Archive for December, 2005
At the 2006 Barrett-Jackson auto auction Sammy Hagar formerly of Van Halen will be auctioning his Red Rocker 1967 Shelby GT500 that he has owned since 1989. The car is listed in the Shelby Regstry and was a personal project of Sammy’s in 1992/93 as he had it rebuilt to what it is today.
The car features a solid lifter 427 Tunnel Port motor and Detroit locker putting out 500 horsepower. The car was originally ordered with a standard non-louver hood, no air conditioning, an automatic and in Nightmist Blue. The Red Rocker “Can’t Drive 55″ so it was painted Guards Red/Black stripes and modifed with plenty of Ford speed parts. Included with the car is one of Sammy’s personal guitars along with a signed case of Cabo Wabo Tequila. The Lot# is 1259 and the auction will take place on Saturday the 21st of January so keep your eyes peeled on the Speed Chanel.
In todays competitive aftermarket Classic Design Concepts stands out among the crowd with it’s inovative thinking and jaw dropping designs. This time CDC has designed a new Deck Lid Trim Panel for 2005-06 Ford Mustangs.
CDC’s heritage styling combined with todays technology and engineering resulted in the creation of this OE quality ingrained Classic Deck Lid Trim Panel. This ABS panel finishes out the style of the rear end and requires no drilling, NO paint and eliminates the FAKE gas cap which many owners complain of.
The Deck Lid Trim Panel comes in two different forms. You can get the ABS panel with or without the GT logo seen in the pic. The panel with the GT logo retails for $165 and the panel without retails for $150.00. For more information on this product and more check out ClassicDesignConcepts.com.
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Most of you have probably read about the Chip Foose Mustangs aleady ,but I wanted to add these to the site just incase the news has slipped by some of you. Chip Foose and Unique Performance are launching a pair of Limited Edition 2006 Ford Foose Stallion Mustangs in coupe and convertible form.
Unique Performance, a leader in limited production American muscle cars, will assist in the engineering and development of modifications, as well as manage all marketing activities. Detroit based Tecstar, a top OEM supplier and development company, will handle the engineering, validation and assembly of the vehicles. Specialty products from Dupont’s Hot Hues™, Ford Racing, JBA, Baer Brakes, and BFGoodrich® will be included into every Foose Stallion.
The limited production Foose Stallion is scheduled to be available through select Ford dealers nationwide in early 2006.
Limited Edition 2006 Foose Stallion Mustang Pre-Production Specs
- Foose designed body with a modified functional Ram Air hood, side molding, revised grille, fascias, custom side marker lights, side “C” pillar scoops, etc.
- Rear aerodynamic spoiler
- Optional custom graphics using DuPont’s Hot Hues finishes
- Foose designed 20” custom aluminum wheels
- 20″ g-Force T/A® KDW ultra high performance tires from BFGoodrich
- Sequential taillights (optional)
- Racing inspired front and rear coil springs
- Baer Brakes front calipers (optional); Eradispeed cross drilled rotors front and rear
- JBA high flow Catback exhaust with mufflers
- High flow air filter
- ECM recalibrated for premium fuel; Est. HP 325
- Quaker State synthetic lubricants
- Custom embroidered seats with dash & trim enhancements
For More Photos check out the Mustang Photos Gallery of Foose Pics
The Plastic Intake saga is finally over after some haggling on both parts. I have had first hand experience with this as one of my friends owned a 1996 Ford Mustang GT with this infamous plastic intake problem. One day we were driving down the highway and smoke just billowed out from under the hood and he never really figured it out until he got home and noticed his intake was cracked. Needless to say he repaired it himself and Ford reimbursed him for the parts and labor. Read more about the settlement and lawsuit below.
Ford Motor Company has finalized a settlement that requires the company to pay at least $735 to each owner who had to replace an intake manifold, attorneys for the plaintiffs reported on Friday.
Ford is also extending warranty coverage on the plastic part to seven years to cover vehicle owners who haven’t replaced the manifold. The class-action lawsuit covered a total of 1.8 million vehicle owners.
A spokeswoman for the automaker, Kathleen Vokes, said Ford doesn’t know how much the settlement will cost as it is unclear how many people will seek reimbursement.
Affected cars include the 1997 Ford Mustang and some Mustangs from the 1998-2001 model years. Other affected vehicles included in the settlement are the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car from the 1996-2001 model years; the Mercury Cougar, Ford Thunderbird and some Ford Explorers from the 2002 model year.
Plaintiffs claimed the intake manifolds are prone to premature cracking, which could lead to coolant leakage and expensive damage to the engine. “Until this settlement, those who owned or leased these cars had to bear the brunt of the manufacturer’s mistake,” Mike Ram, one of the plaintiffs attorneys, said in a statement.
“Although we believe the class action was without merit, we are pleased that we were able to negotiate a settlement that will provide additional value to our customers,” Ford’s Vokes said.
