Chevy vs. Ford Pony Cars
2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang GT Track Pack – Motor Trend.
Chevy vs. Ford Pony Cars
2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2013 Ford Mustang GT Track Pack – Motor Trend.
2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible review notes – Autoweek.
Packing 662-hp in a pony car!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
As you know (I assuming here), a “sleeper” car is one that on the exterior looks “average” (that it’s normally understood as referring to “slow”) under the wrapper, it’s a fire breather.
I was reading a special edition of ……the best auto periodical publisher in the WORLD (normally understood as referring to “ever existed”) Hemmings’ Muscle Machines – All Modified….and came upon an article entitled “Sleepers” by Richard Brigidi.
He defined a “sleeper” car as one with no engine badges, no chrome or striping, but with a monster engine. The idea was back in the 1960’s as to hide the fact that you had mega HP under the hood. Of course back in the day, street racing was common (although non-legal – just like today) and often it was done for cash or “pink slips”, so hiding (or at least under stating) that fact that you’ve got a super power plant would be a benefit.
I’ve always liked the thought of having a poverty wheeled – rubber burner and always had in mind a plain-Jane Chevy Biscayne.
Or maybe a plain old Mustang coupe?
What’s your idea of a sleeper car? Drop your idea in a comment below.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
This is a great story!!
Video: ’68 Mustang Restoration Documentary Tells An Incredible Story | StangTV.
Video
Thanks for reading
Photo courtesy Mecum Auctions.
Trio of Twister Special Ford Mustangs: The two 1970 Twisters sold for $270,000 combined.
Trio of Twisters (Twister Special Mustangs, that is) to storm Kansas City | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts.
Win This ‘Stang! Craftsman 1965 Ford Mustang Giveaway SEMA 2012 – Hot Rod Magazine Blog.
Nice looking Mustang. It is done right!!!
You can win Project Restoration Rollout at SEMA 2012! You have to register by Saturday, November 3, 2012 at Craftsman.com to win. You can also go to the site to watch the tutorial videos that followed the build of the Mustang. New videos stop when the contest does on Saturday.
Go to Craftsman.com and sign up for the Craftsman Club to register.
Craftsman Club members can enter the sweepstake in these ways:
1 entry by opting into the sweepstakes
1 entry by answering the trivia question after watching each video – for a total of 24 entries
5 bonus entries for answering all trivia questions correctly
Up to 10 entries for craftsman.com purchase during this time of the sweepstakes.
Members also get entries just for watching the videos!
Shelby EXP 500. Photos by Jeff Koch.
When Ford began to get more involved in Shelby American’s affairs in 1966, it at least picked the right man to send to Shelby as that company’s new chief engineer, Fred Goodell. A hot rodder at heart, Goodell built many a souped-up Mustang for the Shelby works, including the fuel-injected and independent rear suspension-equipped one-off Green Hornet, which Barrett-Jackson recently announced will cross the block at its Scottsdale auction.
Officially known as the EXP 500, the Green Hornet’s genesis began with another Goodell-built car, a 1967 Mustang hardtop that he called Li’l Red. Fitted with Shelby decor and a Paxton-supercharged 428, Li’l Red eventually served as the template for the Mustang GT/California Special and very nearly became the template for a similar national version of the California Special. Ford in fact built two prototypes for a national version, including a Lime Gold 1968 Mustang hardtop with Deluxe interior and a 390/C6 drivetrain (VIN 8F01S104288), before round-filing the idea.
That Lime Gold hardtop then made its way to Shelby’s facility – at the time located in Ionia, Michigan – after Ford canceled its program. Goodell likely had a hand in the transfer, and once it arrived in Shelby’s shops, he tore into it. He replaced the 390 with a 428 Cobra Jet V-8 topped with a Conelec electronic fuel-injection system – Ford was already testing the systems to see how they would meet upcoming emissions regulations, so it was little trouble for Goodell to secure a system – and replaced the stock C6 with a C6 built to F350 specifications. He then swapped out the live rear axle for an independent rear suspension based around a Ford 9-inch center section and a cradle that bolted into the rear leaf spring mounts. Rear disc brakes and a full Shelby front suspension rounded out Goodell’s mechanical modifications, while darker gold-flecked green paint and a black vinyl top gave it some visual pop.
Goodell’s modifications reportedly endowed the Green Hornet with a 5.7-second 0-60 time and 157 MPH top speed, but yet again the ideas embodied in the prototype didn’t reach production. Unlike most prototype and experimental cars, however, the Green Hornet survived the scrapper: A Ford employee named Robert Zdanowski bought the Green Hornet – sans its EFI and IRS – but sold it six months later to Don Darrow, a Ford dealer in Cheboygan, Michigan. Darrow and his son Randy would later confirm the Green Hornet’s identity with Fred Goodell and restore it using a scratch-built IRS built to Goodell’s specifications along with a Holley ProJection EFI system (Goodell rounded up some components of another Conelec EFI system for the Darrows). It then passed through the hands of Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson, before it made its way into the collection of Craig Jackson, who owned it at the time Jeff Koch photographed it for an article that appeared in Hemmings Muscle Machines #36, September 2006.
