So here is the newest entry of Shelby Mustang from the Franklin Mint stables, the 1966 Shelby GT-350H.
First,
let me say that this is a fantastic rendition of the famed Hertz
Rent-a-racer. FM got the body lines right and under the hood is a work
of art in miniature.
I AM a Shelby freak. I have always loved Mustangs and of any of the
Shelby's ever done in Mustang form, the Black and Gold version of the
GT-350H rates right up there as my very favorite one. Why? Maybe it's
the rarity of the vehicle, the special significance of the Black and
Gold paint job. Maybe it's just the fact that this was a high
performance vehicle that could have been had for just a mere $70 a week
with insurance. And if you wrecked it, you just walked away.
But
more over, it was the history of this car that allowed the weekend
warriors of the paved battle grounds we call a race track to drive an
asphalt melting, tire disintegrating monster pony off to victory at a
fraction of the cost of a real race car.
A few of those
aforementioned weekend warriors were just a tad timid to rent the car
and grab a bottle of liquid shoe polish to create a number on the side.
Instead, some racers were known to rent the car, grab the wrenches and
an engine hoist to perform a little R and R (remove and replace) the
potent power plant beneath the gold striping and install it in their
own rides. If the engine blew, it was insured and just a matter of
putting it back in the Mustang and file the claim with the Hertz rental
counter.
Yes, FM did a wonderful job recreating the one Shelby
Mustang that carried more nostalgia than a majority of the history of
Shelby American.
But beauty usually hides a few cosmetic flaws
and unfortunately, this Shelby is no different. Under the hood is a
wonderful recreation of the 306 horsepower 289 cubic inch engine and it
is done in the typical Ford Blue block. All 1965 289's were the
hi-performance engines and all were painted black but for 1966, all
GT350's were painted blue. This Ford Blue also carries to the "COBRA"
oil pan that Shelby used. The oil pan is there, but it is painted blue
but the correct color was aluminum.
I was a bit confused on this
issue so I sent a note to Rick Kopec, President of the Shelby American
Automobile Club (SAAC) and his reponse was...
Blocks on all 1965 GT350s were black. The blocks on all 1966 GT350s
were blue. That said, there were likely exceptions (with Shelbys this
is usually the case) but for the purpose of creating a model, a blue
block on a ‘66 GT350 Hertz car is accurate. All aluminum oil pans were
left in natural aluminum and not painted.
Best regards,
Rick"
One of the features of the Hertz Shelby was that it was a four-seater.
Now, it is possible that FM recreated this model in a "rear seat folded
flat only" version but either way, the rear seat does not unfold and
remains flat. Speaking of flat, the dash pad should have been angled
upward just a bit more. Its appearance is extremely flat but the
average person is not going to really notice it too much I don't think.
The interior is REALLY nicely done however with FM capturing the
correct gauge package, seats and steering wheel. Even the shifter has
the correct look and angle to it.
Outside...FM worked its magic
and got it right. No doubt that this was done off the tooling for the
GT-350 done a few years ago but there were changes to body style that
FM nailed just right.
Some have argued the gold stripes are off
in color but if you stop to think about it, this is a 40 year old car
and quite honestly, the stripes on the real cars have probably been
restored to a multitude of shades of gold. To me, it is pretty close if
not just right. One thing to note about the stripe that not too many
companies get correct when doing a recreation of the Shelby Mustang.
The original Shelby stripe had a slight taper on the hood where it
meets the grill. This was true if you had a GT-350, an H model or an R
model and FM got this perfect! Even the section below the grill and
above the bumper was striped.
But in the grill area, there was
some extra work done on the FM model not present on the real car. If
you notice the center of grill, there is a small section just between
the stripes that is not supposed to be there.
The ride height seems a bit tall but acceptable. An avid modeler could remedy that easily.
Lastly, the tires are a bit of a problem. Although Shelby's ran on Good Year tires, they were not Eagle GT's.
I
know pointing this out will seem like I am disappointed with their
rendering of this wonderful piece of Musclecar history but they are
minor. You need to add this car to your collection...it really is
wonderful. The detail in the emblems and the mean look to the body
work, interior and engine is just magnificent.
About the author: Brian Schindler is a DCP member and avid collector of diecast for over 20 years. He also writes for
Toy Cars & Models where he has a standing monthly column called "A 1:24-Hour Hobby".
Brian has also written several feature articles
on automotive products ranging from accessory items to 1/18th scale. As a result of the article
"The Definative Story" surrounding the Revell Monogram line of Creative Masters Ltd. diecast,
he was responsible for bringing back the line for a 3rd generation with the launch of the limited edition 1969 Yenko Camaro.
Brians other interest also include racing slot cars on his wild setup pictured here!
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