Car Owner: Ross Saunders Words & Photos: Clive Branson
In 1960, Robert McNamara, president of the Ford Motor company, stepped down from his position to take the reins as Secretary of State with the Kennedy administration. During his 10-year tenure at Ford, McNamara was besmirched internally as a “bean counter” rather than a “car man” due to his unwavering commonsense conservatism. This prudent approach, as exemplified by such decisions as transferring the two-seat Thunderbird into a four-seater, his attempt at incorporating better safety measures and fuel efficiency, introducing the bland but efficient compact Ford Falcon and removing Ford from professional racing, was profitable, but it also took the fun and spark out of Ford cars. He was also involved in the greatest automotive debacle, the Ford Edsel, a car that almost bankrupted the company.
Henry Ford II promoted the company’s Vice President of Sales division, Lee Iacocca, as Vice President and General Manager of Ford. Iacocca, a brash and confident 36-year old, immediately brought an excitement back into Ford’s product line by placing muscle power into compact cars, creating sexier slipstream designs and, in 1964, introducing the public to a car that would become an American icon, the Ford Mustang. The appeal of the Mustang allowed Iacocca to enroll Ford back into competitive NASCAR and drag racing circuits as a mass marketing vehicle. He instinctively knew: What did well on the circuit also came off the dealership floor. By September 1964, Ford had added the Mustang 2+2 Fastback to their stable. It quickly proved to be the most successful model with the public, particularly the performance-enthusiastic public.
The Fastback model wasn’t initially branded as being especially powerful, but that changed when Ford collaborated with Carroll Shelby. A charismatic Texan, Shelby was a former chicken farmer turned race car driver (he won the 1959 Le Mans in an Aston Martin). He now developed cars (AC Cobras) rather than race them due to a heart condition. Though low on cash, Shelby convinced Iacocca to merge talents by allowing him to modify the look and feel of the 2+2 Mustang. Iacocca knew of Shelby’s reputation as a driver and his association with one of the most aggressive engines – the Cobra. Seeking a winning formula for a race car, Iacocca agreed.
However, this caused consternation. Shelby’s company, Performance Engineering, was forced to do their own test work and development without the assistance of Ford’s Performance Department as a rebuttal. The Department was bitter that the project was given to Shelby’s company by Iacocca rather than to Ford’s in-house department. They also didn’t want to be associated with another potential disaster, such as the Edsel, so the attitude from Ford was ‘sink or swim.’
The modification of the Mustang GT350 had a hunker down stance, giving it an assertive prowess that screamed “performance,” changing the appearance of a pony into a thoroughbred. According to Motor Trend magazine, what Shelby did was “take a 2+2, inject some Cobra venom, bulk up the leg muscles and trim the excess fat.” The Fastback featured a modified K-code 289 cid V8 engine with 350 hp. Ford termed the car the Shelby GT350 Street (it was labeled the GT350R for racing), and unveiled it to the public on January 27, 1965 as a street legal racing car. Its 271 was replaced by the hefty 289 V8 to 306 horsepower accompanied by a 4-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension, larger wheels and tires, a fiberglass hood, functional scoops, vent windows, twin racing stripes and no back seat. The GT350s were winning national championships and Ford reaped many publicity rewards and sales. Its sister, the GT500, won the 1966 manufacturers’ championship in the inaugural SCCA Trans-Am series, and repeated the win the following year.
“I bought a 1965 Mustang 2+2 GT with a 271 hp K-code engine and a pony interior in 1976 in Los Angeles,” explains Ross Saunders. “I was looking for some hard-to-find interior parts as spare parts and was told that there was a similar Mustang that was being sent to the crusher. So I bought the wrecked car for the parts, not knowing that it was an original GT350. My intention was to strip what was left and send it back to the crusher. The car was painted medium blue with white side stripes (a reverse of what it looked like in 1965) and illegible writing on the fenders and quarters because they were so damaged.”
The car was literally a shell. It was the interior parts that Ross required. “Needless to say, I eventually sold all of my Mustangs to restore the wreck.”
It seems incredible, but at this point, Ross still didn’t know what he actually bought and that it was also a race car. He didn’t find out the complete history until 2014. Ross shakes his head and gives a slight chuckle. “I finished the car in 1992, so I was driving this car for 22 years not knowing what it was. Now I know what the car is, I still drive it everywhere. No trailers for this car.”
Now, you have to understand that the car initially resembled a crumpled aluminum Coke can and was about as useful. Futhermore, this restoration was done before the convenience of the Internet. The car had been rolled and all the body panels were damaged beyond recognition. The engine was done but the T10 transmission was intact with the HiPo (High Performance) rear axle assembly and a 411 Locker rear end.
