There’s no saying when luck will strike, and in what form. Some people get lucky and win big in the lottery. Some could come by a fortune through inheritance. Others still may get a very lucky break and find riches through fame. Sometimes, some people literally have luck fall in their laps. In this case, this guy came across an abandoned 1965 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang in a deserted lakehouse in Georgia.
More specifically, the priceless 1965 Shelby GT350 pretty much fell in his lap.Yes, you read that right. A guy named Mat Taylor was sent an ad to a classic car steering wheel, which turned out to be from someone who inherited an abandoned lake house with the treasured pony car inside. Mat made a deal to buy the cars inside and all the parts, making for one of the most valuable barn finds ever! And you can see the incredible find in real time in the video below.
What Is A 1965 Shelby GT350 Worth?
Knowing the value of a 1965 Shelby GT350 (between $300,000 to over a million dollars) makes watching this video almost feel like watching The Usual Suspects after reading the spoilers. You know exactly what’s coming, but you still can’t quite believe how it happened. Watching Mat enter the private lakeside property almost feels like trespassing. The house looks abandoned for some time, and it’s in complete disarray inside.
The space where the car was found looks like someone’s trashed it, or held a heck of a leaving party in it. As Mat tramples his way over the mounds of debris, he has to squeeze through a missing plasterboard panel to get into the garage. Sitting among piles of old leaves and more debris, next to a Red 1991 Ford Mustang LX convertible, is the prize; a white 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350.
Mat actually discovered the car two months before the film. The muscle car was originally hidden beneath an old cover. When he first removed the cover, he had the shock of his life. Now he’s back to claim it, after doing a deal with the owners.
At first glance the Shelby looks like it’s in excellent shape, all the panels are straight, and it looks complete. There’s some surface rust on the body, and the Wimbledon White paintwork is peeling and cracking on most of the panels. But nothing too serious for a car that hasn’t seen daylight for three decades. This one’s an early model too, it has the trunk-mounted battery.
The Mustang’s hood carries the Shelby trademark Guardsman Blue stripes, and it’s in good condition, much like the interior. The black leather seats just need a polish up, but the carpet looks like it could do with replacing. The sixties-styled dash, steering wheel and dials all look fine, and remarkably, the odometer reads just 29,000 miles.It’s hard to believe that someone just left it there. This 1965 GT350 is wearing its original wheels, and it has the supercool side-exit exhausts too. Mat has hit the jackpot!
