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L'il Red GT-500 and Green Hornet EXP-500 specs

P

PNewitt

Guest
Here they are.....the specs for the Green Hornet (EXP-500), and the Little Red (1967 GT-500 prototype):


Green Hornet EXP-500 Specs (based on information from my articles in the Shelby American, # 63, and Mustang Monthly, November 1994):

- built near or on Aug 25th, 1967. vin number 8F01S104288, with 390 and C-6. it was a stock coupe, originally modified as a GT/CS pilot car.
- 428 Cobra Jet "X" engine, with Conelec Fuel Injection (experimental EFI used on boats)
- Independent Rear Suspension, reproduced by the restorer, Martin Euler. Bolts into spring perches.
- 4-wheel disc brakes
- painted in 1968 by renowned Southern California custom car painter Sonny Fee. The color is: Gold Luster Green Lacquer with gold metallic mica flakes. For more lustre, each topcoat was hand rubbed, followed by two coats of clear lacquer (think of this color as the same as 1968 Highland Green but with gold metalflake instead of silver, and really, really glossy!)
- Ivy Gold deluxe interior, with wood dash and consoles (incl. overhead).
- '68 Shelby emblems on steering wheel, dash, and fenders, decklid, hood, and sides of black vinyl top; Shelby "Cobra-Jet" gas cap.
- Shelby ten spokes with Goodyear polyglas tires. F60x15
- Ram Air hood and seal on air cleaner. "Cobra Le Mans" valve covers. All stock CJ smog equipment, too.
- Shelby fiberglas nose and hood.
- Non-functional side scoops, carryover from GT/CS pilot version


Little Red GT-500 Specs:
(based on info from my first book in 1988--"GT/CS Recognition Guide"

(1967 Experimental Shelby Coupe--that combined new fiberglass style and Paxton supercharged power--project at Shelby American)
- Shelby VIN #67411H9A00131 (which translates into: 1967/428/C-6/air cond/ hardtop/red/black interior/Shelby Prod#)
- Custom-made hood with louvers, rear deck, end caps, and side scoops. Rear taillights are '67 Cougar, like '67 Shelbys. "67 Shelby nose with "outboard" type headlights.
- Painted Ferrari Red, Ditzler code 71508 (although some have said stock candy apple red)
- Engine--428 "Shelbyized Cobra Jet", with prepared 427 heads (low riser, 68cc, 2.34x1.34; Intake police interceptor in aluminum; Holley 750 cfm (up one size from prod CJ);
crank--CJ nodular iron; comp 10:1, cam--390GT (C60Z-B), HP (est.) 500,
torque: 420lbs@3200RPM-supercharged w/Paxton.
- Tranny--GT-350 toploader 4-speed, but since the tailhousing broke...they changed it to a "Shelbyized" C-6, with Lincoln tailhousing, and then the can just sat there and spun the tires from all that horsepower!!!
- Brakes & Suspension--GT-500
- Wheels late '67 ten spokes, with F70x15 Goodyear Speedway tires
- Weight (est.) 3450 lbs.
- Interior--black connaly leather interior, black moutron carpet, aluminum door panels & dash were '67 GT-500, tilt wheel, "all options", no rollbar, but 4-point seat belt harness. No headrests.
- Shelby emblems--however, the rear deck SHELBY letters were hand made, and are not exactly like those used on the '68 Shelbys.

If you have any additional questions, just ask. I want to see someone make one of these...

by the way--I misspoke. Only ONE engine, and two transmissions, not as I posted earlier today.

Paul M. Newitt
 

02ceta

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
21
Hi paul , I am getting funds ready to start building a tribute car of the green Hornet,You seem to have alot of knowledge on this car. I would like to stay as close as possible to the real deal. The two major sticking points are going to be the fuel injection system and the rear end.Can you give me any pointers on how to get in touch with the original builder of the rear end? Also would you happen to have any insight on the exact locations of the emblems,were there a dash emblem Like in the fastbacks shelbys.Also the fuel injection system I really don't have a clue as to what that even looks like.Any ideas on where I can get a copy of shelby american #63 I know that this is a rather intrusive amount of info I've asked for but any help will be appreciated,Thanks Steve
 
OP
OP
P

PNewitt

Guest
Hi Steve,

You could probably get a copy of "Shelby American" issue #63 from SAAC (Shelby American Automobile Club) www.saac.com

Martin Euler, in Michigan made the IRS from napkin sketches by Fred Goodell, and he had the specs tested at a local university for stress tests (as data).

I'll have a chapter on the Green Hornet and the Little Red cars in my new book.

Paul.
 

