The G.T. 350 Garage YouTube channel

[427heaven]

Maybe crack a smile or a joke to break up the seriousness of the clip, The IRON MAIDEN T shirt speaks volumes of his intensity, in cars and music.

[FL SAAC]

Alright, alright, alright this is getting to tense. I'll break the ice by saying a few jokes that are appropriate for this crowd:

Two men broke into a drugstore and stole all the Viagra.

The police put out an alert to be on the lookout for the two hardened criminals.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Give it to me! Give it to me!" she yelled. "I'm so wet, give it to me now!

She could scream all she wanted, but I was keeping the umbrella.

Maybe crack a smile or a joke to break up the seriousness of the clip, The IRON MAIDEN T shirt speaks volumes of his intensity, in cars and music.

[427heaven]

You scoundrel, you... Tony

[Harris Speedster]

Guys
As always there is a final say.
There is a seat for every ass, and an ass for every seat.

Matter of opinion on a stock high value Shelby, or a modified Shelby worth less.
I myself like stock>>> the way Shelby built it.

Regardless, it's my car, these are my choices, >>>>>>>>> so be it !

BTW, Bob wished you well, why the criticism for a respected senior Judge?
Just me 2 cents
Respectfully,
John

[deathsled]

Alright, alright, alright this is getting to tense. I'll break the ice by saying a few jokes that are appropriate for this crowd:

Two men broke into a drugstore and stole all the Viagra.

The police put out an alert to be on the lookout for the two hardened criminals.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Give it to me! Give it to me!" she yelled. "I'm so wet, give it to me now!

She could scream all she wanted, but I was keeping the umbrella.

Maybe crack a smile or a joke to break up the seriousness of the clip, The IRON MAIDEN T shirt speaks volumes of his intensity, in cars and music.

Witty!

[CharlesTurner]

Has there ever been any data/tests that adding torque boxes to a 65-66 is going to make the car more stable/safe in normal driving conditions?  I can see that it may possibly be preferred for open track/racing.  If one of these early cars hasn't been wrecked/repaired or rusted out with a bunch of sheet metal replaced, they are usually pretty sound and the export brace/monte carlo bar gives them a very solid feeling.

If going through all this trouble, why not put a modern drive-train in the car, independent rear suspension? 

[427hunter]

Has there ever been any data/tests that adding torque boxes to a 65-66 is going to make the car more stable/safe in normal driving conditions?  I can see that it may possibly be preferred for open track/racing.  If one of these early cars hasn't been wrecked/repaired or rusted out with a bunch of sheet metal replaced, they are usually pretty sound and the export brace/monte carlo bar gives them a very solid feeling.

If going through all this trouble, why not put a modern drive-train in the car, independent rear suspension?

We used to call this "Super shop" syndrome - Sig, Mal, and holley ! 

[Bob Gaines]

Has there ever been any data/tests that adding torque boxes to a 65-66 is going to make the car more stable/safe in normal driving conditions?  I can see that it may possibly be preferred for open track/racing.  If one of these early cars hasn't been wrecked/repaired or rusted out with a bunch of sheet metal replaced, they are usually pretty sound and the export brace/monte carlo bar gives them a very solid feeling.

If going through all this trouble, why not put a modern drive-train in the car, independent rear suspension?

Full roll bar and stitch welding of the chassis are some other stiffing options the open track guys do.

[S7MS427]

I'm going to put on my fire suit for this one.  I did a far more thorough cleaning and inspection of the underside of 6S1523 and I found more than a dozen places the car has been improperly jacked up by the floor pan.  I was aware of three points previously, dating back to when my parents purchased the car, the most recent findings were less obvious and hidden to a large degree by road grime and copious amounts of undercoating.

Fortunately there is zero rust in the floor pan, but I would estimate 120+ hours total including disassembly, undercoating removal, cleaning, repairing the floor pan, preparing for paint, and reassembly with 40+ of those hours being by someone highly skilled at reworking sheet metal to return the current floor pan to the correct original shape. 

I will not be pursuing that level of restoration, and at the risk of needing nomex underpants on this forum, I'm going to "straighten the floor pan out" within reason, removing the undercoating, and then installing torque boxes and subframe connectors to stiffen up the soon to be 56 year old chassis.

