Words: Tim Nevinson & Allan Walton
Photos: Jared Clark
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 and 2005 Roush Performance Ford Mustang GT Coupe
Carroll Shelby was Ford of America’s tuner of choice in the ’60s and ’70s, Jack Roush occupied the same position from the ’90s onwards. We sample a classic Shelby GT500 and today’s Roush Mustang, and find what inspired their two New Zealand owners to buy into the legend.
Roush is still Ford’s preferred performance supplier, but Ford had a big bust up with Shelby many years ago. Things seem to have been patched up, however, because both parties have seen sense and made the most of the obvious marketing opportunities from their historic liaison. Now both Shelby and Roush name-plates can be seen on the modern American Ford. We thought it was worth seeing what each company did to the Ford Mustang in their day.
The Shelby identity
By the time the 1967 Mustang appeared, Carroll Shelby’s life and business was about to be affected by major change. He had already moved from his original Venice workshops, and was now producing GT350, GT350R (Mustangs) and Cobras from an aircraft hangar facility on the south side of Los Angeles airport. And, while there was little doubt that the original GT350 had been a successful car for Shelby, his increased commitment to Ford’s GT40 race programme meant that racing and preparing the cars he based on AC and Ford’s Mustang was increasingly being left to his customers. Both the GT350 and GT500 carry no ‘Ford’ or ‘Mustang’ badging – all the badges are pure Shelby.
This is all part of the mystique that Carrol Shelby surrounded himself in, and is part of the magic of ownership of a genuine Shelby product. However despite the air of detachment that Shelby created, his relationship with Ford paid the bills. With the advent of the restyled 1967 Mustang – its larger size making it less suitable for B Production racing than the original model – it was time to rethink the Shelby Mustang.
Shelby had already been offered big-block 7014cc and 6997cc (428ci and 427ci) engines by Ford, and he came up with the GT500 designation for his 1967 big-block Cobra Jet versions of the Mustang.
Ford suggested that Shelby concentrate his efforts on modifying the exterior of the new car, rather than applying his energies to under-the-skin changes – as he had done with the 1965-’66 GT350. Ford wanted the new generation Shelby Mustangs to have a different look to the production cars. This approach also appealed to Shelby. As he had now become a car manufacturer, Ford’s suggestion would make production of the GT500 and the revised GT350 marginally less onerous, and he could go racing with Ford GT.
Revising the look
Part of the well documented mystique of the original Shelbys was that the original ‘white body’ fastback left the Ford production line and was shipped to Shelby’s aircraft hanger facility to fit the unique Shelby pieces. Ford stylist Chuck McHose was despatched from Dearborn to LA, where he worked alongside Pete Stacey and Shelby’s own designer, Pete Brock. The nose was extended by 77mm, the front grille was recessed and the chicken wire-reinforced fibreglass (these were simpler times) bonnet, boot lid and side scoops were fitted, along with the roll bar and the Shelby badging.
Stacey suggested moving the headlight high beam units to the centre of the grille – an idea which would later have repercussions for future Shelby Mustangs. Because the vehicle rolled out of the Shelby factory there are no Ford badges on the car – just the coiled Cobra.
The front air scoop was tidied up and integrated into the bonnet more completely than on the original 350R, and GT40-inspired side scoops were added to the sail panels behind the doors. A further cue from the GT40 was the addition of red side-running lights on these scoops – together with those central headlights, like the ones on the original GT40. These lights would later become very significant. The rear light clusters were sourced from the Cougar. In keeping with Ford’s directive, chassis modifications were minimal – the suspension was reworked for a softer ride than the older Shelby, roll bars were changed and, while variable rate springs were still utilised, Gabriel adjustable shocks replaced the originals’ expensive Koni units.
Conservative horsepower rating
While the ’67 GT350 retained the 1965-’66 solid valve-lifter 4736cc (289ci) powerplant, altered Federal emission regulations meant the original steel header units had to go. For the GT500, Ford’s 7014cc (428ci) engine was selected, complete with twin Holley 650cfm carburettors mounted on a medium-rise intake manifold. Hydraulic lifters reduced engine noise. This engine was rated rather conservatively at 250kW (335bhp) in an attempt to sneak it into the lower classes of NHRA drag racing – but the real figure was probably closer to 298kW (400bhp).
