Tracing Your Shelby/Mustang Roots

[ToltecWarrior]

Why do you like/love Shelbys and Mustangs? Where did it all begin for you and what hooked you into becoming a fan of these vehicles? Family members? Friends? First car? Just love the way they look and drive? I am sure this community has some interesting stories and comments. Would love to hear your story! Here's mine:

In 1969, I was a 10 year old boy living in a rural part of NJ. Our family received a daily newspaper delivery from people hired to use their own vehicles on designated routes. One day, after getting home from school at about 3 pm, I watched as a new newspaper delivery person pulled up in front of our house. The car was a 1969 Mustang Mach One, white with black accents, driven by a middle-age busty blond female. She said "hello" to me as she put the newspaper in the box and the exhaust growled loudly as the Mach One pulled away. I immediately fell in love.....with the car and the hot delivery lady (today, we would call her a "Milf" but there was no such word then. Plus, I was only 10!). Anyway, I knew what kind of car it was when I saw it due to my knowledge built from my Hot Wheels collection. However, this vehicle was better than any Hot Wheels car that I had. So, everyday after school, I would be sure to linger in the front yard hoping to see the hot car with the hot delivery lady. From that first day, I have loved Mustangs and Shelbys....the busty blonde was an added bonus!

So, what is your story?

 

[USV8PWR]

My father had a beautiful 67 Shelby GT500 that he had to let go in 1982 as he needed some money for us kids. I ordered my 13 Shelby back in June and he has no idea. I can't wait to surprise him next month and say that I got our car back.

I've had a 93 Cobra, a 99 GT, and my current law enforcement vehicle is a 2008 Mustang GT.

 

[662HP631TQ]

Mine comes from family. 3 of my cousis worked at a Ford dealer in my formative years. My closest cousin who is about 8 years older than me, bought a brand new 1989 Mustang GT. He brought it home and I loved the way it sounded. We all lived together so shortly after he had like ALL the subscriptions to all the Mustang magazines. I would take a peek quite often! Wheels, SuperChargers, Intakes GALORE!! All the drag racing articles and all the special features. I was hooked in. Then he bought some Centerline wheels for it and they looked AWESOME!! He took special care of the wheels and polished them with Mothers Brand Wheel Polish. Then he got crazy and bought a Borla exhaust a few years later and it sounded MEAN! A couple of years after that, he purchased a Cobra Intake. He brought me to the Ford Dealer when he bought it. Then we installed the intake together, I hadn't ever worked on a car until then it was pretty fun. a Few years down the road he saw that Ford would be offering a new Mustang Cobra (1999) and he said he wanted it. He couldn't really afford it at the time, but he had no other responsibilities in his life and had just taken a new job. The pay was higher than the previous job, but he was just getting started. So since he had worked at the Dealership for sometime, they let him come in and try to get financing on a new 1999 Black Mustang Cobra convertible. He got approved and drove it home!

He taught me how to drive manual in that BEAST and let me borrow it evey now and again!

Fast forward to my Air Force days. There I was in Texas enjoying a Whataburger in the Parking lot with some friends and here comes a 2008 GT500 KR engine a roarin and I said what the heck is that. At first I made fun of it because I thought someone had put a bunch of stickers on a Mustang GT and simply put a louder exhuast on it! I asked the guy about the car thinking he would admit to those things. Lo and behold he popped the engine compartment and I fell in love. I started researching the history of Shelby and all he had been involved in through the years and the Mustangs of course! From then on I called my cousin and asked what he knew about it. He told me and I started looking up used prices for 2007 Shelby's and new Shelbys. I was they were in the 40's and reasonable, but alas....I was still in the Air Force and it was good pay, but I couldn't afford that! He said yeah that is what the MSRP is, but you aren't going to buy one for that, you may end up paying at least 10K more. So I had resigned the dream and dreamth of a Dodge Viper. So time went on I got out of the Air Force and into a good paying contractor job in Afghanistan and I ended up buying a silly 2009 Dodge Caliber SRT-4, it was fun and satisfied my curiosity for motorsport, but something was missing. I went ahead and sold that car for no reason, but thinking I might get something else. My dad's first brand new vehicle was a 1979 Ford F-150 and I still have it to this day. Now, however I was starting to think Ford when I heard initial details of the 650HP GT500, and I started to get EXCITED again for the GT500, so I went and read the history again!
I never tought I'd get one, but I was excited. Then AAFES (Military Xchange Store) stated you could sign up for the opportunity to win a chance to buy a 2013 GT500 for less than MSRP. So I signed up not thinking twice about it. A month later my name was drawn and I was able to order.....Then came financing. I was repairing my credit, so I didn't think I'd qualify. I sent in the paperwork on a hope and a prayer. While I could afford it just fine, my credit wasn't the best, but it is getting better. I called back to AAFES and asked if they had found a lender....They had! M & T bank on the East coast I had NEVER heard of. So I had to research the bank and then agree to the terms. I had never had such a low interest rate on a car, and this was with not the best credit! I got 2.59% for 4 years and put down $18, 000.00.

