A few weeks ago reader Scott M. sent in photos of his lawnmower repair shop find. The vehicles have since been moved to a new location, so Scott decided to stop by to snap a few photos and to check if the owner is ready to sell. Unfortunately, they are still not for sale, but he did stumble across something very interesting that we think you are going to want to see…
Recognize these Fastbacks?
These are the cars that were in the barn that appeared to be collapsing on them. We are not sure if their new resting place is any better though. They are now left entirely exposed to the elements with no chance of rescue in the foreseeable future.
If you think that is sad then you are not going to want to see this. There are more Mustangs than we had previously thought and they too are strewn about outside without much protection besides these storage containers.
The Mach 1 in the middle is probably the first thing that caught your eye. That’s a shame, but wait until you see what is sitting right next to it…
It doesn’t look like much, but take a closer look.
The engine is long gone, so no hints in here. Or are there?
Some obvious interior modifications, but no definite giveaways.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, then go ahead and read the badge on the back. That’s right, this is presumably a 1966 Shelby GT350 and it has been left out to rot! Scott spoke to the owner to try and get some details. Here is what he found out,
The owner says this is a 1966 GT350 “carry over”. After some research, I found out that the first 252 GT350s of 1966 where actually built from 1965 mustangs. See carryovergt350.com. He says, this is one of them. Story is a guy in the army bought it new in LA California, raced it, and then got papers to transfer to Hunter Army Base in Savannah, GA. The car has been raced, dragged, and was even a gasser at one time (yes solid axle front end too) then the current owner bought it in 1982 for $2,000. He bought it in the same condition it’s in today and still wants to restore it someday, so not for sale. Recently he lost it’s storage and here it sits outside.
That spoiler on the back is not on the early GT350s. It is hard to believe someone would put a solid front axle on one and make it a drag racer, they were collector cars right out of the box.
Yep who knows why people do this !
That spoiler was made by Phil Knight in Toledo, Ohio. I had one on my GT 350. I’ve never seen another one until this car.
Wow that is some lawn mower shop, I would kill to walk around this place for a few days. I remember the story & hope that he either can find away to get all this great stuff out of the elements or sell it off.
I am not a Mustang guy but this is tragic. These fastbacks were as Dan said were collector cars form day one. what a shame
What a sin. The owner should be jailed. I’ve seen this same, absurd thought pattern for 40 years; “I’m going to restore it someday.” Never happens, and the cars deteriorate worse and worse until one day the owner passes and the car finally gets sold off in very poor condition. Sad.
So much of the stuff I accumulate is brought home simply to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Yeah, that’s its own sickness, I know, but I hate to see stuff end up like these cars.
It is not a 66 gt 350 It appears to be a early Clone there are at least 3 items in engine compartment that disprove the shelby roots. Of course the Vin would prove that .
but willing to bet the owner wont share that .
Can you list those items Philip? Or anyone else? The Monte Carlo bar holes on the top of the firewall is one way to tell, but the photos are not really good enough to determine that. Remember this was a race car so many of the parts have been changed at some time. There have to be a few Shelby detectives who can confirm or deny the identify of this car.
Sorry, guys, but that’s no Shelby. It’s a standard Mustang with some Shelby add-ons. The proof is in the engine bay by the firewall, and any Shelby expert will see what I am talking about.
~ “i’m sorry for distracting you from your obvious true devotion to preserving fine autos, sir. but have you got a piston pin retaining clip for my ’84 Cub Cadet?”
@ Tom Cotter, there’s always an excuse of some kind, isn’t there? maybe you could interview the guy and find out his primary malfunction.
~ i mean besides his overwhelming responsibility to the lawn implement community.
I’m convinced that some people like the attention they get from having something other people want. I’m not necessarily accusing this gentleman of that, but I’ve talked to enough disgruntled owners with amazing “not for sale” vehicles sitting out for all to see. They love that we want their cars.
