ATTN Shelby Gurus, need advice!

If it were me I would restore it as original as possible and use a clone or regular fastback for "restomodding". There are already enough '67-'68 fastbacks being turned into Eleanor clones without real Shelbys being turned into clones of themselves. Only a finite number of these are around to still be discovered while there are still plenty of rubber-mat specials out there ready your personal touch.

Not only will modifying it reduce the value of the car, but, more importantly, to put the TKO in, you will probably need to recess the transmission tunnel. That is a bad thing to do to a high value original car like that.

Ryan

4MuscleMachines said:

I have the opportunity to purchase a true 68 Shelby GT350 but it has no engine or trans. It is a very clean car that is in very good structural condition and needs no paint for now but was repainted many years ago and its shows (1988.) The interior is original so it needs work and the suspension needs to be replaced.
I happen to have a tko-600 and 427 stroked windsor and was thinking it would be a good marriage. Problem is how will it affect the resale value and resale marketability if I am going to modify it? There is a growing trend to mod cars resto-mod or protouring style. I would limit it to tasteful newer technology bolt on mods with an an original look. For example:
1. Brakes- 13" but plain rotors, cobra rotors
2. Maier racing suspension, still looks oem. (maybe RRS?)
3. rack steering
4. 427 windsor (maybe with a paxton on it) with shelbyized look.
5. alum rad but anodized black
6. tko-600
7. high perf rear leafs
8. 16" shelby repro wheels (steel wheels on car right now)

Is there anything special about 68 Shelby gt350
rear ends? Were they N case? That's one of the reasons I asked if a 65 rear would bolt into a 68 in an earlier thread.

Finally, what about a neat looking EFI topped with a shelby air cleaner?

I understand its important not too go too modern with parts since these parts can quickly become old news and decrease its value.

Thanks for reading and please post your thoughts, I really need opinions on this one.

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4MuscleMachines said:

Nice shelby clones are 40-60K

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Where did you see those prices? I dont consider Ebay to represent "going market value". I could see a real GT500 going for the $110K, not a GT350. I likewise couldnt imagine a fake going for more than $30K unless it was really special in some way.

The roller GT350 you want is never going to be worth what an all original car will be, but you will do less damage to the value by keeping it at least period correct. The 16" Shelby wheels won't fit over 13" brakes, BTW.

I say go for it if that's what you want to do. Obviously, the car cannot be put back to concours condition, and with the exception of the TKO, which I do think would be a bad idea, it sounds like everything you're planning to do is bolt-on and could be replaced later. Now if the question is will you be able to turn a profit on the car with the mods you've suggested, I strongly doubt that. If you perform the mods you've indicated, I'd plan on making the car a keeper. It would be possible to put it back near stock and use the take-off parts on another car I suppose, but I seriously don't believe you'll break even or turn a profit on the car if you do.

hrspwrjunkie said:

Not only will modifying it reduce the value of the car, but, more importantly, to put the TKO in, you will probably need to recess the transmission tunnel. That is a bad thing to do to a high value original car like that.

Ryan

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I don't see how he can get it running without modifying it. There is no engine or transmission and engine and transmission combos from Shelby mustangs arent' exactly lying around. This car ceased being a high value car when the original engine and tranny got pulled. Now it is just another rolling shell with an interesting pedigree.

4MuscleMachines said:

I happen to have a tko-600 and 427 stroked windsor and was thinking it would be a good marriage. Problem is how will it affect the resale value and resale marketability if I am going to modify it? There is a growing trend to mod cars resto-mod or protouring style. I would limit it to tasteful newer technology bolt on mods with an an original look.

Finally, what about a neat looking EFI topped with a shelby air cleaner?

.

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regarding a Shelby look, the current crop of GT-350 Shelby mustangs from Unique Performance offer a sweet looking Webber carb set up. Think about that. As for the tranny, I hear that David Kee is working with Gear Venders to offer an OD behind one of his top loaders. That would be "keeping it real" for the most part and you would not have to alter the tranny tunnel to achieve a proper drive line angle.

If you're building the car to sell it then i would keep it as original as possible. if you're going to keep the car as your own, then i would go ahead and mod it, while not doing anything that can't be undone.

DukeGnarley said:

If you're building the car to sell it then i would keep it as original as possible. if you're going to keep the car as your own, then i would go ahead and mod it, while not doing anything that can't be undone.

