My Favorite Mistake - John Carpenter on his 68 GT350

Author: Carp  (more...)

I have always wanted to abuse in public the guy who lied to me about this car. I found undercoating stuck to the carpet. The pictures on my web page gives a complete look at the rust. But perhaps the best thing to do is just remind everyone to check these cars out carefully prior to purchase. Join a club and get one of the experts in the club, one of the guys the other guys rely on for good info, to help you.

As it is, I get a good feeling of having saved this car from the rust heap. It is a real Shelby. I found the build sheet taped to the wires behind the dash. All I really had to do is fix it up.

Joe Tashjian played a major role in helping me get this car set up. New Windsor Auto Body, New Windsor, Maryland, (410-848-3377) did most of the body work. We found a lot of rust and some surprises in the engine, but we sucked it up and fixed it the way Carroll Shelby would have done. We replaced the 302 with a 351 Windsor and added an original Cobra supercharger. We replaced the C-4 automatic with a top-loader 4 speed. The supercharger and a lot of help came from Paradise Wheels (Craig Connoly 760-740-0954) in San Diego. The supercharger would have never fit without some great help from Charles Wagner fabricating custom mounting brackets. Rebuilt the suspension like the 65 racing GT 350s and added some original traction bars.

There is not a speck of rust on this car. It's not all correct and original, but it is close. The car was done as of Sept 2000, over two and a half years in work, and it is very fast.

John "Carp" Carpenter

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