mod@tech

I think we sometimes forget that Henry J. Kaiser’s original intention when entering the automobile business after World War II was to build a small family car of high quality at a price nearly anyone could afford. Kaiser talked about building a modern Model A, a great car at a low price. Before he teamed up with Joseph Frazer to form Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, Mr. Kaiser had his West Coast-based engineers working on several small-car design projects. They weren’t automotive engineers, so some of the prototypes were strange little two-passenger jobs that looked like something you’d see at a circus or a bumper-car ring. Others were more conventional, though much smaller than a standard-size car. Kaiser’s engineers were talented, though, and they tried a variety of innovative approaches to lowering the cost of building a car. However, in the end they came to realize what the Big Three automakers already knew: When you try to take cost out of a car, its content and product appeal go down a lot faster than expenses.

So, Kaiser-Frazer ended up building medium- and high-priced cars instead, which they did successfully—at first. But the dream of building a “modern Model A” persisted, and by 1949 K-F engineers were back at it. They decided to base the new car on a prototype built by auto supplier AMP Corp. It was a stark, unappealing two-door sedan on a 100-inch wheelbase. Designer Dutch Darrin altered some of its lines to give the design more flair, though in the end writer Tom McCahill said it looked like a Cadillac that started smoking at a young age.

Back then, it was considered crucial that the new small car was priced low, because car prices had been traditionally determined by size; the bigger the car, the more expensive it was. A little car was supposed to carry a small price tag, period. It may have been of good quality, provided a smoother ride, and offered better cornering stability; regardless, if it was small it had to be cheap. Nash got around this “rule” by loading its Rambler with $300 worth of custom accessories at no charge while simultaneously offering the car in the most expensive body styles. Only later would it bring out a low-priced two-door sedan simply because it was necessary to first produce the sales volume the Rambler needed to survive.

Part of the cost-reduction problem is the difficulty of decreasing labor costs. See, installing a fender or door takes about the same time whether it’s on a Kaiser Manhattan or a Henry J. So, even though labor was a significant part of a car’s cost, the Kaiser engineers had to resort to de-contenting the car to reduce costs. On a 1950’s base car there was not much one could eliminate without hurting product appeal—remember that even heaters and AM radios were optional.

One thing the engineers did with the Henry J was eliminate the trunk lid, forcing people to access the space via the folding rear seat. That went over like liverwurst casserole on your birthday. In fact, a big cause of the Henry J’s failure was that it was cheapened too far. Missing were things most people considered essential, like the trunk lid, glovebox (buyers got little pouches on the passenger side instead), fresh-air ventilation, and gauges for amps and oil that were replaced by warning lamps. For all that, the basic Henry J was only about $50 cheaper than a full-size Chevy, which had a functional trunk lid and a proper glovebox. Additionally, the Henry J’s fastback styling soon fell out of date.

Sadly, Kaiser-Frazer stylists had mocked up a variety of Henry J proposals using the same basic body, though tweaked to provide a better appearance. There was a hardtop with a conventional trunk and Nash-style reverse slope C-pillars; a fastback sedan with a “Traveler-style” hatchback door; a neat convertible built by a dealer; and my favorite, a two-door sedan with a conventional roofline and rear trunk—it was the size of a Nash Rambler sedan, but much more handsome.

In the end, Henry Kaiser didn’t create a “modern Model A” as he’d hoped. By being forced to focus almost exclusively on cutting the price of the small car as far as they could, the small sedan was stripped of so many basic features that it was perceived as a car for poor people. And as history has shown, no car with that reputation can succeed for long. Remember the Yugo?

Overview

The story is epic. Carroll Shelby’s raw, race-ready G.T. 350 broke cover in 1965, setting the stage for a stampede of Shelby American-modded Mustangs to come. The first Shelbyfied ponies crowded winner’s circles and attracted buyers to Ford showrooms but, over the course of the Shelby G.T.’s five-model-year run, the cars transformed from racers into stylish muscle cars. One thing was clear, however, as the curtain drew to a close and the house lights came up in 1970—the audience was calling out for more Shelby G.T.s.

