Interest in classically styled muscle cars continues to flourish, though not everyone who lusts for the lines of a ’60s Detroit icon is tolerant of ’60s Detroit ride and handling characteristics, or the temperamental nature of a highly tweaked V-8 of the period. Enthusiasts today are largely spoiled by contemporary performance cars, leading many to realize that what they really want is a car that looks like the ones they admired from back in the day, but with modern capabilities.
Fulfilling such desires is the specialty of outfits like Classic Recreations of Yukon, Oklahoma, a full-service restoration facility with a history of building early Mustangs for clients who want it all. Founder Jason Engel has been leading Classic Recreations through such projects for more than 10 years, grabbing Carroll Shelby’s attention along the way and ultimately striking a licensing agreement to build Shelby Mustang continuation cars.
The latest is the G.T.500CR, patterned after the 1967 Shelby and billed as being, “an incredible combo of retro looks and high-tech handling,” by its maker. Until recently, it was offered in two forms: Intro and Performance, both of which rely on 427-inch versions of the Ford Windsor V-8, topped with electronic fuel injection and making 545hp, backed with Tremec manual transmissions and 9-inch Ford-type rear axles. Chassis refinements include rack-and-pinion steering and Shelby/Baer braking; Intro models receive coil-over front suspension while the Performance version also gets a coil-over arrangement at the rear.
Now Classic Recreations is introducing what may be the ultimate iteration of its G.T.500CR continuation series: The Venom, featuring a 780hp supercharged 427 engine, using an intercooled ProCharger system offering 21PSI boost levels. The rear axle is also upgraded to a Fab-9 housing and fitted with 3.50:1 gears, while the stock-type front suspension is replaced with a Rod and Custom Motorsports Mustang II coil-over system; in the rear, a Total Control Performance G-Link coil-over suspension replaces the factory leaf-spring arrangement. All G.T.500CR models use Shelby 427 17×8-inch front wheels, though the Venom stretches the rear widths all the way to 11 inches.
All cars are built to order, and the company reports that you should expect that to take about four months, as there are said to be roughly 2,500 man-hours in the creation of each car. The list of specific equipment and options is lengthy, though you can pore over all the details on the company site at www.1967fastback.com. Meanwhile, check out the video announcing the Venom.