Wyatt32

I think to many people have been trashing the Shelby GT without
giving it a chance. Personaly I think the concept is very inline
with the origanal GT 350. I had been planning my own S197 Shelby
based on a white GT. It would have 18" fanblades(similar to shelby
cragars) rear spoiler delete, xenon front bumper(close to the concept
car and more attractive) the ford performace and handleing paks,
and GT/CS hood scoop w/full lemans stripes, and custom mesh grill
w/small tribar/horse emblem on the driver side.

So after seeing the Shelby GT I thought thats a great pakage!

Will it beat all other sport cars? NO
Is it the end all be all Shelby? NO

To me the Shelby GT represents a very nice entry into the Shelby
world and if price gouging is kept at bay and it is affordable, then I
think assembleing this package is testament and a credit to the
Shelby Enterpise.

If the car isn't what you think a shelby should be then don't buy
it. I feel there will be plenty of people who will. And maybe that
new FRPP supercharger could add alot of ponies people think are
missing.


Just my .02

USMC_LB

Your right... the Shelby-gt is what it is.

I was excited when I first heard rumor of this car.

I was not impressed when I saw the concept picture.

I shook my head in dis-belief when I found out there were only two colors available. ( I want a white one BUT NOT SILVER STRIPES ).

A Cobra hood scoop ?

I am not excited anymore.

I think the biggest thing was that many people INCLUDING ME were expecting this was going to be Shelby's verion of the GT 350 ( which it is basically ala '65-'66 )

BUT there is one small glimmer of hope.

AmyB keeps talking about AFTERMARKET add-ons from Shelby that are AUTHORIZED by Shelby.

I am not completely sure what that means. Does that mean Shelby will cover aftermarket Shelby add-ons with a warranty when Ford will not?

MAN, FRIDAY CAN NOT GET HERE FAST ENOUGH !!

LB

burningman

I think the problem is that this car is just a visual let down. Most of the complaints seem to be of the visuals (which is my main beef as well) they are completely unimaginative. And I'm pretty sure ford would not have put restrictions on the visuals. I could be wrong.
MY thoughts would be why give a car that could easily be mistaken for any gt/cs and in all reality doesn't have a big enough HP boost to make a big difference. At the very least make it a stunner in the looks department. Heck even a new color would have been cool. And if none of this was feaseable for the business case than don't bother till you have something that lives up to the supposed legend.

The HP gaines aren't anything major and with that little bit of gain if you raced this car against a stock GT my feelings are it would be a drivers race.
This car is so non committal in any direction that is was in my eyes not worth doing.

But hey each to his own.

Blip

Another supporter here for the idea of changing the visual look..

What I would want is to take the CS6 body kit (already developed) and add it on to a GT with
the FRPP kits and finish it off with any of the new Shelby wheel offerings.

Build it in any of the standard Ford colors and offer several different stripe colors combos.

Finally, as a dealer installed option, offer modern "Cobra" power kits like those available in the 60's.
These included anything from induction kits to heads/cams sets.
Each kit cam with Cobra Medallions you could install on your car.
(I had them on my 66 Mustang back then.)

(Added scan of a page from the 1966 Ford High Performance Guide with
info on Cobra Kits...)

pitpup

I'm sure Shelby was told in so many words not to do the performance boost as it would compete too closely with the GT500. I could live with that if they would offer more colors. I think Vista Blue would be stunning. Maybe a Tungsten, too.

rhumb

It is a nice enough rendition to be sure, but certainly not "Bold," stunning or exceding of expectations. Nice journeyman's effort is all.

Guess people were expecting/hoping for more of a jaw-dropper in line with Ford's "Bold Moves" campaign -- "Wow, it has a 375hp DOHC screamer of a motor, tight six speed tranny, and GT500 suspension, brakes and bodywork for around $30K!!!" Now THAT would have been a Bold Move.

Perhaps if they roll out a suite of factory, i.e., fully warrentied, dealer/owner-installed performance options, the Shelby GT might make for a more compelling blank canvas of sorts.