A cult-like following developed in the ensuing decades—curated and cultivated in no small part by diehards in the Shelby American Automobile Club—and today, all of the Shelby Mustangs through 1970 are hot commodities among collectors. Yes, the purest of the breed are the original G.T. 350s, but the later cars make up for their lack of racing chops with unmatched style and a Shelby pedigree. The best road-going Shelby Mustangs, and the ones most deserving of the grand tourer moniker? It has to be the G.T. 500s with their big-cubic-inch power and more luxurious appointments.

The G.T. 500 story began with the ’67 Ford Mustangs, which were larger, heavier, yet more polished than their predecessors. Plus, there was also more space between the front shock towers for Ford’s FE-series V-8 engines. To give the G.T. 500 more might than a 390-powered Mustang, Shelby went to the Ford parts bin and pulled out the 428, then topped it with dual carbs and some racy-looking finned-aluminum trim pieces.

But the ’67 model year also marked a turning point in the production of the Shelby-tuned Mustangs. These cars weren’t shipped to Shelby American for full makeovers with competition chassis and engines; instead, they were given some more conventional tweaks and a full-tilt Shelby styling treatment. Shelby American installed a new fiberglass hood with scoops, air intakes on the quarters reminiscent of the GT40 race cars, and an aggressive fiberglass nose with added lights as well as a ’glass tail piece. Inside, there was a roll bar with inertia-reel shoulder harnesses, a wood steering wheel, stylized interior trim, and full instrumentation that included an 8,000- rpm tach and 140-mph speedometer.

For ’68 there were refinements as well as cosmetic updates and the legendary G.T. 500 KR arrived mid-year, powered by the 428 Cobra Jet. Notably, however, production shifted away from Shelby American to A.O. Smith in Michigan and a rift between Shelby and Ford over the Mustang program widened.

The ’69 Shelby G.T.s were sort of “Shelby by association” and given a distinctive makeover by Ford stylists with custom fiberglass and plastic body parts. They were bigger and heavier than ever, and a major departure from the Shelby-American-made ’65 originals, but they definitely stood out—even in a market packed with flamboyant muscle cars. These cars also marked the end of the Shelby/Mustang line (for a while) as the ’70 editions were ’69s updated with 1970 VINs.

So where does all of this leave the aspiring ’69-’70 Shelby G.T. 500 owner today? The ’69-’70 editions might be the most approachable of the breed, but they’re still six-figure cars. We’ve seen nice-looking fastbacks change hands at auction for $100,000-$120,000 recently while convertibles have commanded $130,000-$150,000. Meanwhile, popular price guides are more optimistic setting the average price of a fastback at $150,000 and a convertible at $190,000. Over the last three years on Hemmings.com, the average asking price of a 1969 G.T. 500 (convertibles and coupes) was $155,000. The highest asking price was $220,000 while the lowest asking price was $88,000. In that same period, the average asking price of a 1970 G.T. 500 was $160,000 with a high of $200,000 and a low of $130,000.

These cars qualify as low production, which helps boost their values. SAAC data says there were 1,157 1969 G.T. 500 fastbacks and 214 convertibles built. For 1970, there were just 380 fastbacks and 90 convertibles. Despite that scarcity, these cars turn up for sale regularly. As of this writing, on Hemmings.com, there were five 1969s listed and two 1970s. Among the group was a fastback with an unusual Grabber Green exterior over white interior color combination, reported to be a one-owner, unrestored car and driven just over 26,000 miles. The listing price by a private seller was $175,000. All that said, values for these cars have only begun to regain their pre-2008 financial crash highs, and it’s hard to say how much they’ll appreciate over the coming decades. Traditional buyers of these cars are well into retirement and perhaps not as interested in owning their dream muscle car as they once were.

Still, if your pockets run deep enough to afford the price of admission, this is a great way into the cult of Carroll Shelby. The 1969-’70 G.T. 500s are beautifully styled and can offer miles and miles of quality grand touring time.

Body

The 1969-’70 Shelby G.T.s were based on the production Mustang yet, through the magic of glass fiber and resin, they looked completely different. The ducted front fenders? Fiberglass. Scooped, ducted hood? Fiberglass. Trunk lid and rear taillamp surround? Fiberglass and more fiberglass.

