Bullitt, The Benchmark By Which All Car Chases Will Be Judged.

When I was growing up, I believed the movie Bullitt had the ultimate car chase. That belief still holds up today. Even when you take into account all its faults, like the 6 hub caps that fly off the Charger,  passing the same VW Bug numerous times and the obvious manikin that burns to death in the car chases fiery end. The car chase still holds its own nearly half a century later. There are so many things that I love about this epic chase:

Let's review the main players - Frank Bullitt's car is a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback. The bad guys drive a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum. The Charger just nudges out the Mustang in speed, with a 13.6-second quarter-mile to a 13.8-second.

Both cars were modified by veteran auto racer Max Balchowsky to make them even faster and more awesome. The director called for speeds of about 75-80 mph, but the cars reached speeds of over 110 mph.

They used two Mustangs and two Dodge Chargers each for the chase, and all but one of the Mustangs had to be junked afterwards due to damage and liability concerns. The sole Mustang was bought by a Warner Brothers employee after production was completed. Steve McQueen tried to buy it from him a couple years later, but the owner refused.

More fun facts:

• While the car chase lasted 10 minutes and 53 seconds in the movie, it took over 3 weeks to film.
• The movie was denied permission by the city to film on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Bullitt's reverse burnout during the chase wasn't even in the script - McQueen had mistakenly missed the turn, but the footage was too good to scrap.
• McQueen personally selected Peter Yates to direct the film because Yates had filmed a realistic car chase a year earlier through the London streets in "Robbery". 

 Like Us On Facebook
 

The Incredible 950HP 1968 Black Mamba Shelby 490 Mustang

This would have to be one of the best Restomods I have seen on Youtube. Here are some of its specs.

Engine: Carroll Shelby aluminium 490 cubic inches. 705 HP at 6300 rpm and 639 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm . 900 - 950 HP with nitrous.

Transmission: Tremec TKO600, McCloud aluminium flywheel and clutch assembly, Tilton hydraulic throw out bearing and Lakewood bell housing

Frame: Art Morrison muscle car Max-G frame. Custom CAD engineered for engine, tire, front / rear suspension components and braking specs.

Suspension: Air Ride Technologies Ride Pro system.The car is capable of attaining a ground clearance of less than 2 inches.

Body: Ford Mustang body shell channeled 4" over the frame. It then was extensively modified with an Eleanor style body kit.

Like Us On Facebook

AC/DC Front Man Brian Johnson Buys First Petty's Garage Mustang GT.

Ford Motor Company and Petty’s Garage are teaming up to build a new 627-horsepower Mustang GT. (Photo : Ford)

Ford is teaming with Petty's Garage to create a new 627-hp Mustang GT and AC/DC front man Brian Johnson is the first to purchase one. 

The first Stage 2 option was ordered by rock 'n' roll legend Brian Johnson who said, "This Mustang has just taken my breath away," said Johnson, according to Ford. "It really is one of the best cars I've ever driven. I didn't have an American car, but I do now!"

 

Two versions of the vehicle will be built in 2015, according to Ford. The Stage 1 version will be limited to just 100 units and just 43 Stage 2 options will be made. 

 

The Stage 1 Petty's Garage Mustang GT will feature a number of modifications, like a reworked rear fascia with a center-exit exhaust and race-inspired spoiler.

 

( Photo : Ford )

Custom embroidered head restraints and floor mats can be found inside each vehicle along with Richard Petty's signature on the dashboard.

Stage 1 Mustang GT can be purchased in any colour "with all unique bodywork painted to match" in-house at Petty's Garage, according to Ford.

Ford's Stage 2 version comes with the same features as the Stage 1 and Petty's Garage Wilwood big brake upgrade and a complete Petty's Garage custom two-tone paint job.

The vehicle was designed to ride on Petty's Garage HRE three-piece forged-aluminium wheels.

 

The Petty's Garage Stage 1 goes for $62,210, while the Stage 2 car comes in at $92,210. Orders for the limited-edition Mustang GTs can be placed at any U.S. Ford dealership

 

 

Like us on Facebook

The Ultimate Mustang. The 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake

This is the legendary 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake – the only one of its kind ever built.

Carroll Shelby originally assigned the car to demonstrate Goodyear’s new “Thunderbolt” budget passenger car tires in a high-profile press event, but the mission was expanded when former Shelby American sales manager Don McCain suggested that Carroll plonk a racing 427 Le Mans GT40 engine in the GT500 for the test and let him sell the car with the intention of building 50 more to be marketed and sold to the public as the powerhouse Shelby Super Snakes. 

Shelby instructed Fred Goodell, Shelby American’s chief engineer to fit the GT500 with a special engine. The same powerplant used in the Le Mans-winning GT40 Mk II, including a variation on the Mk II’s “bundle of snakes” exhaust system. It had 600 horsepower (447kw). The Super Snake had a top speed of 170 MPH (273km/h) with Shelby at the wheel for press demonstration laps before Goodell averaged 142 MPH (228km/h) for the 500-mile tire test at Goodyear’s San Angelo, Texas, test facility. The demonstration  was a success, but McCain’s plan to sell 50 Super Snakes was dashed by the Super Snake’s $8,000 price tag; even the 427 Cobra cost less.

The Super Snake had a series of owners before it was purchased by Richard Ellis, an Illinois collector of rare Shelby Race Cars. It showed 26,000 miles on the clock and almost no deterioration. “I wanted to own this piece of Shelby history more than anything,” Ellis said. “It was well cared for by its previous owners, but I’ve put a lot of effort into returning it to the state it was in on the day of the tire test. Now it is time to allow another collector or museum the opportunity to be the caretaker of what is the most unique and historically significant Shelby Mustang every built. I have enjoyed it a great deal and now it is time to move on. It will be missed,” Ellis added.

The Super Snake was put up for auction Friday, May 17 2013. It sold for $1.3 million and is the highest price ever paid for a Mustang.

The 1967 Shelby GT500 was built for one purpose, a tyre demonstration, there is only one Super Snake, the true king of the road.

Like Us On Facebook