No Reserve

This is not an ?original? Shelby GT500. Carroll Shelby only wished his GT500s 
were made this good. Just like Carroll?s GT500s, this one started out as a Ford 
Mustang Fastback. Since this one was almost 40 years old when it was transformed 
into a ?Shelby?, it was completely disassembled first. 

The car was completely disassembled, mounted on a rotisserie, and then media 
blasted to remove all paint and rust. Unfortunately, Ford never put any paint 
inside the cowls on their early Mustangs and this area had significant rust. 
Almost all Mustangs have rusted cowls. The proper fix involves separating the 
upper and lower cowl, replacing the rusted out cowl vents, painting the insides 
of the cowl, and then welding the upper cowl back on. There are 125 spot welds 
holding the cowl together. It is easily a 50 hr job to repair a Mustang cowl. 
The replacement cowl vents were butt welded for a seamless repair.
 
While the car was on the rotisserie it received numerous structural upgrades. 
First, the shock towers were reinforced. When Ford came out with the 1968½ 
Mustang 428CJ they reinforced the shock towers. Boss 302 and later performance 
Mustangs also had reinforced shock towers. 1967 Shelby?s did not. 

Next, a passenger side torque box was added. Ford added passenger side torque 
boxes on big-block Cougars and then on all 1968 and up Mustang and Cougars. 1967 
Shelby?s did not have passenger side torque boxes. 

The top of the cowl received a welded-in reinforcement plate where the export 
brace attaches. Shelby did this in 1965 but not on his later cars. 

Next, subframe connectors were added. These were not part of Ford?s evolution to 
the Mustang but the unibody Mustangs really need subframe connectors to reduce 
chassis flex. Maier subframe connectors are longer than the others offered for 
early Mustangs and attach with twice as many contact surfaces. 

1968 GT500KRs and later ?Drag Pak? equipped Mustangs received staggered rear 
shocks. The staggered shocks helped reduce axle wind and prevent wheel hop. The 
relocated upper shock mount was fabricated to factory specifications. Not only 
does it look OEM it significantly strengthens the rear subframe. 
Finally, all subframe/unibody spot welds were inspected and rewelded as 
necessary. In some areas, additional spot welds were added. 

Additional body modifications include functional brake ducts and rolled fenders. 
The brake ducts are ?functional? in that they allow air to flow from the lower 
scoops into the rear wheel well but with extra wide tires, very little air 
actually makes it to the rear brakes. Early Shelby?s had functional brake ducts 
but later 1967 production cars did not. The fender lips were rolled to allow the 
use of wider tires just like Ford did on the Boss429 Mustangs.
 
With the chassis restored to better than new specifications, many hours of 
bodywork, priming, and block sanding ensued to make sure the car received a 
first class paint job. Needless to say, ?bondo? was a four letter word in this 
shop. 

Prior to the paint being applied on the outside, Lizard Skin, a ceramic sound 
and heat insulating paint was applied to the interior floor, roof, and inside 
the doors. Many people apply similar products (often truck bed liner) here as 
well as on the underside of the floor and engine compartment. The thickly 
textured paint hides poor welds and wavy sheet metal. The underside of the floor 
and engine compartment of this car is painted with a smooth durable epoxy paint 
and doesn?t hide anything. 

The exterior paint is Sikkens base coat/clear coat in Porsche GT Silver 
Metallic. 

With paint and bodywork complete, the car was now ready for assembly. If my 
intent was to make a true Shelby clone I could have saved a lot of money at this 
point. My goal was to have a car that looked like a 1967 Shelby GT500 but was in 
fact better, faster, and safer. 

1967 Shelby GT500s were equipped with 428 cubic inch engines. These were fine 
engines but more is better especially when more weighs less. The engine in this 
car is an aluminum Genesis 427 Side Oiler that has been stroked to 482 cubic 
inches of displacement. The Genesis block features a Ford casting number and was 
available through the Ford Racing Parts catalog. The block features upgrade 
oiling and reinforcements yet weighs 100 lbs less than its cast iron 
counterpart. The engine was balanced and blue printed with the finest components 
and delivers a conservative 500 horsepower.
 
The engine is mated to a McLeod 12? Dual Performance clutch and Lakewood 
bellhousing which is connected to a TKO600 5-speed transmission. The 
transmission connects to an 3.5 in diameter aluminum driveshaft which joins the 
Ford 9-inch rear via a Strange aluminum housing and Daytona pinion. Inside the 
rear end is a new Detroit Truetrac differential and Strange 31-spline axles. 
To handle this awesome drivetrain is an equally awesome suspension. The front 
suspension features tubular upper and lower control arms manufactured by Global 
West which are connected to new production 1970-style spindles. The 1970 and up 
Mustang spindles (first introduced on the 1969 Boss302) are significantly 
stronger than the earlier spindles. On these spindles are mounted Wilwood disc 
brakes with 13?x1.25? two-piece rotors. The two piece rotors feature an aluminum 
hub for less unsprung weight. 

Replacing the inherently sloppy original steering box is Total Control Products 
power rack and pinion steering. This rack and pinion provides precise steering, 
adjustable steering effort, and reduced turns lock-to lock. This is power steering,
just like all Shelby GT500s, but the assist is adjustable so you can parallel park 
and have good road feel.