The custom bodywork on the Shelby made it almost 4 inches longer than a Mustang, and the makeover required about two-dozen unique parts in total. The Shelby G.T.’s roof, quarter panels, doors, and floors are shared Mustang sheetmetal stampings. So too are the inner panels in the engine compartment that serve as attachment points for the front suspension and the welded-in rear rails that tie into the boxed-in rockers. Students of early Mustangs will recognize all of these structural bits as potential areas for rot and metal fatigue requiring a lot of labor to fix properly. All of the structural pieces are available from the aftermarket (or the diminishing supply of rust-free donor cars), but it’s crucial that they be installed straight and securely.

Finding all of the sheetmetal for a 1969- ’70 Shelby isn’t difficult and the fiberglass bits are reproduced as well, which brings us to the question of authenticity—it’s a debate that’s been raging for decades (just do a Google search for “Shelby rebody”). Is a Mustang shell with tags removed from the carcass of an irrecoverably rusted or wrecked Shelby still an authentic car? Regardless of where you stand, swapping tags from one body to another opens a can of worms from a legal perspective and the resale value is murky. The best advice we can offer before buying one of these cars is to join SAAC, consult their experts, get your hands on a copy of the 1968-’70 registry, and do your homework. Buying a car with a documented history may cost more upfront, but will pay dividends down the road. (Incidentally, VIN decoders for 1969-’70 Shelby G.T.s are widely available, but the VIN should have 48 in the 6th and 7th positions denoting a Shelby and an R in the fifth position for a 428 CJ.)

Chassis and Brakes

The bad news about the 1969-’70 Shelby underpinnings? Everything was shared with the Mustang Mach 1 and nothing was particularly cutting-edge or exotic. The good news about the 1969-’70 Shelby underpinnings? Everything was shared with the Mustang Mach 1, and nothing was particularly cutting-edge or exotic. Up front, there was independent suspension with ball joints, A-arms, and coil springs mounted above the upper arm. A 15⁄16-inch front anti-sway bar was used on the G.T. 500 and adjustable gas shocks were also part of the package. Power steering was mandatory via a power ram, fed by a belt-driven hydraulic pump acting on the steering linkage. In the rear were variable-rate leaf springs with adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers. On four-speed cars the shocks were mounted in a staggered arrangement—the left shock was mounted behind the rear axle and the right shock in front of the axle. Shelbys in ’69 and ’70 all rolled on 15 x 7 five-spoke wheels—made with a cast aluminum center and steel outer rim—shod with E70-15 Wide Oval tires; F60 Goodyear Polyglas tires were optional. The standard brake package consisted of power assisted 11.3-inch discs up front with 10 x 2-inch drums in the rear. The simplicity of the Shelby’s underpinnings and the widespread availability of chassis parts— both stock-type and modified—is definitely part of the charm of these cars. The suspension wasn’t considered world-class when new, but it was rugged, functional, and perfect for red-light-to-red-light showdowns on the street or some spirited backroad driving. If you’re lucky enough to be able to restore one of these muscle-era classics, rebuilding the suspension and steering is an approachable DIY endeavor—even to very high quality with some research.

