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Paxton blowers and GT350S, anyone heard this?

Discussion in '1965-1970 Shelby Mustang GT350 & GT500' started by bitzman, Sep 21, 2006.

  1. bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    i read a letter to a forum where the writer said the way the
    Paxton got onto the Shelby was that a Paxton rep came by and said
    I got a Shelby with a Paxton and Shelby was not appreciating the potential so the rep said "I'll race you" and Shelby went and got a 289 Cobra and ran it against the blown GT350 and kept up or maybe beat him. But I can't find any articles verifying this. I also heard only one '66 was equipped at the factory with a Paxton, that was the magazine test car with GT350S on the side between the stripes. Also I heard that if the kit came from Shelby it said SHELBY on the cast alloy housing but if you ordered one from Paxton it said Paxton. Am I right on that?
     
  2. daltondavid

    daltondavid Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    you are pretty accurate on everything except that only one car was lettered with the "GT350S" for GT350 Supercharged. 36 other cars were factory Supercharged as I recall reading on the Show sign displayed with the 66 GT350S car. I saw the car in person at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Mustang in Nashville Tennessee. also some other interesting facts: it was the first "Non White" GT350 (It is Green)and was produced for Shelby's Banker.
     
  3. roddster

    roddster Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    That dark green 66' GT350"S" is owned by SAAC conours chairwoman Joyce Yates and is often shown at the Indiana SAAC "Spring Fling". It is a very nice restoration.

    The Paxton units sold through the "Shelby parts dept" after 1967 where labeled "Shelby". The Factory installed units (ah, installed at the airport hanger in California) in 1966 and 1967 where labeled "Cobra"

    I don't recall reading about CS racing a Paxton equipped GT350 against a 289 Cobra. It was just that CS was REALLY impressed with the performance enhancement when the Paxton rep showed up with one on a GT350.
     
  4. Sandy Galbraith

    Sandy Galbraith Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    If I'm not mistaken Joyce has the only documented Shelby that came from the factory with the Paxton. All the rest of the cars that supposedly came with them cannot be documented. You can check that out with Howard Pardee if you like.
     
  5. Snakepit

    Snakepit Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Joyce's is the only one that originally carried the GT350S There are multiple ones (though few) that are in the registry as original Paxton cars. Many have had them added but this handful has the option listed on the shipping papers from the ones I've seen
     
  6. Sandy Galbraith

    Sandy Galbraith Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Thanks for the correction. I'll take a look at my registry.
     
  7. Snakepit

    Snakepit Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Sandy one good example is Bill's 6S2268. Original Paxton, original owner car seen at the last two Fontana SAAC conventions.
     
  8. amille27

    amille27 New Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    I grew up around this GT350S. Steve Yates owned this car till he passed away. This was my dad's best friend. I know a lot about this car. When Steve bought the car, it had been repainted to white with blue stripes. It remained this was for many years. The Paxton created so much torque, that it split the passenger’s side rear quarter panel at the top of the wheel well. This is a very awesome car. Steve started re-restoring the Shelby in the early 90's and he discovered that he had leukemia, and never got to see the finished car. This is a very special car to me, since I looked up to Steve like a 2nd father. Steve passed away with his wife Joyce and in my father arms. It was a sad day. The car and Steve Yates are a one of a kind, and can never be replaced. To answer you questions about the documentation of if this car is the "ONE", yes it is the only documented Shelby American Paxton prototype car. Joyce had all the information and docs to back it up. I sure you have seen the green Shelby out side of Shelby American is CA with Carroll leaning on it, this is that car. I hope you enjoyed this little story. It is tough going down the Steve Yates road again almost 10 years after his death, but it is worth remembering the 2 that were meant for each other, GT350S and Steve L. Yates.
     
  9. Sandy Galbraith

    Sandy Galbraith Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Thanks for the story about Steve's car. I had the chance to see it at the 40th in Nashville. I believe I have a number of pictures of it in my documents file....will have to look them up. Thought at the time that it was a very cool car.:thumbsup:
     
  10. roddster

    roddster Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    I just want to point out that, on the 66 Paxton prototype car, the carb box is like no other that I have ever seen. One of the cool features of having a prototype car. It seems slightly larger, and is more square.
     
