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Hello from Arkansas

Discussion in 'Introductions and Greetings' started by shelbyfan73, Sep 14, 2008.

  1. shelbyfan73

    shelbyfan73 Active Member

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    Obviously I am new to the site here, but I have enjoyed reading tons of the threads. I have been around Mustangs since the early to mid-eighties, not long compared to some but still not quite totally wet behind the ears. Like most people I will never forget the first Shelby I ever saw. It was a sapphire blue with white stripes 66 and I fell instantly in love with it. I vowed if I ever owned one it would be that color. I still have not had the honor to own one, but I do have a 66 fastback that I plan on making a sapphire blue R model clone out of one day. I also have another fastback that has been in the family for about twenty years. From tearing the car down recently, and reading the threads here, I have learned that the car is a Shelby rebody. I know it will never be a 100% Shelby but I still love it as if it were. When I found the car while I was in high school it had the Hertz stripes and very dated and heat cracked quarter windows. From what my father and I could tell there was a few discrepancies with the car, like the front clip had been replaced with a coupe clip heaven only knows when, but it did have a Shelby tag with a number stamped in it. The guy we bought it from only would call it a race model not a Shelby. He had owned the car for about 10 years and gave us numerous parts for the car. We got the original woodgrain steering wheel, misc parts, and the gold metal flake for the Hertz LeMans stripes. We didn't pay very much for it and didn't care since it was a nice car. Soon after we got the car we showed it to some people from the local Shelby club in Portland, Oregon. Even they were perplexed if it was real or not and the Shelby registry did not have an owner for the number on the Shelby tag. Again, we didn't care because my father and I loved the car and did not plan on selling it. I have fond memories of driving that car to my Senior prom with my date. It was so much better then renting a cheesy limo. When I moved to Arkansas 16 years ago my parents kept the car since I also had a 65 coupe. Five years ago, my parents trailered it back to me for an early inheritace. They travel quite a bit and didn't have time to drive it or work on it. This past year I started to totally tear it down and restore it and found an actual fastback vin that I am sure actually goes with the car. It turns out the car is a 65 A code GT. I believe it is a true GT because it has the front discs, with the factory Kelsey-Hayes proportioning valve, quick ratio steering box, factory 5 dial instrument cluster, and the notched dash for the cluster. Anyhow, like I said, from reading the threads here, and knowing the timeline of us owning the car and the previous owner, I don't think some of the parts were being reproduced yet. The big thing was the quarter windows, how old and heat checked they were when we got the car. With this knowledge and talking to Shelby owners that have seen the car they feel it is a more then likely a rebody as well. Like I said I never plan on selling it, but I still love it just the same. Sorry this intro is soooooo long. I am just a little more then passionate about my cars. :)
     
  2. DeLa1Rob

    DeLa1Rob Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to the site. No need to apologize for the long intro. It is a nice change from the ulta short one liners we normally see.

    Good Luck!

    robin
     
  3. Doug_GT350

    Doug_GT350 Well-Known Member

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    +1 and Welcome!
     
  4. shelbyfan73

    shelbyfan73 Active Member

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    Thanks, I appreciate the warm welcome :)
     
  5. steele138

    steele138 Well-Known Member

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    Nice intro;now lets see pictures!
    Welcome
    Steele
     
  6. GT500KR_PR

    GT500KR_PR Member

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    Welcome from Puerto Rico
     
  7. shelbyfan73

    shelbyfan73 Active Member

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    Thank you again everyone for the warm welcome. I don't have any pics right now to post of my car. My computer recently crashed and I lost most of my pics. I now only have a few pics of when I picked it up from the body shop a couple months ago after having some work done on it. I will try to figure out how to post them so I can let you see them.





    Shelbyfan73
     
  8. shelbyfan73

    shelbyfan73 Active Member

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    Ok, I am going to need some help now. I uploaded some pics of the car but I have no clue where they went. Can somebody tell me how to post uploaded pics please?

    Thanks,

    Shelbyfan73
     

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