Engine

Ah yes, the bullet in the big Shelby’s chamber. The 428 Cobra Jet was rated for 335 hp at 3,200 rpm. Output was closer to 400, however, thanks to free-breathing heads (based on the 427 low-riser design), a 735-cfm Holley 4150 four-barrel carburetor, 10.6:1 compression, and a hydraulic camshaft with 270/290-degrees duration (advertised) and .481/.490-inch lift. The 428’s long 3.98-inch stroke (under a 4-inch bore) also helped it make an impressive 440 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm. Ordering the Drag Pack option got you a 3.91:1 or 4.30:1 gear ratio and the Super Cobra Jet 428. (Ordering the deeper gears automatically triggered Drag Pack.) The SCJ 428 had no additional power, just beefier connecting rods, a “special” harmonic balancer (to balance the heavier rods), and an oil cooler. The 428 Cobra Jet is a legendary performance engine and still a big deal among muscle-era Ford enthusiasts. A numbers-matching engine will of course add to the value of any Shelby. On the 428 Cobra Jet, there is often a partial VIN stamped on a pad on the engine block above the bellhousing on the left side that should jibe with the car’s VIN. (The numbers are small, irregularly spaced, and it’s a very difficult place to access on an assembled car.) Sometimes VINs were stamped on the end of one of the cylinder heads. There’s plenty of information out there about rebuilding FEs and replacement parts are available. If you’re chasing concours wins, however, correct, original replacement parts and accessories for these engines can wind up costing you. For instance, if the Shelby you’re considering had a set of headers bolted on years back, and the manifolds were tossed, you could buy a set of reproduction exhaust manifolds for around $800 to return it to stock, but a correct set could set you back thousands. We spotted one set for sale recently with an asking price of $3,000 and another described as NOS with an H pipe included for $5,500. It seems like the supply of 428 CJ blocks and heads is shrinking all the time and you can expect to pay dearly for correct castings. Correct air cleaner assemblies and parts are available, but also spendy.

Transmission & Axle

The G.T. 500 could be equipped with the buyer’s choice of a Ford C6 automatic transmission or a close-ratio Toploader four-speed gearbox paired with an 11.5-inch clutch. Gear ratios packed in the 9-inch axle included the standard 3.50:1 or optional 3.91:1 and 4.30:1 (with Drag Pack). Air conditioning was available on the G.T. 500 only if the car was equipped with the C-6 automatic transmission and the mandatory gear ratio with air was a 3.00:1. Traction-Lok limited slip was an option as well. The C6, Toploader, and 9-inch axle are bombproof Ford components backed by a broad knowledge base. Parts to rebuild the drivetrain of a G.T. 500 aren’t particularly expensive or hard to locate. It’s worth noting that the Toploader paired with the 428 uses the larger 1 3/8- inch input shaft. Also, the Toploader paired with the 428 and the C6 both use 31-spline output shafts. If you’re looking for a factory-correct car, you’ll want to verify that the matching-numbers transmission is still on board (VIN stampings are typically on the tops of the transmissions) and the axle date code matches the car’s build date.

Interior

The G.T. 500’s cockpit was a Shelbyfied take on the Mustang Mach 1’s interior. There were Cobra badges in the center of the steering wheel and on the door panels, a special console insert with switches for the Lucas driving lamps, and a gauge pod with instruments for oil pressure and amperage. Fastbacks had a rubber-coated, bolt-in steel roll bar with shoulder-harness seat belts while the convertible’s bar was covered with a wide, wing-shaped molding, for a targa-like appearance. The roll bars were available back in the day from Shelby as an accessory: around $80 retail for the fastback and $90 for the convertible. Today, reproductions are available, but original bars can fetch premium money. We spotted a pair of bars (for fastbacks) for sale recently: one with an asking price of $7,000, the other, which appeared to have been purchased as an accessory from Shelby, with an asking price of $10,000. Most everything needed to make a G.T. 500 interior look like new is available from the aftermarket and of good quality, but like-new original components can raise a car’s value.

The 1969-’70 G.T.s were the end of the Shelby Mustang line for a while, but they’ve never been viewed as a dead end with enthusiasts. Values continue to be strong and will likely remain that way into the future. For the most complete information available on these cars or any early Shelby, SAAC is your best resource.

