Classic Recreations, an Oklahoma workshop that specializes precisely in carrying out major renovations, is licensed by Ford and Shelby American to perform modifications and restorations on their classic models. The latest masterpiece is an authentic 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 with a carbon fiber body for the first time.
Behind this special vehicle, there is painstaking and obsessive work, which starts with an original 1967 or 1968 Mustang body that is restored to like-new condition using hundreds of man-hours of labor. The carbon fiber GT500CR also begins with a restored donor steel tub that is then fitted with all-new carbon fiber body panels. To do this, they used a digital blue light scanner from SpeedKore with which they produced a 3D model of the car.
Then, they reproduced the molds for that model with a five-axis CNC machine, and then plugs and panels are pulled using aerospace-grade prepreg carbon fiber. The molded carbon fiber body panels are then cured using a massive in-house autoclave.
The result is the first carbon-fiber-bodied Mustang and one that also has an ultra-tough steel chassis. In other words, this is the stiffest and lightest ‘classic’ Shelby Mustang ever. The advantage of having a bodywork in what the company calls “aerospace carbon fiber” is added to the possibility of choosing from a wide range of modern high-performance engines.
Moving on to the heart of the GT500CR, we will find various possible solutions pushing it, ranging from a 490-horsepower Ford Performance Gen 3 5.0L Coyote crate engine up to a 900-horsepower, a hand-built 427-cubic-inch engine with an intercooled ProCharger supercharger. All Shelby GT500CR models are equipped with a five-speed Tremec manual transmission and a MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust.
The Pro-Touring Track option package includes Detroit Speed Engineering suspension, wider rear wheels and tires, and six-piston brake calipers with larger rotors. Other customization options are available, including six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, a wide range of interior enhancements, and a full palette of paint colors.
“Since 1998, Mr. Shelby believed that carbon fiber would be the future of American sports car manufacturing. We believe the introduction of a carbon-fiber GT500 Mustang and Cobra is a natural next step in the evolution of these iconic vehicles and builds on the legacy of the same innovation that Carroll Shelby was known for,” said Neil Cummings, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International.
