After viewing a bunch of pics of the new Shelby on svtperformance.com, it seems that Ford may be deleting the functionality of the air extractors on the '07 Shelby's hood. If this remains so, I will NOT be purchasing an '07.

It's not only an aesthetic issue, it's also a SAFETY issue. Let me explain.

I own an '05 Mustang GT. I, like many other '05 Mustang GT owners, have hood shake at over 110 MPH. I was able to alieviate this problem by adjusting the hood bumpers, but I'm still going to install racing quality hood pins. I just don't trust it. Even the '05 in the Grand American Series lost its hood at high speed with 4 racing quality hood pins. They have reconfigured the hood pins position and have had no further issues, but the problem is more than evident: due to the Mustang's new open grill design, there's just too much air pressure building up under the hood with nowhere to go.

The Shelby's grill is even bigger that the '05 GT's. Therefore, there will be even MORE air under the hood of that car with nowhere to go. We'll be seeing Shelby hoods flying off on the highways and drag strips.

No rear diffusor, no whipple, the interior (and now exterior) is going to look nearly identical to the GT, and now no functional hood air extractors (not to mention those black plastic scoops are DISGUSTING)!?

No functional air extractors means no Shelby for me. There is no reason I should have to drill holes into a $40,000 sports car to keep its hood stable. I'll stick with my '67 Shelby GT500 and its 427 Tunnelport High-Rise motor.

C'mon, Ford! You've got a great car! Don't screw it up! I'd rather see you raise the price $750 rather than tear this beautiful piece of automotive artwork to shreds!

And this thread is coming from a 1967 Shelby GT500 owner and an adamant defender/fan of Carroll Shelby (just check out my posts).

Anyone else have this opinion? Comments?

 

No hood shake on my car up to 140. ..later build date and you have to slam the hood shut. Can you drop yours from not very high up to close? With my hood struts I had to drop my hood from about 2 feet to close. I have heard early build dates were easy to close the hood and they all experienced hood shake.

 

I'm waiting to see what they do with the car at Detroit. If I don't like it, I'm looking at C6 or M3 (if they really put a V8 in them).

I love the Shelby Concept and can understand a few necessary changes. But, if the changes that are being rumored are actually true, I won't buy either. The hood, the interior, the overall look of the car is rumored to be changing. If they can't build the car they showed us, then don't show it to us.

With that said, I think the cars that are being seen are prototypes that are not complete. Some of them have hood scoops, some don't. Some have Cobra badges in the grill, some don't, etc. I am hoping that they include all those things in the final version. After reading the overwhelmingly negative response to the rumors, Ford better hope they include those things as well.

 

Way too early to make a call like this, I'll wait and see. Besides, how often are you really in the triple digits speed wise? It will take much more than hood vents to turn me off.

Now if they changed the SC 5.4 to a turbo V6, I'd get out of line....

 

It's funny how little things like Hood Scoops can make us change our mind on a car. But when you have something that you like so much and one thing changes, it seems to totally ruin our hopes about a car that we are all anxious to get.
However, with that said, I dont think we need to worry about non fuctional hood scoops being put on the Cobra. The engine "NEEDS" air vents to extract the heat just like the Terminator Engine did. Okay, and also HTT said that he will never put any non functional hood scoops on a Mustang as long as he is in charge. He said if its Functional, example the MACH 1's then its good. I dont think we need to worry.

 

What he said, lets sit tight for a while and let the rumers settle down some.

 

If it were just the hood vents, I wouldn't be so concerned. If all the things change that are rumored to change, then I will rethink the car.

 

I hope you're right...

 

i will just take a 3" hole saw to the hood of my shelby to fix the problem - make two nice holes - instead of just not getting one

 

I am hoping that most of the rumors are just that... rumors. I am also waiting for Detroit to see what the car will be like. If it is just the hood scoops then I will definitely still get the car.

If it is the hood scoops, diffuser, interior, etc then I might still get the car but I will be dissappointed somewhat. However, I am patient and will wait and see what happens.

 

Ford, enough, Just build the darn thing the way it is. You will sell every last one of them..........even with all the dealer mark-ups.........I saw some pics without the front chin spoiler on a yellow one, looks terrible without it.

 

all they have to do is open up those lil grilles in the scoops, i am sure someone will sell aftermarket ones. Calm down about it. No need to flip over not having a functional scoop.

 

There are still 3-4 hoods in the works, and no decision has been made yet. This car is still 16 months from arriving at dealers; don't jump the gun! You know they've learned their lesson on those hoods!

 

Guys, listen to Brad; the folks at SVT are car guys just like the rest of you, they aren't just going to shove some poser piece of junk out the door. Just wait and see what the production specs end up as and drive one before you make up your mind. I think it is really disappointing that some of you are dumping all over a car that you have yet to see let alone touch or drive.


Edit - fixed something that the word filter made sound pretty odd.

 

Amen

 

Let's just hope you are right. Ford did it with the 2001 Bullitt. The prototype had a beautiful steering wheel and gauges, fuel door, bumpers, front grille, wider tires, and additional 10hp, all became casualties on the production version. The bottom line is the Bullitt was short changed.

It is not just the hood of the GT500. The chin spoiler and the grille emblem could be next.

 

The Bullitt had better than a 5-hp increase over the GT. Ford changed the way it rated engine horsepower in 2001. The change resulted in a lower number for the GT, but there was no way Ford was going to lower the rating on an engine already in production, especially since the hardware didn't change. The Bullitt rated at 265 on the new ratings, not the same tests the '99 GT went through.

 

Right. Rated at 265, dynos were coming in around 272. Then there is the Mach 1. Rated at 305 but actually 320 was more like it. If the Bullitt would have been rated at 275 we could have expected the 285 range.

The point I am trying to get across it Ford has downgraded the production model from the prototype and it is disappointing.

 

Well let's hope the Book i read it from is right
Last year i was given a 40th Anniv Silver Mustang Book with lots of pictures and all kinds of things about the mustang. Well they had a big article on the 05 and a side article with HTT. They quoted HTT saying that about the Air Scoops on the hood. Great book. Lots of development pictures in there that i never seen before including the Major Magazines. Major book stores should have it

 

Don't sweat it guys. I was at the Pittsburgh Vintage GP today and HTT gave a presentation on the development of the Mustang. Afterwards I asked him about the posts on SVT Performance and whether or not Ford was doing a bait and switch.

He told me the hood the the Shelby is all new (inside and outside). It will have functional air extractors to provide cooling and relieve high pressure under the hood. It will also have rear diffuser and front splitter.

He said that the pictures on the web were of different vintage prototypes and they were not built with the latest level parts.

Have faith all of you skeptics!