1966 SHELBY GT350 AND 2015 FORD MUSTANG SUPER SNAKE DEBUT LA AUTO SHOW

     To be completely honest Ford Motor Company had a very weak showing at the 2013 LA Auto Show. For one of the Largest booth at the Auto show this year there were only 3 things that stood out to me and one of the was a Video Game. Lets do this in order. The best part of Ford's Blue Oval Booth was the Ford ST Simulator. This has to be the coolest simulator I have ever seen.  It look like it was build by Disney for Ford and is the closest you can get to a real Driving Experience. Full 360 degree rotation simulating drifting into the corner and the mechanical pitched up to 50 degrees vertical and 40 degrees decent giving the rider the full driving experience of going up and down the hills. We would love to drive the Nurburgring in a sweet SMS Saleen S7 or the Galpin GTR-1. For God sakes give me at least a Ford GT40.  

     The two flaws in the system. Ford was only giving people one lap at Laguna Seca Raceway which is not even enough time to get comfortable with the controls of the simulator.  Basically two minutes and the experience is over. The next issue we had was your were driving a Fiesta ST??? Really? A state of the are simulator where It look like you can go full Top Gun F-16 Tom Cat or fly with R2-D2 and attack the Empire in a full F wing Squadron. Lucky for DRC we had our good friends at Looxcie send us the new Looxcie 3 wearable camera to capture all the action at the LA Auto Show.

Here is Clip of the Ford ST Driving Simulator

   Next Stop Was the New Super Snake that had a nice set of Forgiato Wheels on it and Look to Have a slight wide body kit. Classic Mustang with the Ford Pearl White and Blue Racing stripes. It was well done and put together. The New Ford Mustang ST was also at the show but they really went big on Wed December 4 2013 by having a full press review at Mann's Grauman"s TCL Chinese Theater. The Name changes all the time it seem like and they now have in cement the Ford Pony Logo and the Factory Tire Marks of the 2015 Mustang. Already a Celebrity in Hollywood and hasn't even done anything, Typical Hollywood Starlett.

   The entire car has changed all the way down to the floor pans. For the much anticipated 50th anniversary, the pony car will come with 3 available engines: 3.7L V6; 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder; and Coyote 5.0L V8. Outside, the car has seen many changes. Of course, we’ll let you decide for yourself. In the meantime, here’s our take on Ford’s all-new 2015 Ford Mustang. We cover the engine, brakes, exterior and interior as well as some of the features and options.

The 2015 Ford Mustang GT is a sight to see up close, with sleek lines and an aggressive grille, the car is drastically different than its predecessor. The Mustang GT will come with a Coyote motor capable of a projected 420 hp, the same as the 2014 version. We’re not positive, but we’d bet Ford will try to get more power from the engine.

Backing-up the all-aluminum Coyote motor will be either a six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. We noticed Brembo brakes peeking out from behind the large rims on the GT version at the TCL Chinese Theater. All Mustangs will come with four-wheel power disc brakes. The 3.7L and 2.3L Mustangs will come with 12.6-inch, twin-piston brakes up front, while the 5.0L Mustang GT will have 13.9-inch, four-piston brakes behind the front wheels. We’ve also gotten word that the car will retain an independent rear suspension.

Until 2015 gets here in 4 months or so by Auto Industry Standards we have photo of the 2014 Super Snake GT500 Ford Mustang to hold you over as well as a few Focus and Fiesta ST for the baller's on a Budget out there. Also Ford and Hot Wheels did a 2014 Transit Van to look likes something out of the Fast and The Furious Movie Franchise. The FF7 Hot Wheels Van was Cool but GM did the Hot Wheels theme last year on the 2014 Camaro SS so it was a little cheesey to see Ford Copy the Concept Car Hot Wheels theme. 

Also the 2014 Ford Mustang GT500 Super Snake By Forgiato Wheels had an awesome car with a wide body kit at the show since Ford did there big Media Debut or the 2015 on the Wed. After the Auto Show. 

  Finally The only car in the Ford Booth to make any sense was the 1966 Shelby GT 350. As stated above it is the 50th anniversary of the Mustang. It first hit show rooms in 1964 with a 286 pony and a 302 option. Ford has come along ways since then and Carroll Shelby help pioneer the Mustang and most of the Racing heritage of this car not to mention gave us the beautiful highly sought after Ford Cobra. The Shelby GT 350 was the muscle car of the era and started the Horsepower Wars of the Late 60's until 1972 when DOT (Department of Transportation) came down with a ton of safety regulations (like smog and seatbelts)

For 1966, the GT 350 lost its Mustang tag and was marketed simply as the Shelby GT 350.The new model year also saw the introduction of non-white colors, including blue, red, green, and black. Other changes included special rear quarter-panel windows replacing the factory extractor vents, functional brake scoops on each side, and optional SelectShift 3-speed auto trans, as well as an optional Paxton supercharger. The battery was no longer relocated to the trunk for 1966, and the over-rider traction bars were discontinued. The normal factory fold-down rear seat was optional. While early 1965 cars had black engine blocks, 1966 and later cars had their engines painted the regular factory Ford dark blue. The 1966 models came with a dual-exhaust exiting in the rear.

The first 252 GT 350s for 1966 began as 1965 Mustang K-Code Fastbacks. These cars were specifically ordered by Shelby for conversion into 1966 GT 350s. Upon delivery to Shelby-American, the cars were randomly picked for conversion. The Shelby VINs do not correspond in numerical order with Ford VINs. The Ford VINs were shipped in 'blocks,' but many differ significantly because the order they were taken for conversions.

Total production for 1966 was 1,373 fastbacks, including two prototypes and four drag cars, and the 252 early production models with Ford Mustang 1965 bodies. The Hertz rental company ordered 1,003 fastbacks, including two prototypes. Four Convertiable were also produced, for a total of 2,378 units for 1966. A small number of the 1966 models were fitted from the factory with Paxton Supercharger, but not the No-Spin LSD Differental; with an option price of US$670, the engine was rated at 440 hp (330 kW) 

If you're in the market for a 1965-1966 Shelby GT350 plan on dropping a cool $180K+ is what an original excellent condition goes for at auction. 

Well That was Ford in a Nutshell. 

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