It is one of life’s harsh realities that a genuine 1966 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 has climbed beyond the reach of most mere mortals. That leaves many enthusiasts to accept that parking one in their garage will probably never happen. Alternatively, compromising by purchasing a well-executed tribute could provide the perfect answer. That is what is offered with this 1966 Mustang Fastback. It presents superbly, only emerging from its build completion last week. It needs nothing and would suit an enthusiast seeking a rock-solid classic capable of turning heads. The Fastback is listed here on eBay in Phenix City, Alabama. Bidding sits below the reserve at $25,100, although there is time for interested parties to stake their claim.
Knowing where to start with this Mustang is challenging because finding anything worth criticism is virtually impossible. The seller commenced their build by ensuring the vehicle was rock-solid, and the panels were laser-straight before applying the correct Wimbledon White paint and Guardsman Blue stripes. They buffed the car to a mirror shine, and the result of this labor and attention to detail is perfect presentation. There isn’t a flaw or mark anywhere, the panel gaps are tight, and the underside shots confirm this classic is rust-free. The paint and panels are probably better than buyers received on their new GT350 in 1966, and some purists may reject this car because a genuine tribute should recapture the essence and appearance of the original product. However, there is nothing wrong with aspiring to a vehicle that will turn heads and stand out from the crowd. Every piece of chrome and trim is new, and the only original glass is the quarter windows. The sparkling Torq Thrust wheels provide the ideal finishing touch.
The seller didn’t miss a beat with this Mustang’s interior because it presents as beautifully as the exterior. They refreshed every painted surface before completing a complete retrim in Black vinyl. The listing suggests that virtually everything is new, and with the car only turning twenty-eight miles since leaving the workshop, the presentation is perfect. They specified a Sport Deck rear seat, adding an aftermarket wheel, a retro-style stereo with speakers in the kick panels, and a Hurst shifter. Those items might compromise the car’s claim as a genuine tribute, but with the seller also using the term “restomod” in their description, they have covered their bases.
The VIN confirms this Mustang rolled off the line powered by the C-Code 289ci V8, producing 200hp and 282 ft/lbs of torque. That is well short of what buyers received in a genuine GT350 because the driver had 306hp and 329 ft/lbs at their disposal. They could expect to point the car at a ¼-mile and for the journey to become a memory in 13.9 seconds. The seller describes the powerplant occupying this car’s engine bay as a 5.0-liter. It is as freshly rebuilt as the rest of the Mustang, and the E-303 camshaft should improve low and mid-range power and torque delivery. It inhales through a Holley carburetor, an electronic ignition provides the spark, while headers and a dual exhaust funnel away the spent gases. The power feeds to the road via a five-speed Tremec T5 manual transmission, and an aluminum radiator keeps the V8 cool. Almost every mechanical component is new or freshly rebuilt, and this classic has only covered twenty-eight shakedown miles since emerging from the workshop last week. It runs and drives perfectly, and potential bidders should consider it a turnkey proposition.
Passionate enthusiasts could park a genuine 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 in their garage because they regularly appear on the market. However, doing so requires an extremely healthy six-figure budget, and many people can’t access those funds for a luxury purchase. The alternatives are letting go of the dream or compromising by spending significantly less on a well-executed tribute. This Mustang is beautifully built, but it isn’t a faithful replica. The mechanical upgrades would improve its practicality, which could be a significant consideration if someone is seeking a classic offering a more relaxed ownership experience. It hasn’t reached its reserve, although it has only received six bids. I will be fascinated to gauge what you think the reserve might be and whether the bidding will reach that figure before the hammer falls.
What a looker. Wow.
A fake Shelby is worth only how much someone is willing to pay for a fake Shelby. If you restored this car to correct and original condition you could make more money. The key here is you are always going to own a fake model. The word tribute is ridiculous made up by these idiotic auctions driving up prices for restomods, god knows what you are getting. jv -smash palace
Better than an original Shelby. The five speed really makes it great. Wish it were mine.
Beautifully executed fastback.
Only oddity I see is the instrument cluster. It’s a 1965 style cluster.
My hats off to the builder!
So if this is a 66 Shelby tribute, where are the rear quarter windows that replaced the factory vent system on the 65’s? It’s still a great appearing car you can enjoy!
It probably doesn’t include the original oil pressure gauge that had to be drained before it leaked on the carpet :(
Also, no photo showing if the rear seat was there. Some lost it to traction bars
The override traction bars did not mandate elimination of the rear seat. The traction bar mounts inside the interior quarter panel trim. The first roughly 800 ’66 cars still had overrides, most with rear seats, as my early Hertz car has.
Wow this Mustang looks great. I seen one like this at a show. It was a tribute one. He had the exhaust come out before the rear wheels and the engine was a 347 stroker putting out about 450 HP ! He started it up and it was loud and wild. This GT 350 should had a better engine since it’s a tribute. The reserve is probably between $30,000 to $40,000 but it does have 6 days to go . Good luck to the seller. 🐻🇺🇸
It also lacks the rear quarter windows, the loovers were only on a 1965 Shelby
notch back looks like a mom’n pop car to me – here is ‘the real thing’ in my opinion. Doesnt need to B the 350GT, shelby this-or-that. The car deserves: that brilliant blue they had back then (I dont think it was american, academy marlin or harbor, seen it on bronks too. The oe steering wheel, a rally pac on the column, DSII ignition not the monster in there, and other changes for my “-mod”). A bud, devoted gearhead, left the Sport Deck down’n recessed his stereo into it back in the day. Even painted that glorious blue. White is for the fleet style vehicles I daily (I know, unless trac car w/lengthwise blue).
A new Mustang GT premium is $50k plus, this car should sell for at least that.
This ride is terrific. I couldn’t get it because it would make my 68 jealous. Haha
Oh. My. Freaking. God! What a beautiful GT350 tribute. Like Big Bear said- this car deserves a lot more powerful engine, but other than that? Holy cow. This Mustang is sweet enough that it might make me change my mind about buying a modern Mustang, but I’d definitely look into swapping in something like a 347 stroker or even a 5.0 coyote. But other than that, I’d leave exactly as it is. Just wow.
The person who would build or by a “Tribute” is the same person who would buy a fake Rolex. Folks need to be comfortable with what they have, not what they will never obtain.
Maybe I missed this somewhere in the description (here and Ebay), but this car may have started out as a coupe as indicated by the VIN posted on Ebay by the seller – 6707c257178. The “7” following the “6”, should be a letter (R, T, F) and the second “7” should be a “9” for fastback. No door tag or apron pics reflecting VIN.
Nicely done all the same.
To watch this car be built you can go to YouTube and look up 1194video and it takes you to the page, lots of car builds and be sure to subscribe to the channel, very informative
Awesome car !!!