Is there a "best" Year GT350 to Buy?

[svttim]

One signature 4/19

Sponsored

 

[dpAtlanta]

One signature with an 01 August 2019 build date.
Chassis number K2503

 

[PP0001]

I would Say a 1965 They are the Best! Not as fast, but they sound like they are! And they put a bigger Smile on your face!

Terrific picture of two very iconic Shelby GT350's and without a doubt my favorite Mustang of all time is a 1965 Shelby GT350.

Having said that I have driven both a 1965 GT350 and numerous 2nd generous GT350/R's.

No question from a collectibility and value standpoint the '65 GT350 is in a league of it's own but from a smile per mile standpoint when taking into consideration the overall driving experience I personally will take a second generation GT350/R all day long.

Congratulations again with respect to putting together an absolutely outstanding collection of Shelby automobiles from the first 6 model years and looking forward to seeing a picture of the very last model year (1970) which will complete your very cool car collection!!

 

[FlipC]

Hey PP001. Thank you Very much. Yea I have been a Shelby Mustang fan for a Very long time 40+ years! I Agree with you on the NEW cars, they are Way more comfortable for sure. I wouldn’t want to drive my 65 for 500 miles, just not practical and uncomfortable . But I would rather drive it 10 miles to work and back than my 20! Except I drive the New one everywhere now (just because it is New?) Heck man you have radio, heat, AC, adjustable seats, Etc. Why wouldn’t you.
Now as far as a 70 Shelby, they were just left over 69s so Why?? And I don’t like the Black hood stripes. I have a 70 Boss 302 that I bought from the 3rd owner originally sold from the dealer here in my home town! In fact I saw the car New when I was 15 years old! Coolest car I ever saw! Paid $3,500 for it in 1987 and it had 32,000 original miles on it. I have the numbers matching engine and All original parts but I modified it a little! Different engine Dyno at 560hp EFI Etc (engine) SO that’s my 70! No Shelby. What Ford did to Hinder Shelby! Here it is TodayI I Do have an addiction for sure.

 

[PP0001]

Hey PP001. Thank you Very much. Yea I have been a Shelby Mustang fan for a Very long time 40+ years! I Agree with you on the NEW cars, they are Way more comfortable for sure. I wouldn’t want to drive my 65 for 500 miles, just not practical and uncomfortable . But I would rather drive it 10 miles to work and back than my 20! Except I drive the New one everywhere now (just because it is New?) Heck man you have radio, heat, AC, adjustable seats, Etc. Why wouldn’t you.
Now as far as a 70 Shelby, they were just left over 69s so Why?? And I don’t like the Black hood stripes. I have a 70 Boss 302 that I bought from the 3rd owner originally sold from the dealer here in my home town! In fact I saw the car New when I was 15 years old! Coolest car I ever saw! Paid $3,500 for it in 1987 and it had 32,000 original miles on it. I have the numbers matching engine and All original parts but I modified it a little! Different engine Dyno at 560hp EFI Etc (engine) SO that’s my 70! No Shelby. What Ford did to Hinder Shelby! Here it is TodayI I Do have an addiction for sure.

Like you I have been a Shelby/Mustang enthusiast for many years which encompasses over 5 decades of being a Shelby American enthusiast and always gravitate to the '65 to '67 Shelby model years when the SA Venice/LAX crew had their DNA all over those first 3 years.

Agreed on all your points especially when it comes to the '70 GT350/500 cars but still would encourage you to hopefully secure a '70 car even though some minor changes that year such as the Black Painted OTT stripes and the added front chin spoiler and only suggest that scenario based on completing your outstanding 5 year consecutive collection for the 6 total model years.

Also really like your 2005/2006 Ford GT as I was able to drive and experience a 2006 Heritage Edition for an entire weekend and fell in love with the first generation Ford GT's and would prefer one in my humble stable much before a second generation Ford GT but that is just me.

Of course the Boss cars are a different animal but after owning numerous 2nd generation Boss 302's including some 2012/2013 Pilot Production Boss cars I have a great deal of respect for those terrific cars as well.

I am presently in the process of relocating from this great country after some ~20 plus years of being in America and if things work out well I am hoping to transport all 3 cars to their new home subject to some export/import/taxation/registering issues which I am presently working on.

