My neighbour got a new CAR "RESTO" project !!!

[Lenny]

and man, is it nice. A one owner GT500, 40,000 miles, original engine etc, 428 SCJ, 4 speed and all the goodies. (roll bar and Shelby do dads)

He just drove down to Mississippi to deliver a 50's resto Crown Victoria to be a ladys' X-mas Present present from her husband, and picked up this on the backhaul. He has a $100K budget to work with and the owner wants a frame off EVERYTHING done to it. It is extremely straight and original. First one I have seen since I was a teenager (25 years ago) and haven't seen any since. Anyways, once "restored" the owner is putting it away ... never to be used again. :( It is currently licenced (blocked out in pick by me) and has been a real head turner locally the last few weeks. Here are a few picks of the GT 500 and a few from August when he had a get-together for 50's Ford Collectors and some of the vehicles he has done. His mechanic on the resto's is also my Volvo/Motor guy. He WAS a Volvo mechanic for years prior to working for this fella. Also note the 502 equipped 55 Ford :D

[gcarter]

Isn't it funny how, historically, all is forgiven?
I remember at the time, these cars were considered "underperformers". The 428 CJ was considered very heavy, and gave the car a terrible front weight bias. For such a large engine, the output was quite low, and, generally, the brakes were totally inadequate. Not to mention you couldn't change the spark plugs without raising the engine.
But now, Boomers really want them.

[donzi182003]

Lenny do you know the brand of tires on that Excursion??????

[Lenny]

Those tires are 37" x 13.5"w x 16" Pro Comps. He bought them after he got the truck home. They came from the USA. First he put on 35" 's and didn't like them. Then he added the "Edge Chip with "Attitude". Quite a ride. Towed his 30' LONG x 10' WIDE car trailer (enclosed, I did all the workshop cabinetry in it) to Mississippi and back, set the cruise to 70 and that was it. There is MORE torque in that thing than in anything I have ever ridden in...

[Rootsy]

my mom's best friend's husband (my parents neighbors too) had an original GT500 428CJ 4 speed that he bought BRAND NEW in 68... it had 12K original miles last i saw it in 98... and it was all original, right down to the tires on the car... He was some kind of middle management exec for FoMoCo and retired a couple of years ago... Sold everything in the barn... Model T's, model A's, the Shelby and a few other cars and bought a condo in the blue hair state... His father was co-owner of a local Ford dealer also... was one helluva car...

[DonziJon]

and man, is it nice. A one owner GT500, 40,000 miles, original engine etc, 428 SCJ, 4 speed and all the goodies. (roll bar and Shelby do dads)
He just drove down to Mississippi to deliver a 50's resto Crown Victoria to be a ladys' X-mas Present present from her husband, and picked up this on the backhaul. He has a $100K budget to work with and the owner wants a frame off EVERYTHING done to it. It is extremely straight and original. First one I have seen since I was a teenager (25 years ago) and haven't seen any since. Anyways, once "restored" the owner is putting it away ... never to be used again. :( It is currently licenced (blocked out in pick by me) and has been a real head turner locally the last few weeks. Here are a few picks of the GT 500 and a few from August when he had a get-together for 50's Ford Collectors and some of the vehicles he has done. His mechanic on the resto's is also my Volvo/Motor guy. He WAS a Volvo mechanic for years prior to working for this fella. Also note the 502 equipped 55 Ford :D
Lenny: What year GT500 is that? The GT500 I remember had two wide blue racing stripes and a 427...I think they came with an automatic only. They also had full length stripes down low on the rocker panels with GT500 in the graphics. The new Mustang just introduced by Ford bears a strong resemblence to the original GT500 that I remember. I can't be sure but I think the year was 1965. Tell me I'm not crazy.:yes:

[Craig S]

that's a '70 (or should be)...which is a re-numbered leftover '69 with the black paint added to the hood, and the chin spoiler added underneath. As for as weight, the FE was relatively light, it was the car that was a pig. But like you say, all is forgiven. The '67-68's were little better. But the looks with the entire new front clip and bumper exhaust is quite striking. I owned an early '68 with the 428 PI, as the CJ was an April '68 change over. The halo from the '65's are just unbelievable.

an unmolested 4 speed. real nice.

[DON N.]

I Like The 1955 Ford Convertible, I Know The V Is Candian But Grill Looks Like A 1960 Mercury Minus The Outside Headlights ?

[RickSE]

Ahhh metal projects. They're fun but the last one almost killed me. I just finished the restoration on my wife's 65 Cutlass. I did all the work myself, paint, frame-off, motor-trans and interior. $9K in parts & materials and 4-years later she has a brand new 1965 Cutlass Convertible.

Now I'm ready to start on the most important one yet, my dad's 65 f-85 wagon. This car has a lot of history in my family and will be fun but also a huge amount of work. It brought my brother home from the hospital after being born in 1965, me in 1968, my other brother in 1976 and my son in 1996. I remember riding in the back as a kid listening to the glass packs as my dad went through the gears on the 4-speed. I remember, even though I was not there, when my dad chased a pair of armed robbers down the freeway in Albuquerque at over 100-MPH; then getting shot in the shoulder and having to roll under the car for shelter until help arrived. There's so much more and I can't wait to roll her in the garage this spring for her turn at a new life. Its gonna be a good one; back to original colors, interior and trim with an accurate looking big block Olds with goodies in front of the 4-speed.

