48 MUSTANGMONTHLY.COM
to Gotham from Larsen
under the direct orders of
Lee Iacocca himself.
The Shelby has quite a
few very desirable options
and some prominent bullet
points about its current
condition. First off, the
car’s original drivetrain
is not intact, as stated
before. That would be a
huge sticking point to many
purists, but to John it’s not
a big deal because in place
of the original 428 CJ sits a
427ci side oiler—one of the
most desirable Ford drag
engines ever built. Word
has it that the original
owner bought the engine
over the parts counter at
Gotham and installed the
427 to do damage on the
streets and dragways of the
greater Metro area.
It’s also 1 of just 145
Drag Pack Shelbys built
in 1969. It still has the
3.91 gears out back and
the oil cooler mounted
on the radiator support.
About three-quarters of
its original Royal Maroon
paint is still intact, and
the body is virtually rust
free, with solid floors and
rockers. All the glass is
original, and the interior
is complete and in good
shape, with just a tear in the
driver seat.
Once he got situated,
John ordered up the
paperwork from Kevin
Marti and put it alongside
some of the original
invoices he received with
the vehicle and a repro of
the original window sticker.
“I also got to talk in great
length with the second
owner who had it for the
majority of its life—a total
of 35 of its now 50 years of
existence,” says John.
Diving deeper into the
car, John found the non-
original engine is a story
in itself. Taking a look
at the 427, John found
that only the block and
heads are now left of the- The rest of its parts
were salvaged from the
original 428, including
most of the accessories,
the carburetor, and the
distributor. The only other
oddball part on this beast
is the intake manifold—an
Edelbrock part.
The Shelby was not
running when John
purchased it, but after
a little time and elbow
grease, the veteran Ford
mechanic got her to spring
to life. He then went ahead
and fixed other issues to
make her roadworthy,
replacing the ball joints
and brakes and skinning
the original wheels with a
new set of Cooper Cobra
P235/60R15 rubber.
The Lucas driving lights
still work, along with
the AM/FM radio and
sequential taillights.
What does the future
hold for this stunning
Mustang? “It’s a highly
sought-after Shelby. I
thought about selling
it, but right now it’s the
right car at the right time
for me,” John says. Many
purists think without the
original engine sitting in
the bay, this car is not as
desirable as a pure stock
car, but others disagree.
Some think the 427
upgrade and the story
that goes with it make this
Mustang an example above
and beyond stock.
Either way, it doesn’t
matter to John, as he’s
scored a Shelby that’s a
find of a lifetime. “It’s been
a wonderful experience
to get to own and drive
this time capsule, and it’s
certainly gonna be hard to
pry it from me.”
QMany consider the rear view the best viewing angle on this stealthy Ford. Unfortunately
for them, it was a sight seen by many competitors during the heat of battle on the streets.QWith the Drag Pack option and V-code rear axle, this Shelby received
3.91:1 gears and this oil cooler mounted on the radiator support.QBesides a few rips, the original interior is in reasonably good shape for a
50-year-old car. The tilt-away steering wheel still performs the way it should.QJohn Lazzaro stands next to his prize. A participant in the Mustang hobby for the last
35 years, John also has a rare, highly optioned 1965 Mustang GT in his garage.STRAIGHT OUTTA GOTHAM