 

[svttim]

Like you I have been a Shelby/Mustang enthusiast for many years which encompasses over 5 decades of being a Shelby American enthusiast and always gravitate to the '65 to '67 Shelby model years when the SA Venice/LAX crew had their DNA all over those first 3 years.

Agreed on all your points especially when it comes to the '70 GT350/500 cars but still would encourage you to hopefully secure a '70 car even though some minor changes that year such as the Black Painted OTT stripes and the added front chin spoiler and only suggest that scenario based on completing your outstanding 5 year consecutive collection for the 6 total model years.

Also really like your 2005/2006 Ford GT as I was able to drive and experience a 2006 Heritage Edition for an entire weekend and fell in love with the first generation Ford GT's and would prefer one in my humble stable much before a second generation Ford GT but that is just me.

Of course the Boss cars are a different animal but after owning numerous 2nd generation Boss 302's including some 2012/2013 Pilot Production Boss cars I have a great deal of respect for those terrific cars as well.

I am presently in the process of relocating from this great country after some ~20 plus years of being in America and if things work out well I am hoping to transport all 3 cars to their new home subject to some export/import/taxation/registering issues which I am presently working on.

I agree the 70 is unique in its history even given the fact it was just a leftover 69. Shelby History is an obsession for me. Maybe too much so. We had a team that just blew up the controversy on who was responsible for the 67 Shelby. We corrected history. The 67 is my favorite Shelby car although I could not afford one unless I could sell the spouse. Not happy to hear you are leaving Harry!

 

[Tank]

If your buying it to collect. 2020 heritage or any 2015.
If your buying to track. 17 or newer.
If your buying to have fun. Any year that fits your budget.

FIFY

 

[Wildcardfox]

FIFY

With over 250 heritage GT350Rs out there, it’s not going to be hard finding an owner who will sell one.

‘15s on the other hand will always be a unicorn.

 

[PP0001]

I agree the 70 is unique in its history even given the fact it was just a leftover 69. Shelby History is an obsession for me. Maybe too much so. We had a team that just blew up the controversy on who was responsible for the 67 Shelby. We corrected history. The 67 is my favorite Shelby car although I could not afford one unless I could sell the spouse. Not happy to hear you are leaving Harry!

Tim, like yourself I really like the '67 Shelby GT350 (noting that the GT500 in '67 outsold his little GT350 brother by ~2 to 1) a great deal which came with some very unique and cool features.

Some of the outstanding features that I personally like on the '67 cars were the optional Kelsey-Hayes MagStar wheels along with the unique C-pillar air extractor scoop.

Of course when speaking of the C-pillar scoop how cool were the high mounted and very rare running/brake lights that were fitted on the early production '67 Shelby's and believe that the first ~200 cars or so came equipped in that fashion before they were phased out due to legality issues in many States.

Another one of my favorite features on the '67 GT350/GT500 cars was the center-mounted high beams and really like the inboard style mounted high beams which were outlawed by many States such as California after which time they started to receive all outboard center-mounted high beams.

There is nothing any better than a '65 or '66 carry over Shelby GT350 with respect to rarity and overall performance IMO but without a doubt the '67 cars had so many unique and cool features and were the very last production model year to have Shelby American DNA all over them therefore how can any enthusiast not think very highly of the '67 cars.

Lastly, regardless where I am domiciled in the near future I am looking forward to staying in touch with terrific Shelby/Mustang enthusiasts such as yourself!

 

[stanglife]

With over 250 heritage GT350Rs out there, it’s not going to be hard finding an owner who will sell one.

‘15s on the other hand will always be a unicorn.

On paper is the HE the most common color R made? I hope the owners drive them because it reminds me of the Fox body spring feature convertible cars - a lot of those were saved and not driven and they ended up not that desirable in the end. You never know what the future will bring, so drive em!

 

[PP0001]

With over 250 heritage GT350Rs out there, it’s not going to be hard finding an owner who will sell one.

‘15s on the other hand will always be a unicorn.

Agreed and to your point there is a Ford dealership in Miami (Ford of Kendall) that is asking $300,000 for their 2015 R namely "F0015" and has 385 miles on it and I believe this car is already titled.

Having said that I get the exclusivity and rarity of the 2015 R but obviously this Florida dealership has no idea of the current values of these cars and has virtually no chance of selling this car at that price.

 

[Tank]

With over 250 heritage GT350Rs out there, it’s not going to be hard finding an owner who will sell one.

