1968 Shelby GT500 KR Convertible Uncovered After 39 Years
This Drop-Top “King of the Road” GT500 KR Has Been Reigning Over a Storage Container Since 1978
We’ve seen it time and time again. Some collector with far too many cars will tuck away some rarity and let it just sit there, without giving it a second thought. Or perhaps they did think about selling the thing, only to decide a restoration would be in order “someday.” That’s exactly what happened with this special 1968 Shelby. The current owner, Nelson Bandy, has owned the car since 1978. But after driving it only occasionally, he put it in storage that same year. And it’s not seen the light of day since the late 1980s. Till now.
Shelby’s 1968 GT500 KR featured a very rare “Cobra Jet” engine with NASCAR-style tweaks to the 428 cubic-inch big block. Over and above the standard 428, the CJ received higher compression pistons, racing cylinder heads, an aluminum intake, and a big-bore Holley four-barrel carb. With all of these modifications, the engine produced well in excess of 400 horsepower. But for insurance purposes, Ford reported it as having only 335. Mated to a 4-speed Ford Top Loader manual, and dropped into a convertible Mustang, the combination was surely a riot in the late 1960s. This particular convertible, presented in Highland Green, is one of just 318 GT500KR convertibles ever built, making it one of the rarest Fords out there.
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Classic Find
Now that the storage container’s been opened again, Bandy is optimistic about getting the car running before its 50th birthday, some 40 years after he drove it last.
“I have no intentions of selling the Shelby, and I really need to make the car a higher priority and either get it running or totally restore it. Just owning and managing to keep 1 of only 318 produced 1968 Shelby GT500KR convertibles for almost 40 years is amazing. The barn-find cars are really hot now, so I’m thinking I will get the car running as-is and attend a few of the local car shows,” says Bandy in a recent Hot Rod Magazine feature.
What do you think, should this car be cleaned up and driven as-is? Or is this rarity deserving of a full teardown restoration?
