68 Shelby GT-500 Convertible Project and Retrospective

[My427stang]

Good stuff! 

Jay, are you keeping the fenders flared?

[jayb]

Nope, I'm done with that.  I want it to look stock on the outside with the exception of the slightly larger than stock 16X8 Shelby-style wheels, and a slightly lower than stock stance.  The interior will be mostly stock, but use all aftermarket gauges.  All the really fun stuff will be in the driveline...

[sixty9cobra]

Like the rest of you I purchased my mustang when I was 15 1974 for $400 dollars. I had a dead 390 bad clutch crunched rear quarter panel, manual drum brakes, and manual steering. It had hooker headers that were rusted thru.

[Bolted to Floor]

Cool story Jay. Thanks for sharing.

Yes they are cars, but with the number of years I've owed my 67 and the hours I have worked on it, it's part of the family. Like the kids, dogs, and cats.

[My427stang]

Nope, I'm done with that.  I want it to look stock on the outside with the exception of the slightly larger than stock 16X8 Shelby-style wheels, and a slightly lower than stock stance.  The interior will be mostly stock, but use all aftermarket gauges.  All the really fun stuff will be in the driveline...

Good I was being diplomatic in case you dug them, I love the improved stock look and carry a big stick

[WConley]

Cool story Jay!  I do remember gazing upon that car with the one repaired floorpan, and hearing your plans for it 

FYI, my '68 GT-350 fastback had much better aerodynamics.  Using the same method to calculate top speed, I attained 152 mph with a decently-built roller cam 5.0 smallblock.  This was in a foreign country where they say "eh" a lot, and have big long empty stretches of highway with numbers like "401" 

Unlike you, I was foolish and let that car go.  Thanks for the good read!

[machoneman]

Cool story Jay!  I do remember gazing upon that car with the one repaired floorpan, and hearing your plans for it 

FYI, my '68 GT-350 fastback had much better aerodynamics.  Using the same method to calculate top speed, I attained 152 mph with a decently-built roller cam 5.0 smallblock.  This was in a foreign country where they say "eh" a lot, and have big long empty stretches of highway with numbers like "401" 

Unlike you, I was foolish and let that car go.  Thanks for the good read!

Say Bill, at your top speed, do you remember if the steering got light..like scary light due to front end lift?

I ask since my '70 Mach 1 fastback did get scary light at speed. I have the OEM black plastic spoiler but when Ford backed the '69-'70's in the old Trans-Am series, all of the racers had a huge, well-braced, aluminum front spoiler that literally touched the track at speed. Think I know why now!

Not practical, darn it, for a streeter though. 

[Heo]

Bob don't want to highjack Jays thread but as it sits in
profile pick you need to get the front end lower so the
air go over the car not under  A set of  shorter 620lbs
coils makes a tremendous difference

[KMcCullah]

Great story, Jay. Looking forward to following this thread.

[jayb]

+1 on what Heo said Bob, I remember before I made the chassis mods and lowered the car, the front end would start floating around at about 125 MPH.  After the car was lowered I never had that issue.

[mbrunson427]

Great read! The only tires you'll be able to find for those wheels are BFGoodrich "G-Force Sport Comp 2's". Write that down for when you go into the tire shop haha. I found out the hard way when I went to get tires about a month ago. That's what is on the 68 Cougar, 16x8 Vintage 45's. Big enough to be cool, but not so big that they look out of place. Actually....thinking about it.....the Cougar also has Global West suspension parts, subframe brace and all that stuff. I can send you over pictures of it if you're interested.

[Heo]

+1 on what Heo said Bob, I remember before I made the chassis mods and lowered the car, the front end would start floating around at about 125 MPH.  After the car was lowered I never had that issue.

I remember my first Mustang a 65 coupe with  just a 2V 289 started to float at 60-70 mph.
You got the feeling that steering shaft broke in half . So i saw a ad in Hotrod i think from TCM
about "Shelby" 620 lbs Frontsprings with promisses about stop floating, better cornering, higher
topspeed, Yeaaaa right so i ordered a set.  At that time early 80s ordering from USA was a 3 months
procedure to get the parts but the springs keept the promisses down to higher topspeed 5km/h.
After that i did the shelby relocation of the a arm koni shocks 1 inch swaybar Pirelli P6 tires 3-4
degrees camber. That car cornered so you was not able to stay in the nice shiny vinyl  seat
Did that mod to quite a few other mustang owners after that

[57 lima bean]

"I will try to post periodic updates on this project as I go along.  Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome, and
thanks for indulging my trip through the past with this car - Jay"....Where are you going to keep your paper work?

[thatdarncat]

"I will try to post periodic updates on this project as I go along.  Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome, and
thanks for indulging my trip through the past with this car - Jay"....Where are you going to keep your paper work?

The Shelby magazine rack has been repurposed lol.

[machoneman]

+1 on what Heo said Bob, I remember before I made the chassis mods and lowered the car, the front end would start floating around at about 125 MPH.  After the car was lowered I never had that issue.

Thanks guys. The pic of my Mach is a fooler as it sits on my angled drive. The car actually sits dead level (spirit bubble) at the door's top edge.

I do have all the trick "Boss 302 Chassis Manual" parts (1" drop, weld-in spring perch area sheet metal supports, 600 lb contour springs for less stiffness on bumps and much more) but, the points are well taken.

I did get slightly narrower front tires last year so I can drop the front a tad more, say 1/2"-3/4", with some spring cutting or straight coil, not contour, springs and not hit the OEM outer fender flare. I can also raise the back a tad, say 1" with some spring eye work or new leafs. Ugh though, then I need to re-set the camber/toe....but it may be worth it.

FWIW, I do like the look of a bigger (taller) aluminum front spoiler to control under-the-car airflow which is the big deal on our what I call shark-nosed '69-'70 Stangs which also btw makes it look great...except for airflow! Yet as I noted before, way over $1K for race shop fabication, supports etc. Worse, the poor streets/highways here in Illinois, land-of-the-damaged cars, would rip same off in a heartbeat!   

p.s new avatar car pic soon.