  11. Sandy Galbraith

    Sandy Galbraith Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    I have a pic of it but can someone tell me how to post it on here? And yes it is interesting in design.
     
  12. cobrajeff

    cobrajeff Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Steve's car, 6S 051 was the 1966 Paxton prototype car - there was a 1965 Paxton prototype car (5S 425) that preceded it. Here is a pic of the carb box on 5S 425:

    [​IMG]

    It is a one-off - I don't believe any other GT350 had a box like this one. The box on Steve's car is different than this one, a little more similar to the production model.

    Steve was a great guy - I had the good fortune to go with Joyce and Jerry Miller to visit him in the hospital in 1994 during the SAAC Convention in Indy. What a tragedy, Steve had lobbied for so many years to bring a SAAC Convention to Indy, and, when it finally happened, he was too sick to attend. He was the kind of enthusiast that made owning a Shelby fun.

    Joyce continues to do him proud by running the SAAC Concours events, taking care of the GT350 and the 289 Cobra, and putting on the "Indiana Spring Fling" each year.

    regards,

    Jeff
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2007
  13. 65gtfastback

    65gtfastback Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    Here it is...

    [​IMG]
     
  14. amille27

    amille27 New Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    IT sounds so sweet. It soulnd like a little bird chirping under the hood at idle, but when you get on it, the monster comes out!
     
  15. SuperCJcat

    SuperCJcat Well-Known Member

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    Re: Paxton blowers, anyone heard this?

    I,ve seen a carb box like this on a 65 GT350 at Lime Rock vintage races about 20 years ago....I don't know if its the same car but the one that was raced was owned a guy named Adam who owned alot of cars with Kurt from Cobra Automotive
     
  16. 66gtk

    66gtk Well-Known Member

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    What about sfm5010 - '65 prototype car had a factory Paxton.
     
  17. SuperCJcat

    SuperCJcat Well-Known Member

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    that was the prototype that had 65 t-bird lights installed....it was not a paxton car
     
  18. 66gtk

    66gtk Well-Known Member

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    I don't have the registry here on me, but what evidence/source do you have that 5010 didn't have a Paxton? I love the way this intake looks like a real Cobra snake. BTW, this car is being auctioned next month at RM.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  19. SuperCJcat

    SuperCJcat Well-Known Member

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    I knew who owned it that car 20 years ago....I have pics of it from back then and it didn't have a paxton on it...The registory states that 5S425 was the 65 paxton prototype....just going on what I saw, read, and talked to the owner about it.....maybe new info came up that I don't know about but just stating what I did know......and I'm new here and don't want to offend anyone....
     
  20. bcollins

    bcollins Member

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    Some comments on '65 GT350 #010

    I saw #010 on Feb 7th at Cobra Automotive in Connecticut, where it is being prepped for the Amelia Island auction next month. This is a remarkably original example, except for a 1989 repaint and some details.

    #010 was an active development car for Shelby American and as such underwent numerous changes over time. The Paxton was one of them. It features a unique top mounted carb air enclosure and vertically mounted air filter housing, as opposed to the usual horizontal style. The T-Bird tailights were added after the car's appearance in the Red Line 7000 film, where it appears with the original Mustang tailights intact. The side scoops emanated from later use as a '66 styling development car.

    Although I have seen #010 over the years, I did not know until recently that it was the Red Line 7000 car. This GT350 is the very car that lit my Shelby fire; I saw the film in the theater in 1965 as a 16 year old kid, and immediately knew I "Had to have one of those!". Ironically, when I ultimately bought my '65 Shelby in 1971, it was nearby serial number 006, which I still own.

    I was able to get my photo taken with #010 last week, and sat in the same seat as James Cann in '65. The attaching holes for the accessory headrests seen in the film are still in evidence on the backrest.

    It was quite a thrill to physically be in the very GT350 that started it all for me from a movie screen so many years before. My thanks to good friend Curt Vogt at Cobra Auto for providing the opportunity, and shooting the photos.
     

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