SAAC Forum

A few more photos:

With the recent interest in Maroon '68 Shelbys, I thought I would post this KR that I have for sale. See the discussion of Maroon cars here:
SAAC Forum »The Cars »Vintage Shelby Related Literature and Collectibles »Maroon 68 KR Model

Also, Revology recently delivered its first KR and the color chosen by their customer was Royal Maroon - see it at this link:
https://revologycars.com/car/1968-shelby-gt500-kr/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20Branded&utm_term=Revology&utm_content=Revology

KR #3588 was purchased in 1979 by a long time friend and customer. Those of you who have been around for a while may recall that at that time, we did not worship at the altar of originality as we do today. SAAC had not yet instituted a judged concours and convention shows were popular vote affairs. So, owners often modified their cars to suit their particular taste.

So it is with #3588. Originally Lime Gold, the owner changed it to Royal Maroon when he redid it in 1986. He also liked the look of the stencil callout on the Boss 429, so he eliminated the rocker stripes and had the GT500KR text done as a standalone in that style. Underhood, it is minimally detailed and underneath not at all. Other changes included a custom fabricated muffler bypass system and the addition of ten spoke wheels.

Other than these changes, 3588 is a very intact, high integrity example. Actual mileage is about 59,500. The paint remains in very good condition with only a few minor flaws. The body metal and fiberglass are all factory original with no accident or rust repair. The interior is original with exception of a period Ford AM/FM radio. All Shelby unique interior equipment is intact. The spare tire has been replaced with a space saver style.

The engine is the original matching number, the C6 transmission is the factory iron tail, and the differential is 3:50 locking with nodular case and 31 spline axles. The original C8OF-AB carb and cast iron exhaust manifolds are intact on the engine. Some of the other unique KR equipment was removed in 1986 but retained by the owner and will accompany the car. These include the air cleaner/snorkel assembly.  I am preparing a list of the takeoff items that will be included.

The overall character of this car is that of a 1980's street driver. Built to run hard and long, #3588 has done SAAC convention track time at Charlotte, Pocono, Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. While a hand full on the road courses, it really showed its stuff on the high bank tracks, hitting a greater than expected 150+MPH. The owner has an independent auto repair shop and has maintained it in fully operational condition.

#3588 is listed in the 2020 SAAC registry of 1968 Shelbys on page 879. There is a photo of a yellow KR in the listing; it is not this car. 3588 was its original lime gold until the 1986 maroon respray, and photos of it when Lime are available. It was not, as inferred in the Registry text, a special order maroon car.

I am offering this KR at $165,000. I have ordered the Marti Report and Shelby factory paperwork; they will be available upon arrival. The car is at my facility and available for inspection by appointment.

Bill Collins
Bill Collins Collector Fords
Harrisburg, PA 17111

717-648-6600
bill@bcfords.com

Scale models / toys of 1968 Shelbys?

I just purchased a large NOS parts stash from a long closed Ford dealer. Included were some late 1960's headlight buckets and retaining rings. There are two ring styles; they differ by the configuration of the retaining brackets. One is an "L" shape with a single round hole in the base. The other is a slot style - the screw goes through a larger opening at one end of the slot and the ring is then rotated so the smaller opening is beneath the screw head. The screw is then tightened on each style.

I can take and post some photos of the two styles if requested.

Quote from: CharlesTurner on August 09, 2023, 11:22:17 PM

Quote from: tesgt350 on August 09, 2023, 07:59:48 AM
I believe that "Black Stripe" by the Door Handle is a Plastic Piece on the Door Lip to protect it from Dinging something and chipping the Paint.

Correct, they were put on at the Ford assembly plant.  Can be seen on other period photos at Carter St./Venice and LAX.

Here are some Dave Friedman photos of a batch of the first hundred cars from San Jose assembly being unloaded at Shelby American behind Carter Avenue. Note the door protectors on some cars. I recall seeing these on various new Fords back in the day and have one in my parts collection. The ones on cars around here were clear vinyl although the San Jose ones are black. This is likely an assembly plant variation.

Also note some cars lacking roof roof louvres and rear windows - these were destined to be R Models. 

Also note the wheel in question appears to have a 2 1/8" diameter center hole. Original Hertz Magnums had a 2" diameter center.

I have one of these in my inventory. Attached are some photos of it that I took today. It appears to be very original and never messed with. Case is dated 7M21 and it has its original C8ZX ID tag with a date of 8AC. Internals are clean, assembly rotates smoothly and I have checked the ratio and confirmed it is 3:89. I have yet to put an axle into it to confirm 31 spline but I can do that in the next day or two.

Josh, if you have interest please contact me and I can provide additional photos. Email is best.

Bill Collins
Harrisburg, PA
717-648-6600
bill@bcfords.com

One of my knowledgeable Shelby friends looked at this car a few weeks ago. He reported to me that it has sustained a good bit of body work that included a lot of plastic filler. it appears it may have redone as a hobbyist level effort and shows it upon close inspection.

I would recommend an in person inspection by a capable expert before pulling the trigger. DO NOT buy the car based on photographs.

Having sold numerous Shelbys over the years, I have seen various solutions to sealing the override traction bar openings on 65-66 cars.

One that I recall was very effective was, I believe, the rubber boot for the four wheel drive lever on a '70's era Ford pickup. It was rectangular and more narrow than a shift boot where it attached to the floor and fit the opening very well. It tapered down to a circular snout at the other end where the handle would pass through it, making for a good fit around the traction bar.