Jackson will run the Greet Hornet across the Barrett-Jackson block as part of the auction’s Salon Collection, which means that it will run with a reserve. Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction will take place January 13-20. For more information, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.
UPDATE: Barrett-Jackson sent over these two additional photos of the Green Hornet.
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I’m seem to be on a Mustang kick lately. Here is great video on upgrading the brakes on your late (relatively) Mustang.
Good luck. Chase down the notes on MotorZ site. http://www.motorz.tv/
Thanks for reading.
Tim
That thing rocks; beautiful. Should go for a good buck.
In today,s market a one off car with bulletproof provenance will undoubtably sell over 1 million.
Anyone know what happened to “Little Red?”
Reportedly it’s been crushed.
I predict that by the year 2000, all Mustangs will have independent rear suspension.
Such awesome foresight by Goodell. Sad that those in power @ Ford didn’t build these for the public. One off cars are nice…now for “collectors”, but imagine seeing some of these scooting around town or at the drags.
Rear suspension looks fresh out of high school metal shop!
I saw this car several years ago at a Shelby National Convention, it was very nice. It has also been featured in “The Shelby American,” the SAAC club magazine.
I suspect it’ll end up in Ron Prattes garage.
He’ll just keep his hand in the air til Spanky says,
“Sold”!
I guess what really stands out in the article is that when it comes to his own vehicle, Craig Jackson is selling his car WITH A RESERVE!
This car spent time in Elmira, NY on Gould St. At the home of my childhood friend Chris Long. His father was the President of Conelec Fuel Injection. This car had a distinct note that we could tell from blocks away. I never personally drooled on this car but the sweat from my tongue can probably still be found on there! BTW we didn’t know that the Ford Factory codenamed this as the Green Hornet; we the neighborhood kids thought we were clever giving it that name! I had numerous pictures of this car, all we’re lost in the flood of 72!
The dash looks like it has/had air conditioning but there is nothing under the hood. . . . ?
I guess just another mark of a heavily modified car.
Besides the VIN and history, it doesnt seem like there are many special changes that any restorer could not build the same thing in their own garage.
Nice, but it is not the same as a motorama show car!
[…] Green Hornet: Shelby’s one-off experimental Mustang heads to auction From Hemmings blog http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2…ds-to-auction/ Reply With […]
I noticed that part too..I also noticed that the Barret Jackson fees have been creeping back also…at one point they were 14% charged to the seller plus 14% added to the buyers bill…before this madness the standard commission was 6% to each end…I predicted that these insane prices have to come down sooner or later…..can’t wait for the prices to match the 1983 numbers when you could buy a 428 Mach 1 for 3 paychecks…..I can dream can’t I…
I meant the part about the reserve at the auction…I’m sure “you get me”….
It is really a sad indictment how so many are so impressed by people with ore money than brains and are proud they paid more than anyone else. In the “old” days collectors marveled and laughed about the inflated “Hershey” prices, referring to the prices at the fall Hershey Swap meet. Times change, but egos don’t!
Never warmed to Shelby “styling”. They look like pieces that were glued on that were laying around the shop. They quit when they had nothing left to glue on or ran out of glue.
Nothing wrong with what’s underneath, but that is a homely car. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Knowing what the car is worth doesn’t make it prettier.
Shelby did the same thing with that Aurora engine joke Series 1. Didn’t know when to quit.
Why does the rear sidelight on the passenger side appear to point down? The drivers side is straight.
I’ve always wondered why the muscle cars of this era were jacked up and not lowered, compared to the more sedate versions of the same car. This car would look spectacular(er) if it were lowered about 2 inches.
Not a bad looking car, but I’m torn……….A Shelby is either ‘vert’, or fastback.
The Tail Lights are a Bit Gaudy , and if they are sequential like the Cougars it might lessen the situation . On Performance tough I’d like to see this go out and Blow Off some Rice Burners etc. ..
Thye taillights are sequential and just like all ’68-’70 Shelbys they are ’65 T-bird units.
I’ll bet it goes for a high premium price, would not even guess how much! I have never owned a Mustang but working in that. Fastest ride I ever had in one was many years ago when a mechanic friend of mine came by to show what he had just “built”. It was a simple ’66 coupe, all stock looking. But, he had put a lot of hot stuff in it, big cam, special heads, headers, dual glass packs, big 4 barrel, custom intake and more plus a 4 speed. It had a nasty lope at idle and took off like a dragster!! He went through the gears and let off at almost a 100mph. [I was sorta’ glad of that!!] Oh, the road was out in the country but really smooth, it was his drag strip along with many others, there were big and some were long burn out strips all over the place. What fun!.