That is my Shelby story from start to finish. I now have the most awesome car I could up until this point. I was saving for a GT-R but I want to have an early Mid Life crisis and the GT-R doesn't come in convertible flavor!


This has been long, but it is my story and I am sticking to it!

 

[ToltecWarrior]

My father had a beautiful 67 Shelby GT500 that he had to let go in 1982 as he needed some money for us kids. I ordered my 13 Shelby back in June and he has no idea. I can't wait to surprise him next month and say that I got our car back.

I've had a 93 Cobra, a 99 GT, and my current law enforcement vehicle is a 2008 Mustang GT.

Wow, great story! Hope you can catch his reaction on video or in some photos. Will be a milestone moment for both of you. Thanks for sharing!

 

[ToltecWarrior]

Mine comes from family. 3 of my cousis worked at a Ford dealer in my formative years. My closest cousin who is about 8 years older than me, bought a brand new 1989 Mustang GT. He brought it home and I loved the way it sounded. We all lived together so shortly after he had like ALL the subscriptions to all the Mustang magazines. I would take a peek quite often! Wheels, SuperChargers, Intakes GALORE!! All the drag racing articles and all the special features. I was hooked in. Then he bought some Centerline wheels for it and they looked AWESOME!! He took special care of the wheels and polished them with Mothers Brand Wheel Polish. Then he got crazy and bought a Borla exhaust a few years later and it sounded MEAN! A couple of years after that, he purchased a Cobra Intake. He brought me to the Ford Dealer when he bought it. Then we installed the intake together, I hadn't ever worked on a car until then it was pretty fun. a Few years down the road he saw that Ford would be offering a new Mustang Cobra (1999) and he said he wanted it. He couldn't really afford it at the time, but he had no other responsibilities in his life and had just taken a new job. The pay was higher than the previous job, but he was just getting started. So since he had worked at the Dealership for sometime, they let him come in and try to get financing on a new 1999 Black Mustang Cobra convertible. He got approved and drove it home!

He taught me how to drive manual in that BEAST and let me borrow it evey now and again!

Fast forward to my Air Force days. There I was in Texas enjoying a Whataburger in the Parking lot with some friends and here comes a 2008 GT500 KR engine a roarin and I said what the heck is that. At first I made fun of it because I thought someone had put a bunch of stickers on a Mustang GT and simply put a louder exhuast on it! I asked the guy about the car thinking he would admit to those things. Lo and behold he popped the engine compartment and I fell in love. I started researching the history of Shelby and all he had been involved in through the years and the Mustangs of course! From then on I called my cousin and asked what he knew about it. He told me and I started looking up used prices for 2007 Shelby's and new Shelbys. I was they were in the 40's and reasonable, but alas....I was still in the Air Force and it was good pay, but I couldn't afford that! He said yeah that is what the MSRP is, but you aren't going to buy one for that, you may end up paying at least 10K more. So I had resigned the dream and dreamth of a Dodge Viper. So time went on I got out of the Air Force and into a good paying contractor job in Afghanistan and I ended up buying a silly 2009 Dodge Caliber SRT-4, it was fun and satisfied my curiosity for motorsport, but something was missing. I went ahead and sold that car for no reason, but thinking I might get something else. My dad's first brand new vehicle was a 1979 Ford F-150 and I still have it to this day. Now, however I was starting to think Ford when I heard initial details of the 650HP GT500, and I started to get EXCITED again for the GT500, so I went and read the history again!
I never tought I'd get one, but I was excited. Then AAFES (Military Xchange Store) stated you could sign up for the opportunity to win a chance to buy a 2013 GT500 for less than MSRP. So I signed up not thinking twice about it. A month later my name was drawn and I was able to order.....Then came financing. I was repairing my credit, so I didn't think I'd qualify. I sent in the paperwork on a hope and a prayer. While I could afford it just fine, my credit wasn't the best, but it is getting better. I called back to AAFES and asked if they had found a lender....They had! M & T bank on the East coast I had NEVER heard of. So I had to research the bank and then agree to the terms. I had never had such a low interest rate on a car, and this was with not the best credit! I got 2.59% for 4 years and put down $18, 000.00.

