Mystery 67 GT-500 #2395

The saac registrar will only say that the Ford and Shelby VINs match if given both numbers. They will not give anyone one number without the other. Good luck with your find though. Maybe a little more investigation and talking with locals that may know of the car will get you some more authenticating information.

Good luck,
John

 

Ah, I hate to point out a hole in this story, because I hope this is a real Shelby, and I hope you do buy it, but:
That same passenger side inner fender/shock tower that you got the Shelby vin from, would also have the Ford factory vin stamp under where the front fender would be bolted to. This is about less than 10 inches away. Better go look again.
AND, is there not also a left inner fender panel? Are there not two holes, pop rivet sized over the original Fomoco vin?
So, either the front clip is missing, then where did you get the Shelby number? Or is isn't, and then the Fomoco number is there.

 

Texas is where it was last known to be but that was 39 years ago. Heres a question for you...does it or doesn't it have the Z in ffont of Shelby VIN? Others, shhhhhhh

 

There are no Dash vins, that became a requirement starting in 1968. There might have been a vin stamped into the transmission, but you said that is gone. Some Ford high performance engines had a vin stamp in them, but you said that is gone too.
The only vins on a 67 Mustang were along the rail where the front fender bolts to. the left side was exposed and this is where the aluminum Shelby vin plate was riveted. Or the right side, the Fomoco vin would be under the edge of the front fender, hidden from view unless the fender was unbolted and pulled bad.
Very very few Shelbys had the drivers door data plate, and besides, since to door could have been replaced with one from another Mustang, it should not ever be used for Id purposes.

Don't be surprised if the owner says he's going to fix it up someday, they all say that.

 

Pictures we want pictures! take one of the VIN and some of the car as well.

 

Have you done a title search with the DMV? The car would be registered under the shelby VIN.

 

SAAC will not give the Ford VIN out to anybody. They haven't for more than 30 years. There have been some big lawyers that have tried. Once SAAC does that, they'll have to do this for everybody. And, ah, you don't even own the car, and, are you even a SAAC member??? What leverage do you think you have there?

 

You are talking about the car like you already own it. Take a deep breath and realize somebody owns that car and you need to find out who and negotiate with them. Also even if the car has 1 seemingly legit VIN stamp you have to ask yourself is it worth it? I have'nt seen pics but it sounds likea total restoaration so I'm assumming all the Shelby specific parts are gone. So you have a shell with a big dark cloud in its history, will never have original drivetrain and you will spend a fortune not only on a restoration but tons on the Shelby parts as well. Check prices on 67 steering wheels, guage pods, roll bar retractors etc., etc. I'm not intending to discourage you but most times these "bargain" cars really aren't.
Tim

 

Not to mention the possibility that there may well be another car out there with the same shelby vin, a rebody. If this is in fact the original shell of a shelby that has taken a hard hit, someone years ago may have used a regular mustang unibody and transferred all the shelby specific parts over to it leaving the original unibody to rot away. Now somone comes along, buys the original shell, pours tons of money into it to restore it and when he's finished finds out that someone else has the same vin number on another car. Legal battles ensue and someone ends up with a car that has to have a state issued vin that has nothing to do with the original number. Just be careful and do lots of research before you invest money into this thing.

 

I know of a 68 GT350 (not mine, just to stop any rumors) that rear ended someone years ago. The body shop that did the repair cut the front clip just forward of the firewall. The old clip sat for at least a year in the junk pile of the body shop, then disappeared one day. That included the original fenders, hood and front fiberglass. They all disappeared at once from the shop and you have to wonder if it ends up on another car somewhere down the line as an air car. I wish I remembered the serical #.

If I ever have such a thing happen rest assured that whatever is done will be well documented with the registrars. FWIW, all the sheet metal on our 68 is what it left Ford/A.O.Smith with. Two pieces of fiberglass, the left spoiler end cap and the lower fron valence were both replaced with NOS parts Mom found available from a dealer in Arizona when she worked in the parts department of a Lincon Mercury dealer.... We have aftermarket brake scoops on the car at the moment. We have the original ones, but autocrossing is sometimes tough on the scoops so we just painted the originals when we painted the car in 1980 and put them in a box. The aftermarkets have been reapaired from large pylon hits over the years, but still look OK on the car.

 

Keep at it and send pictures!! there are still many diamonds in the rough as well as a few Venus Fly traps along the way!!

 

Cool, I know most people would think I am crazy but, I have fixed cars almost as bad as that one. And they were not worth anything near what that car would be. If the vin clears up and you can get it you should, or tell me how to.

 

Most of the stuff is just Mustang parts. Fenders, doors, most of the interior. Most of the unique Shelby part are available. If you get the car far enough along to get to the hard to find stuff you have accomplished alot so that would be a good problem.