How do I spot a fake GT500?

[MDK210]

Alright, so I don't know everything there is to know about any particular Mustang and their OEM trims let alone the new Shelby's but I've seen a couple so far that looked odd to me and this is after I've seen some "real" ones at the dealer and at our local gatherings. So how can I tell if it's a real Shelby? Here are a couple of examples I have seen so far.

1. Car had the Cobra's on the fenders and the medallion on the rear with the Cobra but no GT500 bottom decal and no Cobra grill on the drivers side. Now I don't think all GT500's come with the bottom decal just like I've heard about a stripe delete option but I thought it should have the grill emblem at least.

2. This biggest violator yet was today at lunch. I saw the passenger side and the rear of this one. Had GT emblems on the fender and a oddly placed Cobra emblem below the GT one's which just looked real bad but then it had a Cobra medallion on the rear...

Maybe I'm completely wrong but the only GT500's I know are real, in my mind at least, are ones with the white racing stripes and cobra fender, grill and rear emblems/medallion with GT500 lettering. Someone school me please so if I ever pull in near one I can laugh my ass off. Thanks.

 

[sprint200]

They are available with no stripes at all, even rocker stripes. They should all have a cobra in the grill; absolutely no "GT" fender emblems. I know at least one GT in my town that chose to install the body kit from FRPP, but he purposely left the GT emblems and even added a GT emblem in the grill where the cobra usually is. I liked that touch. He was not trying to make a clone; he just liked the looks.

The hardest part of making a clone would be the instrument cluster. In the GT500's the tach is on the right and the speedo is on the left.

Other than that, the one thing that is impossible to change is the VIN. The GT500 coupes will all have ....T88..... and I forget the 'verts (IIRC ...T87...?)

There are a lot of other small clues, but I won't try to list them all............

 

[MDK210]

thanks for the info. I assumed the rear medallion would be the hardest to fake or replace but I guess that's not the case.

 

[WP64]

Look for the Brembo brakes, most of Fobras don't have them.

 

[09Troublemaker]

look for the brembo brakes, most of fobras don't have them.

+1

 

[6-Speed]

Automatic Tranny shifter handle or a 5-Speed shift knob is another clue.

 

[svtmadman]

Brembos like the others say.

 

[MDK210]

found the emblem. $50 and works on 05-09 GT's as well. Looks like I might see a few more fakers in my lifetime as that price.

Ford 07-09 Shelby GT500 OEM Rear Trunk Emblem [7R3Z6342528A] : Lethal Performance, Performance parts for Ford Mustangs

 

[Imatk]

I would say the seats are the easiest way to spot one... that and the six speed.

Not many are going to drop the coin for the seats and the tranny.

And at the end of the day if you pop the hood there's no question.

 

[sprint200]

I would say the seats are the easiest way to spot one... that and the six speed.

Not many are going to drop the coin for the seats and the tranny.

And at the end of the day if you pop the hood there's no question.

You do underestimate the lengths to which some people will go.:lol: I have seen at least two clones with re-upholstered seats with my own eyes.:rollseyes

 

[Imatk]

You do underestimate the lengths to which some people will go.:lol: I have seen at least two clones with re-upholstered seats with my own eyes.:rollseyes

Ummm ok good for you I guess.... that's why I said you could pop the hood if ever in doubt.

 

[ViperBlueCobra]

Gotta love the fobras!

The best one I saw was a V6, that had the rims, body kit, emblems, and stripes. So from a distance they nailed it. Closer inspection revealed a single exhaust tip! WTF, you spend all that money to clone and didn't coin for the dual exhaust. LOL

Also on another note, when I had a 1995 Cobra, I had tons of people think my car was a fake cobra because of the hood.(same as standard gt)

 

[MDK210]

yeah if I had a up close and personal look at the fakes I'm 100% sure I could pick one out but just driving by one I need a quick visual part to call them out. I guess the Brembo's would be easy to pick out at distance but it's not necessarily the easiest thing to look at cruising around in the truck. If I was in the Cobra it might be easier on the eyes not to mention a interesting conversation at a stoplight, haha. "Nice Cobra, yeah thanks, nice ummmm...fake GT500..."

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

I would think any car with a GT emblem would be a dead giveaway... but at least they're not trying to hide the fact that the car is a GT.

 

[Zeke0123]

I would think the grill would be the most obvious...no widemouth = no 500

 

[Spawn]

Make it easy just look for the 4v head. I will say I don't think many have gone the expense of installing the SVT gauge cluster. Badges and stripes are a dime a dozen. Mine has full stripe delete from the factory and people think its a clone all the time. Till they get Spanked.

 

[Spawn]

I have seen the full body kits but I have yet to see one do the stock GT500 hood. most have the venom hood and the 500 Facias. Oh and they dont usually do the black plastic skirts from a V6. I never understood why the KR got a v6 wing and all the 500's got v6 side skirts. unless it was a kr or SS with carbon fiber.

 

[TexasShelby]

You can turn your GT into what I've called a GT499 for years now, there is one here in town that a dealership did and sold to a kid for almost what you could get a Shelby for.
The reason why I know it's fake is because one night out I made a GTO look silly and later on in a parking lot the two kids came up and asked what in the world I had in it, I said not much over stock, and the driver replied BS, I just beat Shelby the other night...I smiled and said, perhaps he did, if the guy didn't know how to drive. The passenger then said something that gave it away...he said no, the reason why is because that shelby didn't have a blower on it...no whine like mine did when I blew by them....ahhhh I said....that's not a Shelby then, that a just a GT that has been badged.
Not too long after that the kid with the GT499 pulled in and came directly over to me and asked to see mine and told me right up front that he'd give anything to have a "real" one, but his dad said that was as close as he was getting to one until he got out of college...smart dad I'd say...I've more than one wrapped around a tree with a kid that didn't know how to drive behind the wheel. One even racing in the rain?????