That is my Shelby story from start to finish. I now have the most awesome car I could up until this point. I was saving for a GT-R but I want to have an early Mid Life crisis and the GT-R doesn't come in convertible flavor!


This has been long, but it is my story and I am sticking to it!

Nice! Thanks for sharing. And, thank you for your military service to our country! Best of luck!

 

[rdsnk46]

I was 12 in 1986, my brother had been hit on his scooter the year before and recieved a large settlement for his accident. So he's now 16 and convinces my parents to take him to the Ford dealer ship to purchase a new car. The car was a black 1986 Mustang GT with tan interior. He was living a dream as it was the hottest car out. He had 2 friends that he went to school with, they also had 5.0 Mustangs and I thought it was the coolest thing that him and his friends all had mustangs.

Our local cruise scene was an area by the beach where on the weekends anybody who was anybody hit the beach and BS'd. I was young but on ocassion my bro would let me ride. All the girls loved his car and he would get all the attention. Also it was a spot where all the fast street cars would roll to when they wanted to find a race. IROC's GN's and most all of the other Mustangs fell victim to my brothers driving ability. His car wasnt the fastest but he held his own against all the stock for stock racers.

My sisters high school boyfriend/my bro's best friend also had a 86 GT. Compucar nitrous systems had just arrived in FL. so he traveled from west palm to Ft. Laud. to purchase a kit. His car at the time had a march 4in. under drive, hollowed cats and went 13.80@104 with a short belt. On the spray(150 wet) it went 12.60 115 mph on gatorbacks, which was hauling in 1989. He took me for a run to Taco bell and hit the nitrous and I was hooked on nitrous thats for sure!

Fast forward to 1990 I turn 16 and my parents are planning on inga car for me to drive. My brother tired of the mustang decided to offer it to me in lou of him getting a newer vehicle for himself. I was very excited and gladly accepted his offer.

I've been hooked since, I've owned about 11 mustangs, I maybe missing a few.

3-86 GT's 2 black 1 gunmetal
1-85 GT drag car silver
1-EX-FHP SSP 1985 5.0 coupe black and tan(wish I still had it)
1-89 LX 5.0 auto white
1-90 LX 5.0 vert red
1-93 LX 5.0 hatch coral reef blue
1-93 LX 5.0 coupe seafoam green
1-96 Cobra vert termi swap 3 time MM&FF article car
1-2008 Shelby GT500 Fastest factory drivetrain on a radial 10.0@142 MM&FF article car

 

[usmotox]

I was a kid about 7 years old when the 64.5 was introduced and the storys about the dealers hiding the mustangs and covering the show room windows is true. My friends and I got a sneak peak because we would not leave the dealer ship and the mechanic told us what time he was going to move it from the wharehouse into the show room. It was dark green and the 6cly. standard shift. Was hooked at that time but a few years latter we were hanging out at the gas station at the only stoplight in Sunbury NC and a (I believe)68 GT500 stopped for the light. We were hollering and waving telling him last gas for miles the guy smiled and turned into the store. He was great filled up raised the hood let us all look and did a mini fish tail type burn when he left. It was white with blue stripes and sat pretty high. I have waited for years for what I would call another "Special" car to come along and I belive this is it. I have owned a 69 428 mustang fastback a 70 cobra jet torina a 71 super cobrajet and a bunch of other performance cars built and still own a yard full of turbo hondas and acuras but this car is specail so I bought one--

 

[Husky44]

This is as good of a place as any to introduce myself. been lurking here for about a month, decided to go ahead and join today.

