Shelby 350H – Unrestored and 30 Years Racing

It’s easy to like iconic muscle cars like a Mustang, especially when it’s a true Shelby. Add to that it’s an original Hertz Shelby and I’m a little more curious. Without much effort, I can see a young man strolling up the Hertz counter (long before internet reservations!) and asking for a 1966 Mustang GT 350H.  “Yes, I would like the optional insurance.”

If you’ve seen a perfectly restored 350H or any Shelby Mustang, they’re obviously valuable and visually, they’re cool. You’re likely to see one a concours show or more likely at auction. But for me, (and I hope most of you) I look twice when it’s driven! I wanna hear it run! Beyond that, there’s the rarest of rare: The unrestored racing Shelby.

The first unrestored race Shelby I saw was out of pure luck. I was invited to an anniversary celebration for Bob Bondurant at the Bondurant Racing School of High Performance Driving. A treat in itself no doubt.  We drove the Mustangs he had back then (the ’stangs were later replaced by Corvettes) then he gave an interesting talk. After, we all went outside to see a plain white trailer had pulled up and was unloading an unrestored 289 Cobra.  When I say unrestored, I mean it probably had the original oil in it from the last time Bondurant raced, and won, in it back in 19-sixty-something.  Dented, scratch and rough around the edges describes it perfectly. It even had some in-field pea gravel in the cockpit from that last race track. It was the most unique car I’ve ever seen.  Bob fired it up and took a few hot laps. I’ll never forget it.

That brings me to the second unrestored Shelby I’ve seen. I found it at the Orange County “Cruisin for a Cure” car show.  It was parked discretely in line with a few other cars. Not much to see in the plain white 66 that could use a little detailing. Most people walked right by, but I talked to the owner, Randy Gillis, when I saw the 350H on the side. Randy’s owned the car for 30 years and he’s the 3rd owner including Hertz as the first.  For that entire 30 years, he’s been racing it.
The front calipers are aluminum not the rotors. I am using the original auto trans for the car although modified as you can imagine. The rear gear is 5.29. The car weighs 2830 in it’s current configuration. Every piece of sheet metal is original to the car. No new floor pans or any thing else. Next in line is a little bigger roller cam and a trans brake to squeeze the et into the 10’s. Then the engine will be swapped for an all aluminum 374 ci Boss 302 I am now building. Only the paint work was farmed out , I’ve done all the rest myself.

The current non original hipo 289 block has been filled with a stroker crank which gives 331 ci. This engine was first built with the Tunnel Port 302 heads but later were replaced by Edelbrock Victor Jrs. I use the Trans Am dual four barrel intake and a roller cam. The best time with this engine is 11.15@120 mph. The best ever was 10.75@125 with a stroked (351ci) Boss 302. A host of Ford experimental parts like the GT40 distributor and damper and experimental carb. There’s also some lightweight goodies like aluminum front calipers and he’s even got the original 1965 Cure-Ride 90/10 up-lock front shocks.

Randy sent over an update for the story and added this:

I am using the original auto trans for the car although modified as you can imagine. Next in line is a little bigger roller cam and a trans brake to squeeze the ET into the 10’s with the 5.29 rear gear and the car’s weight at 2830 lbs. Then the engine will be swapped for an all aluminum 374 ci Boss 302 I am now building.  Every piece of sheet metal is original to the car. No new floor pans or any thing else. Only the paint work was farmed out, I’ve done all the rest myself.

Yea, this Shelby was a outta place at the car show. It didn’t belong in a museum or tucked away in a private collectors garage. It belongs at the track and I bet that’ll be the next place I see it, if I’m that lucky again. Thanks Randy! This car is, My Ride is Me!

Please leave your comments on this story below.

I found this poster board in front of the car. Sorry it's tough to read, but it includes quite a bit of racing history for the car dating back to 1974 and you can see a few of the changes it's been through.

How-To: Bullitt Gas Cap On A Late Model Mustang

Leave a comment below… Why should you win? That’s all there is to it!

Want to add a little “Frank Bullitt” style to your late model Mustang?  AmericanMuscle has just the accessory for you!  The slick looking aluminum Bullitt gas cap is the first modification you need before you start jumping your ’stang on the streets of San Fran’ a la Steve McQueen.

