Description Prepared by Steve Beck and Bill Collins on December 8, 2007, Updated March 10, 2008

Overview:

Original Sapphire Blue/Gold car; one of only 55 1966 Shelby “Hertz cars” produced in this color combination. Equipped with the correct high performance automatic transmission, an original steel hood, and originally equipped with the unique Hertz  MICO master cylinder. A standard disc brake unit was substituted during restoration, but the MICO unit accompanies the car.

#1175 is fully documented. It is listed in the 1997 edition of the Shelby World Registry, and its Ford VIN is verified with SAAC. Documentation includes copies of the original Shelby factory invoice, Hertz correspondence from 1966, the Ford VIN verification letter from SAAC, and one previous owner’s title.

Believed to be the 2^nd lowest mileage 1966 Shelby in existence with 11,730 actual miles. A Pennsylvania safety inspection sticker dated in June of 1979 was in place on the windshield at the time of acquisition. It has been removed and archived, and notes the mileage at that time to be 11,569 miles. The low mileage was further confirmed when the engine was disassembled, as minimal wear and factory installed Ford internal components were observed. The rebuild did not require cylinder overbore, they remain factory standard.  #1175 has been driven a total of approximately 200 miles since completion in March of 2006.

#1175 was the subject of a feature photo article in the February 2007 edition of Mustang Monthly magazine. It also appears in the feature magazine Shelby, published in November of 2007.

History: 

Produced at Ford’s San Jose, CA assembly plant in February of 1966 and shipped to Shelby American in Los Angeles for completion. Completed by Shelby to Hertz specifications and shipped March 4, 1966 to Larsen Ford in White Plains, New York for pre-delivery preparation. Delivered to Hertz, which assigned it to rental service in New York City.

Sold out of the Hertz disposition program in 1967. Originally titled in Pennsylvania October 4, 1967. No records survive of Pennsylvania owners between 1967 and about 1980. During this period, 6S1175 was reportedly changed from automatic to 4-speed and also run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It then sat neglected in a barn or field for six years.

The first known owner(s) are Hal and/or Lynn Keck of Hellertown, Pa, Lynn is the son of Hal Keck, owner of 289 Cobra CSX2127 and later noted owner/racer of 427 Cobra CSX3008. (The green “Feinstein Racing” Cobra). Lynn Keck is a member of the Lehigh Valley Region of SAAC, and in the summer of 2007 he was made aware of  #1175’s restoration and Mustang Monthly article. He is available for additional information and background.

Sold to Herb Brown of East Texas, PA (Allentown area) in 1988. Stored indoors for the next 13 years pending a planned restoration that never materialized. Sold in a complete but unrestored state to Bill Collins Collector Fords in August of 2001. Sold to Steve Beck of Frederick, Maryland on December 8, 2001.

Restoration:

A professional rotisserie restoration was initiated by Steve Beck in January of 2003 and completed in March 2006. The restoration is completely documented with photographs and all receipts. Photographs of the car in its pre restoration condition are also archived.

The engine is the factory installed original to this car with the Ford VIN stamped on the block. The engine assembly date is stamped 6B8R (February 8, 1966).  The transmission is the correct high performance C4 with “C” coded servo.  It has been professionally rebuilt and a mild shift kit was added along with a new OEM spec flywheel and torque converter.  The original 9 inch 3:50 ratio rear is intact, with C6ZX-C tag showing a 6BA date (First week February 1966).

The engine has been professionally rebuilt. The block retains its standard bore size and new standard pistons have been installed, along with a new camshaft. The original crankshaft has been magnafluxed and polished..The cylinder heads received a 5 angle valve job. All of the Shelby aluminum equipment (Cobra valve covers, intake and oil pan) are original and were refreshed. The carburetor is the correct Autolite 4100 with C6ZF-F engineering stamping and manual choke. It has been restored and refinished by Pony Carbs. The water pump is the correct C6OZ-A casting and has been rebuilt. The original “W-MO” (Whittier Modine) stamped factory radiator dated “1-66” is also intact and has been recored.

The car has its original fiberglass side scoops, and rare original steel hood. It has been completely disassembled and every part refinished. The body was stripped to bare metal. Any replaced sheetmetal was done with NOS parts where possible. The body was primed in PPG DP74 red epoxy primer top and bottom, inside and out, then refinished in the original Sapphire Blue color using all PPG brand products.  

The interior required minimal restoration due to the low mileage. The seat upholstery and door panels are original except for the driver’s cushion. The dash gauge bezel trim, steering wheel, dash pad, carpet and headliner are new reproductions. All other interior components are original. The tach is original. The competition front seat belts are new Ray Brown continuation units, by the original manufacturer.

The trunk interior is fully refinished as original and has a new high quality mat. The correct jack and spare tire hold down hardware are intact. There is presently no matching spare tire or wheel.

The following are additional features and upgrades performed as part of the restoration: 

Comp Cams camshaft – Nostalgia 271S+series
Cylinder Heads hot tanked, rebuilt, blueprinted, 5 angle valve job
New OEM spec “Tri-Y” headers and full dual exhaust system
600 lb. 1” drop front coil springs
Thermoplastic suspension bushings
KYB gas shocks
14x6 Magnum 500 wheels (as original)
BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires
Front fenders, stone guard, valence, rear taillight panel all NOS Ford
Parking/backup lights /taillight frames NOS Ford
Ford tooling dash, new carpet, headliner, driver seat bottom – remainder of interior is original

The extensive restoration produced a very correct example, scoring 687 out of 700 possible points in its first MCA (Mustang Club Of America) judged competition in the trailered concours class. This GT350 is fully set up and sorted out to drive, which it does quite well.

SAAC Registry Details:

The following information has been provided to the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) for inclusion into the forthcoming updated edition of their World Registry:

A complete rotisserie restoration started in January 2003, and was completed in March 2006. #1175 was concours restored to all original specifications.

A footnote entry in the 1997 Shelby Registry notes:  “Severely damaged in the front and repaired by Hertz”. No major damage was observed upon #1175’s disassembly for restoration. The only observed previous structural repair was replacement of the right front frame rail. No other evidence of damage was noted. Unibody straightness was checked during restoration by the body shop, which has equipment for that purpose, and found to be within factory specifications.  

Converted from an automatic to a 4-speed with a Hurst Super Shifter sometime in the 60’s or early 70’s. Car was autocrossed, raced at Bonneville then stored beginning in 1979 for 22 years. A planned restoration during that period never materialized.