GT350 R Conversion

What is a "r" conversion?

Unless you are buying one of the original 38 factory built 1965 Competition Shelbys, anything built later is a replica. You can call it a clone, a tribute, a fake, a conversion or any of the other terms commonly applied to these creations if it makes you feel better.

Basically, its worth the price of the 1965 donor, plus the engineering an parts costs.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but thats reality. The only original Comp cars were built in the 60s....and yes, I know who Walt Hane is.

 

Are you talking about this one?


http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/shelby/1358285321/1358285321ss.htm


Bill S.

PS: http://www.eps-hane.com/

 

While starting out with an original Shelby does make the car more valuable. I think the original contributor is still confused.
I know I am.

I am not sure if he is expecting to pay more or less based on his one comparable find? Most cars are down 30% over the last three years, without any significant increases since then.

That would make a $170,000 car around $120,000 today.

I certainly wouldnt call that a 1965 R????

 

You would be hard pressed to buy a 66 GT350 and have it converted to race specs by Walt Hane and be in it for 150,000.00 IMO. A 65 GT350 donor car would be 120,000.00 + to start with plus the work to convert it which would most likely be another 100,000.00 + range turn key IMO. It would be easy for a owner starting out with a regular Mustang and paying Walt Hane to convert it with all the bells and whistles be in it for 150,000. A genuine 66 Shelby add another 80 to 100,000.00 . A regular Mustang built to the same specs would be a much cheaper proposition. The problem with this scenario is that the Donor Shelby is ruined from ever being converted back in a practical way to concours street specs again. The value portion of the Shelby used as a basis for the track car is greatly diminished. A owner needs to know this going in because these kinds of cars do not appreciate like a non modified car would. These kind of genuine Shelby based track cars although cool appeal to a much smaller group of buyers. Just my opinion.

 

And if you doubt these words, contact Mark Hovander and ask him what it's like to convert a 65 Shelby back from an R-Model "conversion" to a street car.

 

On top of that I don't think Mark had to deal with as much stitch welding to the unibody for stiffening that Walt Hane typically does to his cars. The added stitch welding reinforcement stiffens the unibody for track but if you ever try and reverse the process it takes hundreds of times as long to fix each stitch weld so you can't tell that it was done as it does to entially weld a stich in.