I remember that per the SAAC registry there were exactly 3 cars built. The Super Snake and 2 drag cars for customers. Problem is I cannot find any records of this on my old PC. I know that I have a screengrab pic from an SAAC book that explained the history of the 3 cars. I also had a pic of one of the customer ordered drag cars and a pic of the handwritten invoice for that same car. After spending over an hour looking for these pics on my old PC I finally gave up due to too many pics to sift through. Does anyone here have these same pics that they can share? And any other information about the 2 drag cars?
If it helps, the VIN you are looking for are - 67400F5A00289, 67402F4A00544 and 67410F4A01947.
Quote from: gt350cs on February 18, 2024, 04:44:26 PM
If it helps, the VIN you are looking for are - 67400F5A00289, 67402F4A00544 and 67410F4A01947.
00289 is in a collection the Seattle area but I am not sure if it has been restored yet . It had been in a bad accident in its earlier years with major frame damage. 00544 was at the Shelby museum in Vegas but not sure if it still is. It had a not so accurate restoration done to it 30 +years ago which is far removed from what would be expected today authenticity and workmanship wise. 01947 owner lives in the NorCal region and shows up when ever a SAAC convention ends up in the area. It was nicely restored by its owner to a as raced condition.
Thanks for the imformation Bob, much appreciated.
If I recall correctly these cars were not available to the public?
Quote from: gt350cs on February 18, 2024, 04:44:26 PM
If it helps, the VIN you are looking for are - 67400F5A00289, 67402F4A00544 and 67410F4A01947.
I always found it funny that car 289 had a 427 in it(I know, random serial numbers). I always liked that my Shelby's vin is 0F03M482351
Quote from: Coralsnake on February 19, 2024, 06:39:46 AM
If I recall correctly these cars were not available to the public?
00289 and 01947 were special ordered for customers . Joe public could have one if he inquired but the special order price tag was so high you could buy a Cobra for almost the same amount. 00554 was built to explore the possibility of offering a series of the 427 cars to the public on a regular basis .That was a fail and apparently confirmed that the price was too high. 00289 was for a owner who had a 427 Cobra and wanted a 427 GT500 to match when it was introduced so the story goes. 01947 was specifically ordered to be used for drag racing.This information is all in the 1967 Shelby registry documented by Dave Mathews.
Thank you Mr Gaines
So 3 original 1967's left Lax, but a better question is currently how many owners now wrongly claim that their cars came with a 427 engine instead? Quite a few I suspect unfortunately. This is what makes the SAAC Registry and even The Shelby Research Group on Facebook so important. It keeps people honest
Quote from: BGlover67 on February 19, 2024, 01:29:37 PM
So 3 original 1967's left Lax, but a better question is currently how many owners now wrongly claim that their cars came with a 427 engine instead? Quite a few I suspect unfortunately. This is what makes the SAAC Registry and even The Shelby Research Group on Facebook so important. It keeps people honest
I think just 2 left LAX with 427's. 00554 had its 427 installed at Mel Burns Ford. It has been blessed by the powers to be as a factory install.
Quote from: Bob Gaines on February 19, 2024, 10:33:33 AM.....built to explore the possibility of offering a series of the 427 cars to the public on a regular basis .That was a fail and apparently confirmed that the price was too high.
The 427 was Ford's expensive race engine - even most of the "427" Cobras got street 428 engines. The 427 R Code in 1966 it was a $2,017 option in the Galaxie and Fairlane. For reference the 425 hp L72 engine option in a Vette was $437 - the aluminum head L88 was under $950.
Quote from: Bob Gaines on February 19, 2024, 01:35:52 PM00554 had its 427 installed at Mel Burns Ford. It has been blessed by the powers to be as a factory install.