DAR1

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
53
Location
Stockholm
Steve,
It is nice to see someone building a 'Green Hornet' tribute. My 'Little Red' replica is almost done, the body is done, engine is in and they are finishing the interior. For the rear suspension on the Green Hornet, you might try installing the suspension from a later model Mustang 'Cobra' - I recall seeing an article in either Mustang Monthly or Mustangs and fast fords where they installed the 'cobra' suspension on a 1969 or 1970 mustang. Another possibility might be the independent suspension developed by Factory Five for their Cobra replica. Depending on whether you want your tribute car to be exact or 'in the spirit of...' fuel injection should not be that hard to source. Martin Euler had sent me a picture of 'Little Red's engine compartment that he got from Freg Goodell (this shows the single SC versus the rumoured double SC), he probably would send pictures of the Green Hornet if asked nicely. Good luck and be sure to post lots of pictures!
Dan
 

02ceta

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
21
Hi Dan, Can you tell me how I can contact fred Goodell and or martin euler so I can inquire to gathering more infomation on the green hornet. I'm looking to get as close to exact as possible ,so far I haven't seen a clear picture of the c-pillar emblem I know there were two emblems one said shelby and the othe said cobra can you tell me which is on the c-pillar of the EXP? Thanks Steve
 

case12

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Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Fred has passed on. There is a very illustrative article on the Green Hornet in the Mustang Monthly Nov 1994. The top, of course, is black vinyl, and on the C pillar is a cobra with the word Shelby beneath it. The fender is the cobra with the "cobra jet 428" to the right. Casey
 

DAR1

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Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
53
Location
Stockholm
Steve,
There are some good pictures of the car in the 'Mustang 40 years' book. I have saved some pictures off of Martin's site where he did the restoration. I will see if I can find and attach them.
Dan
 

DAR1

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Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
53
Location
Stockholm
Steve,
Casey is right about Fred. Too bad, I thin Paul Newitt spent some time with him - he seemed like a real pioneer/no BS type of guy. I found the pictures but there is something wrong with them and they can't be blown-up. I have attached a couple. I also found the article about the company that makes a kit to install the 'Cobra' independent rearend into an early Mustang. In the article, they have installed it into a '68 fastback. It is in Mustang Monthly - February 2006 in the 'Ultimate Mustang' article. The company was DVS Restorations - www.dvsrestorations.com. I looked at the pictures in Mustang 40 years - Casey is also dead on with the emblem it is a cobra ('68 Shelby emblem) but intead of the word 'COBRA' under the snake, it says 'SHELBY'
Dan
 

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02ceta

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
21
Hi Dan Thanks again for all the info So far I have been gathering the hard to find fiberglass parts such as an original KR hood and an original california special trunk lid and end caps side scoops that kind of stuff what I haven't found yet is a good clean 68 stang from the right month that the original exp was built in. I have seen the vin tag on the exp in a pic and I will run it thru the decoder and see exactly what that can tell me about the car. Thanks again for the pics of the exp if you want to send me the pics to my home email its chimah04@comcast.net. I actually already had the book mustang forty years. However it only had one larger photo ot the exp.
 

DAR1

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Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
53
Location
Stockholm
Steve,
Attached are all of the pictures I could find. Some got deleted during some 'house cleaning.' Also while looking at emblems for my car, I noticed that Branda has a cobra with SHELBY written below instead of COBRA - it is a front grill emblem for the '69 Shelbys.
Good luck with your project.
Dan
 

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02ceta

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
21
Hi Paul, Dan and Casey, I have found and purchased the car it is a nice rust free car no motor or trans .Have founf Akr hood (original) and an cal special trunk lid and caps shelby front lower valance(Original) so it begins. If any of you guys know of a period correct cobra jet engine either complete or parts please let me know. Also there was a couple of special things they did with the c-6 tranny I think they used the tail section of a lincoln trans and a torque converter from the same is that correct? Any way if there is any info any can give, I am also planning to ship the car to Sonny Fee if he still paints . Does anyone know ? if so does anyone have any contact numbers for Sonny Fee, or martin Euhler. Again boys here we go.
 

02ceta

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
21
Well guys here is the beginning of what I hope will be an exact green hornet or a vehicle incredibly close to it.but here are a couple pics.
I am awaiting delivery of the KR hood and lower valance and waiting for the california special trunk lid,I still need to find an original set of side scoops from a cal special would like to find a original tail light panel but I don't know about that. Lucas lights are on the way whoooo whooooo. So here we go I hope the pics show up first time I have tried to download pics so bare with me.
 

390cs68rcode

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Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
Mosesatm said:
Jason, what's difference between the two?

I have never seen a industrial block in person but from what I have read on the 428 site there are some visual differences (I think extra webbing or something like that). Also there is something else different about them but I cannot remember it right now. I have seen these blocks for sale over the last year or so and it seems like they are not selling. That should tell you something about car guys not liking them.
 

Mustanger

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Location
So Cal
390cs68rcode said:
I have never seen a industrial block in person but from what I have read on the 428 site there are some visual differences (I think extra webbing or something like that). Also there is something else different about them but I cannot remember it right now. I have seen these blocks for sale over the last year or so and it seems like they are not selling. That should tell you something about car guys not liking them.

Jason,

Don't the industrial blocks lack certain "numbers" on them also? I think they were produced a few years later (early to mid '70's), but "functionally" it seems that they may work okay ... but if you say not too many cars guys are buying them, then I would take a good look before plopping down the cash ...
 
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