My first experience w/ a Shelby was in 1969 when a good friend (recently passed) brought a wrecked 1965 to our "hog house" which was the local repair shop (on our farm in Iowa). It had hit a small pole and front end was messed up a little. Through the next couple of years that car went through even more hell. First off after getting it going with a new radiator, Kim (the owner) felt the 289 was just under powered. So he found a 351 W and we shoe horned it in the car by beating up the tri-Y headers enough. The old engine ended up in my 1968 coupe and most of the parts went with it when I sold it in 1975 to pay for a wedding ring (the wedding worked, 29 years, but wish I had the 68 and parts back). Anyway, that old Shelby ran many street races in the farm country. We learned a lot about cars with the 65, but to us it was just a weird Mustang (couldn't figure out how those override traction bars worked??). We beat the rear fenders out to fit larger tires. Finally in about 1972, he found a big block Cougar and sold the Shelby. Not sure where it ended up, S/N was around the 400's. Would have been a rough car and with a 351 in it. Second Shelby was a 1967 Lime Green that a buddy had that ran a 427, dual quad, with 14:1 compression. Major street racer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 1974 I had a chance to buy the whole car with engine for $2000. Still kicking myself for missing that one. I am currently the owner of a 1968 GT500KR, but had a pay considerably more that $2000. It's like one a college professor had (yellow convertible, mine is red) back at the Univ of Missouri around 1975. Always liked that car. Fun thinking about the old days. I'll be glad when winter leaves and I can get it our for some exercise. I did run my 1968 Fastback (just a Mustang) during the nice weekend, last week. Dan Wilcox