Shameful, if he has not restored them by now he never will. I am assuming he lost storage due to finance issues as either he could not afford to keep the property where they were or he did not even own the property. That tells me he cannot afford to restore any of them. If he were smart he would keep a couple to restore, sell off the rest and use that money to restore the ones he kept. That way at least most of them may get restored and he still gets to achieve his dream of restoring a couple of them. I know several people like this, they hold onto their dream until the vehicle is too far gone and then no one gets to fulfill a dream of restoring a classic ride. Greedy IMO!
Is it me or are those Hertz colors?
A shame, leaving those cars out to rust away. Even if he did finally get around, after decades, for restoring them, what will be left to restore? Ad he’ll never be able to get to all of them. It’s just past time to sell them on to someone who will actually do the work, and not just think about it.
Seriously, I would like to know where this is……the guy has trinkets and baubles in his backyard that he says he will fix and most likely never will. I’d love the opportunity to talk some sense into him.
Maybe a few good parts, but other wise nothing but a bunch of junk.
Send them to the crusher and put them out of their misery.
The glue factory doesn’t want rust either.
Rusty cars are not worth my blood, sweat, and tears anymore.
I’ve never seen a late 60’s Shelby that doesn’t have the Sequential Turn Signals that all those Shelbys had. So I would say that the tag on the car is false. Kind of like sticking an AMG sticker on a stock Merc.
The sequential turn signals didn’t show up until the Cougar made it’s debut in the ’67 model year. The car in question is earlier than that.
I believe sequential turn signals made their debut on the 1964 Thunderbird.
I stand corrected, Chuck- the ’65 Birds. I had forgotten all about those.
A quick article for edification:
http://automotivemileposts.com/autobrevity/sequentialsignals.html
there outta be a law, with no bail, let a classic rot and you go to jail
I think Josh H and Tom Cotter nailed it:
Some guys just want other guys to want their interesting old cars, or else don’t have what it takes to get something done, or maybe both.
I’m guessing that the “someday” by which these cars are supposed to be restored will never come. Then, when early Shelbys routinely bring a half-million, an actual car guy will step up to the plate, buy it (if it has the proper tags), and do what this guy can’t—-providing it hasn’t dissolved into piles of rust flakes first.
looks like Hertz to me, nope it’s not Hertz on the rocker panels
If the data plate by the shock tower is gone, it’s just another mustang.
Sometimes I think there ought to be an “SPCA” for collectible cars. Guys like this, and there are too many of them, are destroying history. For those who missed the earlier story, this guy lost his property to the bank and had to move everything in a hurry. Does anyone REALLY think he is capable of restoring anything? He couldn’t even protect them then, let alone restore them. No, he’s going to leave them in that field until they rot. He is sick and it’s unfortunate for all the true collectors and restorers that guys like him end up with these cars. How many does he have that he’s going to restore? Will he ever even start just one? Nope. He needs a caretaker to tell him they got to go to a home where they will get some love and protection at least.
I have a 58 Edsel convertible that sat outside for some time before I got around to the restoration(it is now done) & I had several “is it for sale” questions. I am sure when I said no & that it was my intention to restore it, that it was just another “gonna do it some day”.
However, that was only one car—obviously this guy is not going to restore them all, so I would have to agree with others observations; he likes the attention or the fact that he has something wanted by serious collectors,restorers or Mustang enthusiast.
