1967 GT350 B/FX racer found in Chicago.

[Bigfoot]

This will be a neat thread to keep an eye on.
Keep up the enthusiasm,...you might dig up more info as you proceed down the path.

[Bossbill]

I've had a few of these early cars torn down to almost every possible panel and there are no hidden VIN numbers other than what's on the front clip.
Other marques, like select 60s Chevy, have VINs on frames so if you perform a body VIN swap there is still the frame number.

My race car is a coupe converted to a fastback, back before kits. It has no VIN since a) I removed them b) race cars are not sold as street cars and only require a bill of sale c) It's made from two cars and many, many repopped panels so I couldn't decide what it should be.
So I gave it the name "The Hulk" and it just looks like a 65 fastback.

[Thomas]

This will be a neat thread to keep an eye on.
Keep up the enthusiasm,...you might dig up more info as you proceed down the path.

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really feel an obligation to try and find the true origins of this car. It's obviously been neglected and abused for 95% of its life so I'm going give it my best shot to solve the mystery.

Its a very unique car with tons of potential and if I can find its history than it will be worth the investment of a great restoration. I know many think that because of the missing VIN and Shelby tag its just a cut up Mustang, but I feel that its still showing enough of its originality to earn my respect.

[Bob Gaines]

Here are a couple pictures of the areas that you requested. I can only post 4 pics per post.

That's what I'm looking for.  Very interesting! 

So was the deceased owner the original owner of the car or was the family able to tell you when he got the car?  You would think if the guy was a hoarder, he would've kept all of the cars history including race time slips, modifications done, even the removed parts.

+1 . Yes the pictures tell a significant story IMO. Too bad more of the cars history didn't survive.

[Bill]

Its a very unique car with tons of potential and if I can find its history than it will be worth the investment of a great restoration.

I guess I'll be the first to say it, indeed a unique car, with tons of potential, but not restored as a Shelby, but a vintage race car, as that is what the car is. I'm not saying forget about your quest to see if it is or is not an original Shelby, as that is part of the lineage, but instead focus your attention on it's vintage race history as to me, that is where the real value will be.

Bill

[557]

It's real value is in going Really,Really Fast!!!IMHO

[Thomas]

...

It’s real value is in going Really,Really Fast!!!IMHO

LOL, I sure hope it does!
Its a bit scary to think about how fast these old guys used to go in these cars. This thing weighs less than a VW beetle and only has a paper thin fiberglass door to guard the driver from any impact. This was a built 289 car. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to have a modified 428 in one of these cars...

[tesgt350]

If he was the original owner and you have his full name, and hopefully the Address he lived at the time of purchase, the Date, or close to it, that he purchased it, check with the DMV in that City.  Explain to them how you got it and that the Car was turned into a Drag Car and there are no VIN#'s that you can find and see if they can check their data base for a Ford, Mustang or Shelby that the Man purchased in 1967/1968 and have them run the VIN# to see if it is for your Car. They may do that for you if it means they can collect Tax & Tag Fee's. 

[Thomas]

If he was the original owner and you have his full name, and hopefully the Address he lived at the time of purchase, the Date, or close to it, that he purchased it, check with the DMV in that City.  Explain to them how you got it and that the Car was turned into a Drag Car and there are no VIN#'s that you can find and see if they can check their data base for a Ford, Mustang or Shelby that the Man purchased in 1967/1968 and have them run the VIN# to see if it is for your Car. They may do that for you if it means they can collect Tax & Tag Fee's.

The man that passed away was not the original owner. He purchased the car as a race car and just parked it in his garage. Its been sitting since around 1970.

[Harris Speedster]

Thomas,
You are missing every bodies point.

It is up to you>> to start tracing the history from each past owner.
Race tracks, old dogs that are still around, etc
Ebay for old race pictures.
THAT my friend is how it is done.

I have researched many cars, and one in particular for 30 years.
Took me 27 years to find a picture of Harris with Shelby, two finally surfaced.
Records at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Society, ACD,  on Ben, found that out 3 months ago, long roads my friend!

So please, listen to what the guys herein know and do follow the bread crumbs.\
You seem to have the qualities & drive necessary for tedious Historical archival work.
Respectfully submitted,
John
Society of Automotive Historians

[roddster]

I used to race at US 30 dragstrip (outside Gary IN, actually it was outside Hobart IN, just north of US 30) and attended many Sunday race dates between 1971 and 1973 with my GT 350.  I don't recall anything like this car there.  But you said the car was in the garage since 1970.
  US 30 was an AHRA tack, so the rules were different than NHRA.  Mainly ran ET brackets unless it was a divisional AHRA race date.
  A question: is that front end one piece fiberglass?  or, is there a Shelby nose panel either on it, or loose from a additional pile of parts?
  2nd thing:  I sold a 302 out of a 68 GT Mustang to a member who bought and sold a lot of Shelby parts and cars in the early 1980's.  In his yard, there was a 67 Shelby he bought, without those same inner fender panels.  But I don't remember a staight axle.  He will remain nameless, but I will PM him and ask to him  look into your photos.

[427heaven]

That my friend is a great find. Looking at the pictures of your car it appears to have been a MATCH RACER... Those modifications would not be appropriate for a small block race car of its time. B F/X is the little brother division to A F/X cars which were the fastest baddest division. You are looking possibly in the wrong direction because a small block is sitting in it now. It could have had a CAMMER or HIGH RISER from its time frame which would be even better to the vintage race car guys. Look up AL JONIAKS BATCAR... or LES RITCHIES LONG NOSE those would have been, what would have laid the foundation for what you have. The modifications would have many similarities such as the drivers position, and steering set up. If someone hacked up a SHELBY back in the day to go racing it may have a checkered past. There are a couple of guys on here that have race cars with a similar but different past... There will probably be more questions then answers but that is part of owning something unique. NICE GRAB...

[Bob Gaines]

That my friend is a great find. Looking at the pictures of your car it appears to have been a MATCH RACER... Those modifications would not be appropriate for a small block race car of its time. B F/X is the little brother division to A F/X cars which were the fastest baddest division. You are looking possibly in the wrong direction because a small block is sitting in it now. It could have had a CAMMER or HIGH RISER from its time frame which would be even better to the vintage race car guys. Look up AL JONIAKS BATCAR... or LES RITCHIES LONG NOSE those would have been, what would have laid the foundation for what you have. The modifications would have many similarities such as the drivers position, and steering set up. If someone hacked up a SHELBY back in the day to go racing it may have a checkered past. There are a couple of guys on here that have race cars with a similar but different past... There will probably be more questions then answers but that is part of owning something unique. NICE GRAB...

Good point . The possibility exists that a stolen car was the basis for the build . A stolen specialty car less the three years old according to how long it was sitting ,after being striped might have to be re-purposed as a race car knowing it could never be sold on a legitimate title . Especially given it was less then three years old when it was converted.That 2 year plus old car would have substantial value back then. Another is that it was totaled with the front knocked off. Of course these are just a couple of countless scenarios you can think of   but might be a viable angle to look into for records.

[Thomas]

 "A question: is that front end one piece fiberglass?  or, is there a Shelby nose panel either on it, or loose from a additional pile of parts?"

It's a complete one piece front end.

[Thomas]

Found something interesting today from the old "US-30 Dragway" archives pictures.....There are a lot of similarities.