Beschreibung:

* 289-cid V8 * 5-speed T5 gearbox * Original A-Code 2+2 Fastback * Rebuilt as a Shelby Tribute to a high standard * Head-turning weekend driver Mae West once said, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful," and few cars are more emblematic of such rosy sentiments than the original Shelby GT350. Aiming to create a car that would dominate SCCA racing, Carroll Shelby, whose Ford-powered Cobras were already raking in plenty of trophies, turned his eye on the successful new Ford product that was taking the car market by storm. Starting with a standard Mustang Fastback Coupe, Shelby installed a heavy-duty rear axle from a Ford Galaxy, bigger brakes, a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual, a massaged motor with solid lifter cams and other upgrades, a set of cast-magnesium center Cragar wheels, and numerous suspension tweaks. To qualify as a 'sports car' for SCCA, the rear seats were removed and in their place a full size spare was mounted. Offered in only one color (Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker stripes—optional 'Le Mans' stripes could be ordered) the '65 GT350s hit the ground running and took home numerous victories in the hands of privateers. With its emphasis on speed, rather than creature comforts and civility, the first year GT350s are seen as the purest of the breed, free of the luxury features that found their way onto later models. Rugged and challenging to drive in normal traffic, the GT350 was at home on the track. It immediately gave the Mustang a huge image boost. The good news continued as specially prepared GT350R models won the SCCA production sports car championship three times in a row – 1965, 1966 and 1967. With values of the surviving GT350R Shelbys skyrocketing in recent years, a market for affordable tributes has sprung up and the vehicle on offer here is certainly one of the better executed examples. Starting with an A-Code Mustang 2+2 Fastback as a base, the car is believed to be a matching numbers example, the 289-cid V8 mated to a T5 gearbox with a hydraulic clutch master set-up for easy shifting. R-model upgrades include the brakes (discs all round), suspension (Baer rod ends, boxed control arms, roller bearing steering idler arm, Shelby front drop and coil springs and 5 leaf mid-eye springs at the rear) and a 24" 4-core radiator. Cosmetically the Mustang was finished in the classic Shelby color scheme of Wimbledon White with blue stripes, a R-model style front valance, fiberglass hood with locking pins and sits on genuine 15 x 7 American Racing 'Torquethrust' mag wheels. A Magnaflow side exit exhaust system has been fitted. The interior has been re-done with the correct Stewart Warner R-model gauge cluster, radio delete panel, the rear seat has been deleted with an FIA-style spare wheel mounted in the rear on the parcel shelf. A NOS trunk mat has been fitted and the car has a trunk-mounted battery as per the original. A Shelby wood-rim steering wheel, Kirkey competition bucket seat, four-point rear bar and integrated cut-off switch complete the package. The current owner has invested over $10,000 to make the Mustang a reliable Sunday driver, including a rebuilt front end, new rear shocks, and reports he has done 4,000 miles with total reliability. The rebuilt 8" Positraction rear end and 5-speed transmission make the Mustang extremely tractable, ideal for freeway driving. The most affordable way to experience all visceral thrills of driving a real GT350R Shelby, the car is accompanied by some documentation, receipts file and the original driver's seat. Offered on a Montana Certificate of Title.