As someone who HAS “hoarded” a bunch of rare and unique project cars, I TRY to keep mine under cover or out of site. Most of mine were bought to save them from the crusher or to get them away from some idiot who was was going to butcher or “customize” them in some way that would ruin them. Many I bought from a junkyard that had closed and was crushing all, so I saved what I could. The ONE thing I want you ALL to get out of this is : Every time someone pulls the “Is it for sale ?” or the “I want to buy that” when they start talking $ it is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS for LESS than I paid for them originally OR it is for LESS that they would go for scrap weight. So what I am saying is, if you want to buy something from one of us “collector, hoarder, supposedly insane types [ and yes I feel insulted by many of the comments on here ] you need to PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS ! Cash talks, BS walks ! Most everyone has a price unless they only have ONE car or if it was their FIRST car, or the car they went on their honeymoon in, or whatever sentimental attachment to it is. I spend a TON of money in tarps, storage, blocks, etc in an attempt to keep my relics elevated, somewhat covered, rodent and critter free [ use dryer sheets inside them, rodents hate them ], it is a LOT of work. Then some twit comes in and says “I will give you $50 for that Buick GS and another $50 for that Dodge Charger”…after all the TIME I put in taking care of them of COURSE I am going to say “Get the h**l out of here !” It is insulting. Use some tact guys, appeal to the historical preservation and for GODS sake do not mention Barrett Jackson ! NOBODY wants to sell something thinking somone else is going to make a killing on it, even if it is a rot pile .
Your rant was mystical—were you trying to make a point? If what you have is historical & you don’t want sell them, then why not donate to a museum? I can only guess you bought them to try make a “killing” and it hasn’t worked out.
PS:
I, for one, do not appreciate your upper case “shouting”
@Gary,
OK, I get that you are insulted and annoyed by lowball offers. But it sounds like you are referring to offers from people who see your cars in needs-everything condition that you got from junkyards just before they went to the crusher and who are making you an offer on what is basically a hulk.
Have you tried marketing your project cars in proper auction listings or ads with lots of information and good sharp photos so that people who might be looking for one of your rare and unique project cars can seriously consider buying it?
If you are just annoyed because local passers-buy make you lowball offers, but you haven’t actually tried to reach those people who seriously want your particular cars, then you are just venting your spleen uselessly and you willl get zero sympathy here. We don’t even know where you live. LA? NY City? The middle of nowhere with no collector car activity?
Your contempt for B-J auctions shows that you don’t understand that, even if you don’t like the people who run B-J or the people who go to their auctions, there are many, many cars that get sold there, making both the sellers and buyers happy. And the problem with that is….?
Of course, to be sold successfully at B-J a car needs to be in pretty good condition, or if in poor condition it needs to be truly ‘rare and unique’ and reasonably complete. Are yours like that?
@Gary
I completely agree with you as I have been making the same experience as you have.
However, the more popular/commonly encountered version is to have one house, a wife, 1.8 children a 9to5 job and ONE car, maybe ONE Classic car, that is it !
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LET GO of anything else that is beyond your socially acceptable limit: let them all go to the crusher, nobody would know any different or care about it anyway, right ??
The problem is: that you saved a car (or several of them) and are not ready to turn them over at the first time of asking, for what you have “in it” maybe less.
You have more than your fair share, now it is time to SHARE with others…..
yes, those people that did not save the cars that you have in your possession.
It doesn’t matter if you passed up on other things, or spent the back breaking hassle and work of keeping these cars safe from the local “Building and Safety Dept,” the Code Enforcement, the greedy junk yards or the metal recycler….
I know I have set a thumbs down record last time, writing about this topic, as we are outnumbered in our approach, but
EVERYBODY CONSIDER THIS:
If it wasn’t for hoarders or collectors (junk or otherwise) not following average ‘protocol’, there wouldn’t be these cars to build, rebuild, restore….
I for one prefer living my life unlike others are living theirs.
That is the choice I make..
Just a little un-educated imformation on a ’65 thru ’67 small block Shelby. They were all K code cars from the Ford factory. All K code Mustang are supposed to have their Vin number stamped in the original block, didn’t always happen. So, if this car is a K code that would be a start. If it turns out to be a Shelby it will be worth bringing back, no so on the others.
For decades anyone could buy Shelby parts to make a fake. There are certain things to look for but you guys are correct about these cars………JUNK
And one more thing. The owner does this because he is a sociopath…….one of the many definitions of a sociopath is doing the wrong thing to get attention, like a small child. He/she needs this to validate they have control. I am sure every one of you reading this knows or have known someone like this.