MyRideisMe.com provides the installation guide of a Bullitt gas cap on a 1994 Dark Green Mustang GT (McQueen would dig it!).  The Mustang you see here might look subtle but it packs a punch at the dragstrip, with its horseman banging the gears to a best of 12.85 @ 106mph on 8″ slicks and stock motor and cam.  This Bullitt gas cap will let those Camaros know this is no ordinary pony.

Follow along as we take you through the installation.  It’s very straight forward and can be done by a novice with simple hand tools in about 30-45 minutes.

Step 1: Open the box and make sure everything is accounted for and in good shape (nuts, studs, lock nuts, washers, magnets, cap and ring).  AmericanMuscle is pretty good about getting you a good unit if yours happened to be damaged or missing a component (ours was missing one of the magnets).

Step 2: Here’s the tools you’ll need;  T-20 Torx bit, 7mm wrench and socket/ratchet, allen set and a file/sandpaper/dremel.

Step 3: Remove the 2 Torx head bolts from the stock cap which attach the cap to the body and you’re ready for the Bullitt cap.

Step 4: Using the allen wrench, remove the investment cast hooks from the bullet cap.  They’ll need to be turned around 180 degrees and reinstalled onto the car/cap.  Our hooks required very minor deburring of the castings where the pins eject the part out of the mold.

Step 5:  Remove the “bumpers” with the T-20 torx bit, trim the bumpers just above the bolt head as seen in this picture (cut or grind about 3/16 ” off the end).

Step 6:  Slip the unit into place, put the studs in stock holes and re-attach the cast aluminum hooks and tighten with the allen wrench.

Step 7:  Install stock gas tank cap plastic lanyard first, then a washer, followed by the nut, then the lock nut using a 7mm socket /ratchet.

Step 8:  Finally tighten the lower stud using a 7mm wrench.  This takes a minute or two because there’s limited access.  Just take your time here and patience will pay off shortly.

The install is short and sweet and gives your Mustang a slick, purposeful look.  Steve McQueen would be proud!  Get your Bullitt gas cap at AmericanMuscle today.

Hechtspeed

Small Town USA Car Shows: The Future of Hotrodding

The Bountiful, Utah “Coats For Kids” Car Show was just another example of small town USA and the car nuts that make up this great hobby/pastime. 

Personally, I think its crucial that towns big and small keep hotrodding alive and passing the automotive genes onto the next generation by supporting and putting on car shows and cruise-ins like this one in downtown Bountiful, Utah. 

Looking over these pictures again, I thought about how events like this create a sense of community and make family memories for years to come.  Nothing more american, or human, than a good car show with your friends and family. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took while hanging with my family.  How else can you teach your kid to hang his arm out the window like a true hotrodder than by owning a ‘32 roadster?  How else will he know what a 4bbl carbed big block V8 sounds like unless he can stand next to it and feel the ground shake! 

Shoot me an email at hechtspeed@myrideisme.com and I’ll post up your “small town USA” car show pics and info.  Let’s keep this hobby alive and growing.  My sons should be restoring a 2005 Mustang GT or a 2008 Challenger in about 25 years as long as I keep taking them to car shows and working on project cars in the garage with them right?!  Right! 

When is the next car show?!

Hechtspeed

5 Tips for Building a $5000 Pro-Touring Mustang

“I bought a 1966 Mustang Fastback out of a junk yard for $400.  Thought I would challenge myself to build as exotic a g-machine as possible for $5000. ”

It sounds impossible, anti-Pro-Touring even.  MyRideisMe.com asked Ron Schwarz, owner/builder of this Grabber Blue beauty, to share his 5 Tips with our readers.  He tells it like no one else can.  This guy is hilarious!  There are some killer classic quotes here.  Stick to these 5 Tips below and you too can build your own budget dream ride.

1. Choose The Right Car

Your car has to be affordable, but still turn you on. If it doesn’t keep your interest it will be just another project that doesn’t get finished. Choose a car you can get cheap parts for, period.

2. Do your homework

The mods on this Mustang were done with factory (Ford and GM) parts from performance models/sports cars.  The front suspension is all C5 Corvette parts; great handling, big brakes, relatively cheap, and fairly easy to come by.

