Detour Dave
Exact Detail 1967 Shelby GT350
By
Mar 21, 2006 - 1:52:55 PM

Introduced in the fall of 1966 as the “Road Cars”, Carroll Shelby’s 1967 GT350 marked a turning point for the professionally modified pony car, combining the best performance elements of the race bred 1965 GT350 with more luxurious amenities typically found on upscale cruisers of the era. The 67 Shelby was in fact the outcome of a lesson learned in 1966, after selling less than 600 GT350’s in 1965 and almost four times that amount in 1966. As a result, Shelby quickly identified with his clientele, realizing what it was they wanted, and more importantly, what they didn’t want.

Unique styling was among the list of things wanted by Shelby’s customers, and although the 67 GT350 was heavily based on Fords extensively redesigned Mustang, it was still a significant variation of the legendary pony car - at least on the outside. Before production of the 67 GT350’s began, certain parts of the Mustang were intentionally left off, such as the nose, hood, and rear deck lid. These sections were later replaced with custom fiberglass pieces at the Shelby American plant in Los Angeles. With a fiberglass hood that featured a wide split hood scoop, an all new front nose that included front fender extensions and deeper headlight housings, and a rear deck lid that flowed with the GT350’s fastback profile, the 67 Shelby clearly had a signature look that was all its own.

 
Other distinctive styling cues included the pair of high beam lamps positioned in the front grille, the Cougar taillights, special GT350 emblems including a branded pop-open gas cap, and the pair of side mounted upper & lower air scoops which were reminiscent of Ford’s illustrious race winning GT40’s. Unlike the GT40 however, the side scoops on the 67 GT350 became more decorative than functional as manufacturing costs increased. For those customers that could afford to further distinguish their custom-crafted GT cars, Shelby offered two attractive wheel options as an alternative to the standard steel wheels which came with wheel covers borrowed from the 67 Thunderbird, personalized with Shelby Cobra center caps. Wrapped in E70x15 Goodyear Speedway tires, optional wheel selections included the Kelsey-Hayes MagStar wheels or the one-piece 10-spoke cast aluminum wheels.

The wheel selections were about more than ornamentation however. Another vital factor in the design of the 67 GT350 was safety, making the larger 15-inch tires and wheels a requirement to help balance the larger and heavier Shelby. Positioned behind the wheels was a mildly tailored version of the Mustang’s heavy-duty suspension which included a thicker front anti-sway bar and stiffer, progressive-rate springs that were unique to the GT350. In addition, the 67 Shelby’s were assembled with power steering as well as Gabriel heavy-duty adjustable shock absorbers with disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear, all of which combined to help the GT350 handle like a world class sports car.

When it came time to lay out the interior of the 67 GT350, Shelby once again made use of what he had learned between 1965 & 1966. Instead of incorporating a rigid, no-frills interior like was found in the 65 GT350, the 67 Shelby employed the Mustang’s more plush Deluxe interior, available in two color choices - black or parchment. With the Deluxe interior came fold-down rear seats as well as the optional 8000-rpm tachometer and 140-mph speedometer which were housed side-by-side within the Mustang’s brushed aluminum instrument panel. On top of the built-in Deluxe interior options, Shelby added his own touches including a wood-rimmed steering wheel, Stewart-Warner oil pressure and ammeter gauges, and a functional roll bar that integrated a pair of shoulder harnesses which were mounted to a pair of inertia reels modeled after those used on F-4 fighter jets. It marked the first time equipment such as this had been used on a production car.

Even though the emphasis was on style, safety, and comfort, other features such as speed and acceleration were still important characteristics. Shelby’s customers wanted a car that performed just as well as the Mustang, if not better, and better is just what they got. 1967 signified the last year for Fords highly decorated 289 power-plant, but that hardly swayed Shelby from putting the potent solid-lifter small-block V8 to use. Equipped with a Cobra hi-rise aluminum intake and a 715-cfm Holley carburetor, along with the stock cast iron 271 Hi-Po exhaust manifolds mated to a set of dual exhausts, the 67 GT350 was dialed in with an estimated 306hp at 6000-rpm and 329 lb-ft of torque at 4200-rpm. Running either the automatic or 4-speed top loader transmissions, with differential ratios set at 3.50:1 for the automatic and 3.89:1 for the manual, the 67 GT350 was capable of accelerating from 0-60 in 7.1 seconds with a full quarter-mile gallop passing by in 15.3 seconds at 91-mph.

Despite the fact that the 67 GT350 wasn’t exactly what Shelby originally envisioned in 1965, it was hard to argue with the customers who bought up over 3,000 of Shelby’s GT cars in 1967, almost six times as many sold in 1965. With its attractive styling, confident roadability, and robust performance, the 1967 Shelby GT350 was - and continues to be - highly admired and desired by car collectors and enthusiasts of all ages.

Just as Shelby was respected within the automotive industry for building fine sports cars, the same could be said for the Watervliet, Michigan based organization known as Lane, who are likewise recognized for building some truly extraordinary cars under the brand name of Exact Detail, only on a much smaller scale - 1/18 scale to be exact. Led by the multi-talented Eric Trapp and an experienced team of knowledgeable designers, who happen to be automotive enthusiasts themselves, the Exact Detail brand has earned Lane a reputation for manufacturing some of the finest 1/18 scale diecast replicas available.

