Purple Reign

Shelbys are cool in their own right but with big horsepower under hood and the unique paint color, this GT500CR can’t hide!

Words: Kyle Hyatt; Photos: Courtesy of Classic Recreations

When it arrived on the scene back in 1967, the Shelby GT350/GT500s were the cars everyone lusted for. With great looks and amazing power, they set the pace for other car builders. Today, however, those stunning good looks are best when matched with modern engines and technology.

Classic Recreations, located in the small town of Yukon, Oklahoma, is a Shelby-authorized builder that spends its days hand-crafting custom GT500CR and GT350CR Shelby Mustangs for customers all over the globe.

The most recent pony car built by Classic Recreations is the elite model of the GT500CR — a striking purple GT500CR 900S Shelby with nearly 800 hp under its hood. This Mustang was custom built for a Sheikh in the Middle East who was seeking something posh, yet powerful, that stood apart from other sports cars on the road.

This GT500CR 900S started life as many Classic Recreations cars do, as an original Mustang fastback, in this case a 1967 model. The uni-body was taken down to bare metal and reinforced where necessary, Shelby parts were added on, and then the whole car was given a high-quality paint job with BASF Glasurit paint in a custom color called “Blurple.” This striking color is unlike anything seen on a classic Mustang and makes the brutish pony car appear elegant while hiding aggressive power under the hood.

The body was treated to a completely new suspension. The standard Mustang front suspension was swapped for a system from Rod and Custom based on the double wishbone design and geometry from the Mustang II.

The Rod and Custom setup also makes use of high-quality coilovers from QA1, giving the driver the best ride. The car also received upgraded rear suspension, a G-Link 4-bar setup from Total Control with shocks from Varishock. This modernized set-up works together to provide a smooth ride for the driver.
Now that the car was looking good and handling great, it was time to install the heart of the Shelby, the custom-built low compression 427 stroker engine.

This behemoth features FAST XFI injection and a sizable F1-R Procharger intercooled supercharger. This setup is good for approximately 900 hp to the crank or 770 hp to the rear wheels. All of that power is going to produce significant amounts of heat, and to help combat that, Classic Recreations installed a Be Cool custom radiator and SPAL dual fans. Fueling is handled by a VaporWorx twin pump, which draws from a custom fuel tank from Rick’s Tanks. Exhaust is expelled through a set of gorgeous long tube stainless steel headers by BBK and a custom MagnaFlow exhaust.

A set of wheels and tires can really make or break the design of a car, so Classic Recreations shod this pony in a set of 18-inch Shelby 427 classic style wheels from American Racing. They’re sized at 18×8 with 225/40/18 BFG Rival tires in the front and 18×11 with 315/30/18 Rival tires in the rear.

These wheels definitely set the right tone for the Mustang, giving it just the right aggressive stance without looking overly large or flashy, and the polished finish looks perfect with the Blurple paint. A car with some serious get-up-and-go needs heavy-duty stopping power, which is why Wilwood six-piston calipers were installed in the front and rear.

The interior of the car features the typical high-level of fit and finish that Classic Recreations delivers on each project, which is far above and beyond what anyone would have seen from the factory on an original car. The Carroll Shelby signature seats are beautifully finished and as a custom touch, CR sewed the owner’s family crest into the armrest.

Carroll Shelby custom gauge units are only made available to Classic Recreations and have a speedometer up to 200 mph. Whether it is hot as the Sahara Desert or cold as the tundra, the interior cabin is kept comfortable with a modern Old Air Products air conditioning system.

“We have more experience building these cars than almost anyone, but every build is still a challenge when you have the kinds of exacting enthusiast customers that we do. They know exactly what they want and they expect perfection,” says Jason Engel, owner of Classic Recreations. “They help us stay on our game, and we’re so fortunate that we get to build these crazy cars. The Blurple car in particular was a blast to do with its super powerful engine and unique paint color. It definitely turns a lot of heads.”

At the end of the day, anyone with a little cash and a set of wrenches can build a Mustang. It takes someone with real vision, talent, skill, and passion to build a Mustang like the GT500CR. It’s not cheap with a starting price of $219,000, but you get what you pay for, and in this case, what you pay for is style, substance, and performance.

Once you wrap your hands around the woodgrain aluminum steering wheel, push the throttle, and watch the orange needle on the speedometer sweep towards the 200 mph mark, you’ll forget all about the price tag.

About the author

PPN Editor

Power & Performance News is the source for news, tech and products that help you get more performance from your vehicle. If powertrain performance projects and hardcore technical content are your interest, Power & Performance News is the publication designed for you. Our acclaimed editorial staff covers all aspects of engine and driveline upgrades with a mission of presenting information that is both interesting and achievable for the “average car guy”.
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