Sorry FOOSE no big 24" bling bling wheels on this ride.

[Cuda]

I didn't think Ford ever made a 428 SCJ, they made a 428 CJ, and a 429 SCJ. I could be wrong. The 429 SCJ was refered to as a "twisted hemi". I had four Mustangs when I was young, 66 coupe, 66 fastback, 68 coupe, and a 69 Mach 1. I still think the 69 Mach 1 was the best looking Mustang ever made. It was the only one made with dual headlights. My brother had at least as many as I did. The new Mustangs remind me a lot of them. The light green one's look like my 69, it was called "Lime Gold".

[Lenny]

I didn't think Ford ever made a 428 SCJ, they made a 428 CJ, and a 429 SCJ. I could be wrong. The 429 SCJ was refered to as a "twisted hemi". I had four Mustangs when I was young, 66 coupe, 66 fastback, 68 coupe, and a 69 Mach 1. I still think the 69 Mach 1 was the best looking Mustang ever made. It was the only one made with dual headlights. My brother had at least as many as I did. The new Mustangs remind me a lot of them. The light green one's look like my 69, it was called "Lime Gold".

Cuda, I know nothing about cars, most things actually, but it says SCJ and here is a link when I typed in 428 SCJ into Google. There are tons of these listings.

http://www.classicsandcustoms.com/search/details.asp?1=1&listing_id=14190

??? Who knows

[BUIZILLA]

About 3 to 4 years back I had a 100% original '69 SCJ 428 R-code Torino coupe, not a fastback, 4 speed, track pack car, heater and radio delete, my memory says it came with 4.30 gears... ran pretty good.

JH

[Craig S]

fwiw, SCJ was triggered when certain lower axle ratios were ordered...higher quality components in the bottom end and valve train to take the abuse. No more horsepower, just premium. I think it was triggered with the 3.91 and 4.30 axles.

[Moody Blu']

thats a cool lookin stang, but that doesnt really remind me of a gt500's styling. I guess because it wasnt a late 60's style gt500.

here is a camera phone pic I took about 3 years ago of a gt500 the way I think of them. i talked to the owner a while and supposedly his was a gt500 K or something? supposedly it was a very rare one? everything was original even the HUB caps. sorry the pics are bad but its a crappy phone camera.

anyone remember what the K stood for? i remember he said they only built them for half a year with the K i think it was someones name that built them that year??

[gold-n-rod]

anyone remember what the K stood for? i remember he said they only built them for half a year with the K i think it was someones name that built them that year??

Kar Kraft??

Just a guess from a feeble old memory.

[Craig S]

anyone remember what the K stood for? i remember he said they only built them for half a year with the K i think it was someones name that built them that year??

The KR (King of the Road) meant it was an April 1968 or later build GT-500 with the 428 Cobra Jet. There is a story floating around that they (Ford after the '67 model year) used that name before the name was rumored to appear on a Camaro. They dropped the name in '69 because all GT-500s were equipped with the CJ. The CJ engine was, basically, a Thunderbird engine with the low riser 427 heads and a 735 Holley (I think). The breathing made a big difference, because the standard 390/428 low perf heads didn't work near as well.

btw, I am running an FE (390) on one of my Centurys, and a 428 CJ on my Ranchero. They are a pretty small for a big block since they have to fit between those shock-towered compact and mid-size relics by Ford in the day. I seemed to have picked up quite a bit of hardware to keep it all going...

[turbo2256]

I bought a 69 Selby 350 GT new in Feb or March of 69. There was a KR model ment King of The Road if I recall corectly. Still have a few parts around for it. Ended up with the factory TA suspension on mine with a NASCAR /Aussy 351C putting out 650+ HP.

[DonziJon]

This is the GT 500 I remember. 1967 seems to be the first and last year for the 427 powered GT 500. http://www.fast-autos.net/shelby/shelbygt500ss.html. After that it went to 428. Found this on Google. DJ

EDIT: 1968 seems to have had a 427 as well. Slightly different hood scoop. http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/shel6801.htm

[Craig S]

This is the GT 500 I remember. 1967 seems to be the first and last year for the 427 powered GT 500. http://www.fast-autos.net/shelby/shelbygt500ss.html. After that it went to 428. Found this on Google. DJ

There is a long standing debate whether the 427 was ever factory installed in any '67 Shelby or '68 Shelby or '68 Mustang - and if so how many, even though it was listed as an option. The standard '67 GT-500 used a 2-4 setup on the mild 428, and rated it at 360hp. The '68 used the single 4bbl on the same 428 - with the same rating until April, when apparently both were replaced by the CJ (way underrated at 335hp).

The only verification I have seen on 427s (in Mustang/Cougar/Shelbys) was in the Cougar of 1968 with those GTEs produced before introduction of the CJ. The CJ 428 (ie 427 heads on a 428) was a much cheaper engine to build/install/sell. The 427 uses the 390 stroke with a really big bore whereas the 428 uses a block very similar to a 390. You can carefully bore some 390 blocks to make a 428 (with the right 428 crank), but you can't make a 427 without one.