There were some criticisms about my initial comments that I planned to keep the car fairly close to original.  Plans have changed slightly.  And since I have do intentions of selling the car in the next 20 years, I really don't see an issue with my choices, the car will be a driver, not a show car, and I'm going to drive it like it's meant to be driven.

Walter (6S1523),

This is your car.  You can do anything you want with it and to it.  You can pursue whatever level of repair or restoration you wish.  Don't let others sway you with their opinions, do what you are comfortable with.  My plans for my GT350 are to leave it in a semi-survivor state.  Cheaper that way and the public seems to like seeing cars that have that 50 year old patina on it.  Best of luck with your project.

[FL SAAC]

+ 1

I'm going to put on my fire suit for this one.  I did a far more thorough cleaning and inspection of the underside of 6S1523 and I found more than a dozen places the car has been improperly jacked up by the floor pan.  I was aware of three points previously, dating back to when my parents purchased the car, the most recent findings were less obvious and hidden to a large degree by road grime and copious amounts of undercoating.

Fortunately there is zero rust in the floor pan, but I would estimate 120+ hours total including disassembly, undercoating removal, cleaning, repairing the floor pan, preparing for paint, and reassembly with 40+ of those hours being by someone highly skilled at reworking sheet metal to return the current floor pan to the correct original shape. 

I will not be pursuing that level of restoration, and at the risk of needing nomex underpants on this forum, I'm going to "straighten the floor pan out" within reason, removing the undercoating, and then installing torque boxes and subframe connectors to stiffen up the soon to be 56 year old chassis.

There were some criticisms about my initial comments that I planned to keep the car fairly close to original.  Plans have changed slightly.  And since I have do intentions of selling the car in the next 20 years, I really don't see an issue with my choices, the car will be a driver, not a show car, and I'm going to drive it like it's meant to be driven.

Walter (6S1523),

This is your car.  You can do anything you want with it and to it.  You can pursue whatever level of repair or restoration you wish.  Don't let others sway you with their opinions, do what you are comfortable with.  My plans for my GT350 are to leave it in a semi-survivor state.  Cheaper that way and the public seems to like seeing cars that have that 50 year old patina on it.  Best of luck with your project.

[FL SAAC]

Oh by the way you got one heluva car, enjoy !

[6S1523]

Hi, you own a piece of history so that's why people cringe at mods. It's your car do as you will, but everything you change moves the car farther and farther from it's place in history - making it less interesting. Bob is one of the most knowledgeable guys on the forum and provided you a sound observation.

In case you haven't been alive the past 20 years, a later-66 GT350 isn't worth crap these days relatively speaking.  Enthusiasm for these cars is being directed to "clones" costing as much as double the current price of the nice original drivers because a bunch of old guys got together and shamed everyone into feeling bad about actually enjoying these cars.  Visually speaking, a hood scoop, side scoops, quarter windows and some stripes make any fastback look like a '66 GT350.  So the clones are out there at $200K+ being enjoyed the way Carroll Shelby would have wanted us to do with the originals.

The "piece of history" thing is blown completely out of proportion, and those of us who want to drive the cars want more than the experience offered by polishing it before and after Cars & Coffee.  Facts about a correct stock '66 GT350 are that they are neither fast nor quick, they stop poorly, they turn poorly, they are uncomfortable, they are noisy, and a new 4-cylinder Mustang is better at everything you can ask them to do as a car.  All you have is a VIN tag and a specific look.  Beyond that, the cars are just old cars most enthusiasts under 50. 

More people will get excited by a loud and competent GT350 being driven with intent, than by a museum piece with a "Do Not Touch" sign showing from every angle.  If you want people to experience the history, and more importantly learn about it and keep it alive, put their ass in the passenger seat and show them.  It's like the modern analogy of marrying a virgin supermodel and never sealing the deal to preserve her for her next husband.  First, if you know there is going to be a next husband you're already in deep trouble.  Second why are you pouring your time and effort into something that you aren't passionate about.  If you buy a real Shelby GT350 to enjoy it, you should enjoy it to the fullest, not just to spend money on it to look at it, and if you can improve it further without negative consequences, why wouldn't you?

[Side-Oilers]

^^^^ 6S1523: 

As an owner myself of a Day 2 GT500KR with a 468-inch aluminum side-oiler, and a Kirkham Cobra with a 482-inch aluminum side-oiler, I agree.