What to Pay

1969 Convertible: Low-$107,000; Average-$189,000; High-$249,000

1969 Fastback: Low-$80,000; Average-$146,000; High-$232,000

1970 Convertible: Low-$115,400; Average-$200,200; High-$262,700

1970 Fastback: Low-$73,000; Average-$132,000; High-$222,000

Parts Prices

Alternator (reproduction): $359

Coil (reproduction): $100

Center console insert: $525

Exhaust outlet port (reproduction): $450

Fender (fiberglass): $1,014

Hood (fiberglass): $1,465

Oil pan (reproduction): $185

Power steering hose: $62

Roll bar kit (convertible, reproduction): $1,470

Steering wheel (reproduction, complete): $895

Trunk lid (convertible): $735

Brit Sydney Allard, b. 1910, started his automotive career as a driver, winning a novices’ three-lap race at Brooklands in a three-wheeled Morgan, and later gaining some notoriety at hillclimbs in an ex-Tourist Trophy-prepped Ford V-8. His first car, built from a Ford sedan chassis and bits of a Bugatti body, was a success, which only grew when the solid front axle was cut in half and the pieces re-mounted swing-axle-style. Friends wanted cars of their own, and production started in 1937. War halted it, as Allard turned to fixing military equipment to get by, but he restarted in 1945, again using the Ford Pilot chassis and V-8 engine as the basis for his car.

It was the J2, launched in 1949, that saw the Allard company’s American breakthrough. Though still Pilot-based, the J2 featured coil springs in front, and the solid rear axle gave way to a de Dion rear. Thanks to postwar taxes on imported steel into the United Kingdom, versions sent to the States arrived sans engine and transmission, allowing owners to choose their own engine spec. Cadillac’s new OHV V-8 was a popular choice, though the Chrysler Hemi, Rocket Olds, and Lincoln V-8 also fit. So equipped, Allards stormed to victory at Watkins Glen and Bridgehampton, and a Cadillac-powered Allard placed third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1950, behind a pair of Talbot-Lago T26s. By 1951, Allard added victory at the Pebble Beach road race to its credit.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The J2X moved the engine forward about seven inches, extending the nose and allowing drivers greater legroom. A total of 83 were said to have been built, and the one in these pictures was arguably the most successful J2X, and certainly the most influential Allard. In November 1952, oil baron Roy Cherryhomes ordered this Allard J2X, chassis number 3146, through Neil Kirk Motors of Hollywood, California. It was fitted with Cadillac’s proven 331-cubic-inch OHV V-8. Cherryhomes picked a young Carroll Shelby to drive it in SCCA events across the Great Plains states and Texas.

Shelby was behind the wheel of #3146 for a total of five races in 1953; he won four of the five, and came in second for the other. International racing beckoned, and in early 1954, the J2X was sent to Argentina for a 1,000-kilometer race against some of the world’s top teams. Shelby (and friends) were the top-finishing American team, earning 10th overall, and came home with the Kimberly Cup. Just as importantly, Carroll Shelby was so inspired by the Allard and the idea of an American V-8 living in a British sports car chassis. The Shelby Cobra was a direct outgrowth of Carroll’s experience behind the wheel of this Allard J2X, and no Cobra fan can overlook the parallels between Sydney Allard’s and Carroll Shelby’s efforts. Their respective builders started out as successful drivers, utilizing British sports car body and chassis with American power, rather a lot of Ford components, impressive performance, and solid results in competition. A combination of time and the legendary Texan’s success behind the wheel made it (and him) historic; that it served as inspiration for one of America’s most legendary sports car success stories makes it important.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Multiple owners and multiple drivelines from 1970 to present have all seen this historic J2X in vintage-racing competition; it’s used Chrysler Hemi and small-block Chevy power before a correct-era Cadillac engine was installed in 2015. It was restored in 2019 at a cost of $130,000, and at the 2022 RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, California, this historic Allard J2X sold for $626,500—about a third more than the published high average for an original J2X.

Time caught up with Allard, as cheaper MGAs and Austin-Healey 100s offered similar performance, while cars like Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Bristol introduced greater performance for similar money. Allard production ceased after 1956, and by 1959, the Allard name was attached to a line of performance parts (including a front-disc-brake conversion) for the Ford Anglia 105E.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Cadillac OHV V-8

Displacement: 331-cu. in.

Horsepower: 230 at 4,500 rpm

Torque: 322 lb-ft at 2,200 rpm

Transmission: Three-speed manual

Suspension: Swing axle with coil springs (front) De Dion axle with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers (rear)

Brakes: Hydraulic drum (inboard rear)

Wheelbase: 100 inches

The famed Z06 option first saw the light of day on the split-window 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe. Checking that option box gave a Vette buyer a race-ready suspension and braking system. Less than 200 were made, making the remaining cars very desirable to collectors.

