Unique Performance in the news

[Mustangmaker67]

Every car they built under Shelby's endorsment was a "TRUE SHELBY". He endorsed it, They built it. under his endorsement. pretty simple. Did it start it's life as a 67 GT500? of course not. Most were junked out "T" codes. Was it a 6 Cyl. when they got it done? Nope, It was a "SHELBY RECREATION". Was the body work perfect? Not even close. Was the original SHELBY cars body work better? Not if you ever looked at panel alignment or Paint quality. Carrol Shelby knew this that's why he endorsed them. Now then, Let's not all kidd ourselves into thinking that the cars this company built were anything less then a "TRUE SHELBY". They had everything the first ones had. (1)Ford Mustang body. (2) super performance. (3) Race style suspensions, (4) Cheap Fiberglass add ons (5) MOST IMPORTANT!!! Carrol SHELBY"S BLESSINGS!!!!!.. Anyone reading this could potentially build SHELBYS. Problem is you have to get Mr Shelby's blessing. If it is going to be real. I'm not sure what if anything this company did wrong. But I do know, from my own 20 yrs of building Mustang & Eleanors, If you take a rich man's money and don't eventually deliver what you promised, you will go out of business. You will probable go to jail. I would guess, you won't have Mr Shelby's blessing very long either. If your'e all so pissed off at this company for destroying so many fastbacks, why not write a letter to the real problem Shelby himself. Perhaps you can convice him of you're endless wisdom of Mustang business and he won't build anymore cars. I doubt many of you are willing to argue your opinion to the Icon himself. And if you do, please foward me a copy so that I can be as amused as he is going to be. In the mean time don't ever replace either the right front or the left front inner fender aprons on your 67-68 Mustang. You'll be guilty of the same thing this company is being accused of "Title Washing". Come on, Boys They're just sheet metal cars. They rust. Rusty panels have to be replaced when restoring a rusty or wrecked car. That's not the reason this company got shut down. They probable told some rich fool to wait too long for his overpriced SHELBY that he already paid for. Or they wouldn't warranty a 700 HP motor when some spoiled brat destroyed it drifting his new SHELBY. Or maybe, MRS New Owner found out how much hubby spent on his new toy and they wouldn't buy it back. Perhaps those of you not in business have never dealt with these kind of issues, let me fill you in, these things happen. you have to eat alot of stuff you shouldn't. If you don't keep all your customers happy, mostly the ones that have already paid, they will turn against you very quickly. I met these folks at SEMA 3 Yrs ago when they unveiled the Orange County Chopper Mustang, I knew from they're attitudes they would have trouble. Everyone was an expert, but noone had any answers. Ohh,, But they looked good standing there beside Mr Shelby. I'm sure Mr Shelby has made alot of mistakes in his life. Luckily, we don't measure a man's character by the amount of mistakes he makes, but rather by the way he learns from them. I'm willing to bet Mr. Shelby would agree.

 

[zookeeper]

Everyone has an opinion, I guess. My opinion is that the last Shelby Mustang was a '70 model and sold brand new through a Ford dealership. Shelby has tried several times to cash in on the popularity of the cars he lent his name to with limited success. Remember the dozen '66 Shelby converts that were built from old cars and sold for inflated prices in the '80's? How about the "continuation Cobras"? Now it's the reconditioned bondowagons built by hacks and sold by shysters. Hey, I've got a Shelby clone that I built myself that is of higher fit and finish than some real (as in "original" Shelbys), but it's still a clone, and I will NEVER pass it off as a Shelby, or a real GT350. But Unique tried to be revisionist historians and pretend (just like some other people) that anything Shelby attaches his name to is a real Shelby. Anyone here remember the Shelby GLH? The Shelby name notwithstanding, it was still an econobox POS. The name doesn't mean squat without a pedigree and street credentials, and that can't be manufactured, no matter whose pocket gets filled with money. The real deal will always be the real deal.

