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Rent-A-Wreck: 1966 Shelby GT350-H

1966 Shelby GT350-H

It may not look like much, but this Mustang is claimed to be one of the 1,000 famed Hertz Rent-A-Racers! In 1966 Hertz teamed up with Shelby to offer their customers something a little more exciting than the typical rental car. The GT350-H was essentially a standard GT350, but most came with gold stripes, black paint, and a high-performance automatic. Many of the cars saw race action and when Hertz was done with them, they went back to Ford who then resold them to the public. This one is in rough shape, so the $70k asking price is hard to swallow. The seller has had it appraised at $68k though and this might just be the lowest cost of entry you are going to find. Find it here on craigslist out of Palos Park, Illinois. Thanks goes to Fred C. for the tip!

Shelby 289 V8

Rumor has it that a few of these lost their high-performance engines while they were being “rented” out. Many saw drag strip and SCCA action though and a few were returned needing repairs. What a great way to race! Pickup your car, drive it as hard as you want, and then just return it.

Rocker Stripes

Some bolt on parts and a couple of gold stripes do not a GT350-H make, so you will want to do your due diligence here. Many replicas have been built over the years. When we are talking about this kind of money though, I assume that any potential buyers would take the necessary precautions.

GT350-H Interior

The automatic shifter may throw most people off, but the tach on top of the dash lets you know that this machine means business. There were a few 4-speed equipped cars built, but you had to join the Hertz Sports Car Club and prove that you could drive stick before they would let you take one out.

Ridden Rough

It’s been battered, beaten, and forgotten. But, I am sure that someone will drag it home and lovingly restore it back to its former rental car glory. Let’s just hope they take it out once in a while and forget about all the money they spent on it. Maybe then they will be able to capture a little bit of what made these Rent-A-Racers so dang special!

Comments

  1. Avatar KN

    Funny timing, I had never heard of these cars until they were mentioned on Jay Leno’s cable show the other day.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Frankie Paige

    Your killing me here, you neglect this car and want how much? Welcome to puttsville

    Like 4
  3. Avatar Joeinthousandoaks

    if it can be proven authentic it is not far off on the value. Certainly worthy of a full restoration.

    Like 2
    • Avatar bruce baker

      Yeah OK, but did you not see the big rust hole in the side of the car? Have you ever used 4 by 4 wood blocks plus a sludge hammer to beat 8 pistons out of their cyl, holes because the rings were all rusted? This needs to be a numbers matching car to get the big bucks, right?
      I won a rare HO scale train on ebay last month that appeared to be like new. It didn’t run at all like it was said too. I took the shinny shell off to fine mostly solid rust where a rare D/C motor was supposed to be as the photo shows. Rust is like Cancer as they both kill cool things, people, & big dreams.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Dolphin Member

    This is my favorite Shelby—for the look, but not for the auto trans. It will need everything done on it, so will end up being a very expensive project even assuming the frame can be saved. Being in the Chicago area, and from the looks of the car, the frame might not be useable.

    These have appreciated a lot during the past 3 years, and the prices paid at auction have ranged from $108K to $220K, and more than one of these cars has sold for that $220K price. If I were going to consider this car I would want to hire Rick Kopec or someone like that to evaluate it.

    They made 1000 of them, so by high-end collector car standards they did not start out being scarce, and those are just the Hertz versions. But I don’t need a $220K example anyway because I’d want to drive it, so one of the ‘cheap’ cars in decent condition at the low end of the auction price range would probably be a better choice than the ~$70K + big resto cost for this car.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar A.J.

    I’m not sure the Hertz cars bring that much money, especially given that 90% of them were automatics.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar MacVaugh

    Price has been increased to $80,000

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Whoa! He did increase it. Must have decided that the extra attention warranted a price increase. Guess he shouldn’t have posted that apprasial though…

      Like 2
  7. Avatar randy

    If he gets his price, I am going into the barn finds business too!

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Vince Habel

    The vin tag will probably end up on another car which is illegal.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    I wonder if this car will end up like George Washington’s hatchet…you know, where the handle was replaced and later the head was replaced, but it’s still George’s axe. With everything that needs replaced on this car, the only thing authentic about it just might end up being the VIN.

    But I’m sorry, I can’t get excited about the Shelby cars in GOOD condition, let alone a rustbucket like this POS. I’ll take my 80K elsewhere.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Barzini

    Who puts snow tires on a Shelby?

    Like 1
    • Avatar randy

      Hertz?

      Like 1
      • Avatar skloon

        Only when I pee

        Like 1
  11. Avatar Mike_B_SVT

    Looked at some “finished” cars on Hemmings site for comparison. Looks like they go for $150k average. So even at $75k purchase price you could still do a $75k restoration on it and come out about even. Gobble up trophy’s for a few years and then turn it around for something else and probably do ok.
    Yeah, you would also have to sleep in it or on the couch for the next few years, if you have a spouse like mine >.>

    Like 0
  12. Avatar A.J.

    The problem is that a professional restoration will be lots more than 75k and you better get it exactly right or that 150k is not attainable. Also becareful not to compare with 4 speed cars as they bring 25% more money (I don’t care if the price guides say 10%).

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Joeinthousandoaks

    If he gets his higher price, he owes you a nice commission Jesse

    Like 1
  14. Avatar STEEL CRAZY

    I don’t think somebody knowing the history of this rust bucket that it would ever bring a high end price not wearing its original sheet metal. I know I would never pay top dollar for a restored POS when there are so many nice examples out there that are original. You can buy just about any year GT350 mustang in nice driver condition for 80k or even less. I have even seen a few GT500S for that money.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar piper62j

    Ughhh!!! Makes me wan to vomit.. You gotta have a bank roll to bring this puppy back to a solid collectible.. No offense to the seller, but even if I had the cash to pony up, I would not invest in this one..
    I can remember these rentals getting beat to death by drivers in their hay day.. Anyway, just venting.. Best of all luck to the new owner of this car..

    Like 1
  16. Avatar STEEL CRAZY

    I did mean to say 67 and newer. Yea yea I know you cant buy 65 and 66s for that money.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Thorsten

    Jesse must then share with “Bring-a-trailer”. They advertised that car too and earlier…..

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Sorry Thorsten, I don’t read BaT anymore so I didn’t know. We are just trying to feature the best barn finds that our readers send in regardless of what everyone else is doing.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Thorsten

        Don’t wanted to blame you Jesse. I like your site very much, much more than BaT which is too commercial. Only wanted to share that the Hertz wreck seems to be very intersting for a bigger number of enthusiasts…. 😊

        Like 1
      • Avatar Michael Kingsbury

        Pretty ignorant to not read BAT. Maybe some of the descriptions on this site wouldn’t be so error-filled as the commentary over there has a lot of useful information.

        Like 0
    • Avatar Dolphin Member

      I’m interested to hear Jesse’s comment about that other site. I stopped reading it a few years ago when the bad attitudes on there got so bad that it was no fun anymore.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Michael Kingsbury

        I think the commentary over there is loads better than any other enthusiast site. Here is where you come for old trucker’s anecdotes. BAT has real owners impressions. Dreamers vs Reality.

        Like 0
  18. Avatar racer99

    You can’t blame the seller if he gets something close to that asking price. With the increasing auction prices on these he will probably get something close — even if the VIN is the most valuable part on the car. Motor is hard to tell if it’s correct but it does look like the correct distributor. Most of the styling clues look correct as well.

    Like 2
  19. Avatar Joeinthousandoaks

    Thorsten, I like this site better anyways.

    Like 1
  20. Avatar Rocco

    Keep us posted.

    Like 0

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