Frame Up Built Shelby GT500 Keith Craft 428 V8 549 HP TKO600 5 Speed Ford 9"

SUMMARY

More often than not the sad thing about owning a documented collector car is that you have to lock it in a bubble and drive it with the haste of a Brass Era survivor. Because of an innate aversion to that sort of 'fine print' many enthusiasts are beginning to rethink the old purist's adage: "original is always better". And hobbyists who actually enjoy driving their vintage hardware are beginning to buy slick fully sorted classics like this lovingly upgraded Shelby GT500. With a killer Keith Craft 428/Tremec 5-speed drivetrain that's centered in a fully documented Shelby shell this Mustang will make you the star of your own 1-person parade! And speaking of stars this is also the car many of you might remember from 2006 Ford commercials and Kelly Clarkson's "Go" music video. Looking for some awesome muscle to help welcome the summer? Come experience this sinister Mustang and you won't even give the word "original" a second thought!

BODYWORK/TRIM

Steal a glance at this Shelby's super slick body and you'll see what high quality craftsmanship truly looks like. The product of a frame-up restoration that was performed by dedicated Mustang enthusiasts its solid sheetmetal was completely stripped and carefully reworked into a top-notch thoroughbred cruiser. Once that intense labor resulted in better-than-factory fit a smooth and glossy coat of Raven Black 2-stage was dressed in Wimbledon White racing stripes accented with laser-straight callouts and buffed to a fantastic shine. And the result is one razor-sharp pony car that looks good runs great and is ready to turn heads for years to come!

Shelby's GT line threw fuel on the muscle car fire by not only adding power but also introducing some of the coolest and most aggressive Mustang design cues ever created. At the leading edge of this slick coupe a pristine bumper dissects a correct Shelby grille which hangs chrome-trimmed driving lamps between modern tri-bar headlights and bullet-style parking lamps. At the top of that grille blocky "SHELBY" lettering leads the eye to correct lanyards a lightweight fiberglass hood and fresh glass that's framed by bright trim spotless wipers and correct chrome mirrors. At the base of that glass correct Shelby side scoops and correct Shelby fender caps cage vivid Cobra emblems traditional door handles and dent-free rocker guards. At the back of those guards traditional Shelby taillights illuminate a handsome Cobra fuel filler a second chrome bumper highly detailed reverse lamps and bright stainless exhaust tips. And a familiar Shelby decklid hangs a large Carroll Shelby autograph over a second round of "SHELBY" lettering.

ENGINE

Hoist this pony's snug-fitting hood and you'll find a fully detailed 428 cubic inch Ford V8 that thanks to Keith Craft Performance of Arkadelphia Arkansas twists 549 dyno-proven horses into 601 lb./ft. of tire-shredding torque! At the top of the blue mill a finned Cobra air cleaner funnels air in to a 950cfm Pro Systems carburetor that's fed by braided fluid lines an electric Edelbrock pump and a liquid-filled Russell pressure gauge. A resulting air/fuel mixture makes its way from an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake to Edelbrock Performer RPM heads which ride between a custom Reed solid lifter cam and Cobra-branded valve covers. When those heads flood the cylinders an MSD Pro-Billet distributor sequences spark between an MSD coil MSD 6AL ignition and beefy Taylor plug wires. Spent gases roar through coated Hooker Super Competition headers. The brutal engine's cooling is provided by a big aluminum radiator which rides in front of an Edelbrock water pump and traditional belt fan. A sleek MSD alternator spins above cool air conditioning and convenient power steering thanks to quality Concept One pulleys. And overall the car's smooth engine bay is exceptionally well done; featuring details like Total Control bracing a Wilwood clutch reservoir a Ford Motorsport breather and a tagged Autolite battery topper.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

At the bottom of this Mustang a freshened undercarriage houses solid undercoated floors that are bolted to a roster of top-notch components. Behind the snarling 428 a tough hydraulic clutch engages a Tremec TKO600 5-speed and proven Ford axle. The car's already competent suspension has been upgraded with better shocks better control arms and beefy subframe connectors. That hardware was augmented with Total Control power rack-and-pinion steering. Braking is equally class with a combination of Baer and Ford calipers squeezing four drilled and slotted rotors. The aforementioned headers dump spent gases in to 3-inch aluminized pipes that employ an H-shaped crossover and throaty Flowmaster Super 40 Series mufflers. And everything rolls on 17-inch aluminum wheels that twist 245/45ZR17 BF Goodrich g-Force T/As up front and 275/40ZR17 BF Goodrich g-Force T/As out back.

INTERIOR

Open the door to this awesome Mustang and you'll find a fully restored cockpit that mixes the best elements of Ford's black vinyl interior with stylish Shelby add-ons. Front-and-center highly bolstered Shelby-branded PROCARs stretch tight vinyl covers under a tough roll bar and familiar shoulder belts. In front of those seats an ornate dual-cowl dash centers clean factory telemetry and standard wood trim between controls for the car's Classic Auto air conditioning and requisite Carroll Shelby signatures. Below that dash a correct console anchors a trick Shelby shifter between a cobra-branded armrest modern Alpine audio and familiar Stewart Warner accessory gauges. The floors are occupied by fade-free carpet which is sandwiched between heavy duty floor mats and high quality Dynamat insulation. At the sides of that carpet 'layered' door panels feature clean stainless trim bright chrome handles and more great looking wood. In front of the driver a wood-trimmed steering wheel laps a simple Shelby-branded horn button. And behind the passengers you'll find a fully carpeted trunk.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

According to Kevin Marti of Marti Auto Works this ruthless coupe was bolted together in Metuchen New Jersey on January 8th 1968 and delivered to Parkside Ford of Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. Here's a thorough breakdown of the car's original door data and optional equipment:

DOOR DATA:

SERIAL NUMBER: 8T02SXXXXXX - XXXX

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT:

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION

There's simply nothing like keying up a legendary muscle car. The sound the feeling of the idle and the relentless surge of torque as you power through the gears. It's very rare to find a top-notch piece of Shelby history that benefits from the perfect amount of upgrades to enhance what's really important: the driving experience. If you're looking for some highly desirable muscle that'll provide years of weekend fun and rack up more than its fair share of fans in the process this is your kind of car!