An example: there is an old guy down the street from me with a ’62 Porsche droptop that has been sitting (not driven) in his garage for over twenty years. He leaves the garage door open and just sits in the dark corner and waits for yet another sucker to ask if the car is for sale. He is a pathetic individual and I suspect this guy with the Mustangs is no different.
I’m sorry, but I see junk. Probably in the tune of $58. And that alone would be a stretch. These examples have been picked over like chicken feed and nothing left but rusting hulls in need of crushing for scrap. It is what it is. You know it, I know it, and George Bush knows it.
The thing that sticks out for me is the GT 350 plate next to the left tail light, Wrong side and position. Why would anyone move it. i remember long ago seeing them listed for sale, but no CS data plate over the Vin number in the engine compartment is fishy.
People who do not have dry storage should stay away from classic / antique cars. Its a crime to let anything like this rot away while the the dillusional owner dreams of restoring it. Hopefully the heirs will come to their senses.
Unless somebody can verify its authenticity with SAAC or Shelby itself, all this is is a cool Mustang with some Shelby appearance parts on board. As for the comment about sequencing taillights, Shelbys didn’t have them until ’68. Yes, I mean ’68, the Cougar lights on the ’67 did NOT sequence from the factory in their Shelby application. Also, the GT350 badge is on the wrong side of the taillight panel, and Lord only knows where that lip spoiler came from. It’ll take a heroic effort to restore this car, but if it really is a Shelby it might be worth it to somebody.
I WANT TO KNOW HOW OLD THIS GUY IS.SAY IT TAKES THREE YEARS PER CAR TO RESTORE THEM(THREE YRS IS BEING NICE UNLESS HE HAS JAY LENO MONEY AND STAFF) AND THERE ARE FIFTY CARS TO BE RESTORED THIS GUY DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH LIFE LEFT IN HIM TO FINISH THEM ALL SO HE SHOULD BE KIND AND KEEP TWO OR THREE AND GIVE OTHER GUYS WILLING TO SAVE THESE A CHANCE TO BRING THEM BACK FROM THE DEAD..IMO…………
The guy is in his sixties and recently retired, in one of the storage units is his 69 high school fastback, along with others! I will go back again and take more pictures
That is NOT a Shelby.
Hey, dont forget that someday this guy is going to check-out to that “Great lawnmower shop in the sky”, and they’ll become available. The family would typically rather have the money instead so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be patient guys!! if this dud is fat & old, things may happen soon. I’ve bought a number if restorables after the hoarder passed on. Jesse, just stay in contact with him…………………………………………………………………………………………………
I get that some guys want to save interesting cars from the crusher. But if the cars that are being saved aren’t stored in a dry, covered place and then advertised properly to get them sold to guys who will restore them, then they will continue to deteriorate and they won’t get saved at all.
What I see in this BF entry is that there has been a forced move of the cars from one place to another, but they aren’t even for sale. And apart from a neg, Gary didn’t respond to my earlier comment to him, so we don’t know what has been done with his cars. If they are just in a field or a lot like these lawnmower shop cars, is it surprising that local guys driving by a bunch of formerly crusher-bound cars would do anything other than make lowball offers? What else would you expect?
You have to protect them and then market them to guys who will restore them, or they will just rust away.
What I don’t get is what’s so hard to understand about that.
Pisses me off to hear what some of you are saying, who are you to judge? They are HIS cars…sure, you want them and think you can do them justice…but I am willing to bet most of you have collected something that others may want and either A. Lost interest or B. do not have the cash to start or finish. Quit commenting on what you think of this guy and enjoy seeing the finds. For those of us in the hobby that have the time, money, and are not keyboard restoration experts we enjoy knowing that there still are cars out there. It gives me hope that once I bring back the ones in the line there will be others still out there to save.
What state is it in, I need to teach this guy a lesson…
and if it were for sale I would pay 15,000 dollars for it even though it is a bulk of a Shelby I DONT CARE!!!!!
Bogart/Horder