Ford F1 Parts

the Best Mustang Ever?

It has often been said that you should never meet your heroes because you’ll likely be disappointed. For better or worse, one of mine is a car.

Born five years before me, the 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 was already a classic by the time I reached the age of automotive awareness. The first real thoroughbred Mustang, its Guardsman Blue stripes over white livery remains iconic today, and pristine originals command prices well into the six-digit range.

That being the case, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll probably never get the chance to drive one in anger on a racetrack. That opportunity certainly passed a couple of decades ago.

So, it was with childlike glee that I welcomed the news that Shelby American was resurrecting the name on an all-new Mustang in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the original. Yes, I see you are good at math. The year 2012 marks the passage of 47 years. Well, the new car -- based on the 2011 Mustang, actually -- was unveiled in January 2010, 45 years after the first one was. And even though we’re just in 2011 now, the Mustangs currently on sale are 2012 models, and not technically anniversary models. To be honest, for all I care they could call it the Centennial Edition, just let me drive the car.

Changes to the stock Mustang start on the outside and work their way in. There’s a custom body kit that includes a deep front fascia, twin nostril hood, rocker panel extensions, fully blanked out rear quarter windows and some work on the rear end that fills in the concave trunk lid and adds 1967-68 Mustang-type back up lights to the bumper skirt, to further upset the time-space continuum. Six-piston Baer front brake calipers peek out from behind a unique set of Cragar rims. Red, white or blue paint schemes are all available, but if you choose anything other than white with blue stripes I want nothing to do with you.

Underneath, the GT350 gets an upgraded suspension that uses a mix of parts from the Ford Racing catalog and some of Shelby’s own pieces. A caster and camber kit tips the top of the front wheels in so far that the car looks bow-legged. This is fitting on a ride that wears the name of a real Texas cowboy like racing legend Carroll Shelby.

All of the above and a few bits more will cost you $26,995 on top of the price of a new Mustang GT, which runs about $30,000, or $35,000 if you opt for the convertible. Of course, if you’re going to drive around in a car that looks like the GT350, you’re going to want to be able to kick butt no matter what it’s up against. An extra $7,000 will let you do that.

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