Restoration
shelby mustang gt350 restoration

Actually, the car shown here is not an authentic Shelby GT350, but a re-creation like so many thousands of others produced over the years. In comparison to the paltry number of original GT350s produced in 1965 (562 in all), Ford manufactured a bazillion stock models, so it really makes more sense to focus on these sincerest forms of flattery. (Ironically, Carroll Shelby is now endorsing reconditioned GT500 Mustangs that look and perform like the "Eleanor" model that appeared in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds." So if cloning is good enough for Shelby, himself, why not the rest of us?)

350 Feet
Historical authenticity aside, there's a lot that can be done to improve on a 1965 Mustang. Automotive technology has come a long way since the pony cars first rolled out of the factory, so now you can have a car with modern performance but classic looks. We've broken down the process of modifying a '65 Mustang into several main areas, starting with the chassis. In following segments of this series we'll cover the engine, transmission, rearend and exhaust system.


First, a bit of history: The original GT350 was arbitrarily named for the number of feet between Shelby's race and production shops. There were both S and R models, for street and racing, respectively. This particular car, owned by Danny Holm, was inspired by the S model, but he uses it for racing in Open Class events (it doesn't qualify for vintage racing).

Solid Frame
Since this Mustang sees some track time, it made good sense to start with a firm foundation. A stiff chassis is essential for all those performance parts to do their job correctly. If the frame is flexing too much, you'll be wasting your money on any suspension upgrades.


For a more rigid platform, Danny welded on some subframe connectors to the underside of the chassis. These can dramatically reduce chassis twist by linking the car's subframes together, creating a unified structure. To those connectors, he also added traction bars that are secured to the rear axle at each end and stiffen up the handling markedly.

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Photo Guide
shelby mustang gt350 steering rack
The steering rack was improved with a new aftermarket system. It has fewer turns lock-to-lock but a much wider sweep, so the net effect is more responsive steering.
shelby mustang gt350 upper a-arm
As on the original GT350s, the mounts on the upper A-arm were relocated to bring down the nose an inch. The coils were cut for lowering, but at some sacrifice in ride quality. Ford Granada disc brakes, another popular mod, were added as well.
mustang shelby gt350 suspension restoration
An easy way to lower the rear suspension is to replace the standard leaf springs with a "reverse eye" spring. It locates the spring above its mount to lower the car about an inch.
shelby mustang gt350 traction bars restoration
The traction bars (tubular links extending forward from underneath both ends of the rear axle) hook up to subframe connectors, and serve to minimize wheel hop and axle wind-up. The rear disc brake conversion is another valuable upgrade.
koni shocks shelby mustang gt350 restoration KYB
Unlike the Koni shocks found on the original GT350, these KYB units are gas-pressurized and self-adjusting.



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