The rectangular end had a thin metal bezel that provided rigidity so the assembly could be pop riveted to the floor. Additional sealing was provided by some 3M strip caulk.  The overall boot length was adequate to work well for the traction bar application - when I first saw it, I thought it may have been original equipment on the Shelby.

The boot is probably long obsolete from Ford but Dorman manufactures many replacements for items like this. You may want to go online and browse their catalog to see what may work best.

I bought this car in about 1989 from a Corvette dealer in the Leesburg, VA area. He had picked it up locally to flip it. It was a non running roller at the time and I recall it was reasonably complete and solid.

In 1990 I sold it to Mike Hufnagle, who is mentioned in the Registry. He commenced a restoration and repainted it in Boss 302 yellow, as he did not like the original fleet WT6066 fleet yellow. After 15 years, he still had not finished it and consigned it back to me. I sold it again in August of 2006 to Ben Wagoner of Bakersfield, CA.

Ben commenced to re-restore it, including, as I recall, putting it back to the correct color. I visited him in August of 2007 and took the attached photos. He also gave me a ride in it and I remember that it ran very well! I saw it again at SAAC 38 in Fontana, CA in 2013, where it won Division II gold.

Ben advertised it here on the Forum in 2019. It went unsold for a long time. I contacted him maybe a year after the ad originally appeared as I had a customer for the car, but he had just sold it.

I am friends with both Mike Hufnagle and Ben Wagoner. If anyone has interest in #3661 I can ask them if it is OK for you to contact them. I also probably have my 1989 file on the car somewhere in my archives, but I would have to dig it out.

Quote from: CharlesTurner on July 11, 2023, 12:16:13 AM
That's 5S003 in the Carter Ave. pics.  If I remember right, it's the only set of photos taken (by Brock) with Cragars on the driver side.  This picture was taken before 003 was prepared to meet current 'GT350' specs, so it could be sold.  It still has the hand-painted lettering on the fenders and a radio antenna can be seen in the pics.

Thanks Charles - I suspected it may have been 003 but was unable to confirm that when I wrote the post. I did notice the rocker stripe lettering.

Quote from: tesgt350 on July 10, 2023, 07:03:53 AM
In the Advertisement, isn't that Shelby parked in front of Shelby's Office?

The photo was taken in front of 3217 - 3219 Carter Avenue, which is around the corner from 1042 Princeton where  Shelby's office was located. Carter was where the early GT350 production took place.

I attached another view of the car that clearly shows the front entrance with the address, plus a closeup of the front doors.

These photos, along with many others of Carter Avenue GT350 production, originally appeared in this Forum thread started by Szabo from Germany - Thanks!:
https://www.saacforum.com/index.php?topic=6308.0

I recently discovered a remarkable ad that appeared in the Baltimore Sun newspaper on Sunday, February 25, 1965. It is a display ad announcing the arrival and display of the Mustang GT350.

A scan of the ad is attached. What is even more remarkable (to me) is that the car described in the ad is most certainly 006. Although the photo is from the 1965 Shelby press kit and possibly not of my car, the timing of the ad relative to when 006 arrived at the dealership and some key phrases in the ad are rather compelling evidence.

006 was reportedly air freighted to Pennsylvania to appear at the Philadelphia Auto show, which ran January 9-15. It was purchased there by Les Lepedus (sp?) who owned Archway. The MSO from Shelby to Archway is dated February 12th, about two weeks prior to the announcement ad.

The ad title reads "Mustang GT350", which was the official name of the car at the time and listed as its trade name on the MSO, which also recites "285 HP", a rating duplicated in the ad. As we know, the GT350's rating was subsequently increased to 306. The ad text begins by referring to it as the "Meanest Mustang" - a phrase that also appears on a sign placed on the roof of 006 when Archway displayed it at the Baltimore World Of Wheels show, where the first retail owner purchased it on March 5, 1965.

I am fortunate to have a copy of the MSO and some photos, which are attached. I am still looking for photos from the Philly Auto Show. The Philadelphia Inquirer had several days of show coverage, but the GT350 is mentioned in only one small photo article, obviously written from a press release, that does not mention its presence at the show. But maybe someone has a snapshot taken there. If you do, I would like to hear from you!

So maybe you have a Hertz car that was changed over to a 4 speed sometime in the 1970's / 80's and now you want to return it to its correct assembly line automatic configuration? Or are redoing a project that is missing its drivetrain? I have just what you need.

I recently sold 6S409, a factory automatic car. The new owner has opted to convert it to a 4 speed and I received the entire original automatic assembly back in a trade. It was removed just a few months ago and was running / driving in the car at that time. Mileage was around 80,000 but trans may have been rebuilt along the way as the torque converter is painted grey.

Here is what I have:
Factory assembly line C4 "Hipo" transmission with "C" servo
Torque converter and flex plate
Block and inspection plates
Trans to radiator cooling lines
Original blue stripe drive shaft with yellow engineering number stencil still intact

Original automatic shifter assembly and linkage
Kickdown lever assembly
Original "disc brake" pedal
Backup light switch

Possibly a few other minor parts that I don't recall right now

Package price is SOLD Photos available.
Will deliver to SAAC 48 at no charge

Bill Collins
Harrisburg, PA
717-648-6600
bill@bcfords.com

You might try Pete Geisler at Orlando Mustang. He is located in Osteen, FL near the Sanford airport, about 115 miles southeast of the Jacksonville area. He has been in business for decades and I have known him for almost as long - visited his shop just last year. He is also a SAAC Regional Rep.

Here is a link to his web site: orlandomustang.com

Tell him Bill Collins sent you!