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Agree, especially since the drive-train is missing and the "matching numbers" game will not be played.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

I have many responses -

In the SAAC region I run, we have three cars which offer solutions to your original question.

The first is a 1966 GT-350 that was purchased without drivetrain. Since it's goal was mostly street, a good 5.0 & T-5 was obtained, and prepped & dressed as the original "K" motor would appear. No holes were drilled, and all mods bolt in. The owner is currently prepping a "K" motor he bought, and has the original T-10, and will soon return the car to as originally equipped. Yes, the original motor is gone, but the current driveline, plus the original parts does not hurt the value too much.



Second is a 1968 GT-350, which had the original 302 motor replaced with a BOSS 302 mill a ways back. The car runs great, and he is not returning the car, as the stock 302 was a dog, probably the slowest Shelby GT-350. Yes, a deduction in value, but the rest of the car left stock.



The third car is a 1968 GT-500, currently for sale, with many mods like you list, and the car does see track time. All the mods were done professionally, very nicely, can be reversed, and the car has been in many magazines. Problem is, it cannot sell for any decent money due to the mods. He has tried a few times with poor results, and has resigned himself to either keeping the car as is and enjoying it, or returning the car to stock if he wants to sell it and do another project.



My own take is that being the Shelby GT-350's & 500's are skyrocketing in value, I would pass on the big mods, and grab a clean body and build a clone with those good parts, and then you can beat the snot out of it without a care. Definitely buy the car, and keep the mods to a min. This idea is why I sold my last Mustang & specifically built a replica Cobra. I wanted a car I could open-track, yet have fun on the street, yet not get anything with historical value. That way, If anything happend, all I would be out is the money I spent, and hurt pride. I couldn't be happier with my choice, damn is it fun to pound that car on the rack. Already set to beat it sensless at VIR, Watkins Glen, and maybe more this year!

BTW, PM me the VIN, so I can confirm the car viar the registry & registrar, and keep the historical record of the car up to date. Has the car been out of circulation for a while? There is a thread running here in tech about differential compatability.

65ShelbyClone said:

Where did you see those prices? I dont consider Ebay to represent "going market value". I could see a real GT500 going for the $110K, not a GT350. I likewise couldnt imagine a fake going for more than $30K unless it was really special in some way.

The roller GT350 you want is never going to be worth what an all original car will be, but you will do less damage to the value by keeping it at least period correct. The 16" Shelby wheels won't fit over 13" brakes, BTW.

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I don't want to start a war in semantics here, but ebay prices ARE the current market value. Market value by definition is what your car could fetch if it were for sale. Cars on ebay are for sale, and whatever the high bid is (assuming the buyer follwed through with the sale) IS the current market value, right? Just because you couldn't sell a '68 fastback for $20,000 in the local paper of Backwater, USA doesn't mean it couldn't bring that in a bigger market, and ebay is currently THE biggest used car lot in the world, both for buyers and for sellers. I've watched as '67 GT500 prices climbed from mid- $50k a couple years ago to $200K recently. It's the trickle-down effect. First a rich guy sees a '67 Shelby GT500 go for $260K on TV at the B-J auction. To him, that is the current market price. He then finds one just like it on ebay for "only" $150K and jumps on it, thinking he's really scored. Then, another GT500 owner sees the ebay car go for that kind of money and assumes HIS car is worth at least that, so he tells his buddy, who owns a clone that his car is worth $150K. So the clone guy thinks his car is practically a Shelby and offers it on ebay and it brings $40K. So now all the people who own clones (me included) insure their clones for nearly what real Shelbys were bringing just a couple years ago. Insane, yup. But is it happening? You better believe it. The same year I bought my plain-Jane '68 fastback for $7,200 ('01) I found a complete but disassembled '68 Shelby GT350 on ebay for around $10K. I kick myself every single time I think about me passing on that car for a measely $3-$4K extra.

Well, many of the Shelby components were standard Ford pieces, such as engine block and transmission, however, it could be done if he wanted to spend the time and do the research necessary to find all the components. They are out there...$$$

Also, I agree that mods aren't a problem at all...in fact I like to do them quite a bit myself, but, like other people have stated, in a hypothetical situation, which this has become since he is no longer purchasing the car, they would be best done in a manner that would allow a person to return the car to stock.

