, or Mach 1 badges/decals/rocker stripes were done so by the dealer when sold new. Unfortunately there are plenty of either unscrupulous or just plain ignorant dealers who sold the cars telling the buyer they were the real deal.

 

Before I found my SGT I nearly worked a deal on a ’09 GT with the full gambit of Mach 1 appearance mods all done by the dealer. It was a great looking Mustang.

 

I’m with most here. My panties will get in a bunch only when someone attempts to pass off their clone/tribute as the real deal. But, I’ll add one more stipulations to the that; it only bothers me when it’s done for personal gain.

 

If Joe Clueless down the street tells his friends and neighbors that his Mustang is a Shelby when it isn’t it hurts no one. But if he attempts to sell it as a Shelby then it chaps my hide.

 

I’ve said it before, but I would argue that clones/tributes actually drive up the value of the real Shelbys because these clone/tributes, when done respectfully, actually drive recognition and excitement for the brand.

 

Le Mans or Racing Stripes which are often referred to as Shelby Stripes were not created by or unique to Shelby though they were made famous by Shelby. Anyone remember Briggs Cunningham and his Hemi powered C4-R?

[jsimmons]

Variations aside, it's easy to tell it's a fake gt350 as there was NO gt350 made in the 05-09 body style.

 

I'm aware there were no GT350's in 2008, but that wasn't my question. I was just wondering how one tells the difference between, say, a 2007 and a 2009 Mustang , or even a 2010 and a 2012 (from the outside).

 

I think you'd cry about fuel costs more than insurance costs if you drove it how it was meant to be driven.

 

Indeed. I'm definitely diggin' the 25mpg (in the city) on my V6.