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Posted (edited)

Back in the '60's and 70's, when I was racing my Mini Cooper 'S' at Mosport near Toronto, the same races were dominated by Camaros and Mustangs, thundering past me at speeds that made my doors shake! But in local club racing, these were not the highly sophisticated GT350R's but regular fastbacks and coupes that had been highly modified and transformed by local owner/drivers, not for monetary rewards.... but just for the sheer thrill of competing with others on an actual 2.5 mile race track.

Safety requirements were horrendously low compared to today's. Basically, anyone with a driver's licence could get a National Competion Licence, by completing three (or five... I can't remember) races as a "novice", while being watched and assessed by a panel of judges. Assuming you didn't do anything ridiculously stupid, you got your competition licence and could then compete with the "big boys" (even in TransAm and the other highly spectated series of the day)....... if you had the money to do it.

Inspection before a race included a check of your tires, pedal pressure of your brakes, sloppiness in you steering, no broken glass but clipped in placed around the edges, headlights either removed or taped, a simple one hoop roll bar and three point safety harness! Drivers were required to wear Nomex underwear and socks, a fireproof driving suit and a Dot standards helmet. If you wanted to add a fire extinguisher or anything else that you thought might help you in a crash... that was up to you! Most of us just met minimum standards!!!! (It's been a while so if I forgot to mention anything, let me know.)

The limited budget guys, who sunk all their weekly paycheck and spare moments into the sport, were usually driving underfunded, slower cars.... but we still had fun competing with each other in our respective classes.

"Sedan" racing was divided into groups by engine displacement:

Group A for sedans over 2litres (not too many competitive models with slightly over 2000 cc engines were built back then so the class was dominated by Detroit steel with V8 engines.... although I do remember one hardy soul who tried to compete with a 4door Rambler with an in-line six!)

Group B for sedans between 1600 cc and 2000 cc

Group C for sedans between 1000 cc and 1599 cc

Group D for sedans up to 999 cc ( My little mini Cooper S with it's 970cc engine was in this group)

You can imagine the speed differential between us and the 5litre Mustangs and Camaros!

At a typical club race weekend, even with a Can Am, Trans Am or Formula 1 main feature, we really low budget local boys would show up for the supporting races with our cars on a single axle open trailer, or trailing our cars behind us on a rigid tow bar, but most of the Group A cars were better prepared, some with sponsorship from local dealerships and service stations.

Mustangs and Camaros were interesting, in that they could be entered in Group A/Sedan racing...... due to the fact that they had four seats..... or Sports Car Production Racing which was more highly competitive with the likes of Ferraris, etc.

Enough of the pre-amble.. hopefully I've set the scene for the background for this build.

This model originated from an original Monogram Shelby GT350 kit that I built back in the 80's. Not satisfied with it as a basic street car, I pulled it apart a few years ago, when I was into a racing nostalgia moment, changed the interior and wheels to more of a racing style, added some decals, but it back in it's display case and forgot about it........ until a couple of weeks ago when I was watching Historic Racing from Laguna Seca and got re-inspired. So out it came again.......

First I disassembled it again, removed the rear glass and substituted a vented rear window from a glue bomb GT350R I picked up at a yard sale for $2. I modified the interior door panel to a flat aluminum panel, with a leather strap to raise the side glass, installed a spare tire inside the rear of the interior, on the folded down rear seat. Added a fire extinguisher, and a safety harness all as I vaguely remember from the sixties.

The engine was detailed with plug wires, etc. and battery cables and an overflow hose added to the radiator cap. An oil cooler also added to the front grille area. The exterior remained pretty much as originally built except for the modified front lower valance that I had previously built from balsa wood.