 

[Mustangmaker67]

In that case, I guess the man's name doesn't mean much. I've always thought the original cars were highly over rated in todays standards. They are what they are. Toys. that's all. very expensive toys. In 1967, if you had the money, you could walk in to a Ford dealership and pay twice as much for a Mustang that had been converted into a wanna be street racer. Impressive to all that knew how much it cost. It show'd the world how much money you wanted to waste for your own ego. A guy could have easily bought a "S" code non Shelby and converted into a more powerful car. But they didn't. You know why? They all wanted the guys name on the car that was champion racer. Was it a nice car? Yes. Was it anymore then a basic van turned into a "Conversion Van"? Same thing. Shelby's Company turn it into a conversion Mustang. Because he had some great love for Mustangs??? Don't kidd yourself. He was making money. Not so much different then Unique Performance. Funny, We all think about this as "Romantics" We all love our cars. These guys, always kept it all very simple. Make Money!!! They're Just cars after all and this is America. LET THE SHEET METAL RUST, AND THE TIRES SMOKE!!!!

 

[zookeeper]

I'm pretty sure no '67 Shelby was ever built from an S-code car, they had PI 428 motors, not 390's. And they weren't loaded to the seams with bondo. And they never spent time diassembled in an alley behind a drug dealer's house before being sold. Can you say that about the Unique heaps?

 

[Mustangmaker67]

Nope, I can't say that for Unique Motors. Neither can you. But Carrol Shelby thought he could. I'm pretty sure his team researched it better then you or I can. As for the cars, I would guess most of them spent their time hauling regular folks around to the life most of us spend. That is until some Mustang geek bought it with big dreams of making it into a muscle car. Of course, it spent 10-12 years waiting on this guy to research all the little Mustang facts about it and find all those overpriced NOS Ford parts to make it perfectly original. Although that never really got completed, the guy had a real life and lost interest in it and sold out to the real Mustang savers who tripled his money and turned it into a GT500E. It problable was the one on the back of the car hauler the news folks said was worthless cause it had the numbers ground off. Too bad, another "S" code that never got to be muscle car. Oh well, it was going to crushed eventually anyway. Luckily, Dynacorn Int. is making fresh Chinese bodies. I guess the Mustang Police will let us guys hack & bondo these Hybird Mustangs anyway we want. Perhaps as nice as these appear, it will cause the value of the originals to fall to a point we can start crushing up all the ones that aren't yet restored. After all, who really wants to replace a whole floor or a trunk floor if noone will be willing to pay you for it when your done. That will be a sad day in the Mustang history. Careful what you wish for, it may come true. Be thankful of these so called "Hack Shops", you owe them, in part, for all the "Demand" for reproduction parts. Ask any 67 Cougar owner about buying new quarter panels for his car, even Chinese ones. He would be grateful for a movie to come along (Gone in 60 Seconds) and make the demand for his model to increase to the point companys are making reproduction parts to fill the demand. He'd probable die for a company like Unique Motors to design and build some high dollar hack job that looks like a Cougar. I Say,,,"Thank you Lord for all the reproduction parts that enable me to do my job everyday." "Amen". Thank God for letting me live in the USA were I can choose the way I rebuild my cars. Above all thank god for all those Mustang geeks that buy all those NOS parts and take care of them so well. Oops, got to go, The phone is ringing, Problable another hobbiest that's finally gave up and decided since the value of his car has double 12 times since he bought he will go ahead and sell it and buy one that already hacked up done. " GOD, I love this country"!!!

 

[StangDreamin']

Ask any 67 Cougar owner about buying new quarter panels for his car, even Chinese ones. He would be grateful for a movie to come along (Gone in 60 Seconds) and make the demand for his model to increase to the point companys are making reproduction parts to fill the demand. He'd probable die for a company like Unique Motors to design and build some high dollar hack job that looks like a Cougar.

'67-70 Cougar owners can at least get "patch panels" for the common rust points on Cougars of the era. And "GISS2" did spark some interest in the original movie; which in turn helped out the '71-2-3 Mustang sheetmetal business. Hopefully my Coog's "tail" can hold itself together for a day when that happens for the last Cougars.

But would I want somebody to start slapping together "continuation" Gurney's and Eliminators?
No.

