Are you driving your '60's Shelby, or polishing it?

I take it out every few weeks...short neighborhood spins...tires may break loose a few times....I keep it clean to show it (no rain) but I track beat it when I can...

I shift it about 5800 rpm, but it has been to 6500 on ocasion...

 

When the weather is OK, every weekend for 20-30 minutes.
Will go to 6500rpm thru the gears!

 

Drove it today thru tornado warnings and driving rain from Joliet to the North Shore, about 90 miles! Car ran terrific! GT350H 6S814

 

I have four old cars that need driven. So my Shelby gets driven ever couple of weeks. The paint is old and cracked but still passable for a driver. I enter it a few times a year in local shows. Have been driving it to Mid America for the last few years, about a Four hour drive. Most of it's miles are put on between my house and the beer store. Red line is 7k. One of the perks of not having a #s matching block. Not sure how accurate the original tach is though.

Larry

 

I drive mine every other week....alternate with my Boss 302....

 

I make sure my Shelby has a run at least once a fortnight - rain or shine !!
ive never taken it above 6k - just as Larry said above - i also dont know
how accurate my tach is.

 

I get mine out every weekend weather permitting. Usually take it on about a 20 mile run. Normally take it to 6000rpm every time out at least once. Would go higher but limited by the Paxton in the upper rev limits.

 

I drive mine in spring, summer and fall as much as possible, even for business trips. Mileage per year approx. 2'000. I never rev more than 5'000 rpm. My 68 GT350 is an unrestored driver with 52000 miles on the clock.

 

I took the Super Snake on a lunch run yesterday. ....Need more race gas..........

 

I had the same problem. It wasen't the Paxton that was the problem. It was the stock exaust. After going with 2.5" pipes 7K comes preaty quick now!!!

Larry

 

My redline is 5000 rpm. I don't want to chance it on 25 year old valve springs. No, I don't drive it much either. During the summer, I'll drive it to a show if the show is within 100 miles, beyond that, it's on an open car trailer.
Sorry, nuts around here DO NOT give you the respect a car with a value north of 100K deserves. I will drive it to the local cruise joints within a 6 mile radius from here. All that, and it's a SAAC and MCA Concours Gold car.

 

Hi Larry....Be careful with your Paxton and the RPM's. They only want to go to 36K rpm. If you are going to 7000 and you have a pully thats in the neighborhood of 6 to 1 then you are turning close to 42K....not a good idea.....unless you have deep pockets.

You can check with Craig Conley at Paradise Wheels for more info on this. My engine will easily go to 7000 as well but its never seen it due to the Paxton.

 

I drove my 69 GT350 4sp every other weekend until...

...I bent a few valves! Which brings me to rev limits.

The car has what I'd call a mild 351W stroker (392) with a decent street cam that still pulls enough vacuum for the power brakes, 3.70 traction lock, wide ratio T.L. I took it back home to Washington State to do a little drag racing to see what it would actually do. On street tires (no traction) I ran a 13.70 corked up. So I thought hey, lets uncork this thing, bound to be a few horses wasted through the rear exhaust collector on the 69/70 Shelbys. Long story short, I missed third wilst power shifting and saw the tach hit 7500(!) - which is too much for the valve springs/hydraulic lifters in the car, and I wacked a couple of valves on the pistons. It still ran, but missed, so I limped it 10 miles back to my folks house. Much anger.

My limit was always 6000rpm with this thing, but obviously exceeded during the missed shift. I'm pulling the heads off this week and installing a rev-limiter with the hopes of still making the SAAC convention in Utah...

Bryan

 

Ow man , I must be a sissy or something ! i Never rev anything i own over 3500-4000 RPM. certainly not my shelby cars !
My father always told me not to over rev a big block , so i never had . .... although he does when he drives his 70 Car !
I only drive them in the sunshine , and about once a fortnight if lucky maybe once a month each in the summer . I have cars i have only driven 4 times since i owned them ! I think i have to get with the program here !
John

 

Hi everybody,
I drive my 67 two weeks a year when I am over in Sweden
every June for the Club of American Ford convention.
Love every minute of it at about $8 a Gallon.
My 65 here in Texas is driven maybe once a month which earn
me a lot of complaints from my wife who says I should drive it
a lot more with her running shut gun.
Texas Swede

 

I try to drive my 65 every couple of weeks during the summer at least five miles. Red line is 6500, but it will go 7000 easily.

 

I take # 241 out about every other month, for a 25 to 50 mile gallup. Have no reservations taking "Katrina" to 6,000 rpm's....but I just don't want to push too hard. I love to wipe her down while watching Speed Vision on Sunday mornings, and just count my blessings to be her caretaker for our son, who is next in line....but hopefully, he will have to wait a very long time!! Mirrorman

 

I try to drive my 66 at least once/month, more often during dry summer weekends. Redline is 6500. A previous owner converted it to a road racer in the early 70's and he told me he would shift at 7000 all day long.