1967 G.T.500 "Super Snake" - Charley - 06/2006

[rshelby]

Shelby Forums - Car of the Month - June 2006

SPECS:

• Shelby Forums username: Charley
• Year: 1967
• Make: Shelby American
• Model: G.T.500 "Super Snake"
• Shelby Number: 544
• Engine: 427
• Trans: 4 Speed
• Exterior color: White
• Interior color: Black
• Options:
• Selling Dealer: Mel Burns Ford
• Alterations:
• Description/History:

Shelby G.T.500 “Super Snake” VIN# 67402F4A00544
1 of 1 built. The Super Snake is a special model built at Shelby American for Mel Burns Ford. The Super Snake is the first of what was intended to be a production run of 50. However, no additional cars were produced since the high retail price of $7,500 could nearly buy you a 427 Cobra. The car was driven by Carroll Shelby at the Goodyear test track in Texas for a tire promotion film production. See the photos below. Carroll recorded lap speeds over 150 mph and top speed of 170 mph! This one of a kind Shelby was factory equipped with unique narrow-wide-narrow blue Le Mans Stripes; powered by a lightweight 427 medium-riser engine with aluminum heads, tuned headers, 780 CFM Holley 4V carb, aluminum intake, oil cooler, remote filter, 4 speed trans backed up by a 4.11 Detroit locker rear end. The Super Snake has appeared in numerous magazine articles, books and television shows and will always be regarded as one of the most unique Shelby's ever produced.

Goodyear Thunderbolt Tire Test Video

My Classic Car

Comfort Car Connection

[67GT500#2100]

Was the original hood louvered? In the picture of Carrol leaning on the hood it does not appear to be louvered but the current pictures show a louvered hood.

[DeLa1Rob]

Good Question. To me it looks like the hood is louvered in the track photo. But it also appears sans louvers in the photo with Carroll.

robin

[daltondavid]

Originally Posted by DeLa1Rob

Good Question. To me it looks like the hood is louvered in the track photo. But it also appears sans louvers in the photo with Carroll.

robin

There is a bit of Glare right at that spot as you are unable to see the Hood Fender line either in the picture of Carroll with the Super Snake. Congratulations to Charley for being our first featured "Car Of the Month"!! while the 1965-66 Shelby GT350's were terrors on the Track, the 67 GT500 introduced the Big Block Engine to the Shelby Mustang Line up. this particular car is the most unique of them. The Super Snake is truly a 1 of 1 car as the proposed 50 cars were never built due to Costs. Charley is a major Car collector and a great Car person. the Super Snake is in Great Hands.

[mherman2]

Just screams, "Burn Rubber".

Over the last year I have heard or read various articles that say several or a few 427's were built. Not additional supersnakes but just 1967's with 427 engines. My suspicion is that there may have been a few dealer installed 427's.

Charley or anyone know the truth here?

Just love this car, just awesome.

Mike

[daltondavid]

Originally Posted by mherman2

Just screams, "Burn Rubber".

Over the last year I have heard or read various articles that say several or a few 427's were built. Not additional supersnakes but just 1967's with 427 engines. My suspicion is that may have been a few dealer installed 427's.

Charley or anyone know the truth here?

Just love this car, just awesome.

Mike

all were Dealer installed. not just Shelby's either, many 390 GT Mustangs were given the 427 Crate motor treatment!! much speculation is attributed to the Dealer Brocures and Manuals that were printed early before the production decision was made to delete the 427 in regular production cars as factory option.

[mherman2]

Finally a clear answer!! Thank you

When I was hunting ( in every sense of the word) for a clean 67 GT500 I came across a dealer who told me he had a special limited production 67 GT500 one of x that were built with a 427. He did a good sales job except he was so full of it his eyes turned brown. Made me curious as to what the real story was, now I know.

Mike

[Charley]

Cool..Thanks Randall. According to the registry there were two other 427's built by Shelby. Both still exist. One is supposedly very rough and the other is almost restored.

[roddster]

I recall the registry stating that the other two 427 67's were built as drag cars, and not given the "Supersnake" moniker.

[mherman2]

Wow, were they built to the same specs and put out the same HP as the Supersnake or was there something different about them?

Any pictures of them out there?

Does anyone know what page of the registry they are on?

Mike

[vernonestes]

if it is worth anything, dealers like tasca ford did conversions to the 427 ci. i believe tasca did about 35 or so

[johnc]

this is the most beautiful shelby i have ever seen.WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charley]

www.supersnake.org

[snakeman]

Page 615 is the Supersnake and Little Red is on page 614 2 very RARE SHELBY'S

[Magstar]

It was a thrill to see that car in person.Thanks Charley

[ozipedro]

Originally Posted by vernonestes

if it is worth anything, dealers like tasca ford did conversions to the 427 ci. i believe tasca did about 35 or so

That explains the "Tasca" badge on the rear of a 427 Shelby I saw in the "classics" sale columns of Hemmings or such while perusing a few days ago.

Don't ask me which site ... I've got 59 of them in my favourites list.

[bitzman]

I met a guy witha 427 powered Shelby, either '67 or '68 who told me he bought it from a doctor in SF who had Shelby build it special for him when it was new.
This made sense to me because in '67 Shelby was still building Shelby Mutangs in Los Angeles in 1967 and could make one "special" for a special friend. If the special friend was a heart doctor I could see why Shelby would go a little further in keeping him happy as back then he knew he had a bad heart (I guess the transplants were still far in the future).

But once production moved to Michigan, it was harder to make a special car, so I am thinking it was probably a '67.

Years later, I also met a doctor at a concours with a Cobra replica and he said he was Carroll Shelby's heart doctor and had obtained the car through Shelby. I believe he was with Cedars of Sinai hospital which is either in BH or nearby