My Mustang roots: My earliest memory of any Mustang was around 1969 or 1970 (4-5 years old). I was walking out of a grocery store with my dad when I spied the coolest looking car ever--a red 69 GT500 with the gold stripes.

When I was getting ready to turn 16, I found out that my Dad had made a promise when I was born that I would get a new car on my 16th birthday. Problem was, in 1981, there wasn't a new car made that I thought was worth owning. My buddy Doug had a 71 Mach 1 that was in pretty decent shape (it was only 9 years old then!). Another bud of ours had a 65 coupe with 289 HiPo. I told my dad I wanted an old Mustang instead of a new car. He had a co-worker who restored Mustangs as a hobby/side business, and took me out to his place. He had several cars to show me including a 66 coupe, jacked up in the back with mag wheels on it, and his son's 68 GT Fastback (Highland Green w/ gold C stripe, 302 auto). In the far bay of his shop there was one more car under a cover, and the shape was unmistakable. I pointed and asked "what about that one?" Floyd asked if I knew what it was, to which I replied "it's either a 69 or 70 Shelby." He said I had a good eye, and pulled the cover off a red 69 GT500, just like the one I remember from back in the day. It was a driver-condition car, and my Dad asked his price. $10,000. My dad told him that was absurd, that NO car was worth $10k, especially not a 12 year old Mustang (he hates it when I remind him of that story).

I ended up going home with the 68 GT Fastback (daughter wouldn't part with her vert), and loved the car--for about two years. Whenever I wasn't driving it, I was pouring over Mustang Monthly, or memorizing every page of the book "Mustang Does It" which was probably the first hardback book written on the first gen Mustang history. After a while, my 302 just didn't cut it anymore, and all my buds had switched to building big 4x4s. I put the Mustang up for sale, and a girl I had dated a few times talked her dad into buying it for her as her first car (she was a sophomore, I was a senior). Two years later (1985) I married her--many people accused me of marrying her to get my car back, but it was thoroughly thrashed after me driving it for 2 years, and her driving it for 2 years, so her dad kept it for him and her little brother to restore.

An Army career, marriage, two kids (one a daughter named Shelbi), and life kept me out of the Mustang world, but by the mid 90s I was seriously missing my 68, which my brother -in-law still had. I tried many times to get him to sell, but he wouldn't. We had a standing agreement that I got first right of refusal on the car.

Fast-forward to 2003: My son was 15, and wanted a classic Mustang for his first car-how could I refuse? We shopped the want ads, and found a 67 vert for $1900. Motor was seized, and had some surface rust, but the body looked good, the interior and top were great, so I paid $1500 and trailered it home. Then we discovered how well the PO had hidden all the serious cancer with spray foam, HVAC duct, and undercoating. After about 18 months, he lost interest in the father-son project that seemed to go backward more than forward, and started saving for a late model Mustang. On his graduation day he bought his brand new 06 Legend Lime, no options V6, and drove it for the next 6 years. He just traded it for a 13 V6 premium vert in Grabber Blue.

I kept the project car, and started a serious restomod effort, swapping in the drivetrain from a 91 LX, including a 347 with Trick Flow HCI, World Class T5, 8.8 with 4.10s, and added 4 wheel Cobra brakes for good measure. But my project skills and grad school meant that the car was taking way too long (still not done, but hopefully next spring). In 2008, I picked up a cherry 95 GT vert with 50k miles on it, that I started modding right away. Still have it, and still love it, but the past 3 years have been pretty stressful. Among other things, my brother in law finally decided to sell the 68, but I was in a financial commitment that I couldn't buy it when he was ready to sell, so I had to let it go--I'd made a commitment to God and my church that I was going to contribute financially to building our new gym. I also had the distinct pleasure of running that building project, while working a 60 hour a week job, going to grad school, teaching, and about 3 other things. All of those distractions came to an end this summer.