Among their latest projects is an impressive series of highly detailed Shelby’s, including the 1967 GT350, and their most recent release is quite arguably the cream of the crop. Covered in a classic milky white with vibrant blue over-the-top stripes, this breathtaking GT350 has been assembled with remarkable fit and finish, and just like the majority of the replicas produced under the Exact Detail trademark, this 67 Shelby is a work of art. Brilliant touches of chrome, from the pronounced drip rail moldings to the delicate bezels that surround the front headlights as well as the grille-mounted high beam lamps, are among the many intricate details that place this 1/18 scale Shelby in the company of some of the choicest replicas in the industry.

***image2*** Additional elements such as the centered T3 triangles in the front headlights and high beam lamps as well as the precisely replicated grid pattern in the front grille are evidence of the attention to detail that went into the 67 Shelby. Genuinely reproduced Shelby emblems can be found in the front grille and on the rear deck lid while vertically oriented emblems flank the front fenders just above the GT350 side stripes. An accurately molded gas cap, positioned between the Shelby’s authentic Cougar taillights, also features an appropriate Shelby Cobra GT350 emblem. Rounding out a notable list of exterior details are the skillfully cloned Kelsey-Hayes MagStar wheels, wrapped in bona fide raised-white-letter Goodyear Speedway rubber, which have been dressed up with chrome plated trim rings, painted lugnuts, miniature valve stems, and Shelby center caps.

  Much as the Shelby’s exterior display effectively communicates the amount of effort that was poured into this replica, the real fruits of Lane’s labor can’t be appreciated to their full extent without looking below the surface. Take the 67 Shelby’s magnificently miniaturized 289 small-block, for example, with its finned Cobra valve covers, aluminum intake manifold, detailed 4-barrel carburetor, and chrome plated air cleaner lid which is topped off with an accurately duplicated 289 High Performance decal. Fully wired & plumbed, the GT350’s heart & soul is anchored between a pair of detailed shock towers, surrounded by a painted windshield washer fluid reservoir, a wired master cylinder, and a starter solenoid which sits alongside a lifelike Autolite battery, complete with a pair of cables and connectors.

Perhaps the greatest defining characteristic of an Exact Detail replica is its interior, and the 1/18 scale GT350 is a perfect example why. Confined between a set of realistically hinged doors, the 67 Shelby’s remarkably reproduced interior features a bonanza of eye candy. Brushed aluminum inserts fill the door panels as well as the GT350’s dual-cove dash, which is the background for several fascinating particulars from the precisely detailed speedometer and tachometer to the Shelby GT350 emblem and authentic Carroll Shelby autograph to the wood-rimmed 3-spoke steering wheel which is decorated with a coiled Cobra emblem on the horn button.

With accompanying bits and pieces such as the skillfully crafted door sill plates and painted foot pedal trim, as well as the oil pressure and ammeter gauges that are set within chrome plated housings mounted beneath the dash, there’s more than enough detail to keep your eyes from going hungry. The folding bucket seats feature chrome molding and woven seat belts with shoulder harnesses that are linked to genuine inertia reels which are mounted to an accurately fastened roll bar. Rounding out a comprehensive checklist of interior details is a finished headliner with a pair of stationary sun visors as well as a fully carpeted floor with molded mats.

If you like mats, then you’ll appreciate the accurately patterned trunk mat which is neatly tucked inside the opening trunk along with several other little treasures, such as a spare Goodyear tire and Kelsey-Hayes wheel as well as a cool little toolbox. Splashes of paint highlight the latch molded into the backside of the rear seats along with a miniature jack stand and a readable instruction label adorns the underside of the trunk lid. Speaking of undersides, this snake’s underbelly is hiding a few more details waiting to be discovered, such as the steel fuel line that runs to the painted gas tank and the brake lines which are properly routed to the front disc brakes and rear drums. The exhaust and mufflers feature a stainless steel application, while the rotating rear driveshaft is painted with a bare metal finish and three identification stripes.

Generally speaking, the Exact Detail 1/18 scale 1967 Shelby GT350 effectively fulfills the definition implied by its brand name. In terms of accuracy, the 67 Shelby is as close to exact as can be, and as for detail, there’s very little this replica doesn’t have. Limited to 1500 copies produced, the white and blue 67 Shelby is, in essence, a modeling marvel. Equally marvelous are the special limited editions that released in conjunction with the standard issue. 750 67 Shelby’s were assembled in silver with blue stripes in honor of 30 years of the Shelby American Automobile Club, while 350 were produced with a gold plated finish to commemorate the 100th Exact Detail release. At the time of availability, both special editions had sold out at Lane and of the 1500 production run for the standard issue, almost half had been spoken for. Whether you’re interested in just one or all three of these truly extraordinary 67 Shelby’s, you’d better contact your favorite Exact Detail dealer and place your order before it’s too late.



© Copyright 2006 by The Diecast Pub