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Drag Pack-Equipped 1969 Mustang Shelby GT500 To Hit Mecum Kissimmee

Those interested in Cobra Jet Fords likely already know that the optional Drag Pack delivers more excitement than most other features on the vehicle. The package added several heavy-duty parts plus digger gears to a 428 or 429 Cobra Jet, thereby turning either one into a Super Cobra Jet. Despite the high-performance nature of the Cobra Jet, few people were interested in cruising around with 3.91 or 4.30 gears, so Drag Pack-equipped vehicles are quite rare, making this 1969 Shelby GT500 that will be auctioned at Mecum’s Kissimmee 2015 auction on January 24th, 2015 a unique example.

Beginning in 1969, Shelby Mustangs may have been more Ford than Shelby (especially after 1967), but they do have quite a large and significant following. The chain of events looked something like this: before 1969, the GT500 had the 428 from the Police Interceptor. But in the middle of 1968, it was replaced with the GT500KR that had the CJ. So in 1969, the Cobra Jet received some upgrades, including a number of hi-performance parts such as better heads, exhaust manifolds, and connecting rods, many of which were already in Ford’s parts bin. While the Cobra Jet had less power than the Police Interceptor on paper, it was a much more formidable motor on the dyno. Ford used a different crank, rods, pistons, wrist pins, flywheel/flexplate, and harmonic balancer  in the the 428 Super Cobra Jet to keep the reciprocating mass stable during banzai runs, all complemented by an external oil cooler.

This 1969 Shelby GT500 that will hit the auction block later this month is one of those rare Drag Pack-equipped Shelby Mustangs. Only 1,157 GT500 Sportsroofs were built, but 25 of those came with the Drag Pack and 4.30 gears. An of those, only seven had a 4-speed manual. Other notable features on the car include:

  • Candy Apple Red paint with gold stripes
  • White Deluxe interior
  • AM/FM stereo
  • Tilt steering wheel
  • Tinted glass
  • Fold-down rear seat
  • Power ventilation

Shelby Mustangs are always strong in the market, even during economic downturns, and Mecum seems to think this 1969 Shelby GT500 will hit $125,000-$175,000. That’s quite a lot for what can easily be bought for much less as a basic (and likely faster) Mustang but, then again, a Mach I ain’t no Shelby.

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