“The front end had penetrated through the radiator support and into the motor. When my father saw the car, he told me that I had thrown my money away and called it a hunk of junk. The chassis was the hardest to restore. The car had been severely smashed in a racing accident. I found out that the car had also been raced in SCCA sanctioned events for over three years and had been excessively patched and modified for road racing during that time. It took 16 years of hard work to restore everything with original Ford or Shelby American parts. The floors had been refurbished with reinforced panels for racing.”
Ross had to travel extensively to meet people and attend swap meets. “You had to buy some parts sight unseen over the phone. It is imperative to know exactly what you were looking for, as some 1965 parts interchanged with the 1966, but turned out not to be the same, an example being the 715 carburetor and the intake manifold.
“Because the car was a race car, much of the Shelby American aluminum parts were removed and replaced with steel racing homemade items. I had several companies redo specific parts of the car, such as rebuilding the short block engine, rear axle, installing the glass and headliner, replacing the body panels and getting them ready and lined up for final paint. Fortunately, I was able to contact the second owner, an engine designer for Shelby American, who allowed me access to racing equipment used in the 66-67 GT350. I replaced all of the mechanical components, undercarriage and suspension after detailing them exactly the same way it was done at Ford’s San Jose facility and at Shelby American in June 1965. I installed and balanced the engine, a 289 cubic inch V8 high performance engine, with Shelby American modifications. I had a 715 cfm Holley carburetor with Lemans Fuel Bowls.”
As for the colour, the car came in its traditional Wimbledon White with black standard interior and Guardsman Blue Le Mans racing stripes on the hood, roof and panels. “Shelby American used the vehicle as a factory demonstrator car sold to Galpin Ford in San Fernando, California.
“I knew the car was sold on January 2, 1966 to a 19-year old. He repainted it blue because he got tired of getting pulled over by the police. I also knew that the car had been sold to a guy who raced the car and then sold it to a guy who wrote it off in a race in 1975. In 2014, I checked the Internet about 1965 GT350s and found the name of a racer who had driven a car with my serial number. Ended up being the second owner, whom upon speaking with, I discovered the whole history of the car. There is even a documentary movie made with my car in it and I was able to obtain a copy of the movie. I could probably write a book on this car, as these cars had so much history associated with them.”
Best of all, on the glove compartment is an authentic autographed signature by the legend himself, Carroll Shelby. That alone is worth every dollar put into this car.
“I met Carroll twice in his lifetime and both were at Shelby conventions,” recalls Ross. “The first time was in Charlotte, North Carolina at the 1991 convention. I was in a parking lot outside the Hampton Inn, the hotel attached to the Convention Center where owners would converge before and after participating at the race track for the day’s events and vintage racing. There were two groups of guys: those who had their cars out and driving them, and those who were the ‘trailer queens.’ Mr Shelby showed up with his entourage and bypassed the trailer queens and mingled with us. I remember him saying that he liked our cars because they were driven and that’s what they were built for. In his raspy voice, he barked: ‘Damn, these cars weren’t built to be trailered.’ In his disgust, he didn’t even bother going over to the trailer group and that really caught my attention. Those words have always stuck with me and that’s why I follow his example. Next day he signed my owner’s manual and I gave him a donation to his children’s fund that he supported until he died in 2012.
“The second time I met him was at Watkins Glen in 1993 at another Shelby convention. I attended the event with my six-year old son. Carroll called over to my son and let him sit on his lap while he signed my glovebox with his signature and the car’s serial number. The glovebox is still mounted in the car and my son will be getting the car in the future. Mr Shelby was a great person. He showed the respect of a gentleman and my young son was the recipient of his personality and openness. He made me feel special and he worked his aura with everyone. I admired the fact that he called a spade a spade when he needed to and he backed it up by surrounding his companies with some of the greatest drivers and cars ever. I also was fortunate to meet Chuck Cantwell, Shelby’s chief engineer, who showed equal generosity. I would have loved being involved with Shelby American during the ‘63-‘67 era.
“I can honestly say that driving this car is a stress reliever: The smell of the gas, the noise of the engine (I can’t hear the radio on because of the rumble) and going through the gears is the best feeling in the world. I don’t drive the car hard but it still chirps the tires going into every gear if I want to do it. Driving this car on the streets does also have it drawbacks as other drivers occasionally tailgate and just be idiots on the road so you have to drive it like you are in a glass bubble.
“As far as the future of classic cars, they will probably lose their popularity as people from the era die. People today have different tastes. They can’t work on their cars and therefore cannot appreciate them for what they are. How can a Honda, BMW or a Subaru compare to a classic? Regardless, my classic will never be for sale. I have been offered lots of trades and cash, but it’s too close to me and will stay in the family. That’s the way it should be with a classic. It’s a one-of-a-kind.”