The rear suspension features Flex-a-Form fiberglass leaf springs mounted on 
Global West Del-alum bushings and heavy duty shackles. The fiberglass spring 
weigh only 8 lbs each. The reduced unsprung weight (especially with the aluminum 
differential housing) makes the rear end responsive without being too stiff. The 
monoleaf design when combined with the staggered shocks eliminates wheel hop. To 
get the car to launch better, I have installed leaf spring snubbers just like 
Shelby did in 1967. These snubbers mount on the floor above the front part of 
the leaf springs. Under heavy acceleration the spring contacts the snubber which 
increases the spring rate and prevents spring wrap-up. In essence, they work 
like traction bars or under-ride bars but without binding and degrading the 
handling. Koni shocks (front and rear) complete the suspension package. 
The rear also features Wilwood disc brakes. These are 12.2? diameter and are 
also a two-piece design with the inner hub incorporating a parking brake. An 
adjustable proportioning valve is located next to the power brake booster. All 
Shelby GT500s came with power brakes. 

The car rides on Shelby 10-spoke wheels. The pattern is exactly like Shelby?s 
but these are 17 inches in diameter. The front has 17x8 wheels and 245/45 BF 
Goodrich G-Force T/A KDW tires and the rear 17x9.5 with 275/45 BF Goodrich 
G-Force T/A KDW tires. 

All 1967 Shelbys came with Deluxe upholstery, rollbar with inertia reel seat 
belts, 140MPH speedometer, 8,000 RPM tachometer, underdash gauges, and a custom 
wood steering wheel. The focal point of the interior is the beautiful wood 
wheel. Few recreations feature a correct Shelby wheel due to their extraordinary 
cost. The rollbar is not plain steel but rubber coated like the original and has 
inertia reel seat belts that were painstakingly reproduced. The speedometer and 
tachometer are not after-market white-faced, they are originals refurbished to 
new condition. I did deviate from Shelby on the under dash gauges. First his 
?gauge pod? was a modified Ford ?Rally Pac? that originally mounted on the 
steering column. It is not an elegant arrangement. The Stewart Warner Green Line 
gauges are faithfully reproduced now but in my opinion they don?t match the 
other gauges very well. To solve the first problem I used the console Shelby 
used in 1968. While not correct for a 1967 Shelby, it sure looks good especially 
with the matching aluminum trim. The comfort and convenience of the console are 
also great benefits. I selected VDO gauges for their accuracy and looks. The 
plain white numbers on a black background with an orange needle closely resemble 
the other gauges. The Deluxe upholstery has a few subtle modifications. I wanted 
safer and more comfortable seats. That meant headrests and a locking seat back. 
Neither were features that Ford or Shelby offered in 1967. I used a pair of 1969 
Mustang seats that are dimensionally similar to the 1967 seats but did have the 
desired features. They were stripped, welded, resprung, and painted (seats this 
old almost always have broken springs and numerous stress cracks). The seats 
were then upholstered with new specially contoured buns and 1967 pattern 
material. I also added an inflatable lumbar inside the seat for additional 
comfort. These seats look like they belong in the car but are more supportive, 
comfortable, and safer. The Ford seat track TSB was also performed which extends 
the track to allow for more leg and head room. 

Additional interior comfort and safety features include a 1968 tilt-away 
steering column, air conditioning, and a modern audio system. The 1968 steering 
column was chosen not just for its tilting feature. In 1968, Ford began 
utilizing collapsible steering columns to prevent drivers from being ?speared? 
by the steering column in the event of an accident. The air conditioning system 
uses original 1967 in-dash polished chrome vents and controls but with all new 
modern R-134a components under the hood. The original AM radio was replaced with 
an Eclipse sound system with tasteful plain black speaker covers. 
In the fully detailed trunk are a maintenance-free Optima battery, a 22 gallon 
fuel tank, and a 17? space-saver spare. The 17? spare is required to fit the 
oversize brakes. 
 
 
Parts List 
All aluminum 482 engine 
 Genesis aluminum block 4.25 x 4.25 bore and stroke 
 SCAT Crank 
 SCAT H-Beam rods 
 Diamond forged pistons 
 Professional Products PowerForce+ SFI Damper 
 ARP Main studs 
 All ARP bolts 
 Canton Road Race oil pan 
 Edelbrock aluminum heads by Keith Craft Racing 
 Competition Cams camshaft and lifters 
 Precision Oil Pumps aluminum roller rocker arms 
 Finned aluminum 427 Cobra valve covers and air cleaner assembly 
 Edelbrock RPM intake 
 Holley 850cfm carburetor 
 Edelbrock aluminum water pump 
 MSD Pro Billet distributor 
 MSD 6-AL ignition/rev limiter 
FPA Tri-Y headers w/Jet Coat 
Magnaflow stainless exhaust  
Tremec TKO600 trans 
Lakewood housing, 12? McLeod Flywheel, Clutch, & Pressure Plate, Hydraulic 
master/slave 
Aluminum Driveshaft 
9? Rear with Strange Aluminum housing and Strange 31-spline axles 
Detroit TrueTrac 
Wilwood Brakes, 13? front, 12.2 rear 
Global West upper and lower control arms and strut rods 
Flex-a-form fiberglass leaf springs 
Global West leaf spring bushings and shackles 
Staggered rear shock mounts 
Shelby snubbers 
Koni Shocks 
TCP Rack & Pinion Power Steering 
KRC power steering pump w/remote reservoir 
Maier Subframe Connectors 
Passenger Side Torque Box 
Shock Tower Reinforcements 
Classic Auto Air Conditioning (in-dash) 
TMI Sport upholstery and inflatable lumbar pad 
Seat Track TSB 
Shelby console w/gauges 
Shelby rubber coated rollbar with correct Y-harnesses and inertia reels 
Eclipse audio system 
All new electrical wiring 
Electric retractable antenna 
Shelby steering wheel 
Tilt-Away Steering Column 
22 gal gas tank 
Trunk mounted Optima battery 
Vintage Wheel Works Shelby 10-spoke wheels 17x8.0 front and 17x9.5 rear 
BF Goodrich G-Force T/A KDW tires: 245/45/17 and 275/45/17 


Over 100 additional photos at: http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n21/raymederos/