Owners who replaced their intake manifolds within the first seven years of ownership can take the vehicles to a dealer and obtain reimbursement whether or not they have a receipt.
The vehicle must be brought to a dealer by March 16, 2006.
To read more about this lawsuit and the settlement click here.
Over at MustangPhotos.com, member MooStang has posted several photos on his BMR suspension parts install and also a few pics of his car.
MooStang has a 2005 GT with Painted Shelby Stripes, Mac Straight Shot Cold Air Intake, Steeda-Tri_Ax Short Shifter, IMCO Extreme 55506 Axle-back Exhaust, BMR Suspension & Strut Tower Brace, Ground Control Coil-over Kit for OEM shocks & struts with Eibach Sport Springs. Included in the pics are some pretty good shots of all suspension mods. It will give you an idea of what all the BMR suspension parts will look like once installed. If you want to read more about BMR suspension parts click here.
Car thieves remain on the loose after stealing, crashing and dumping one of the most powerful Ford models ever produced, the Ford GT. I guess they took the phrase meaning "Drive It Like You Stole It" to a whole new level as they drove off the lot with this bad boy.
The Red limited production Ford GT packing 550 horsepower was stolen and then discovered when a Manteca California police officer on patrol noticed the bright red car crashed on Locust Street. It appeared the thieves lost control of the car and went over a curb, destroying tires, rims, a fender, mirrors and more to the tune. Damages amount to about $30,000, according to Phil Waterford of Manteca Ford Mercury.
Waterford said the thieves wanted the car badly. The break-in happened about 4 a.m. Tuesday. “They kicked in the back door, came down the hallway, then used crowbars to open the other doors,” said Waterford. From there they “broke open a safe and found the keys to the car.”
That wasn’t all. Waterford said that in order to start the GT, the thieves found the battery charger and jumped it. They pushed a Mustang belonging to rapper 50 Cent out of the way and from the damage that was caused, probably fished-tailed the GT out the showroom’s double doors.
At that point, “they took a Navigator and rammed through the fence,” Waterford said. The building didn’t have an alarm system.
Waterford is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible.
The GT is nicknamed the “Ferrari Killer.” According to Waterford, in the 1960s the Ford Motor Company tried to buy Ferrari but was rebuffed. Instead it built the GT. The car’s specifications include a zero to 60 acceleration time of three seconds. The GT’s top speed is rated at over 200 mph. Only 500 of the models are manufactured each year.
Waterford said his dealership has sold five of the GTs this year. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $160,000.
Source: News10.net - Click To View Video
With all the cuts Ford is planning in the near future it seems for now that SVT is not one of those planned cuts. Top Ford Motor Company officials have warned that all areas are under consideration for elimination ,but at a recent media preview for the 2006 North American International Auto Show Cheif Ford Mustang engineer Thai-Tang said “It’s a different business climate and everything is under consideration, but Don’t cry for us. We’re fully committed to launching the best Mustang ever, and the team is still working away on the Adrenalin.”
The best Mustang ever which he was referring to was the 2007 Shelby GT500, which is due out mid-year 2007 and the 2007 Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin. Thai-Tang said that Anne Stevens, Ford’s new executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Americas, is “committed to performance.”
We will just have to wait and see how committed to performance she really is.
It seems the 2007 Shelby Mustang GT500 will be making it’s magazine cover debut with Road&Track in the February 2006 edition. Road&Track will feature the article written by Matt DeLorenzo with an interview from Carroll Shelby along with never before seen photos of the prototype mule with no racing stripes.
A little excerpt from the article, Carroll Shelby tells it like it is, “For horsepower, performance and price, I don’t see anything else out there,”, talking about the competition for the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible. “I don’t know anywhere you can get nearly 500 honest horsepower with four seats.”
The Shelby Mustang GT500 is estimated to have 475-horsepower and zero to 60 mph times in the 4.5 second range. Also in the article they estimate the convertible price to be around $44,000. Does this mean a sub $40K price tag for the Coupe? We will have to wait and see.
Only 25 special customers will have the opportunity to park one of the rarest Shelby Mustangs in their garage as Carroll Shelby International Inc’s wholly owned subsidiary Shelby Automobiles, Inc. and West Coast Customs (WCC) have teamed up to produce a limited-edition line of high-end 2006 Ford Mustangs. These distinctively-designed Mustangs combine the legendary performance of Carroll Shelby and the creative design modifications of world famous “Kingz of Customz” and celebrity customizers West Coast Customs.
Targeted to buyers looking for top-tier performance and state-of-art enhancements, the Shelby/West Coast Customs Mustang will made it’s debut in the Ford Pavilion at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The West Coast Custom Mustang will be available in early 2006.