The Z06 moniker came back as an option in 2001 and has since represented the highest—or one of the highest—performing models in the entire Corvette lineup. But for 2023, GM pulled out all the stops with the latest C8-based version.

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has already won over the hearts of the press and Corvette fans alike. At the heart of the Z06, packed between the seats and rear axle, breathes an all-new, race-bred, quad-cam engine that carries the torch as the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8 ever made. In the world. Ford can’t touch it. Nor can any Hemi that ever rolled off the production line. Even Ferrari, Aston Martin and AMG are left out of that conversation.

The LT6’s specs are kind of absurd, even in an era when you can buy horsepower by the hundreds from just about any automaker these days. With just 5.5-liters of displacement (or 336-cu.in. if you’re into the old-school measurements), all aluminum-alloy construction, 32 valves, four cams, and a flat-plane crank (like that of a Ferrari V8), it produces 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at 6,300 rpm. That’s 175 horsepower more than the standard C8’s already powerful LT2 V8 and the LT6 tips the scale at roughly two pounds more than the LT2. It even makes 20 more horsepower than the C7’s most-powerful supercharged V8.

Better yet, the Z06 is packaged in the most capable Corvette chassis ever to wear a crossed-flags badge. It’s already winning awards from the press and is a solid bet for not only hot laps times on the road course, but mid-10s in the quarter-mile on street tires.

Naturally, these cars were in demand months before the first one ever arrived in a dealership late last year. The secondary market has also seen lots of activity, but there is one big catch: If you buy the car before the first owner has held it for six months, the warranty is invalidated. GM has been placing such restrictions on various hot cars in recent years, such as with the high-performance V- models from Cadillac.

However, we’ve got you covered here at Hemmings Auctions. For the first time, we have brought across our digital block a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible that will be offered with the balance of its manufacturer’s warranty intact. That factory warranty includes 3 years/36,000 miles of “bumper-to-bumper” coverage along with five years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage on that American-exotic driveline. As always, the fine print, limitations, restrictions and details all affect what is covered and what is not and how that warranty service actually works. We encourage you to visit Chevrolet’s web site for warranty details.

Hemmings Auctions has confirmed that our seller’s Z06 will have been titled in his name for more than six months before the auction ends on July 10. Better yet, this example, nicely equipped with the 3LZ trim level and finished in Arctic White over Adrenaline Dipped Red, shows just 10 miles on the odometer at the time of listing. The mileage is so low because this car hasn’t even left the dealership where the seller bought it. As a loyal customer, they are allowing the car to be kept at their facility until the winning bidder shows up to get the car.

There has never been another homegrown American performance car quite like this 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible. Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a look and let us know what you think.

Pontiac’s Gran Turismo Omologato, or GTO, set a high bar for pure muscle car supremacy during its time, and the Judge was among the most powerful and sought after GTO option in the model’s history.

Made to be a mean machine as a base model, the second-generation GTO came standard with a beastly 400-cid. V8 capable of delivering a ground-pounding 350 horsepower. Bring on the Judge and you get cold air induction from the added Ram-Air III, which increased the power to 366 horses by taking in air through the hood scoops and shoving it through the carburetor. This example, a restored 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge listed for sale on Hemmings Auctions, provides the public with an opportunity to own one of the biggest, baddest muscle cars to come out of the late- ‘60s and early- ‘70s.

According to the seller’s best knowledge, this GTO’s 400-cu.in. Ram-Air III V8 is factory original. The odometer shows just 1,587 miles. Whether or not the engine was rebuilt in its history is unknown, but it does have the code-YZ block, #12 heads, free-flowing exhaust manifolds, iron intake manifold, and Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. The interior is described as being in “excellent condition” and the seller rates the exterior code-75 Cardinal Red paint an honest eight out of 10 stars. The suspension appears to be in like-new condition, and the underbody rust-free.

The auction listing holds the in-depth details, including more photos, a walk-around video, plus a recording of the GTO Judge purring like a big cat while driving down the road.