HOTLAP

I'd sign up for one today if it was available in a vert model with 350 ponies - that would make enough of a difference between my '05 GT with bolt on's to trade up.....otherwise it would be very hard to justify the $$'s for an appearence package and a (slight) increase in hp - even less than my '05 has now...with the JLT intake/tuner combo.

rhumb

I think a bit more compression and a bit more aggessive cam to get the hp up to the magical 350 level so you could call it the GT350 just as the 500hp GT500 got its name credibility. Sure, you wouldn't be able to run it on the cheapest 87 octane swill, but GT350 buyers would be more interested in adding 50 horses than scrimping a few pennies a gallon. The poor, destitute and stingy could always get the standard Stang GT.

TomServo92

If you read Amy's posts, she hints that there's more to come. Hopefully we'll see some of these things very soon.

pville piper

It is ridiculous the number of people who trashed this car. It has been said since the beginning that it was going to be a retail version of the GT-H. But as soon as word got out that this car was being made everyone starts shouting out their wishes and getting all hot and bothered about nothing by assuming what wasn't gonna happen.
The really funny thing is that most people imagine the 65-66 GT-350 cars to be something they were not. Most people were quote hp figures that were for the GT-350R… the average GT-350 had 306 hp, which was up from 271hp of the Hi-Po 281. The biggest change for the GT-350 was the handling and braking up-grades. Let's face it, the 65 Mustang, unlike today's GT was severely lacking in those areas. While I wouldn't mind a modest upgrade in the braking department, the HP and handling upgrades are in line with the earlier GT-350. What remains to be seen is if the pricing is reasonable, if they can get this car in for less than $32,000 that would be a decent price. It would be lower than a Stage 1 Roush and with the 3.73 gears, better performing. The Roush Stage 1 puts waaaaaaay to much emphasis on style and not enough on performance for the $38,000 plus they charge you.<O</O
While I like the styling improvements that the GT-350 had, the styling that the Shelby GT has is simple and relatively clean. Yeah, the hood scoop is tacky, but I would rather spend my money on the Performance Packs than a bunch of body panels. Who cares if it looks like GT/CS, open the throttle and throw it thru the twisties and enjoy it for what it is. If the price is reasonable, I might buy one myself as it has what I am looking for: Above average performance and handling as well as a classy look without going over the top. If you don't like it, don't buy it! Ford is gonna do what Ford is gonna do and it will NEVER make much sense to the rest of us, if it even does to Ford. In the mean time, quit yer whining get over it before you get diaper rash.

chilli bullitt

Being a Bullitt owner I am a bit partial to an understated car without a rear spoiler.

That being said, remember it is a slightly modified GT with Shelby's name on it. Would I like to see something with a little more "umph" under the hood, of course. But I think this is a nice car that if things go right I might buy in a year or two for the wife to have a special Stang of her own.

AFBLUE

Well said pville piper.

The thing I don't get is this attitude of "I'm dissappointed with the Shelby GT"

Unless you have some secret inside information on the Shelby GT, then how can you be disappointed with something you didn't even know was coming out.

It's like a single guy getting an unexpected knock at the door and an attractive woman asking if he would like to go out on a date. The guy frustratingly responds, "sorry I was expecting someone better looking"

For me the Shelby GT was an unexpected surprise. You don't have to buy it if you don't like it. There are other fish in the sea and more are coming (e.g. Boss, GT-350).

It's not like Shelby or Ford told us, they were going to bring out the new Shelby GT; and that it would have 400HP, have a unique hood, and cost $30K. If they did, then you could be disappointed.

It's essentially a GT-H that is available to the public. Plain and simple.

1 COBRA

No, it's better. It does not have the useless spoiler, the wimpy A/T, or the over bearing hood.

AFBLUE

True, but you get my point. I agree on all 3 improvements you mentioned

Wyatt32

I agree too many people are being to critical and slamming this car.
The point of this car is to provide a reasonably priced entry into a
shelby. It is a pretty good offering as long as the price is not over
blown and dealer gouging dosen't turn you away.