That is the Super Snake - Seems to have been built at SA from the idea of Don McCain who had strong drag racing roots in SoCal. It basically got a GT40 427 and other stronger parts. Mel Burns had run their own 66 GT350 drag car. At the time probably 90% of SoCal Ford dealers were seen at the local drag strip. They had deals ranging from parts discounts for running their name all the way to full factory sponsorship of Gas Ronda with $1 cars and a big chunk of Fords drag race budget. Les Richey who built the GT350 drag cars for SA was killed in 1966 so it's logical SA would hook up with Mel Burns in nearby Long Beach who was running their own car not just sponsoring someone.
Shelby American Sales Manager Don McCain approached Shelby with the idea of building a supercar that would outperform anything else in the world. Then employed by Dana Chevrolet in South Gate, California, and Mel Burns Ford in Long Beach, McCain suggested that Shelby put a racing 427 in the GT500 for the test, let him sell the car and then build 50 more for Burns. It was used to test GoodYear tires at high speed.
The Super Snake was then shipped back to Mel Burns Ford in California, where it remained on display while McCain worked to generate interest for a limited run of 50 427-powered GT500s. At over twice the price of a baseline GT500, the Super Snake was priced well beyond its competition, including Shelby's own 427 Cobra. McCain was forced to admit the car was "just too expensive".
https://sportscardigest.com/gt500-super-snake-breaks-record-at-2-2-million/
Chevy dealers made good money dropping Corvette 427s into Camaros. That was a mass production engine not like Fords expensive limited production side oiler 427. The whole swap idea that Yenko and Nickey Chevrolet were pitching in ads at a national level was possibly born at Dana Chevrolet in South Gate by Peyton Cramer - SA ex general manager.
"Peyton Cramer, Co-founder of Dana Chevrolet (in 1966) intends to do with the Camaro pretty much what Shelby did with the Mustang. Even the $3,995 base price is same as that of the Shelby GT 350. While the Shelby Mustang made do (at least at first) with a hi-po small-block, Cramer and company stuffed the 425-horse, L72 version of the 427 "porcupine" big-block into the Camaro—and that was the "standard" configuration. The 435-horse, triple-carbureted L71 was available as a $150 option."
https://www.motortrend.com/features/1809-vintage-road-test-dana-427-conversion-1967-chevrolet-camaro-white-hot-performer/
Just reviewing pics of the sale of the Super Snake at Mecum in 2019. Car has Aluminum Medium Riser Heads on it..not Tunnel Ports. Never knew there were ever Tunnel port Heads on #544...? :o
I think 544 actually got the medium riser with the aluminum heads that Ford called the GT40 engine. Aluminum water pump. Aluminum hub on the balancer. Magnesium intake.
Limited to 10.5:1 and 425hp in order to survive the 24hrs of Lemans.
Originally Ford referred to the cam as a "special grind" but I never saw the specs on that one but it looked like the standard solid lifter MR grind to me? Others may know more about that one.
As far as I know, you had to be someone special to get one from Ford. You just couldn't buy one from the Ford Service Department at your local dealer.
Quote from: Wedgeman on February 19, 2024, 03:15:11 PM
Just reviewing pics of the sale of the Super Snake at Mecum in 2019. Car has Aluminum Medium Riser Heads on it..not Tunnel Ports. Never knew there were ever Tunnel port Heads on #544...? :o
The Super Snake and the other two 427 67 GT500's came with the GT40 competition engines which used aluminum medium risers.
Quote from: Bob Gaines on February 19, 2024, 03:49:00 PM
Quote from: Wedgeman on February 19, 2024, 03:15:11 PM
Just reviewing pics of the sale of the Super Snake at Mecum in 2019. Car has Aluminum Medium Riser Heads on it..not Tunnel Ports. Never knew there were ever Tunnel port Heads on #544...? :o
The Super Snake and the other two 427 67 GT500's came with the GT40 competition engines which used aluminum medium risers.
Also those medium riser aluminum heads were loaded with the potential time bomb sodium filled valves.
Quote from: Wedgeman on February 19, 2024, 03:15:11 PM
Just reviewing pics of the sale of the Super Snake at Mecum in 2019. Car has Aluminum Medium Riser Heads on it..not Tunnel Ports. Never knew there were ever Tunnel port Heads on #544...? :o
my oops.....