So here are the finished progress pictures as updated. (Remember... this is not supposed to be a Shelby Mustang, but a basic 289 cu. in. 1966 Mustang fastback that has been modified, updated and "Shelbyized" by it's owner/driver to compete in Group A Sedan club races on a relatively low budget.

engineleft.jpg

chassis.jpg

modifiedinterior.jpg

upgradedcomplete.jpg

Edited by GTMust
Posted

Thanks Stephen.... glad you enjoyed it. It wasn't until I posted it, that I realized I'd almost written a short story!

Tony

Posted (edited)

Olskool, you should of reminded me that you started this thread, there are a few stangs from this era that I want to do, one of them is Eleanor from the remake of gone in 60, just not sure how I am going to do the body. I know there is a transkit but I have not been able to find any. And then in the 2008 Knight rider KITT transformed into a 69 mach 1 .

Edit- I order the 69 mustang kit, I can join this CBP now

Edited by martinfan5
Posted

i"ll chime in with a new project if I may. I have fox body and sn95 projects on the forum, and wanted to start a 1st gen to post to this thread. anyway, it's the scale productions 1967 Eleanor GT500 transkit. I happen to find this online after looking for a while and am gonna dive in finally. of course the donor kit is the amt 1967 GT350 kit. also have been scratchbuilding right off the bat. just started working on the chassis, have a drop in style fuel cell with sump built, and almost done with a heidt's style 4 link rear suspension, just gotta add the panhard bar and clean up the brackets. added subframe connectors, and will using the front mustang II/ ifs suspension from the 32 phantom vicki kit. here's pics as of now.

eleanorfastback1005-th.jpgeleanorfastback1006-th.jpgeleanorfastback1001-th.jpgeleanorfastback1002-th.jpg

pics of the build so far

eleanorfastback1003-th.jpgeleanorfastback1004-th.jpgeleanorfastback1-th.jpg

Posted (edited)

I'd like to participate. Started this one and has kinda stalled. This is a 70 Mustang Mach I kit and will try and make her into the # 15 Parnelli Jones Trans Am car.

IMG_2762.jpg

Edited by Dogfish_7
Posted

Well looks like I will cross doing the Eleanor kit off the want to do list, I did a little research and found the transkit that was available for awhile, but with the $100 price tag, little more then i want to spend

Posted

I'll join this one too - I have a '64 1/2 convertible to do and a Shelby GT350.

I have also painted the body of a Lindberg '63 Mustang II concept - or is that too early?

Posted (edited)

Sweet,welcome aboard! And,I don't mind the concept car if no one else does :)

Jonathan: Man,that sucks (price too dang high),I was looking forward to seeing it too :(

Dogfish: That's gunna be friggin' AWESOME!!! :D

Edited by Olskoolrodder
Posted (edited)

..or any kit I intend to build,thereby meaning I might screw it up (me speaking about me here),LOL! :lol:

I agree with you , to make a point, for some reason every time I get a tamiya kit, or a kit along those lines, I screw it because I get nervous that I will mess up a some expensive kit.

I messed up my fujimi F430 kit already

Look what UPS left for me

fm69.jpg

Edited by martinfan5
Posted

I have so many projects going I can seem to finish one lol. The wind is blowing so hard, I am surprised I got any primer on the parts.

Posted (edited)

I have a lights in the tool shed, its not great for painting at night , I sure do have a lot of different colored dust :lol:

Its has not been good painting weather here the past few days, but this week is looking good, so I think I am going to go on a body painting spree why I have the chance

Edited by martinfan5
Posted

Sigh...I need to just do SOMETHING with em,haven't done much since before Turkey Day,just piddled with the interior a bit,and been dragging ever since. Iain't never gunna get to Nick's '70 if I slide into a non-building funk on the Bullitt...on another note,while in Magic Mart (not a "right down the street" place anymore,but was out that way with daBoss Lady this eve) to get some brush cleaner,I saw the have '06 GT kits,'07 GT500 kits and '66 GTH kits for $12.99 each...I may run back out there and pick up that '66 to build alongside the '08 (?) GTH I have in the stash (run back out there,you know,when she isn't with me ;)B) )

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