 

[zookeeper]

Nope, I can't say that for Unique Motors. Neither can you. But Carrol Shelby thought he could. I'm pretty sure his team researched it better then you or I can. As for the cars, I would guess most of them spent their time hauling regular folks around to the life most of us spend. That is until some Mustang geek bought it with big dreams of making it into a muscle car. Of course, it spent 10-12 years waiting on this guy to research all the little Mustang facts about it and find all those overpriced NOS Ford parts to make it perfectly original. Although that never really got completed, the guy had a real life and lost interest in it and sold out to the real Mustang savers who tripled his money and turned it into a GT500E. It problable was the one on the back of the car hauler the news folks said was worthless cause it had the numbers ground off. Too bad, another "S" code that never got to be muscle car. Oh well, it was going to crushed eventually anyway. Luckily, Dynacorn Int. is making fresh Chinese bodies. I guess the Mustang Police will let us guys hack & bondo these Hybird Mustangs anyway we want. Perhaps as nice as these appear, it will cause the value of the originals to fall to a point we can start crushing up all the ones that aren't yet restored. After all, who really wants to replace a whole floor or a trunk floor if noone will be willing to pay you for it when your done. That will be a sad day in the Mustang history. Careful what you wish for, it may come true. Be thankful of these so called "Hack Shops", you owe them, in part, for all the "Demand" for reproduction parts. Ask any 67 Cougar owner about buying new quarter panels for his car, even Chinese ones. He would be grateful for a movie to come along (Gone in 60 Seconds) and make the demand for his model to increase to the point companys are making reproduction parts to fill the demand. He'd probable die for a company like Unique Motors to design and build some high dollar hack job that looks like a Cougar. I Say,,,"Thank you Lord for all the reproduction parts that enable me to do my job everyday." "Amen". Thank God for letting me live in the USA were I can choose the way I rebuild my cars. Above all thank god for all those Mustang geeks that buy all those NOS parts and take care of them so well. Oops, got to go, The phone is ringing, Problable another hobbiest that's finally gave up and decided since the value of his car has double 12 times since he bought he will go ahead and sell it and buy one that already hacked up done. " GOD, I love this country"!!!

I'm not even sure you and I are talking about the same subject. In fact what ARE you talking about? Not once did I ever denounce Unique Performance for their subject. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the "Gone" remake and of the '67 used in the flick. I also love creativity in modifying cars and I personally cut up a very nice original fastback to build my Shelby clone. Hot rods always have and always will be a big part of my life, whether they're mine or someone elses.
My biggest problem with Unique is that they were and are rip-off artists who saw a way to make a bunch of money in the short-term with no consideration for their customers or the of the hobby they were trying to be a part of. If they can sell copies of Eleanor, the Dukes of Hazzard car or the Batmobile, I couldn't care less. Build what sells and let the market determine who's right. But to try to authenticate these hot rods and call them instant collectables is not right. Time determines what's treasure and what's trash, not popularity for a brief time period. For instance, did you know the Ford sold more cars in 1957 than Chevy? By a big margin, no less. But which one is considered a classic today? Same as the Eleanor cars, who knows how they'll be seen in 30 years? Not Unique, not you, nor any of the others cashing in on yesterday's news. We'll see who was right many years from now, until then lets just wait and see...

 

[Mustangmaker67]

I believe we are both basically on the same page. Only difference is I don't call Unique Motors "Rip off artist". They don't have to try to "Authenticate" their cars because Carrol Shelby says they're Authentic. Not me, Not you, Not anyone for that matter. Carrol Shelby makes that call. He already did that. That makes them Shelby Cars. When he's passes on, they'll be no more new Shelby cars. Of course the first ones will be the most valuable, They're the most well known, He raced some of them. But anything he endorsed will be more valued them a normal car of the same type. But to call these guys Hacks & Criminals without knowing all the true facts is just plain wrong. Maybe the system will prove they are. More probable they're not. I don't know, and don't really care either. My main problem is I & my business is very similiar to Unique's. I build what I can sell easily and make the most profit. I love building Mustangs. I've build all kinds. I take offense to someone calling my type of business a Hack shop just because we build the most popular model and get huge prices for them. If someone ask me to build a Mustang station wagon for $75,000 I would do it also. Luckily noone has. Anyway, The Eleanor Hack Jobs, I believe, has changed our hobby for ever. Resto Mods are here and here forever, for good or bad. either way they still preserve Mustangs. My point is,, Just be very careful Calling any shop a "Hack Shop" "Criminals" unless your not only a Mustang person your also a Lawyer with all the facts of the case. Opinions are like buttholes, everyones got one and most of them stinks. Hey,, I cleaned that up alittle. I'm done venting.

