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Convertible?


Starik
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A few months ago I bought my first Shelby, a GT500 convertible. I find the 550 hp... adequate, and I'd love to buy a GT350 convertible before the Voodoo engine goes away.  I'd plunk down a deposit on one Monday if I could.  If they'd make a GT500 convertible, 760 hp is more than I need, but I'd buy one of those if I couldn't get a 350 convertible.  Is anybody else interested in pressing SVT to give us a convertible?

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The voodoo engine Ford Shelby GT350 is only available in a coupe.  You could have Shelby American upgrade your GT500.  The 2020 GT500 with 760  HP will be available in a convertible model.  Or maybe find a 2012-14 Shelby GT350 convertible with 624 HP.  Lots of possibilities out there for Shelby lovers who like to go topless!

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Thanks; It appears that those GT350 convertibles are really rare.  I sure wish I could enjoy the cross-plane engine in a convertible. I'm an old fart, so I'm not interested in performance numbers I just enjoy the sound... and I have a Alfa Stelvio Quattroporte which has outrageous 0-60 figures. I think I'll just wait and see if they produce a GT500 convertible.

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1 hour ago, 66GT350PS said:

The 2020 GT500 will be available in a convertible model according to press releases.

Link? No mention of it on Ford's site.

:lurk:

 

"2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 Body Styles

The 2020 Ford Mustang will likely only be offered as a two-door hardtop coupe. A two-door soft top convertible body style is unlikely."

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4 hours ago, 66GT350PS said:

The 2020 GT500 will be available in a convertible model according to press releases.

Don't recall seeing that but why would Ford not offer a convertible on the GT350 but they will offer a convertible on a car that has 230+ more horsepower than the GT350.

Doesn't make sense but not everything makes sense in Detroit.

 

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I find it quiet unlikely that the 2020 GT500 will be offered in a convertible. The new GT500 capitalizes on the proven performance of the GT350 in terms of suspension and aero. Its oriented towards people who are going to want to take it to drag strip and many of those strips don’t allow a convertible and many twisty tracks don’t either due to liability issues, hence no Ford Shelby GT350 Covertible either.

 There are already a lot of people on TS bitchin about the continued price increases of high performance Mustangs/Shelbys. If Ford decided to do a convertible then  they would have to crash Test to meet federal mandates, and amortizing those costs in to small production runs would only drive the price of the GT500  up further. And as SAI Steven mentioned, its doubtful they are going to chop the top off the car when adding 230+ more hp. Doing so seriously alters the dynamics of the car.

    I try to never say never, but I do see it very unlikely that the 2020 GT500 will have a Vert edition. People who want a nice Shelby Vert should really check out the new Shelby GT. It’s a nice package, plenty of power available, and you can get it built exactly like you want and it will have more exclusivity.

Edited by mhr1961
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11 hours ago, 66GT350PS said:

Question for Steve: did anyone ever try to convwert a 2013-14 GT500 convertible to a Shelby 1000 convertible.  Would the SA factory do it!

As far as I can recall no convertible Shelby 1000's have been built and I don't believe SAI would build one, well at least not for the average customer.

Remember the Shelby 1000 coupe has all kinds of chassis stiffeners added along with many of the builds having a four point roll cage and no back seat. These modifications may not be compatible with a convertible chassis and even if they were the Shelby 1000 is not built to be a top down boulevard cruiser, it's meant to perform.

Fun fact: the Shelby 1000  in all reality was the next and ended up being the last car Shel was personally involved with. SAI had just developed a soon to be released 850hp Super Snake package and after presenting Mr. Shelby with this spectacular 850hp package ol Shel turned right around and said, can you do 1,000hp?

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Well, if desperate, you can always use a can openner and get some top air!   But as Steve mentioned, convertiblesby design require extra chassis and body stiffening.  A high horsepower convertible without a four point roll bar would be an accident waiting to happen.  😎

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On 6/24/2019 at 4:21 PM, SAI-Steven said:

Don't recall seeing that but why would Ford not offer a convertible on the GT350 but they will offer a convertible on a car that has 230+ more horsepower than the GT350.

Doesn't make sense but not everything makes sense in Detroit.

 

Isn't that exactly what Ford did with the 2012 Boss 302 and the much more powerful GT500?

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16 hours ago, Fat Boss said:

Isn't that exactly what Ford did with the 2012 Boss 302 and the much more powerful GT500?

Yes Ford produced a 662hp GT500 convertible in 2013-14 but in my opinion they were intended more as a boulevard cruiser and not a track car. The 2020 GT500 is going to run circles around those cars and like the 2015-19 GT350's track ready cars, do not come as convertibles.

I don't recall the Boss302 cars being available as an convertible either.

Anyway, GT500 convertible and manual transmission questions are best left for Ford to answer. SAI has no involvement in decisions made by Ford.

Steven

 

 

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