Brian Schindler
1966 Shelby Mustang GT-350H
By Brian Schindler
Nov 1, 2006 - 11:13:34 PM

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.




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