 

[zookeeper]

By "hack" I mean someone who slops on filler rather than make the body right to start with. It's slang for poorly done work. By what I saw on TLC's "Rides" there were no craftsmen employed at Unique. They are more like the guys who bang dents and sling bondo on everyday drivers, while the customers were paying for Ferrari-level quality. By the very definition of the term, they are by that act alone, rip off artists. Then you add in the fact that some people never got the car they paid for and it merely proves my point entirely. I'd be very careful who I defend rather than what category I place them in.

 

[Mustangmaker67]

I've met these folks, I didn't care for them either. I'm not defending them in any way. Nor am I defending anyone who cheats customers. But on the otherhand, I'm not blowing off calling them Hacks & criminals either. Doing so would also be calling Shelby the same. I hold him in higher regards then that. I do think every time he sells out to a company that can't deliver what they promise, He cheapins up his own name. Of course, it's his reputation, he can spoil it anyway he wants.

 

[10secgoal]

He cheapins up his own name. Of course, it's his reputation, he can spoil it anyway he wants.

At his age, do you think he really cares ?

 

[Mustangmaker67]

He's Mr Shelby. The Mustang man himself. Of course he doesn't care what people thinks. He never has. at any age.

 

[66forfun]

"Anyone here remember the Shelby GLH? The Shelby name notwithstanding, it was still an econobox POS."

uhhhh....yeah

the 84 svo mustang was turning 0-60 in 6.8 and 1/4 in 15.1 @ 91mph, top speed 129. the mighty 5.0 was slower if i recall

the 84 omni GLHS clocked 0-60 in 6.5 and an ET of 14.8 seconds. Top speed increased to an honest 130 MPH, very respectable for a boxy 4-door econocar.

both numbers rated by C/D

love my mustang AND my dodge srt-4 turbo that has heritage back to the omni.

just goes to show, collectable is in the eye of the beholder and its only worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

[zookeeper]

Sorry, the GLH could've outrun John Force's funny car for all I care, it's still an econobox. Since I haven't seen one in nearly 20 years, I suspect I'm not alone. But slapping a turbo on economy cars has caught on, just look at the huge numbers of people making little cars haul ass at NOPI events. But they're still throwaway cars that will never have any collector following. That's not too bad a thing is it? I used to be into sportbikes a few years ago and not once did I ever hear anyone talking about the bikes from the good old days. Like the Honda Civics of today, they are better every year and still very affordable, so why look back?

 

[Mustangmaker67]

Oh yeah,, The GLH. Nice. I agree with both of you again. Those young men putting turbos on Civics may not. Cracks me up to listen to some of those guys. They are pretty good at what they do. They also know their stuff when it comes to those little econoboxes. I bet in a few yrs when they're all turning 45-50 years old and they have kids of their own, they'll give a huge amount for some cream puff Civic that never got butchered up. All motor heads are alot alike. We all love what we love. Thank God my love is the Mustang!

 

[TheTexan]

--Did it ever occur to any of the "authorities" that maybe the car they were looking at possibly had an inner fender panel replacement at sometime? If that's the case, there would be no VIN on the (new) replacement panel.

Did it ever occur to you, the "one who doesn't know squat", that replacing a panel containing a VIN number might need to be documented? Also, did it ever occur to "you" that then restamping a VIN into that new panel might be a tad illegal? Also, did "you" fail to stop and think that perhaps these were auto theft detectives who researched these cars and might possibly have known what they were talking about, exactly opposite of what you are doing in this thread?

