A classic Mustang is already an eye-catching presence wherever you go, but a Shelby is undoubtedly a head-turning machine.
It’s why collectors spend more than most of us can imagine on such a car, especially because they’re rare, and few are known to still be in existence in an all-original, untouched, and unmolested condition.
The 1967 convertible that landed on Craigslist a few hours ago is a regular Mustang, but the owner says it’s the perfect candidate to become a Shelby. While that’s an ambitious goal, especially considering the problems you’ll hear about in a second, turning a regular Ford Mustang into a Shelby clone is not an easy business. And definitely, it isn’t something aimed at someone who’s now making the first steps in the restoration world.
I can’t help but remind everybody how important the 1967 model year was for the Shelby. It was the moment when the GT500 joined the GT350 in the lineup, providing buyers with an even more powerful engine than the K-code 289 already available on the previous model years. The GT500 used a 428 with two 600 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetors.
1967 is also a notable year from a convertible perspective. It was the first time a Shelby convertible got to see the daylight, though only a single example came to be with the GT500 package (number 0139).
Getting back to the more boring yet intriguing and sporting high aspirations Mustang, the first thing you must know is that it’s been sitting for 43 years. The owner says the car was parked in 1980 and spent the rest of the decades in the same place. It hasn’t moved since then, losing its engine, the front suspension, the windshield, and possibly other parts too.
The car probably served as a donor for another project, but it still wears the original paint sprayed by Ford before it rolled off the assembly lines. This leaves the door open to a potential return to factory specifications if you can find the correct engine and the missing parts.
While the missing engine could make many people walk away, the seller says they have several blocks that could fit this Mustang, including a 390 that would make the first step towards a Shelby clone more convenient. Their condition is unknown, but you can contact the seller to discuss more details if you’re interested in a “more complete” package.
Otherwise, the convertible flexes many solid selling points, and I won’t be surprised if the car returns to the road at one point as a Shelby clone. The owner will let it go for $15,500, which is quite ambitious, considering the missing parts, but fingers crossed for this otherwise great convertible to leave for a new home before it’s too late.