Carroll Shelby is and will always remain a legend in the automotive industry. He took skill, dedication, and a little bit of good luck to produce some of the most amazing muscle cars that will ever be produced, from the very first Shelby Mustang->ke1359 produced in 1965. What Shelby did to Ford's new Mustang was transform it from a less-than-stellar pony car to a limited edition Shelby GT350 R

The Mustangs built for the 1965-1966 model years were powered by a K-Code 271 engine modified to produce 306 HP, but the GT350 was a car not built for comfort or ease of driving, so the right place for it was the race track. This decision lead Ford to Shelby for the development of the Shelby GT350 R for the SCCA races.

Shelby American only built 34 units of these GT350R models, even though the SCCA rules required a total of 100 units to be built and raced. However, during an SCCA race weekend, the GT 350R proved what an amazing car it was as it competed at the highest level.

Hit the jump to read more about the 1965 Shelby GT350 R.

1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 R

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 R
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 360
  • Transmission: aluminum case Borg Warner T-10M four-speed transmission
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior and Interior

All of the units developed by Shelby were painted in a Wimbledon white with blue stripes. They were also equipped with cold air intake scoops, wood-rim steering wheels, and a fiberglass shelf where the rear seats had been. The first 15 units were built without side or rear windows, heaters, defrosters, upholstery, headliners, insulation, or sound deadening. Shelby focused on reducing the weight by as much as possible. As a result, they used plenty of Plexiglass for the side and rear windows and removed the rear seats, but added a four-point roll bar and competition fiberglass bucket seats to suit racing needs.

Engine

The 1965 Shelby GT350 R was powered by a modified K-code 289cid V8 engine engine mated to an aluminum case Borg Warner T-10M four-speed transmission. The engine's heads were heavily modified by Valley Porting Service. Shelby also added a Holley four-barrel carburetor on a Cobra high-rise aluminum intake manifold to raise the output from 325 to 360 HP.

The GT350 R models were also equipped with 9" rear axle with Fairlane station wagon drum brakes, "export" shock tower brace, and sintered metallic brake pads and linings.

Pricing