‘15s on the other hand will always be a unicorn.

Agreed and to your point there is a Ford dealership in Miami (Ford of Kendall) that is asking $300,000 for their 2015 R namely "F0015" and has 385 miles on it and I believe this car is already titled.

Having said that I get the exclusivity and rarity of the 2015 R but obviously this Florida dealership has no idea of the current values of these cars and has virtually no chance of selling this car at that price.

Well that wasn’t hard was it? Finding a ‘unicorn’.

My point wasn’t what the price would be, it was to round out the post about collectible late model GT350s. Any mustang is available for a price.

 

[PP0001]

Well that wasn’t hard was it? Finding a ‘unicorn’.

My point wasn’t what the price would be, it was to round out the post about collectible late model GT350s. Any mustang is available for a price.

Agreed about locating a "unicorn" from time to time with the 37 R's from the 2015 model year being very collectible and sought after as we all know.

I also agree that any Mustang is available for a price but the asking price must be at least within reason when taking into consideration recent comparibles.

With that being the case the Miami, Florida R model asking price is not even close to current market value therefore no chance of selling at $300,000.

 

[Wildcardfox]

Agreed about locating a "unicorn" from time to time with the 37 R's from the 2015 model year being very collectible and sought after as we all know.

I also agree that any Mustang is available for a price but the asking price must be at least within reason when taking into consideration recent comparibles.

With that being the case the Miami, Florida R model asking price is not even close to current market value therefore no chance of selling at $300,000.

Unicorn as in the most sought after—most desirable. Not as in hard to find. They show up at auctions, so they are not physically hard to find, but the 2015 R models will always be the most sought after for collectors.

Many dealers put a car for sale that they have no intention of ever selling. I’m close with a similar Ford dealer who puts their own cars, from their own collection in the showroom. They all have for sale stickers on them but the exorbitant price is a clue that they have zero intention to actively sell the car but if someone comes around and drops a bag of cash they will part with it. The owner parted with his 2015 GT350R in the same fashion.

 

[PP0001]

Unicorn as in the most sought after—most desirable. Not as in hard to find. They show up at auctions, so they are not physically hard to find, but the 2015 R models will always be the most sought after for collectors.

Many dealers put a car for sale that they have no intention of ever selling. I’m close with a similar Ford dealer who puts their own cars, from their own collection in the showroom. They all have for sale stickers on them but the exorbitant price is a clue that they have zero intention to actively sell the car but if someone comes around and drops a bag of cash they will part with it. The owner parted with his 2015 GT350R in the same fashion.

Brett, always appreciate your comments and insight with respect to all things Mustang but like yourself I suggest that I have a good feel for the collector market as well.

With that being the case I am not sure what your definition of "Unicorn" is but my defintion is a highly desirable vehicle but also a very difficult vehicle to find.

With the 2015 R model representing only 37 examples out of ~25,000 GT350's built over the 6 model years it is obvious that the 2015 R's are quite rare with very few showing up at auction based purely on incredibly low production numbers.

I suggest that we have been very fortunate over the last 6 months as we have seen 2 of the 37 R's hit the auction block with John Atzbach's #37 car selling at Indy last July and with Sam Pack's #16 car selling in Kissimmee last January.

In the case of #37 car it was obvious that John drove all of his cars and I remember viewing his car numerous years ago in Seattle when John first obtained #37 and spoke to him about his car being the very last 2015 R.

John's car had just over 6,000 miles on it at auction with a good bit of patina and hammered for $148,500 including the buyers premium.

With respect to the #16 car which sold at Kissimmee just over a month ago this was a dealer owned allocation and still on the MSO with 70 miles on that car and suggest that Sam Pack netted ~$100,000 or just a little less than that and obviously he was quite realisitic and motivated to let his car go at a very reasonable price.

As you mentioned in your post some of the few dealerships that were lucky enough to get an allocation for a 2015 R model they have no intention of selling their R models unless someone comes up with some stupid money and that is certainly the case with the Ford dealership in Miami.

Of the 37 R's allocated by Jim Owens back in the Spring of 2015 I suggest that most R model allocations were not based so much on a dealership level but more on an individual VIP level.

In any case you had a dealership in Texas that was motivated to sell his R model at a very reasonable price and a dealership in Florida that has no intention of selling his R model unless for crazy money therefore two different business models.

Sponsored