As for the hood scoop, I think its great, it really does have shelby
roots look at the 427S/C and you'll see the resemblence. It's better
than the CS/GT IMO, and flows better with the hood. I think if they
put shelby's line of wheels on it that would make a more visuale state-
ment. It would also increase the price quite a bit.

If the Shelby GT offered all the things people say they want e.g.-
350-400 HP, CS6 front bumper, custom hood, ect. it would bump the price
way up and make the car next to impossible to cover under warrenty.

Maybe there is a GT350 comming with alot more everthing but you
can be sure it won't be nearly as affordable as this car is said to be.

I'm not trying to make anybody mad, but after reading so many posts
with people flamming this car, I don't think they thought about how
the price and avalibility effect content. Lots of mods = big bucks,
useing production parts and some thoughtful packaging = fun and
affordability.


thx Wyatt

1 COBRA

Your points are sensible. Just don't expect everyone else to get it. It could be gold plated and still some will be looking for the pot of gold under the rainbow.

Bluefire

Im surprised we even have a Shelby GT the way Ford has been doing lately (Ford common stock is like $7.00 a share). We should be very happy with all of the turnover at SVT the car even happened. (Holy cr.. we got a GT40 and a Shelby with great HP from a company who is not doing all that great, so what if its not what you thought it would look like, put some cool wheels on it, add a few performance parts you like and enjoy it for what it is.) Im impresssed with the car, sure its selling at 15 to 20k higher then it should be today, but for what you get in a 40k car I think its pretty dam nice. With the way gas prices are today, we might not see another 500hp car again, unless its runs on some kind of new/old fuel ideas, myths, etc. (hydrogen, propane, fusion, superconductor plasma injector). Now for people buying the car for 70k and putting it away, that I believe is a mistake, the car should be bought and driven, raced, modified, what ever you feel like doing with it, just have some fun with it.

Topnotch

Get rid of the GT emblem on the fender, its redundent...it's already on the stripe Add the CS emblem on the fender!


Also Shelby has his own wheel company and American Racing does the wheels on the CS6 so why use stock Ford pieces? If they wanted Ford Stock
they should have gone with fanblades they somewhat look like the originals (below)

And ...,wishful thinking, since the first GT350 in 65 had side exhaust, why not use a V6 rear bumper and add a single side exit exhaust on each side!

burningman

All you people wondering why there are gt haters in the house are more than likely as I said not down on the looks. It's a GT/CS with a few bolt ons. That is all it is!
The GT/CS was a bland design IMO. I'm sorry if I expected more from a "legend" just in the looks department alone would have been fine. And as I said before the scoop is a joke. It's crap on the AC cobra and it's crap on this mustang, vintage or not it's JC Whitney crap. If anyone other than shelby bolted that onto thier car they'd be laughed off the boards. This car show little imagination and it's nothing more than a bunch of stuff that you could bolt on in your driveway in a weekend. Anyone with a GT/CS you are halfway to having your very own Shelby GT. Even the few improvements Sean suggested Above would have been good.

If you like that sort of thing then fine that's cool. Just don't be suprised that others don't.


I really wonder how many people are gonna get this car and think they have some uber exclusive shelby car.

I'd really like to see what this other car Amy is hinting at is.

amyb

You know, Doug, I gotta be honest, I really expected the level of maturity was a little higher on this board, that's why I decided to post here, But, by the post above, I can see I was wrong. This shows a total lack of respect not only for people who have worked hard to make this car "this JC whitney crap or this "AC cobra crap" but it's plain rude. And your "I expect more from a legend" crack..... let me tell you, I don't know you, but I know enough about Carroll that you couldn't spit shine his shoes!


I have no problem with your telling us what you like and what you don't I welcome it, but why does it need to be so nasty? I will not allow anyone to about my staff or more importantly Carroll in the above manner. You haven't walked a minute in our shoes and have no idea what it must be like working with a big company. I have said this before, You don't have to kiss our A$$, but you do have to be civil.

To the rest, thanks for your time, I hope I have answered and explained some missing info. I am sorry for my rant above. Have a great weekend


Amy