However, for the 1967 Mustangs, Shelby’s biggest problem was countering the new car’s extra weight – and the GT500 weighed in at 1524kg. The added power offset this to a degree but, more importantly, weight distribution was now firmly biased towards the front. The 1965-’66 GT350’s weight distribution was 53/47, for the GT500 the figure was 57.4/42.6. All this additional weight, allied to the larger V8, also severely increased fuel consumption – the useable range was now a greedy six to 11mpg.
There was an upside. This is how Car & Driver magazine felt about the GT500 when it tested the car in February 1967: “The GT500 is an adult sports car. The ’65 GT350 was a hot-rodder’s idea of a sports car – a rough-riding bronco that was as exciting to drive as a Maserati 300S, and about as marketable a proposition. The traction bars clanked, the side exhausts were deafening, the clutch was better than a Charles Atlas programme, and when the ratcheting-type limited-slip differential unlocked, it sounded like the rear axle had cracked in half…” In comparison to the 1965-’66 Shelby Mustangs, the 1967 GT350 and GT500 were considerably more civilised, having lost that hard, racer’s edge. However, they were also much more user-friendly, especially when used as street cars. The formula was successful enough for Shelby to sell 2048 GT500s in 1967.
SHELBY GT500: HAMISH’S TALE
Hamish Paterson, racer of the March-Buick Indy car a few years back, told us about his GT500. “I have always had a soft spot for the early, raw (by today’s standards) classic Mustangs, having been brought up watching Jimmy Richards, Allan Moffat, Leo Leonard, Ivan Segedin, Red Dawson and Paul Fahey racing Mustangs during New Zealand’s heyday of big banger racing. Of course, there was also Steve McQueen and Bullitt. They were simpler times and I’m (still) an impressionable (older) lad at heart.
“Fast forward some 30-odd years and, having decided a couple of years ago to wind down my racing, I began thinking that I still needed that ‘special something’ in the garage. The choice was obvious – and, if I was going to do it, the lad in me reckoned that the ’67 GT500 was the one to have – an iconic representative of the great muscle car era.
“I shamelessly contacted the son of an old family friend in California, who was a leading hand in Mustang circles in New Zealand before moving to the US. This friend, Doug, very kindly kept his eye on the For Sale columns whilst going about his usual own business. “Finally, Doug located this particular car in San Juan Capistrano (it’s a real place, even though it sounds as if it should be a beverage with an umbrella in it). The GT500 checked out very well as being an honest, older restoration. I talked over the phone with the car dealer selling the Mustang – who turned out to be a petrol-head and racing fanatic (as well as once being the Lotus race car distributor for the West Coast back in Colin Chapman’s day). A deal was struck, quite a lot of money changed hands, and the car was shipped out of the States in December 2003, arriving in New Zealand during January 2004 – Christmas really did come late that year!”
Strength of character “The car turned out to be everything it was purported to be, and subsequently passed through local certification with ease.
“Since then, I have fitted ‘real’ tyres to the car – the original rubber-wear was a set of good-looking whitewall reproductions, but each tyre had a different circumference. I no longer live in fear of damp road markings!
The other minor change I made was to change the diff ratio from 3.9 to 3.0 – which has helped the car cruise the motorways – but the Detroit Locker diff still provides lots of the usual Shelby bang and crash rawness.
“I have slowly got an more comfortable with the challenge of driving an LHD car – and along the way I have developed a huge respect for people like Steve McQueen, and others, who used to drive these type of cars in anger. We have all got so used to accurate, responsive steering that driving cars like the GT500 can come as a bit of a shock. It does smell like a car though – two big carbies ensure you have flashbacks to long car journeys as a kid, with the aroma of warm oil and the odd whiff of petrol fumes.
“A year ago I started trying my hand at Targa NZ (I’m older, but no wiser) and this is helping to fill the void left after I stopped racing. With other projects looming, I think it is time to consider letting someone else experience the joy and privilege of owning a Shelby. I will miss the thrill each time I slip its car cover off – the GT500 has a simplicity of line and strength of character that cannot be matched by anything manufactured today. My wife, however, does have a love of the ’50s fins and chrome era – so you never know what might turn up in the garage.”