That said, a T5Z will fit right in there without requiring body mods...and if that isn't enough tranny for the engine a G-Force T5 will sit behind just about anything most street machine builders can put in front of it.

Ryan

jerry S said:

I don't see how he can get it running without modifying it. There is no engine or transmission and engine and transmission combos from Shelby mustangs arent' exactly lying around. This car ceased being a high value car when the original engine and tranny got pulled. Now it is just another rolling shell with an interesting pedigree.

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zookeeper said:

It's the trickle-down effect. First a rich guy sees a '67 Shelby GT500 go for $260K on TV at the B-J auction. To him, that is the current market price. He then finds one just like it on ebay for "only" $150K and jumps on it, thinking he's really scored. Then, another GT500 owner sees the ebay car go for that kind of money and assumes HIS car is worth at least that, so he tells his buddy, who owns a clone that his car is worth $150K.....

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.......and the idiocy continues. That is EXACTLY what I had in mind when I made my statement, BTW. I also said "fair" market value, not what outrageous price some more-money-than-sense moron will pay just to win a bidding war. I want a '70-71 Barracuda. Think I can afford it? Hell no; the market has been driven up way too high largely for what you said in that quote. Its just my opinion anyway so do't take it too seriously.

...just make an Eleanor, save all the trouble. Eleanors are priceless, like printing your own money. Can't lose with Eleanor, she will treat you right.

65ShelbyClone said:

.......and the idiocy continues. That is EXACTLY what I had in mind when I made my statement, BTW. I also said "fair" market value, not what outrageous price some more-money-than-sense moron will pay just to win a bidding war. I want a '70-71 Barracuda. Think I can afford it? Hell no; the market has been driven up way too high largely for what you said in that quote. Its just my opinion anyway so do't take it too seriously.

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I didn't mean to start a ruckus, hopefully you didn't take my observations as an attack of any sort, they certainly weren't intended to be. But you never, ever said "fair", you said " going market value" and while it is ridiculous to me to pay $30K+ for any old Ford, that's what clones are going for and that (by definition) makes it the going market value. If I had to buy my clone, I couldn't afford it, that's why I built it. But then again, I can't afford a real Cobra or a Boss Mustang or a Ferrari, but there are people who can, and they are the ones who dictate the going price, not you and I.

zookeeper said:

I didn't mean to start a ruckus, hopefully you didn't take my observations as an attack of any sort, they certainly weren't intended to be. But you never, ever said "fair", you said " going market value" and while it is ridiculous to me to pay $30K+ for any old Ford, that's what clones are going for and that (by definition) makes it the going market value.

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1. No worries, I just took it as friendly discussion .

2. You're right, I did say "going market value". I should have said "fair".

I want a Ferrari F40 also, but if anything, they have increased in value. Anyone have $250K I can have?

alright man.. to me that car is already just screwed up with missing its original drive train. Finding one would be a bear and if you do it will cost you a arm and a leg to get a fairly correct one. What you have there would be a smart thing to do. Resto-mod. My pa and me are trying to get our hands on a Original 69 SS 350 camaro.. have the original everything in it except the motor and 4 speed are on the side.. its had so much body work its now past the point that it could be considered original... quarters were replaced not rusted out. where im going with this is.. even with the original motor and tranny in this car.. its no good when the cars had lots of metal work thats good just not barret jackson quality. In your case its backwards in what you have and dont have. You have a good bodied 68 shelby.. with no motor or tranny. Obtaining these pieces even if they arent the real factory ones like the close ratio tranny would be expensive and HARD as hell to find. They do in fact make mounts for putting in TKO's in that car. Resto mods are going for every bit as originals.. If you built that car you have planned above.. and then had a real all factory shelby sitting there.. id take yours. You know why?? Because the brakes, suspension, and power of the shelbys are nothing near the quality of those 13" rotors and 427 stroker with a 6 speed backing it up. Its my two cents.. but do what you want. Theres no reason for our opinions to over rule your descision

LMan said:

...just make an Eleanor, save all the trouble. Eleanors are priceless, like printing your own money. Can't lose with Eleanor, she will treat you right.

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If I did not know you better I would say you were poking fun at the second Eleanor.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com