The Shelby/West Coast Customs Mustang begins with a stock 2006 Ford Mustang GT. Legendary car builder Carroll Shelby, the creator of several famous cars including the iconic Cobra, oversaw the car’s performance enhancements. An exclusive Vortech Supercharger was added to the V8 engine and the Mustang’s computer re-mapped to adapt to the newly-acclaimed output of more than 500 hp. With a racing-level output of that caliber, this Mustang is genuinely worthy of wearing the Shelby badge.
“We built this car for performance and style,” said Carroll Shelby, CEO of Shelby Automobiles, Inc. “It’s got the bark of the old muscle cars and the look of a new sports car. It’s one of the best projects I’ve been a part of.”
West Coast Customs, who are pioneers in customizing cars and have done work for influential auto enthusiasts including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kobe Bryant and Arnold Schwarzenegger to name a few, directed the interior and exterior modifications for the Mustang. The outer design for the Shelby/West Coast Customs Mustang is a bold statement that showcases a twist of Shelby historic styling and West Coast Customs’ fearless new influence.
Exterior enhancements include:
- A new hood design to encase the V8 with a single scoop for air redirection
- New fender swells and rocker panels
- Specially-designed front bumper, side scoops, rear wing and fenders
- Custom grill inserts with newly-arranged lighting for top and bottom of bumper
- 22″ Shelby/West Coast Customs-branded Lexani wheels with Pirelli rubber tires
- Race-inspired Shelby/West Coast Customs gas cap
West Coast Customs is known for pioneering mobile electronics and interior accessories in some of the greatest show cars and the Shelby/West Coast Customs Mustang is no exception. Packing interior modifications that are meant to be seen and be heard this special rolling concert hall includes:
- Custom upholstered interior with embroidered Shelby and West Coast
- Customs logo badging all around including the steering wheel and center console
- One 7″ Sony monitor
- One Sony DVD head unit
- Two West Coast Customs Mid Bass units for the doors
- One 6.5″ West Coast Customs comp
- One set of 5.25″ coaxials
- Three 10″ subwoofers for the trunk
- Two West Coast Customs amps
“We are honored to be working with an American icon like Carroll Shelby and look forward to making history with him,” said Ryan Friedlinghaus, CEO of West Coast Customs. “We wanted to continue the tradition of power that comes with the Shelby name while giving the new Mustang the unique flare and design touches of West Coast Customs. Enthusiasts are going to find that the blend of top-of-the-line performance and one-of-a-kind design bring together the best of both worlds in this Mustang.”
Buyers can contact Shelby Automobiles at (702) 942-7325 or visit the company’s web site at www.shelbyautos.com for more info. West Coast Customs can be found online at www.westcoastcustoms.com and (310) 645-1156.
You would think at his age Carroll Shelby is looking toward spending time with his family, fishing or even retirement ,but think again. Instead he is coming up with new Shelby models and even lending his hand to Ford for the new Shelby GT500. This time Carroll Shelby has come up with the Shelby CS 6 Mustang concept which has a V6 supercharged engine.
The CS 6 features a Shelby-exclusive Paxton NOVI-1200 Centrifugal Supercharger, unsurpassed in high performance, reliability and quiet operation. The bolt-on NOVI-1200 is based on Paxton’s race-proven gear case, helical-cut gears constructed from billet-steel, aerospace-quality high-speed bearings and an air/water charge cooler. The CS 6 will be one of the most powerful supercharger kits for the V6 Mustang available on the market and its 350+ HP is a significant increase over the 210 HP of the stock Mustang and the GT version.
“Shelby Automotive is excited to offer the CS 6 with a focus on balance, performance and affordability,” said Amy Boylan, President of Shelby Automobiles. “With the Paxton Supercharger, the suspension modifications and the subtle cosmetic enhancements, the CS 6 will remind enthusiasts of the old GT350 — fast and strong but light on its feet. There is going to be a lot of excitement from speed aficionados when the CS 6 hits the market.”
2005 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Paxton-supercharged Shelby Mustang legacy dating back to the famed GT350 and GT500 programs in the late 1960’s. In 1965, Carroll Shelby fitted a prototype Paxton Supercharger to the GT350 starting the Shelby/Paxton relationship. Eleven total Paxton supercharger kits were installed by the Shelby factory and a number of additional kits were sold to customers for retro installation. The CS 6 stands poised to continue the great Shelby/Paxton tradition of producing consummate performance-modified autos.
The Shelby CS 6 is racing-styled in the custom of great Shelby cars from the past but updated to create a unique and modern design. Among the interior and exterior modifications to the CS 6:
- Custom hood
- Custom brakes
- Custom 20″ American Racing wheels
- Shelby Automobiles badging
Available in the first part of 2006, the Shelby CS 6 will be sold through Shelby Automobiles Las Vegas headquarters and a national dealer network. Interested buyers can contact Shelby Automobiles at (702) 942-7325 or visit the company’s web site at www.shelbyautos.com for more info.