Law breakers
As the new cars began to emerge from Shelby’s workshop, Ford started to take a closer look at them. A production specialist, Fred Goodell, visited Shelby and was dismayed by the lack of production line efficiency. Fibreglass parts, so carefully designed by McHose, Stacey and Brock, required hours of hand-sanding before they would fit the cars – it was later discovered that the prototype ’67 car used for test fittings had a distorted chassis! Here the central headlights and the side running lights re-enter the story. Shelby had not cleared any of their modifications with state regulatory agencies, and Goodell quickly discovered that many states – including California – had specific regulations concerning minimum distances between headlights.
He also found that the only vehicles allowed red side lights were ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. To make matters worse, Californian regulatory offices simply assumed that Shelby was a division of Ford, so Dearborn bore the brunt of the law-breaking allegations.
In the short term, this meant the running lights had to go – although all later cars still have circular fl at areas in the rounded air scoops which originally accepted those lights. The headlights were also spread apart to a more conventional distance. In the long term, Ford decided that it needed a tighter control over Shelby’s operation. And, as luck would have it, circumstances played into Ford’s hands when, as it was gearing up for the 1968 model year, Shelby’s lease on its LA aircraft hangars on Imperial Highway expired. Ford took the opportunity to relocate Shelby to new facilities in Ionia, Michigan. Initially, this allowed Ford to exercise greater quality control over future Shelby Mustangs – however, the move also shifted Shelby further into the background, and Shelby Mustangs produced after the 1967-’68 models would become progressively more Ford and less Shelby.
What a Roush!: Reviving the Legend
Jack Roush had always been interested in finding out why and how things work. If there was anything mechanical in the house, he would take it apart to see how it worked, reassemble it and make it better. He wanted to be an engineering innovator.
Born in Covington, Kentucky during World War Two, Jack grew up in Manchester. Not the industrial North of England, where the original Ford UK plant was, but a settlement of 2500 in Ohio. He was pretty smart though, and wound up with a degree in Physics and Mathematics. He got a job with Ford in Detroit, working in process engineering, which has little to do with car design, and more to do with the machines and processes that allow a product to be mass-produced quickly and economically. He really wanted to work on research and development of the cars, so he equipped himself with a Master’s Degree in Scientific Mathematics from Eastern Michigan University in 1970. A far cry from the Texas chicken farmer that Carrol Shelby had once been!
Letting a steady income from Ford, Jack got deeply involved into the motor sport of drag racing with the ‘Fastbacks’ team, and eventually left Ford to do it full time, teaming up with Wayne Gapp and eventually building engines outside drag racing for Pike’s Peak Hill Climb, powerboat and oval track series. Jack Roush Performance Engineering was formed in 1976. Outside the USA people started to hear about Jack Roush when he partnered the German Ford specialist Zakspeed to run GTX and GTP cars for Ford, running Kevin Cogan, Bobby Rahal and Klaus Ludwig. He became Ford’s performance partner full time, winning the IMSA series for Mercury division, and has claimed 24 national championships and titles, and 10 consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona sedan class wins.
In his first venture into NASCAR Roush’s team earned 10 top-10 finishes, including one victory, and he has gone on to become one of the most successful team owners in NASCAR history. In October of 2004, Roush clocked his 300th win in the post-drag racing era as a team owner. Roush Industries now employs more than 1800 people and operates facilities in five states, as well as in Mexico and Great Britain, providing engineering, project management and prototype services to car firms, motor sport and aviation industries.
Retro styling
The designers of the 2005 Ford Mustang took all the best styling cues from Mustangs of the past, including Shelbys, and stirred them into a very successful and attractive tribute to the marque. It already looked great, so Jack Roush simply enhanced the car’s individuality – however, with his back ground in production engineering, Roush made the fit and finish of everything pin sharp.
Some Americans have sharp ramps to climb over, meaning the production spoiler is high and so is the ride height. Roush threw out the production springs and dampers and lowered the ride height by 25mm at the front and 20mm at the rear, stiffening up the roll bar while he was about it. Roush Tuning fitted its own brakes (359mm at the font, 308 at the rear (14/12- inches)). His team designed a lower and more efficient chin spoiler, and a side moulding to make the car look even lower and raunchier between the new 18-inch polished chrome finished wheels and larger, lower profile rubber.
