SFM5s444 restoration is continuing

[BGlover67]

Keep the documentation coming!

[Shelby_r_b]

Awesome! 

[Dkutz]

saw the video posted on FB today.  Realized it was THAT car.  What a cool story.  Glad it was saved.  And its in Good hands!! 

Can I come over and help put that full size Revell model together?

[deathsled]

Like Victor Frankenstein breathing life into the sleeping monster. I love it!

Sorry for your loss.

Best,

Richard E.

[65Clone]

Mark you are doing a SUPER job on "everything" the car is wonderful the documentation since Teenager years and stuff is GREAT... LOVE IT... Thanks so much for sharing.. and keep it up. Thanks for answering my email:)

[hertzz350]

I noticed you have a 1966 instrument cluster installed in #444. When did that happen?

[Coralsnake]

Someone left the keys in the wayback machine again...

[TA Coupe]

At least the OP is still around and posting about the car:
https://www.saac.com/forum/index.php?topic=29981.0#msg216746

      Roy

[doublemyv]

Hi Guys,  I'm still here, and have asked that the posts and photos from the Concours Talk page be moved over to this 65 GT 350 discussion. 
   As of 12/21/25, there has been more progress.  I will post some updated photos when the images and discussion from the Concours page moves here. 
   In the meantime, I have spent weeks cleaning, prepping dozens of parts for the interior trim, wheelhouse covers, traction bar covers, rear tray, and more that are now all painted and hanging from the ceiling all over my shop.  The last few days ( between Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday parties ) have seen the original firewall pad installed, and the wiring harnesses hanging from the ceiling to relax the coils.   I'm hoping to get the headliner installed in the next couple of weeks, then wiring, and while those items are idle, I have been prepping the steering column with a new blinker switch assembly and wiring.    I just received a Christmas card today from the original owner Ed Henken, and he is anxious to see and drive the finished car.  More to come.   Merry Christmas, Mark

[doublemyv]

In response to Hertzz350 question about the '66 instrument cluster, it was hacked into place by the previous owner when he was a teenager, because he wanted the round gauges instead of the indicator lights in the '65 cluster.  When we had the car at the body shop, it became obvious that the instrument cluster opening was hammered by a sledge hammer to pound the bottom edge down and in to make the '66 dash cluster fit.  Wow, what a huge amount of handwork by a master metal worker with special tools, experience, and hammer & dolly to restore that instrument cluster opening back to '65 standards.  We also had to fill in the 6 extra holes in the dash that held switches for: light inside the ashtray, turning off the rear running & brake lights, underhood light, trunk light, 8 track stereo equalizer, and woofer speaker.
As you can tell, the prior owner liked music loud, and no taillights for the cops to see when the Shelby is disappearing into the distance.  More to come.  Mark

[FL SAAC]

In response to Hertzz350 question about the '66 instrument cluster, it was hacked into place by the previous owner when he was a teenager, because he wanted the round gauges instead of the indicator lights in the '65 cluster.  When we had the car at the body shop, it became obvious that the instrument cluster opening was hammered by a sledge hammer to pound the bottom edge down and in to make the '66 dash cluster fit.  Wow, what a huge amount of handwork by a master metal worker with special tools, experience, and hammer & dolly to restore that instrument cluster opening back to '65 standards.  We also had to fill in the 6 extra holes in the dash that held switches for: light inside the ashtray, turning off the rear running & brake lights, underhood light, trunk light, 8 track stereo equalizer, and woofer speaker.
As you can tell, the prior owner liked music loud, and no taillights for the cops to see when the Shelby is disappearing into the distance.  More to come.  Mark

Great info, it adds to the character and history of the vehicle.

Thanks for all the updates, keeps the forum interesting.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas !

[gjz30075]

Are you working toward a particular show for a debut?

[sfm5]

Glad to see this thread is being picked back up with updates! Lots of great info.

[doublemyv]

Merry Christmas everyone,  Thanks for the kind words about the updates to my posts.  In answer to the question by GJZ30075, my goal was SAAC in Sonoma in 2018.  Obviously, I missed that goal, and many others due to life events that included selling my business and retiring, getting remarried, saying goodbye to my dad, and remodeling the house for two years. So here we are in 2025, and momentum on the restoration has picked waaaayyy up.  I will post some photos of what I have been working on ( there are hundreds of photos, and I can't post them all )  so you can see some highlights. Enjoy.  Mark

[doublemyv]

More photos of 5S444 restoration.  Dec. 24, 2025