Here’s a bit of an “if I find one, I’ll buy it” car for me, the Shelby CSX Turbo. This was another one of Carroll Shelby’s entertaining adventures with an otherwise bargain-basement model that suddenly transformed with a better suspension and turbocharged powerplant. The car was sold in limited quantities, and despite being a bit of a project, this CSX remains remarkably intact in terms of the Shelby-specific bits that tend to be pillaged over the years. Find the CSX here on craigslist for $3,500 in non-running condition.
Despite its connection to Shelby and limited production numbers, the CSX has never risen to the level of being considered a collector’s item. I truly don’t understand why to be perfectly honest. Recently, I’ve been scouting the Toyota Corolla “twin cam” models of the late 80s and early 90s, and it’s amazing how those cars routinely trade for $20K or more. The Shelby-modified Mopars have never gotten to that point unless they are total time-warp specimens, and even then, it’s not a guarantee. A time-warp specimen this one is not, with heavily faded paint and badges.
I hope that underneath those garish seat covers, there are the original Shelby fabric Recaro buckets. The steering wheel is the original Shelby item, and it appears to have the Shelby shift knob as well. The floor mats from a Nissan Altima are not exactly encouraging, and while there were Shelby-specific floor mats, those obviously have gone missing. The Recaro buckets, if intact, would likely make up better than 50 percent of the asking price here. Even if they’re in rough condition, the seller would be wise to capture them in the photos. Mileage is said to be 42,000.
The 2.2L four-cylinder turbocharged engine made a healthy 175 horsepower along with 175 lb.-ft. of torque. These engines were generally considered robust and easily tuned for more power. The seller speculates that a bad fuel pump is keeping it from firing up, but truthfully, that’s the standard excuse for a non-running car that’s been left standing for years. The Shelby years at Chrysler led to some of the wildest hot hatches and econobox hot rods the industry has ever seen, and it’s a shame these cars are more appreciated in the collector marketplace today.
We hear of what a wonderful fellow this Mr. Shelby was, and he was, but he dealt with high end finances, and for us “regular” folks, this is about as close as we got to anything “Shelby”. Possibly a trade up from the Shelby Omni? My daughters 1st car was a Dodge Shadow like this, it was a really nice car. Sunroof, great mileage, good heater, she loved it. It offered everything an import had, except the name.You can imagine my frustration, why buy an import, when this was just as good, AND, it kept the fine folks in Belvidere Ill. working.( Shadow was made in Michigan) Sadly, that plant is scheduled to close, after building just about every type of Chrysler made, for FIFTY YEARS,, eliminating 1300 jobs. Yeah, that’s right, tell THOSE people Merry Christmas with a new Toyota,,,and that’s our “Crusty Ramblings” for today,,so far.
I dare say that Toyota and Honda both make more cars in the United States than Stellantis does. It isn’t nice when any Americans lose their jobs, but our American Honda was provided four times as many trouble-free miles and lasted three times as many years as our last new Dodge did.
My Tacoma was built in San Antonio so yeah, I’ll wish them a Merry Christmas. My Tacoma is more American than my last FOUR Chevys combined.
Sure. Because Toyota is an American company. All the profits stay right here in the good, old US of A. Uh huh.
Maybe , a possible maybe , if dodge/Chrysler/mopar had quality /real quality built into them it would be different!
I have seen hondas/acuras tortured and abused by young drivers and the cars simply kept going
Thats because r&r was put into every part to make sure it would last over 120 k miles , dodge made sure it would fail for 40k and i think that they still do !
All of my peeps have owned dodge at some time but none of them do anymore,that speaks on its own …
Howard always comments on the a car’s heater, I look for it now!
I had an 87 Shadow as a first car after my short lived first car. It was ten years old by then with 70k. The brake lights worked occasionally, the power steering pump needed a refill every other day, the exhaust fell off and the hatch usually fell on my head. I loved that little car and I was happy to have it, and for only $750. I sold it to a friend for $100 before it turned 80k and it went to the junk yard shortly there after. As for Toyota, I’ve owned a bakers dozen of them and they all have still felt nearly new at 70k miles, I can’t speak for 80’s Toyotas though, I haven’t owned any of those.
I just don’t understand it either, how 1970’s and 80’s station wagons can be listed for sale for $26,000 but these Shelby Dodges can be bought for $500. back in the ’70’s and 1980’s, station wagons were ugly and embarrasing to drive in then, and they’re ugly and embarrasing to drive in now. The 1980’s Dodge Shelbys were very cool then, and they’re very cool now. Even today I can remember every rich kid that i’d envied the hell out of as they drove around town in their new Dodge Shelby…
Am I the only one that SERIOUSLY doubts the “42,000 original miles”??
Maybe it was mentioned in the article, i only perused it.
But this looks like a Dodge Shadow.
Which was another forgettable heap of the 1980’s.
Shelby or not !
This is a Dodge Shadow, given the Shelby hotrod treatment with a Turbo II engine, uprated suspension, rear disc brakes, and various special trim items, modified/constructed substantially enough at Shelby’s skunkworks in Whittier, CA that it’s officially a Shelby by marque and limited to a production run of just 750 cars for this year, rather than just a Dodge with a Shelby-namesake equipment package.
I agree, but tell that to non-Dodge Shelby owners… They’ll pretend you don’t even exist..
There was a Shelby display at the local concourse D’elegance with Mustangs, real Cobras, and a real GT40, all with velvet ropes around them to keep people at a distance. I asked the guys at the desk why the Shelby Dodges werent represented in the display and they just walked away with no reply….
I bought #611 new in February 1988. They were fast. Shadows were a bit heavier than the Chargers and Omni, so performance was a little less. The Shadow was a $7000 entry level car, with $6500 of Shelby upgrades if I remember correctly.
Our Dodge Shadow got terrible gas mileage and had transmission problems way too many times, finally got rid of it for a honda accord and it lasted my son for years. When I bought that Shadow it looked so nice, but it was not a good car at all.
My sister traded in her Mercury LN7 on a Dodge Shadow. A nice little car, with a front suspension that, I think, was made out of Campfire marshmallows. What an evil handling beast.
How did your sis like that LN7?
I hadca New 84 Ford EXP the sister car of the LN7.
I beat that thing to death with that manual trans and that little 1.6 ltr I think it was would NOT die!
I drove it all over Michigan and from Detroit to So Cal in 1986 and traded it for a New 1987 Chevy TURBO Sprint!
All these cars touched by Shelby are the bargain way into Shelby ownership. I say grab them all . I wanted a Omni Glhs or A Charger GLH. But cars like this made even more power and lead to cars like mine the 03 Pt Cruisers GT Turbo making 300hp. Nothing compared to the 300+ turbo cars of today but still fin with power and every option i including leather interior.
All these cars touched by Shelby are the bargain way into Shelby ownership. I say grab them all . I wanted a Omni Glhs or A Charger GLH. But cars like this made even more power and lead to cars like mine the 03 Pt Cruisers GT Turbo making 300hp. Nothing compared to the 300+ turbo cars of today but still fin with power and every option i including leather interior.
I meant 200 hp not three.
Jeff , you may want to edit that last line to read ” are not more appreciated….”
The comment about the Shelby farbric Recaro seats is incorrect. I bought one of these new, it was not an option. It was an option on the 1989 CSX VNT model. Those were also Shadows, red in color.