Vehicle Description
1966 Shelby Group II Racer For Sale - Complete Restoration By
Legendary Motorcar LMC is very proud to offer for sale this 1966
Shelby Group II Racer There's no telling how Ken Miles would have
helped Shelby and Ford in the 1966 SCCA Trans-Am series; he died in
August of that year without having driven this Shelby Mustang that
was factory prepared for him. Yet John McComb made the best of a
tragic situation by racing this Mustang to two wins and helping
Ford clinch the manufacturers' championship that year. McComb began
racing in SCCA in 1963, but didn't enter more than a handful of
races until 1965, when he qualified for the national championship
in an MGB. Through that experience, he met fellow MGB racer Chuck
Cantwell, who got hired at Shelby American in 1964 and a couple of
years later was tasked with transforming the Mustang notchback into
a Trans-Am racer. According to SCCA rules, the Mustang fastbacks -
which, of course, Shelby based his G.T. 350 upon - were classified
as two-seaters, leaving them ineligible for Trans-Am's A/Sedan
class (which also specified that entrants have all-steel bodywork
and no hood scoops). Regardless, Ford wanted a "horse" in the
Trans-Am race, so Cantwell built 16 notchback K-code Mustangs with
G.T. 350R underpinnings (along with another four with street G.T.
350 underpinnings built for European FIA rallying) and stripped
them of every non-essential item the rule book would allow him to
get away with. The equipment included a Shelby-built 289 CI engine
with an aluminum high-rise intake manifold and 715 CFM Holley
4-barrel carburetor, Borg-Warner close ratio 4-speed, Detroit
Locker rear end, high-capacity fuel tank with quick-release filler,
heavy duty front disc and rear drum brakes, Koni shock absorbers,
heavy duty oil cooler and radiator, 15x7 American Racing wheels and
more. Shelby, which had dissolved its factory racing effort at the
end of 1965, sold the cars as Ford Mustangs to privateer customers.
This 1966 Ford Mustang Group II A/Sedan racer is number 12 of 16
built by Shelby American to compete in the SCCA Group II amateur
racing series created in concert with the professional Trans Am
series. Invoiced August 24, 1966 to Turner Ford in Wichita, Kansas,
this car was purchased by John McComb. When McComb put in a request
for one of the Trans-Am Mustangs with his friend Cantwell, all 16
had been spoken for; it wasn't until after Ken Miles death in
August 1966 while testing a Ford GT40 J-car at Riverside that
Cantwell called up McComb to let him know that one of the Mustangs
had become available. McComb, who was based in Hutchinson, Kansas,
at the time, said he picked up the Mustang in Los Angeles and
within two weeks won two races - at Continental Divide in Castle
Rock, Colorado, and at Green Valley Raceway outside Fort Worth,
Texas, the latter tying Ford with Chrysler for the lead in the
manufacturers' championship. In 1966 this was with the help of this
very car, that Ford would go on to claim the overall title. It also
appeared on the December 1966 cover of Sports Car Graphic Magazine.
It was purchased by Keith Thomas in June of 1967, who finished
second in the 1967 SCCA A/Sedan Midwest Region behind McComb. The
following year it set the A/Sedan lap record at the Lake Afton SCCA
National. It eventually disappeared for 28 years until it was
discovered in a Texas garage. It was then brought to Legendary
Motorcar where it received a no-expense spared rotisserie
restoration. The car was carefully disassembled, stripped to bare
metal and refinished in its factory Wimbledon White with Lemans
Blue stripes. The goal was to restore back to its period correct
racing glory, while also being able to be shown at any major
concours. The result is stunning with attention to detail to
reproduce the factory markings, correct numbering and paint
methods. The car is also signed by the man himself Carroll Shelby
as well as John McComb, Chuck Cantwell and Terry Doty. Below is the
link to complete photo album of the restoration:
https://www.legendarymotorcar.com/inventory/1966-ford-mustang-shelby-trans-am-group-ii-racecar-1165.aspx
Additional Details: 1966 SHELBY FORD MUSTANG GROUP II RACER -
