eBay Find of the Day: 2007 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 350 gets backdated to 1969
Retrobuilt's 2007 meets 1969 Shelby Mustang – Click above for high-res image gallery
Want the muscular, retro look of a 1969 Shelby Mustang without any of the rust, engine problems and, well, cachet of a 40-year-old classic? Then fire up the eBay and check out what Retrobuilt has wrought.
What you see is not a 1969 Shelby fully restored to better-than-new condition. Nor is it a 1969 Mustang Fastback retromodded to look like said Shelby. The car you see is listed on eBay as a 2007 Shelby Mustang GT 350 custom-made by Retrobuilt to fool most casual observers into thinking the car is 38 years older than it is.
The auction description says the car is a prototype created by the company used to produce molds for fiberglass kits for aftermarket customizers. As the car has been built as a prototype, this coupe's doors are metal, as are the fins over the back glass. Front fenders, hood, quarter panels and trunk lid are all rendered in hand-laid fiberglass. The door handles are 1969 repros and the bumpers are triple-chromed steel. The rear wing is a factory-correct 1969 wing stretched four inches to fit the 2007's wider stance.
Barring some slightly wonky proportions, it's certainly a loyal interpretation of the original, and with a current bid of under $30,000, possibly an interesting bargain. Check out the gallery for many more pics.
[Source: eBay]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Stuka 7:16PM (9/07/2009)
I'm in love. The only thing I would change is the rims, and gone with an unpolished aluminum wheel that had more of a 60's look.
The back end does look a bit big fromt he side, but otherwise I love it :)
Reply
AMcA 7:30PM (9/07/2009)
What a beautiful job.
This speaks volumes about the continuity of the Mustang line. Nobody else could do that.
nzo 8:44PM (9/07/2009)
Well good JOB I guess, but the thing is damn ugly. The new car's body lines don't match the style of the '69.
vespid82 11:05PM (9/07/2009)
AMcA, apparently 1974 - 1978 don't exist in your world...
Paul 11:27PM (9/07/2009)
"Kit Car."
That's what it looks like, that's what everyone will always say when you drive it, just like a Faux-Fiero-rrari. And to make matters worse, by '69 Shelbys were nothing more than an luxo-barge option package with a big motor, built on the factory floor with the rest.
Why not just buy a real one and save the embarrassment?
Rev 11:30PM (9/07/2009)
If you bought a real one at least the interior wouldn't scream "Cheap Rental Car"!
I can think of hundreds of nicer cars I could get for $30k
Das Borgen 7:05AM (9/08/2009)
@ AMcA: you fail!!!!! Think you forgot the Volkswagen Beetle (also known as the Porsche 911)
click.kas 7:44AM (9/08/2009)
Mustangs live for eternity!
http://www.indianautotalk.com
atc98092 8:20AM (9/08/2009)
@artandcolour
The 1967 GT500 had the 428 motor. Dual Holly 4 barrels. I had one for several months (didn't own it, just on loan. Not bad for a High School senior in 1972) That car was a blast. Idled smoothly at 650 RPM, ripped down I-5 at 120 MPH without breaking a sweat. Docile driving around town, but open up the dual quads and that sucker was a monster!
sean 7:19PM (9/07/2009)
Is it just me or does it in fact actually end up looking more like an AMC AMX?...
Reply
Stuka 7:24PM (9/07/2009)
It does look similar to a 67-70 AMX.
Stuka 7:25PM (9/07/2009)
Actually I take that back, it looks more like the 2nd gen AMX.
Kevin 7:49PM (9/07/2009)
Yeah...gotta agree on the AMX comment. But to be completely honest, wouldn't it be more approperiate if you were to retro-mod the body of the current-gen Mustang, you should model it after the 1964-68 Ford Mustang.
After '68, things got all long and swoopy with the hood. Maxing out the hood length to body length ratio all on the 1971-73 models. But hey, thats just me. I didn't really care for the bloated models of the later first-gen mustangs. They went from a weight of around 2600lbs in the 1965 Mustang to around 3500lbs in the 1973 Mustang. All in the same generation. Thats too damn big.
Hell, the 1969 Shelby GT500 Convertible weighed 4230lbs!
artandcolour 8:52PM (9/07/2009)
@Kevin: i know what you mean when you say first gen Mustang, 1965-73, but that's not exactly true. the first gen was '64 1/2 -'66, and was built on a Falcon chassis. this is why it was much lighter in weight than the next models. the problem was Ford couldn't fit anything larger than the 289 V8 in the Falcon derived engine bay, and Ford knew GM was planning on some competition. the second gen '67-68 models used a cutdown Fairlane chassis, which beefed up the rear end and opened up the engine capability to include the big block 390s. the third gen '69-'70 models were slightly longer and could be had with the 428. the 4th gen is the model that grew in wheelbase as the platform beefed up and even included the 429 i believe. the 71-73 flatback is one of my favorite 'Stang bodystyles, having an almost 'vette-like height of only 50" and the longest it would get. i never cared for the Shelbys-they always looked so aftermarket and tacky to me, whereas the production Mustang was so clean during those years. the Mustang needed to grow in those years to accommodate the big blocks, and then to be able to hang larger brakes, diffs, etc.
then in '74 Mustang II was technically the 5th gen, and of course, Pinto based...
Tony 9:17PM (9/07/2009)
Man, you know your rides. Something was bugging me and you nailed it right on the mark.
Shamdiddly 7:37AM (9/08/2009)
For whatever reason, the front end shots remind me of the same era (1969) Torino. Not so much the way the grille looks, but all of the "real estate" up front. There seems to be way too much distance between those headlights, at least for my (lack of) taste.
Although, I never found much to be excited about in the styling of Shelby GT500's front end, even back in 1969.
Still, throw some t-bird taillights on it with the "dynamite" sticks, and I would be fooled if it drove by. : ) Nice job.
ssrock64 7:26PM (9/07/2009)
Also, the front of the car is a '69 Shelby and the back of the car is a Boss Mustang. This is because the company intends to produce two kits, one in each of those body styles.
Reply
TonyInMI 7:29PM (9/07/2009)
Amazing! Even uglier than the original!
Reply
summazooma 7:33PM (9/07/2009)
Looks vaguely Aussie... and, no, that's not a slam but, rather, commentary on the late 60s/early 70s Australian (Ford, Dodge, etc.) of American-ish cues and smaller proportions.
Reply
RLQ 7:43PM (9/07/2009)
Looks odd.
Reply