Will somebody kill Eleanor, please !!

[Mr427]

Oh, ........... I just can´t take it anymore.

After that goonie movie that Nicholas Cage almost cried in (as usual .. the wimp) EVERY other Mustang now is an ELEANOR !!

OOh, aah this is too cool. now you can "buy " a genuine, factory original Eleanor from a lot of people or you can buy a junk one and make one at home. Does it get any better than this?

Well, yes it does. A friend of mine has a signal flare red 1971 Mach - 1 429 Ram Air, one of just over 200 Super Drag PAck cars made ... and guess what:

A bunch of grease monkeys walked up to him with gleaming eyes and asked: "Hey, is that an Eleanor Mustang?"

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[trularin]

Well, I think the original Eleanor was a 1971 mustang.

[grumpy]

Mr427,
While most do not share your enthusiasm for Eleanor, at the moment our bulk of sales is the ELEANORgt 2005 mustang hood and additional items for the new pony.
What a way to shock all, drive up in a new V6 with an ELEANORgt 2005 for less than 25k!
grumpy

[Russ Dickey]

I couldn't agree with you more, Mr427. Too many perfectly good 67-68 fastbacks are now being turned into Eleanors, and it's even beginning to spill over to '65-66's with the new "E2" kits that are available. And of course I've seen just about every other year of Mustang done up in Eleanor garb as well, and I think they are all lame. Well, I haven't seen a '74-78 Mustang done like that yet, but it probably won't be long (maybe it will have giant ELEANOR II stickers along the rocker panels).

As your post already can attest to, the younger generation is getting a skewed perception of what a truly elusive and special Mustang or Shelby is. I can't wait for the day when kids start coming into car shows, asking the owners or original '67 Shelbys: "Is that a REAL Eleanor??"

In my opinion there are "cool" Hollywood cars to emulate, and then the "not cool" ones. Eleanor falls into the same category as KITT from Knight Rider - and I wouldn't want to be seen pulling into a cruise night in KITT.

The people who are spending money converting their fastbacks into Eleanors should make them "Bullitt" replicas instead. THAT'S a timeless Hollywood car that will always be cool.

[musclecargt500]

I totally agree. Too much hype! I started a thread a while back with my disgust about this very topic...

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/show...threadid=63242

The original Eleanor was a yellow 1973 Mustang. That movie was mediocre but at least there were some good cars in it and they crashed (for real) over 90 cars making that movie... Todd

[jared1970]

I don't understand why some people want their cars to look like carbon copies of somebody else's car. I just want my car to be my car. It's unique because there aren't any others identical to it.

[bud4660]

Well I can promise you guys one thing for sure. As long as I own the 67 S code fastback thats in my garage. It will never ever have one part from an ELEANOR put on it. Might have a few other things put on it but nothing from an ELEANOR......lol

[Mr427]

Thanks for sharing my concerns guys !

To add to the confusion, now Carroll Shelby has a group of people scouring the market for 65-68 fastbacks to turn into a new generation of cars bearing his name.

Am I crazy to disagree with this idea? I used to own a genuine 1967 GT-500 so all of this thoroughly disgusts me.

The same nonsense is going on with the 1968-70 Dodge Charger. It seems every Dodge looney now want to have a genuine, home brewed, true to the bone "Dukes of Hazzard" .... so as with the Mustang fastbacks, these cars are being butchered up.

Well, on a more serious note. I want a ´67-68 Fastback. S-code, preferably an original 4-speed car. The engine I want in it is a fairly hairy Medium riser with two 752´s on top. It has to be highland green on original styled steel wheels .... This is the Mustang that Mr. Ford should have built, but wouldn´t. I WILL.

This Eleanor nonsense is for twentyish wimpy guys looking to date girls on the look of a car .....

I don´t know, maybe I´m just too old for this.

[Keith Lyles]

Wonder what would happen if I advertise my 67 Shelby on Ebay and state that it will make a great Eleanor donor/Replica? Probably would get no bids because it is not worthy to become an Eleanor !!

Keith

[Mr427]

I didn´t think of this possibility !

The wave of the future is going to be all the Mustang parts companies replicating OEM style parts for the 67-68 to de - Eleanorize them and bring them back to stock appearance.

I do not mind people turning 69-70 fastbacks into Shelby replicas. they were built alongside the Mustangs anyway, but this just bothers me.

Help!

[LwCwb]

You would think that after a few years the hype would die down. I would rather clone a 68' Bullitt than clone an eleanor.

[Russ Dickey]

Originally posted by Mr427


Thanks for sharing my concerns guys !