 

[xoxbxfx]

http://www.mustangblog.com/index.php/2007/ex-employee-of-unique-performance-tells-all/

Ex-Employee of Unique Performance Tells All
November 14th, 2007 by CobraMatt

unique_trouble.jpg

A former employee of Unique Performance posted up his thoughts or shall I say his rant on a previous post of “Shelby Severing Ties” to let everybody know the real story through his eyes on why the company is where it is. Usually comments to any specific post get pushed under the covers so to speak but I thought this comment was quite interesting so I decided to post it up to share with everybody. The former employee does make some rather engaging talking points with his bold accusations about Doug Hasty and the company he founded. Give it a read after the jump, it’s quite lengthy…

****************

“Hasty is full of it. Only a handful of the cars produced were equipped with 427FE’s supplied by Shelby. We had these engines built by other, cheaper sources. I will not give there names because they still run reputable businesses and have nothing to do with this. Engine failures stemmed from poor engineering, not faulty engines. Many customers will be more than pissed to know that Unique’s production was managed by Brent Fenimore, who is famed for running Shelby’s operation into the ground years ago. No efforts were ever made to iron out the bugs in the system. The only issues ever fixed were done by the employees who had nothing but idle time, due to waiting nearly 6 months for long needed parts and materials. If you are waiting on a Foose Camaro, forget it. Foose hasn’t received payment for any of the handful of cars sold under his name. And the reason they stopped production here is because Chip was trying to find out why. They just didn’t want to owe him anymore money. Hasty is a crook, bottom line, and a dumb one at that. The man is like a 16 year old girl with a credit card he doesn’t pay for. YOU DO!!! and the employees did. They stole 401K contributions and health insurance premiums from us for nearly a year. Not to mention the employees who ran into legal issues because the company was taking child support deductions and not sending the payments. They closed the doors and still owe us two weeks salary. All you people want to know what happened to your money? Go look in Hasty’s garage. The only thing I saw grow in nearly 2 years of employment was this mans car collection. He spent money on lavish hotels, women, and first class flights, everywhere he went. These people scammed everybody. Shelby is no saint either, but didn’t have anything to do with this. I feel terrible for those who paid for their dream car’s only to be what can only be described as “ROBBED”, and for the employees who put there blood, sweet, and tears, into what turned out to be a scam and unemployment. We can only hope that Doug Hasty and Co. pays for these crimes behind bars.”

 

[danny clemens]

Anybody that takes money from several people and doesn't deliver as promised is a rip off artist. A used car can not be turned into a new car. It may a rebuilt car by Shelby but is not an original Shelby. The new Mustang Shelby is a real Shelby because it had the Shelby vin before it was titled.. Shelby did great things for the Mustang but the man is all about money. I have respect for his original cars but not for the man himself. I know that Shelby doesn't care what I think but I also don't care what he thinks.

 

[zookeeper]

Wow, that link is a good read about a sad story...

 

[Mustangmaker67]

Sounds like true thieves. If all that is true, then the owners of this company will spend some time behind bars. After meeting Doug Hasty & some of his crew I can't say that it couldn't have happened to a better person. I feel like though, Carrol Shelby's endorsment was on these cars/people, He ultimately should have to pay the folks back that have been stolen from. Maybe if he had to pay all that money back he would think before he lends his name to the next company. Hopefully that will put an end to all the "recreation Shelbys". The only thing left will be "Clones". Of course, those won't bring near the money as these cars did. I hope someone from Texas keeps us all informed on this story. Maybe the state will have a nice big auction and sell all those so called worthless cars. I bet they'll still fetch huge bucks. They're still all Mustangs, Most are fastbacks. Heck, I'd just like to go though the dumpster behind this place. Place like this waste more good parts then most of us ever get our hands on. On the other hand, I've been answering the phone non stop with question about this deal. Most ask why my car cost start at $75,000 when Uniques started at $150,000. Only answer I could give until now was they must have to pay Shelby more for his engines & endorsement. Now, I can say, "sounds like they were thieves". (Still hasn't been proven). We really shouldn't judge them until this is over. It does sound very bad for them however.