Shelby American GT350R

[enzo101]

Just can't fall in love with Shelby America products anymore (besides the continuation series stuff) I was there a couple months ago and didn't see any 350 stuff. The raptors are pretty cool but not 110k+ cool. Wonder how long they have at this point since OEM is so damn good.

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[PP0001]

Just can't fall in love with Shelby America products anymore (besides the continuation series stuff) I was there a couple months ago and didn't see any 350 stuff. The raptors are pretty cool but not 110k+ cool. Wonder how long they have at this point since OEM is so damn good.

The only time that I was ever in love with Shelby American was way back when Carroll and his team in Venice and LAX were building the 1965 to 1967 GT350/GT500's.

I am not a tuner guy by any means (except for the 3 early years of SA) and have some friends that have Roush, Saleen, Steeda, Shelby American, Kenny Brown, Hennessey, Petty Garage, automobiles but personally very happy to drive and appreciate the fine product coming out of Flat Rock.

Certainly don't wish any ill will to SA but just how long can they continue to take on their direct competitors in Dearborn let alone all of the above tuners especially at such exorbitant pricing remains to be seen.

 

[svttim]

The only time that I was ever in love with Shelby American was way back when Carroll and his team in Venice and LAX were building the 1965 to 1967 GT350/GT500's.

I am not a tuner guy by any means (except for the 3 early years of SA) and have some friends that have Roush, Saleen, Steeda, Shelby American, Kenny Brown, Hennessey, Petty Garage, automobiles but personally very happy to drive and appreciate the fine product coming out of Flat Rock.

Certainly don't wish any ill will to SA but just how long can they continue to take on their direct competitors in Dearborn let alone all of the above tuners especially at such exorbitant pricing remains to be seen.

All I can say is they are doing extremely well.

 

[Tomster]

Yep, the shop is full

 

[PP0001]

All I can say is they are doing extremely well.

Tim, I appreciate your comments and positive feedback.

Obviously I do not have access to their P&L statements and will take your word that SA is doing extremely well from a financial standpoint and that they are certainly heading in the right direction.

In recent years I have attended many BJ auctions and after seeing numerous launches of various SA models after time I would discuss and communicate with many of my car buddies as to their thoughts and reactions to the unveiling of the new SA models at each of these auctions/unveilings.

Maybe it is just the group that I hang out with which includes both young and old but I can tell you in all honesty that not one of us have had any interest in any of the SA offerings in recent years especially based on their price point regardless of the sticker/badge modification and/or the increase in power, suspension, handling and braking.

From a return on investment standpoint I will certainly stay with any Mustang model that was assembled at the FR facility compared to any Mustang that was modified at Las Vegas case in point being the GT500 Super Snake/GT500KR cars compared to a stock Shelby GT500 or for that matter any 2012/2013 Boss 302 LS models.

Again each to their own but based on my personal experience I choose to stay with any Mustang model assembled and produced at FR over any Mustang modified in LV but certainly wish continued success to the SA camp in Nevada and hope that they will be around for a very long time to come.

 

[svttim]

Totally get that. No matter which after market manufacturer you go with, they tend to be expensive. If you go back to the original GT350, the build itself was not very different then the builds of say, the Super Snake. It was expensive, and mostly Ford parts anyone could do out of a catalog. The difference is where the base Mustang was then and is now. With Ford producing the GT350 and soon the GT500, what room is left for the aftermarket? I would argue its very narrow. The new Shelby GT is about the same price as the Bullitt with the same HP (unless supercharged) so its about looks at that point and Brand preference. If I were to choose between a Bullitt and a Shelby GT, the Shelby would be my choice. I see a lot of people in many threads complaining that Ford makes too many GT350's as an example. I dont care how many they make, I want the GT350. However, If exclusivity was my Goal, SA would be my first choice. Roush makes a great car and, a lot of them. Saleen is just getting back into the market and, I wish them well but, they have some history to correct. I would never criticize anyone for choosing a Flat Rock product, that's what I have. All I was saying is some of the criticism of SA is not deserved

 

[Epiphany]

There will be plenty of room for the aftermarket with the upcoming GT500. Manufacturers are frothing at the mouth to develop and market hardware for it, especially those with powertrain geared products.

 

[svttim]

There will be plenty of room for the aftermarket with the upcoming GT500. Manufacturers are frothing at the mouth to develop and market hardware for it, especially those with powertrain

No doubt. Im talking the msnufacturers like Shelby, Roush ect

 

[Epiphany]

Gotcha. Zero interest there. The whole point to me is to do it yourself and not fork over to a middle man. Therein lies the core satisfaction with the hobby.

 

[PP0001]

And that was the very point that I was trying to make. There is not much room for improvement on the GT350/R therefore the margin is very slim at best.

Not sure why SA or any tuner for that matter would try to improve on the GT350 let alone the R model with one of the improvements removing the CF wheels which obviously a stretch for sure.

From my standpoint it all comes down to the bang for the buck and also resale value with respect to an OEM Mustang/Boss 302/GT350R from Flat Rock compared to a SA/Roush/Saleen, etc. after a period of 5 years or so.

Can the after market tuners improve performance over a stock Mustang/GT350/R absolutely, but certainly not in relation to the money spent in the short term and especially the long term resale value.

Case in point I had a hard time comprehending how anyone could have paid a $35,000 premium for a SA 2008 GT500KR versus a Ford 2008 GT500 back in 2008 with only a 40 horsepower gain of 540 HP from SA compared to the 500 HP stock configuration from Ford.

IMO anyone that paid $80,000 for a 2008/2009 GT500KR had no idea what they were doing and of course we all know where those KR's are valued in todays market place.

 

[svttim]

I owned a KR. Bought is used. The car was a much better handling car then the GT500. Was it worth the cost? For me, yes since I didn't buy new

 

[Semnole]

VP of Shelby American owns that one. We were doing our tour last week and he walked by and the tour guide pointed him out and his car.

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