Ask just about any Shelby fan, and they’ll tell you that the early year – we’re talking ’65 and ’66 – GT350s are the Mustang to have. The average $100,000-plus price tag ($400,000 and up for a ’65), and the fact that original Shelby Mustangs total only 13,000 units, are proof of that. And in case you need even more proof, check out this video posted on Historic Sportscar Racing’s youtube channel of Scott Turner soaring around Daytona in his GT350.

Nothing beats the sound of a classic, American small-block V8 screaming through its four gears (and overtaking a Porsche). Aside from their rarity, it’s not hard to understand why these cars are so treasured; in both performance and looks, the Shelby Mustangs were way ahead of their time.

Scott Turner understands this, and has a deep appreciation for the GT350. The one he’s racing in the video was not his first – he owned another ’66 GT350 in the ’90s, with the intention of racing it in the HSA and SVRA series’. However, he ended up selling the car before he had the chance.

Around 20 years later, Turner and his son came across their current ’66 GT350 in a used car lot. The pair were driving home from a local SCCA race when they noticed the car, and stopped to investigate. It had been part of an estate sale and, due to the car’s worn-out condition, the dealership owner figured the car would be non-sellable. Turner and his son, however, understood the car’s prestige and promptly purchased it – for only $1000.

Once theirs, they began the restoration. Originally, the car was one of Hertz’s rental Shelbys, or ‘rent-a-racers’; in the early ’70s, however, the car became a purpose-built race machine, participating in SCCA as a B-production racer. So, when Turner and his son began their project, the Mustang already had a primitive roll cage, stripped interior, and a strong racing background.

Turner’s goal was to tune the car for vintage racing competitions, satisfying the ambition he had 20 years prior. And once completed, the car was just as brilliant as it was back in its own time. With the help of Savannah Race Engineering in Georgia, Turner and his son gave their GT350 a flawless and accurate restoration – complete with period-correct seats, steering wheel, and a small-block Ford motor.

Not only is its appearance true to its roots, but its performance lives up to its heritage as well. Turner already had professional racing experience in the Grand-Am and Rolex series’, and used it to begin racing his GT350 with Savannah Race Engineering’s team. He joined the team in September of this year and, behind the wheel of his Shelby, earned the HSR Classic 24 Hours of Daytona title in the A-3 class.

Turner and his son regularly race SCCA events, and are now finding success in the HSR and SVRA series’ as well. Both have a passion for Shelbys, and it definitely shows. The story behind their ‘Stang and how they made it their own is something just about any gearhead can appreciate; picking up a ’66 GT350 for only $1000 is nothing short of miraculous.