The bonnet came in for special treatment too. Roush had a collection of old Mustang bonnet scoops and simply replicated his favourite. The heart of the matter lies underneath, a Roushtuned 4.6-litre engine with a modified Eaton supercharger. Shelby-like air scoops sit over the rear wheel arches, and a discreet boot lip spoiler with a revised rear bumper finish the exterior package. A complete tailored leather interior and bespoke Roush enhancements to the controls make the interior of the car very individual, but reminiscent of the Mustang of the ’60s.
The experience
You pull the fighter pilot seat belts from the Shelby roll-cage over your shoulder and clip up the harness. The whole car quakes when the big-block fires up and robs enough oxygen to run a small furnace. The body rocks from one side to another as the throttle is blipped and another lagoon full of fuel slips through the chokes. And the exhaust note makes your knees tremble. There isn’t an instrument on earth than can make a sound like it; it’s pure motor music. The bonnet makes you feel like you are on an aircraft carrier, the steering makes you feel like you are guiding one through Venice. The diff locker cracks like a small earthquake and you can see daylight through the door gaps, but you ain’t buying practicality here; you are buying ’60s Americana – on full song. Inside, you could be a Phantom jet fighter pilot, the slider controls down to your left. However, it looks, goes, sounds and smells like an American race car. It’s bigger and louder than Texas, and extracts as much oil.
The Roush sounds fabulous too, given a boot-full of right foot, and the pressurised 4.6-litre consumes its own reasonable slice of the atmosphere. Not quite a model of abstinence the Roush, however, has the manners of a nun compared to the Shelby. Jack Roush’s time with the Europeans at Zakspeed wasn’t wasted. It may look American, it might sound American, but the car’s road manners, despite a live axle, are distinctly European, with steering that is quick to respond, plus handling and grip to match. It’s comfortable too; the suspension exemplifies what tuning really means. Jack Roush has given an American performance car road manners and breeding. The quality, fit and finish show what Roush learned about putting a car together properly. This is America’s diplomatic envoy – neat and polite, with a fitted shirt over brawny shoulders, but still wielding all the ‘don’t argue’ firepower.
Roush is 21st Century white collar America, Shelby is 20th Century blue collar and striped bib overalls – both pack a punch and demand a substantial income.
1967 SHELBY MUSTANG GT500
Engine 90 degree V8, pushrod ohv
Bore/stroke 106x102mm
Capacity 7014cc (428ci)
Carburetion Dual Holley 600cfm four-barrelcarburettors
Max Power 250kW (335bhp) at 5400rpm
Torque 569Nm (420lb/ft) at 3200rpm
Transmission C6 three-speed automatic
Final Drive 3.9:1
Suspension Front independent, coils andshocks Rear live axle, leaf springs,traction bars
Brakes Power assisted disc/drum
Steering PAS, recirculating ball
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 2743mm
Length 4785mm
Width 1818mm
Height 1323mm
Track F/R 1487mm
Kerb weight 1524kgs
PERFORMANCE
Max speed c. 209kph (130mph)
0-60mph (96.5kph) 6.2 secs
Standing 1/4 14.52secs/101.35mph
Economy greedy 25.6 to 47l/100km (6 to 11mpg)
[Performance figures courtesy Motor Trend magazine]
2005 ROUSH PERFORMANCE FORD MUSTANG GT COUPE
Engine Alloy 90-degree V8 24-valve sohc with variable valve timing
Bore/stroke 90.2x90mm (3.55×3.54in)
Capacity 4601cc
Carburetion Electronic with Steed-modified Eaton supercharger
Max Power 310kW (415bhp) at 5250rpm
Torque 522Nm (385lb/ft) at 3000rpm
Transmission Tremec 3650 five-speed manual
Final Drive 3.55:1
Suspension Front independent; MacPherson struts by Roush Rear live axle, longitudinal link. Coils and dampers by Roush
Brakes Alcon/Rousch vented discs, ABS
Steering Rack and pinion, PAS by Roush
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 2720mm
Length 4775mm
Width 1877mm
Height 1407mm
Track F/R 1582mm/1588mm
Kerb weight 1580kg
PERFORMANCE
Max speed 240kph (149mph)
0-60mph
(96.5kph) 5.0 sec
Standing 1/4 12.5 sec
Economy 16.6l/100km (17mpg)
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