I enjoyed the article on several levels, but must say I believe it misses a significant variation on the theme. What about those of us who literally "grew-up" with our cars? By that, I mean driven, changed and Hot-Rodded them? I have a 66 Shelby GT350 that I have owned since 69 (I was third owner). It has a 347 stroker with 4x2 48 IDA Webers and a T5 WC 5 speed. Many times it has been dismissed as a clone - which I find humorous. As if a Shelby fan wouldn't want to continue with the spirit that made the Marque famous in the first place! There are real world consequences, as I am told that I am "killing the value" of my car. But being able to drive "old Blue" makes all that fade into the background. Yet, I suppose that there may NOT be anyone else who sees my car the way I do, so the value proposition is valid, just not from my current perspective. My treatment of my car is neither restoration or preservation per se. I guess my point is, what about those of us who love and tinker (perhaps compulsively <g>) with our rides? ... View more

Gene1, What makes this different (I know, everyone thinks their situation is different <g>) is the popularity of the early Mustang and the availability of virtually all the parts - with some exception of the original Shelby parts, and most of those are in reproduction. What drove this question initially is the differential of the values of a 66 Mustang versus a 66 GT350. It is just such a massive difference. I have owned this beast for a very long time and dragged it along with me wherever I went. It has a serious emotional context for me but it is difficult to expect someone else might have that perspective. However, I get what you're saying and perhaps it is better to have the car finished than to attempt to find a buyer to sell it to "as-is". ... View more

I come at this issue from the other side. I have a 66 GT350 which I drive (I ran Tail of the Dragon earlier this year). But having had "old Blue" for 51 years, it has changed a bit - Webers and a 5 speed the more obvious changes. A lot of folks don't know if it's real or not, but the truth is - it doesn't matter. I'm not trying to sell it. We are out enjoying the roads with like-minded people. It all comes down to the old "run what you brung" attitude. Running the older iron is not as simple as some of the newer stock but it brings a helluva satisfaction getting it done. The issue being brought up is similar to the "Stolen Valor" law. There's a point of honesty involved when trying to sell these cars. I believe it doesn't matter when driving them. You show off your engineering skills for features you improved on (and your car obligingly explains to you which features do not work <g>). ... View more

Nothing is foolproof, as Fools are so ingenious... ... View more

Nicely done! ... View more

Wow! That's an impressive project. I've got a set of  4 48IDAs that could use that kind of sparkle the next rebuild. Thanks for detailing the process. ... View more

Yes, but possibly not as goofy as I was in '81 <g> ... View more

I've always liked Don Felder's Heavy Metal (from the movie of the same name):   Drive it on up and let's cruise a while Leave your troubles far behind You can hedge your bet on a clean Corvette To get you there right on time Now if you're ready to dive into overdrive Baby, the green lights are on It's like you're running your brain on some high octane Every time she reaches fully blown [Chorus] Won't you take that ride on heavy metal? It's the only way that you can travel down that road Satisfied on heavy metal Baby won't you ride, ride it until it explodes Heavy metal [Verse 2] My oh my, how this lady can fly Once she starts rollin' beneath you You know you just can't lose, the way she moves You wait for her to finally release you It's not a big surprise to feel your temperature rise You've got a touch of redline fever 'Cause there is just one cure that we know for sure You just become a heavy metal believer ... View more

My guess is that this would go back to a street machine due to the value component, but then again, it would be up to a potential buyer to decide it's use. j ... View more

Greg, I totally agree with you that the actual value is determined by many, many moving parts (pun intended) such as what parts are original and such. This was just an exploratory look at the possibility. If you looked at the picture of the car, it is obvious that I need to dig the damn thing out first to research what you suggest. I have owned this car since 1972 and I was trying to get a "ballpark" feel for how to go about valuing it. Thanks for the thoughts. j ... View more

Hi Sajeev,   This is a 66 Shelby GT350 that had been an SCCA BP racer. The cage has been removed as has the drivetrain (but that is with the car). The car needs an interior - as in there wasn't one when I got it and the body is actually pretty straight. Sadly it has become more of a storage container. My thoughts on the restoration project come from the high availability and quality of Mustang parts available - but I understand that attempting to raise this to concours would involve taking it to a whole 'nother level - that's why I chose the #2 Value as a base of estimating. j ... View more

C2 Corvettes ? Even though I'm generally a Ford guy, I have always had an appreciation for the symmetry and styling of the C2's - particularly the headlamp solution. ... View more

I guess I'm confused as to why the author felt that the Hertz variant beat out the other 66 GT350's, since it was essentially a subset of that make/model. I wouldn't contest it's inclusion in this list, but only because it was a 66 Shelby GT350. ... View more