Vehicle Description
There's almost too much history behind the story of how this 1967
Ford Mustang Shelby Terlingua tribute came to be to cover here.
Short and sweet, Carroll Shelby and some buddies bought a town
called Terlingua down on the Texas-Mexico border, went there to
party, and when Ford needed a race team name, Shelby and friends
offered up the Terlingua Racing Team, complete with its own special
crest logo from the Terlingua Ranch. The Terlingua logo rode on the
fenders of the first GT350R to race, and on many successful
Mustangs after that.
This particular 1967 Mustang coupe is a tribute to the Jerry Titus
car used in the 1967 Trans-Am series, which won a title for Ford.
They wanted a color that would stand out on the grid, so they chose
something that automotive artist Bill Neale called "Gawd-awful
Yellow." So here it is, rendered in modern urethanes, a great
example of the past come back to life. Workmanship is far better
than any race car of the 1960s and Shelby himself would probably
think it's just too pretty, but if you are building something
special like this, why not make it look like art? All the correct
graphics were reproduced, from the satin black hood and nose to the
racing stripe that runs through the whole car, even down the chin,
and, of course, all the proper racing graphics; that's the
Terlingua Ranch logo there just ahead of the doors, in bright
yellow and black. And the big number 17 gumball on the doors
clearly identifies this as Jerry Titus's car. You could race it,
sure, but you'd risk scratching up one heck of a nice Mustang, and
that just wouldn't do.
The interior is clearly oriented towards the street, so there's no
cage, no racing seats, just comfortable buckets, a wood-rimmed
wheel that's just gorgeous, and a more comfortable environment than
you'd get on the track. Factory gauges are nicely restored and
fully operational and there are carpets, full door panels, and a
padded dash to add to the comfort level. On the other hand, there's
no radio and no console, although there is an aftermarket armrest
with built-in cup holders, about which Shelby himself would
probably have a few choice words. The shifter is linked to a
5-speed manual gearbox, a nice upgrade, and the SCCA Terlingua
racing seat belts look right. There's a fully finished trunk with a
correct mat, but obviously no spare.
The engine is a 351 cubic inch V8, perfect for performance and
handling together. It's built for power, but not over-done, so it
starts easily an idles well, and you sure won't mind driving it on
the street. Ford Blue paint, an aluminum intake with a Holley
4-barrel carb, chrome dress-up, and even Terlingua Ranch emblems on
the valve covers make it look quite right. They did go the extra
mile and used FoMoCo reproduction hoses although the radiator is
aluminum. The 5-speed is freshly rebuilt with carbon fiber blocking
rings, so shifts are smooth and positive, and it has a GT-spec
suspension with Koni shocks that really tighten up the Mustang's
handling. The undercarriage is detailed for show, with red oxide
primer on the floors, a correctly painted 9-inch rear with 3.70
gears inside, and even front suspension control arms that have been
partially dipped in black paint. Front disc brakes give it plenty
of bite and 5-leaf rear springs keep the tires planted. Cool
16-inch Torque Thrust wheels look period-correct and carry
225/50/16 performance rubber.
A cool tribute to a well-known piece of Ford/Shelby history. It's
also a pretty cool car in its own right and it's simply a blast to
drive. Call today!