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Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby 
Mike with 65 Shelby 65 Shelby Rear View Shelby Driver Side Rear Shelby Driver Side Front Shelby Passenger Side Shelby Back Side Shelby Interior Wheel Shelby Interior Back Shelby Interior Passenger Shelby Under Side Shelby Engine     
Mike's 1965 Shelby

In 1965, legendary Carroll Shelby customized 562 G.T. 350 Mustangs for Ford. Starting with stock Wimbledon White Mustangs, built at the San Jose, California, assembly line,Shelby transformed the vehicles in a hanger at the Los Angeles International Airport. Ford's factory 289-cubic-inch V-8 was given an aluminum intake manifold, a Holley carburetor and special Tri-Y tubular exhaust headers, bumping output from 271 to 305 horsepower. Shelby also added side-exiting, dual-exhaust setup featuring glass-pack mufflers. The suspension was fortified with stiffer sway bars and traction bars. Special "Blue Dot" tires rated for 130 MPH replaced the factory offerings. Since this car was meant to race rather than transport passengers, the back seat was removed and a fiberglass shelf was installed. The transmission was a four speed manual Borg-Warner.

Because only 562 original Shelby G.T. 350s were built they are a car collector's dream. Fortunately for Mike Nowak, he was able to purchase car number 550 of the originals back in 1987. The three previous owners used the car for competitive racing. But Mike had a different idea. He began restoring his Shelby to a pristine show car. Mike did such a remarkable job restoring the racer that he is invited to many shows around the Midwest including the 2013 Barrington Concours as seen above.

Creative Masters 1965 Shelby Revell Creative Masters 1965 Shelby

 Mike's 1965 Shelby was so true to the factory original that in 1992 Revell Creative Masters used his car to create their model car shown at sides. The designers came out to his house to photograph Mike's car from every angle and to take measurements. Click here to see the thank you letter Mike received from Revell. These model cars are still available on eBay. Click here to visit the current models for sale.
Creative Masters 1965 Shelby Model

Take a Ride with Mike

The Daily Herald featured Mike's Shelby in a recent article. They also let you experience what it's like to ride in Mike's Shelby by producing a video with Mike at the wheel. So strap on your seat belt (sorry, there were no shoulder harnesses back in 1965) and push the play button below and go for a spin.

Below Mike and his Shelby Appear on My Car Story with Lou Costabile

Cleaning the Engine and Engine Bay

Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby 
Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby Mike Nowak's 65 Shelby     

Mike's 1968 Shelby

Mike Nowak's 68 Shelby 
68 Shelby Front View 68 Shelby Front Driver View 68 Shelby Front Hood Up 68 Shelby Passenger Rear 68 Shelby Mike with Trophies 68 Shelby Mike Receiving Trophy     


Click here to see Mike's 1964.5 Comet Cyclone