About mid-August, I gave voice to a thought that had been running through my head for a while--that I'd weathered some pretty challenging times, and that it might just be time to do something for me. My wife agreed, and asked what I was thinking. I had been drooling over the new Boss 302s for quite a while, and had read about the 13 Shelby. I wanted a Boss 302 VERT, but Ford doesn't seem to see the logic in that. I decided that I'd shop the western US for either a SBY 302 LS, or a 13 Shelby vert (Grabber Blue, in a perfect world). I'd found a good deal on the Boss I wanted, and was walking out of the office on a really nice (and rare) Alaskan summer day, thinking about how cool it would be to drive the Boss home... with a roof over my head (I'm a convertible freak, if you hadn't picked up on it). That night I started my search anew, looking for a 13 GT500 convertible. A month-long saga of insane ADMs and Ford shipping problems later, I had a deal with my local dealer on the car they had on the floor: A GB fully loaded vert. The closer on the deal: I remembered poring over "Mustang Does It", and deciding at 16 that if I could have any Mustang, it would be a 68 GT500KR convertible. I realized that the 13 GT500 vert was the modern equivalent.

I now have 3 Mustang verts in the garage: the 13, the 95, and the 67. My son has a 13 vert, my dad has a 96 GT vert, and Shelbi? She's engaged to a guy who drives an 03 Mach 1. :coolman:

The story is long, but so is my Mustang lineage. Greetings all!

 

[BADSEED]

well it all started when i was 4yrs old when dad bought brand new 1994 white cobra dont remember much about the car except it was loud...so fast foward about 11yrs. im 15 now, getting pretty close to getting my licenses and dad asks me what i want for a car. i told him i wanted s281E sn95,he told me i was on crack since those cars used were like 30k back then. so he ends up buying a 1999 gt vert 5spd bought all the s281E stuff along with a nice custom paint job from my uncle. owned that all throughout high school until car got hit right before graduating. i know most of you might think im was spoiled, ill admit i was just a little but deal i had made with my father was that i would get good grades. which i did graduated with high honors and no ticket or accident. after that owned white 95 cobra and now i currently owned a 2000 gt which i bought to build credit so i can hopefully order new 5.0 end of winter after this new england winter ends

im not the best story teller or writer but this is my tale.

 

[Shaker1]

Growing up in the sixties, my Dad showed me the first Mustangs when I was 5 years old. He owned a couple 67s, a 68, and a 69, before buying a Javelin in 72. My first car was a 1966 "basket case" I purchased for $65 when I was 14 with no tranny and a trunk full of parts. It was a driver before I turned 15. I taught myself to drive a stick by backing it up and down my driveway.

 

[ToltecWarrior]

Thank you to all who shared their stories and took a walk down memory lane (or should I say a "drive" down memory lane....LOL!). Remembering those details from the past can evoke all sorts of emotions, especially fond memories, but usually has the effect of giving a momentary pause of reflection from our hectic daily lives. I really enjoyed reading the stories of others.....I hope you did too! Perhaps a few more contributions will be made for all of us to read and provide a reminder that we should fully appreciate each moment of our current stage of life.

 

[ObieFox]

Back in the day, my father was a hardcore Chevy performance guy and drag racer. In 1982 when I was 14, my cousin Mike pulled into our driveway with a new, blood red, 1982 GT. That car changed everything for me...and my dad. We became a Ford performance family after that and I was lucky enough to drive a new T-Bird Turbo Coupe all through high school.

Countless mustangs later, my '13 GT500 showed up in July to replace my '12 GT500.

Whenever I see my cousin, we always talk about that car and what it meant to all of us.

 

[68.5CJ]

My Roots

My Grandfather worked for Ford for 40 years and got me hooked when he gave me a large model from Ford parts department of a 1965 Mustang in orange which was the same color as the one he helped my uncle get. 12 Mustang's later from Boss 429, Cobra Jet's, GT's,Saleen,Roush, SVT Pace Car, '07 GT 500- current 'stangs 1968.5 428 Cobra Jet and 2013 GT 500

 

[ToltecWarrior]

Awesome photos!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!