MORE THAN ORIGINAL

A Dream Car Realized

It’s funny how certain car-related associations work out. Maybe timing really is everything when it comes to cars. When Arvada, Colorado’s Ken Godsey was a teenager, his dream car was a ’67 big-block Mustang. “I always wanted to own a 1967 Mustang Fastback,” Godsey said. “And when I went looking for my first car with my father, we found a ’67 Mustang Fastback, one with a 428 FE engine that had been installed by the previous owner. It was the perfect car for me!” Godsey’s father, however, thought otherwise. “What I ended up with instead of that 428 Mustang was a ’70 Chevelle sedan with a 307 engine in it. I never forgave old dad for that one,” he said with a smile.

The Search for the Perfect Mustang

As the next 22 years passed, Godsey never forgot the elusive big-block Mustang. In 2001, he finally found the car he had been looking for, and he told the story to us.

“Three years ago, I ran across an eccentric collector north of Denver who had 80 acres of cars, trucks, airplanes, army vehicles, buses, lawn mowers…you name it, and it was sitting there untouched for 23 years,” Godsey said. “And right there in the middle of it all was this ’67 Mustang fastback.”

After parting with $500, Godsey finally had his dream car, the Mustang he had always wanted—or at least the very makings of one. “Obviously, the car needed a complete restoration,” he said.

Building the Dream: A Shelby GT 500 Clone

Godsey, however, decided to take the project to another level. He wanted more than a typical big-block Mustang; he wanted to transform the fastback into a mock Shelby GT 500. But that’s not all. Godsey didn’t want a run-of-the-mill ’67 Shelby GT-500 clone; instead, he was about to create a rare 427 FE-powered model, an undertaking of major proportions.

Chassis and Suspension Upgrades

Starting with the chassis, Godsey commissioned Englewood, Colorado’s Wild West Off-Road to first install a set of Total Control Products subframe connectors, followed by the installation of a cross-braced and narrowed 3.25:1 9-inch rear with Moser axles and a Detroit Locker. The assembly rides on a set of 5-1/2-leaf Total Control rear springs, and the rest of the rear suspension is formed using a pair of Traction Masters traction bars and KYB gas-charged rear shocks. Braking comes in the form of a pair of SSBC Force-10 11-inch slotted-rotor rear disc brakes.

In front, Godsey’s Mustang has been updated with a Total Control Products front suspension assembly, which includes a set of ’70 Mach-1 front disc brake spindles, Aldan coilover shocks, a Total Control Products front sway bar, KRC Racing power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and a set of SSBC 11-inch disc brakes with slotted rotors. Next was the addition of a 22-gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell from Denver’s Aerospace Components. Wheels and tires consist of a set of 17×8-inch PS Engineering cast-aluminum wheels rolling on a set of 245/40-ZR17 and 285/40-ZR17-inch Goodyear Eagle F-1 D-3 radial rubber.

The Heart of the Beast: A 472-Inch Stroked 427 FE

Powering this awesome package is a 472-inch stroked Blue Oval Performance Engineering-prepared Shelby Enterprises aluminum-alloy 427 FE producing 603 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. Internals include a S.C.A.T. Enterprises stroker crank, PRB H-beam cap-screw connecting rods, Speed Pro-equipped PRB forged-aluminum pistons, a Crower flat-tappet cam and spring kit, ARP engine fasteners, King engine bearings, an Edelbrock high-flow-aluminum water pump and a Speed Pro/Accusump oiling system.

Engine Components and Performance

Another important part of the package is a set of Edelbrock Performer FE aluminum cylinder heads, which utilize a 2.25-inch stainless steel intake, 1.75-inch stainless steel exhaust valves and a combination of Crower and Dove Engineering valvetrain hardware. Bolted in between is a Dove Engineering Tunnel Wedge 2×4 aluminum intake manifold sporting a pair of 600cfm Holley carbs. These are capped off with a Blue Thunder paper-element oval air cleaner. Ignition duties on Godsey’s big-inch FE are handled by a PerTronix-equipped factory Ford distributor, while exhaust duties are handled by a combination of JBA ceramic-coated headers, a Dr. Gas X-pipe and Spintech mufflers with 4-inch oval Meg’s tips.

Transmission and Drivetrain

Godsey gets the power to the pavement via a Hurst-assisted Tremec TKO 5500 five-speed transmission, using a Lakewood-contained McLeod 11-1/2-inch clutch and 12-inch pressure plate. The final link in the car’s powertrain is a Front Range Driveline-fabricated 3-1/2-inch-diameter custom aluminum driveshaft.

Paint, Bodywork, and Interior Customizations

Paint and bodywork on Godsey’s mock Shelby were handled by Harvey and Cecil Albin and Warren Sanders, all from Albin’s Performance Inc. in Arvada, Colorado. Highlights include fully molded Tony D. Branda Shelby fiberglass body panels and the outrageously bright PPG Torch Red paint, complete with contrasting Wimbeldon White LeMans racing stripes.

On the inside, Godsey’s fastback features a custom Shelby center console, a padded Shelby rollbar with Shelby seat belt retractors, Shelby and Auto Meter instrumentation, and a complete Sony audio system. “From a technical aspect, this car is pretty authentic,” Godsey said. In fact, Godsey’s mock Shelby is so authentic that it recently captured “Best Shelby Clone” honors at the 2004 Mid-America Shelby and High Performance Ford event in Tulsa. And if you have ever checked out this group of high-end Shelbys, then you know that’s a pretty discriminating group of hardcore Shelby enthusiasts, all of whom help keep the legend alive!

A Full-Circle Journey

It’s kind of funny how one young man began his long love affair with the Mustang by being stuck in a Chevy sedan, only to bounce back years later with such an award-winning beauty. These are the very things that keep the Blue Oval enthusiast so different from the hordes of “normal” car guys.