3. Choose The Right Drivetrain.

Find a drivetrain that meets your horsepower goals and doesn’t need an expensive rebuild or power adders. Instead of the original 4.6L Mustang mill purchased, Ron ended up with an LS1 that had been in a fire for $300.  In fairly stock form the LS1 can easily reach Ron’s goal of 400HP. The purists hate it, but it fit the budget.  Best bang for the buck!

4. Use All The Deal Finding “Tools” Available

The “tools” are Ebay, Craigslist, Racing Junk , trade and barter, your buddies “take-off parts”, etc.  Network with car buddies, see who is upgrading. “Take-offs” can be picked up cheap. The barter system is alive and well.  The tires on Ron’s ‘Stang were traded for a wine cooler.

5. DIY=Do It Yourself!

This is the hardest of the 5, but its also a MUST to meet your budget!  The more you cut, weld, grind and paint the better you get and the more money you save!  Books are good for learning fab’ skills, but we learn more from being around true craftsman.  Don’t be scared to screw up, you can fix it.

Let’s see how Ron used the 5 budget building tips on his own Pro-Touring Mustang Fastback:

We’ll let the Mustang out of the Corral and tell you that Ron didn’t quite make the $5000 budget he set, but who cares!  He did do it for under $9000 though, which is amazing.   Here’s the parts and cost rundown to see how he pulled off the impossible using his Top 5 Budget Tips.

$2750 Car and Rolling Chassis

Ford Blue

Engine/Transmission $500 + trades

Ron has previous experience running LS1’s and had enough computers/wiring laying around to get one running.  “I scored a low-mileage LS1 for $300 (with a couple hundred to replace the pieces that are missing).

“I’m painting the engine Ford blue and remote mounting the coils, maybe the Ford guys won’t notice.  LOL.”

Should cheese off all the die hard Ford guys, maybe I’ll paint the LS1 Ford blue and nobody will know the difference.  I scored a Muncie M21 trans, shifter and bellhousing from my buddy, traded it for an old set of Mustang II spindles and rack I had laying around.  Picked up a set of LS6 heads, cam and intake for a song.  Got an LS1 throttle body off ebay for 95 cents. So here I am, I have a complete chassis,motor,trans,rear,body sitting on a chassis, all accesories and brakes.  I have about $1800.00 left.”

Suspension

Rear springs and weight jacks from race proven parts, the springs were $6.50 ea. and the weight jacks were $18.00, right in my budget, you just can’t beat eBay.  The rear ended up at 63″ face to face, about the same width as a full size pickup rear.  Shocks came off a 2008 Silverado,with 100 miles on it.  I watch eBay, Craigslist, and Racingjunk like a hawk, I wouldn’t have been able to do this with out some lucky bidding.  What did we do before Ebay?

Body

“Most of the rust is gone, but then again, so is most of the car.  Also finally got a serial # and title and some parts off a car that got scrapped.  I built the chassis on the car and the track width is about a foot wider then the Mustang LOL.  I’m making the Mustang fit the track rather than the track fit the Mustang.  The hood is a 2.5″ cowl hood from CJ Mustang parts.  In keeping with the budget its a scratch and dent piece, two of the 4 corners have cracks in them (perfect for this car).

Got a chance to scale my car.  It weighed 2750 pounds with no fuel or driver.  Just under 3100 pounds with me and a full tank of fuel.  The good part was that the car had just about perfect 50/50 weight distribution.”

Ron’s Classic Quotes Continued:

“Besides its the new parts that have been killing me, all the used junk has performed flawlessly(at least so far).  Its alot nicer a car then I originally planned.”

“Hoping to squeeze a high 11 sec pass out of the thing, and be a good handling car.  I still would rather have an 11sec. Chevy powered ‘Stang than a 13 sec. Ford powered one.”

“Its coming out just as I pictured it though.  I usually hate when people stray away from the factory look, but I think I like it better then the factory lines.  I should be happy, do to all the tweeking I had to do.  I figure this will be one of those cars people will either really like,or REALLY REALLY hate.Ron”

A must-see YouTube video taken by a Pro-Touring forum member at the Peach State Musclecar Challenge!

See Ron work his magic on his personal website and pro-touring build thread.  Lots more pictures and build details if you want the nitty gritty version!

With the economy doing its downward spiral, building our rides on a budget is as important as it’s always been!  Give us your comments below on what you thought about these 5 Tips and send this story to all your friends so you can start working those trade and barter swaps with your car buddies!

Hechtspeed