Trip To Shelby Automobiles, Inc.

**Nice Pony** · #1 02-22-2009

I just got back from my long drive first to Napa to hook up with Dave and Doug on the X-Charger Xtreme Intercooler project which you have all read about by now.

Next I headed to Las Vegas to hook up with Vince LaViolette at Shelby Automobiles, Inc. so he could get a hands on test of the TR6060 6-Speed transmission adapter along with the X-Charger.

Vince's job title is Senior Designer, R&D. He has about the coolest job imaginable for a motor head like most of us here on the collective are. He has personally designed and built most of the Shelby hoods, front and rear fascia and scores of other parts for Shelby. His most recent job was to design and build the V6 Terlingua. He comes from a heavy NASCAR background and actually races NASCAR among other things. Everyone wants his job but as he points out it is a lot of hours. 90hrs overtime on his last paycheck!

The facilities at Shelby are expansive. They have numerous buildings on the site including a museum which is located on the grounds of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The speedway includes a state of the art NASCAR track, drag strip and configurable open track road course. Vince told me that he can use any of the tracks any time he want's. Just a call to security that he is on the way and off he goes. He does a lot of testing on the track. He told me in one recent test session the he logged over 1000 miles on the track in one weekend of testing.

They were setting up for a NASCAR race so the tracks were not available so Vince took my car for a spin down the road just outside the gate. He got a big smile on his face as we hit 120mph and said "That is absolutely perfect and exactly what we need!!". He couldn't get over how perfectly matched the gear ratios are for the supercharged V6 application. He was also extremely impressed with the linier torque curve of the X-Charger. He said that the Paxton / Vortex they use is tuned extremely aggressive and puts out 350RWHP but the power and torque don't even begin to come on as nice as the X-Charger. With the new intercooler and some better exhaust Doug will be able to match or at least come very close to the numbers the Paxton / Vortex puts down also and keep that nice linear torque curve. Vince goes on "This drives just like a GT500 only nimbler and not as powerful". He went on and on about how well matched the TR6060 with the 4:10 rear end gears were for this application.

Normaly from what I have been told by my associate on this project, Bruce at Modern Driveline, Vince is a very busy guy and you are lucky to get to talk to him at all. Vince spent three hours with me and gave me a personal guide tour of the entire facility. He then called down a couple of his bosses to take a look and go for a drive. Gary Patterson is VP of Operations and took my car for a drive and was also very impressed although pointed out that it is not as powerful as their V6 cars. I told him about the X-Charger Extreme intercooler that will be available soon and that my car is just a daily driver and pretty conservative. He liked it a lot also.

Both Vince and Gary told me they felt a little drive shaft vibration at high speed. They said that it was actually not as bad as a lot of their cars have had and is something they have been fighting with since the beginning of the S197 Mustangs. Vince told me they have tried drive shafts from virtually every manufacture out there and were about ready the through in the towel when they were contacted by DynoTech Motor Sports to try one of theirs. The results were perfect. With the DynoTech drive shafts all vibration at high speed are completely gone according to Vince. Even at speeds as high as 160mph as Vince tells me he drives that fast regularly. I will be calling DynoTech this week to find out more information. Vince told me they have some sort of internal inertia dampener system but I did not find any mention about that on their web site.

Vince told me he want's to add my adapter system to the Shelby catalog as an upgrade and use them on new builds. When the X-Charger intercooled version is available he will be seriously considering it for any new V6 projects that come along.

I had a great time meeting everyone at Shelby and they all really like my Mustang.

Old (but a reproduction) and new Terlingua

More old Shelbys

First Cobra

Vince (on left) a two of his crew in his private shop. My Pony on rack.

View down Vince's private shop.

NASCAR track and stands.
Those aren't people they paint the seats to make it look like the stands are full for TV.

Area where they are currently building Super Snakes
What's that V6 doing in here!

Another view....

Vince putting my car on a rack.

**navbtcret** · #2 02-22-2009

Very nice Gaylon, before long you will be part of team Shelby. I would love a personal tour of the facilities there. Congrats on getting your part picked up by them and I am sure Dave is stoked about the interest in his kit.

To think we could be saying we knew you when.......

**WinterHawk** · #3 02-22-2009

Wow man, schweet pics and site... it's what I imagine Mustang heaven must be like :) lol

**bscottie** · #4 02-22-2009

coooooooooooollllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

**firestang70** · #5 02-22-2009

Gaylon can I get an autograph??? Very cool and thanks for sharing.

**dmhines** · #6 02-22-2009

Wow ... that's really cool! Congrats!

Question .... The pics I have seen of the CS6 show a manual transmission. Is Shelby leaving the stock T5 in their CS6's with 350HP ??? Did they mention anything about the durability of the T5's in their conversions and if they have had any issues?

**popeye010** · #7 02-22-2009

LUCKY BASTARD!! No seriously it was your hard work that got you that tour. You must be on cloud nine, not only getting a look inside but they also want your product. "Well done ole boy"

**Nice Pony** · #8 02-22-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmhines

Wow ... that's really cool! Congrats!

Question .... The pics I have seen of the CS6 show a manual transmission. Is Shelby leaving the stock T5 in their CS6's with 350HP ??? Did they mention anything about the durability of the T5's in their conversions and if they have had any issues?

Up until now they have been using the Stock T5s and have nothing but problems with them. Everyone I talked to told me the stock T5 in the S197s is crap. Vince told me that in the normal manner in which he drives on the track the stock T5 is lucky to last one session. He said the setup I have is exactly what they need. Their V6 projects do however use a 8.8 rear axle.

**heatho** · #9 02-22-2009

Holy Cow! Very nice Gaylon. Are you going to remember us little people when you become rich and famous?

cvz_finezt · #10 02-22-2009

damn man!! tht's freak'n awsome! myb when i finish school, i'll try and apply at shelby. my old lady said she doesn't want to move to Vegas... but what the hell, it SHELBY!!!