I've also owned a handful of true low-mile concours cars over the past 40 years: Big-block Corvettes, a '66 Jaguar E Type, a '70 Dodge Charger R/T, a '57 GMC pickup, a '57 T-Bird E-model, '62 T-Bird, a '67 Eldorado and a '71 Imperial LeBaron. 

Of those, I enjoyed driving the last three on that list the most. I wasn't concerned about those cars losing value if they picked up a rock chip while being driven, or feeling like I had to watch over them with a shotgun when I left them in a parking lot. (BTW: I still have the Imperial and it's still one of my favs.)

Regarding classic muscle cars, I completely do appreciate seeing how they were when 100% stock. But, as we all know, many (most?) of those were put together shoddily at the factory. And (once I got to drive a few of them) didn't seem as quick/fast/awesome to me as my car-magazine-devouring former-adolescent self dreamed about.  So, thus my Day 2 personality.  Make them faster.

IMO, your last paragraph is spot-on with my perspective. The super-model virgin being saved for the next guy.  Very well put.

[427heaven]

Van ... We are on the same page for most things, its a performance car, DRIVE IT LIKE ONE! There are two distinct groups here.... The drive em, work on em, race em, make em better and faster, enjoy the Hell out of it. On the other side of the fence is the... Im too old to race anymore, Drive fast anymore, I dont even know how to change the oil or put plugs in it, or worry about my investment, This group ALWAYS seems to POOPOO the others rides and inject their opinions about price - value usually. We have collectively as a group have become dug in on each others opinions of what others should be doing then worrying about their own rides. This has run off many a mild mannered SHELBY lover that would rather run solo then put up a fight every time they come on here to share about their pride and joy, Sad really, but true. While all the condemnation is going on in the cars values... ,Highly modified ELEANOR clones are bringing 350k to the dismay of the purists. People love Fast bitchen rides and are pulling their check books out to prove it. Lets all make 2022 the year that we all try a little harder to all get along. Hopefully the conventions will have more cars show up rather then less, time will tell before its too late! Happy 2022 to everyone. 

[69mach351w]

Hi, you own a piece of history so that's why people cringe at mods. It's your car do as you will, but everything you change moves the car farther and farther from it's place in history - making it less interesting. Bob is one of the most knowledgeable guys on the forum and provided you a sound observation.

In case you haven't been alive the past 20 years, a later-66 GT350 isn't worth crap these days relatively speaking.  Enthusiasm for these cars is being directed to "clones" costing as much as double the current price of the nice original drivers because a bunch of old guys got together and shamed everyone into feeling bad about actually enjoying these cars.  Visually speaking, a hood scoop, side scoops, quarter windows and some stripes make any fastback look like a '66 GT350.  So the clones are out there at $200K+ being enjoyed the way Carroll Shelby would have wanted us to do with the originals.

The "piece of history" thing is blown completely out of proportion, and those of us who want to drive the cars want more than the experience offered by polishing it before and after Cars & Coffee.  Facts about a correct stock '66 GT350 are that they are neither fast nor quick, they stop poorly, they turn poorly, they are uncomfortable, they are noisy, and a new 4-cylinder Mustang is better at everything you can ask them to do as a car.  All you have is a VIN tag and a specific look.  Beyond that, the cars are just old cars most enthusiasts under 50. 

More people will get excited by a loud and competent GT350 being driven with intent, than by a museum piece with a "Do Not Touch" sign showing from every angle.  If you want people to experience the history, and more importantly learn about it and keep it alive, put their ass in the passenger seat and show them.  It's like the modern analogy of marrying a virgin supermodel and never sealing the deal to preserve her for her next husband.  First, if you know there is going to be a next husband you're already in deep trouble.  Second why are you pouring your time and effort into something that you aren't passionate about.  If you buy a real Shelby GT350 to enjoy it, you should enjoy it to the fullest, not just to spend money on it to look at it, and if you can improve it further without negative consequences, why wouldn't you?

Obviously some here really don't finish reading the post or just don't understand what people write in their post.

@427Hunter.........
6S1523 plainly stated in Reply #5, 2nd paragraph.
"At the same time, there is a significant effort being made to preserve the integrity of the car so it can easily be returned to stock and restored to its correct original form"......