To add to the confusion, now Carroll Shelby has a group of people scouring the market for 65-68 fastbacks to turn into a new generation of cars bearing his name.

I don't think Carroll is actually the guy behind this idea. I think that Unique Performance is the group pushing this whole project, and they just approached Carroll with the deal so that they could license their product and leech off of his name.

[SCOBRAC]

The original was a 1973 Mach 1. I have one you can buy for 11k... Or... Try my new 1969 Grande-nor... Just $235k

[musclecargt500]

Here is another cream puff just waiting to become Eleanor. Man, the guy who saved a bunch of fastbacks in any condition will be a rich man.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6236

[STG]

Originally posted by Russ Dickey


I don't think Carroll is actually the guy behind this idea. I think that Unique Performance is the group pushing this whole project, and they just approached Carroll with the deal so that they could license their product and leech off of his name.

That's the amusing part. Start with a car designed primarly by Chip Foose with zero Shelby involvement and get Shelby to put his name on it. Then put it in the Registry. Next, auction off a covertible version at BJ for, what was it - $540,000???

But hey, why not? Ford just put Shelby's name on their new Mustang Cobra SVT GT500. According to Motor Trend (May 2005), Shelby's involvement with the new Mustang has been, "Not a lot, so far."

If it's good enough for Ford, I can't blame Unique Performance for doing it!

Are the new Mustang Cobras going in the Registry, too?

[HI Cobra]

On this Eleanor thing - is that law suit still going between the widow of the
director? of the first "Gone in 60 Seconds" and Shelby? As I recall she was
claiming rights to the name, I don't remember if she was hooked up with UP.

[tblackgt350]

The new "Shelby GT 500s" are going into the registry. I just don't understand why Shelby would be so glad to water his own marque down this way. The Eleanor cars weren't even his idea. Some hollywood types made this thing up and then Shelby/unique essentially copied it. Its just some movie guy's "interpretation" of what a Shelby should be and Shelby is letting them stamp his name on it. I think he'd label a dumptruck "Shelby Cobra" if it would sell.

Tim

[Cashburn]

You guys have it spelled wrong... it's:

$helby

[Russ Dickey]

Originally posted by STG


That's the amusing part. Start with a car designed primarly by Chip Foose with zero Shelby involvement and get Shelby to put his name on it. Then put it in the Registry. Next, auction off a covertible version at BJ for, what was it - $540,000???

But hey, why not? Ford just put Shelby's name on their new Mustang Cobra SVT GT500. According to Motor Trend (May 2005), Shelby's involvement with the new Mustang has been, "Not a lot, so far."

If it's good enough for Ford, I can't blame Unique Performance for doing it!

Are the new Mustang Cobras going in the Registry, too?

I see your point, but to me, it's an entirely different thing for Ford to bring out a brand new Mustang with a Shelby nameplate, than it is for a company (who was never previously affiliated with Carroll) to build modified 60's cars and pass them off as the "real deal".

And for them to be bringing this kind of money is insane. It's no wonder that every single 1967-1968 Mustang owner is scrambling to convert their cars. I think it will be funny is in 5-10 years, when all these Eleanors will be being converted back to regular Mustangs...

[STG]

Originally posted by Russ Dickey


I see your point, but to me, it's an entirely different thing for Ford to bring out a brand new Mustang with a Shelby nameplate, than it is for a company (who was never previously affiliated with Carroll) to build modified 60's cars and pass them off as the "real deal".

And for them to be bringing this kind of money is insane. It's no wonder that every single 1967-1968 Mustang owner is scrambling to convert their cars. I think it will be funny is in 5-10 years, when all these Eleanors will be being converted back to regular Mustangs...

Every article I've read on the "Shelby" Mustang credits various Ford employees for EVERY facet of the new car. It certainly sounds like CS's involvement was very minimal. (As stated in Motor Trend.)

I can't agree that a prior relationship with Ford makes the GT500 a real Shelby anymore than Unique Performance's Eleanor. I'm sure both companies showed CS drawings of their products and asked him a few questions before getting a license from Carroll to use his name.

Eleanor or Shelby GT500 (new): Neither was CS's idea. Shelby had little or no input on both, didn't hire or direct anyone directly involved with the design or modification of either.

But hey, they're both in the Registry (along with the Ford GT)??!?

In the new Registry:





What's next? I know! I've got a 1960s toaster - it's a Sunbeam. Carrol was associated with Sunbeam, right? I'm gonna get a couple of Tiger badges, stick 'em on the toaster and show Rick Kopec! Can't wait to be listed in the Registry.