Most barn finds we see today are usually mundane classic cars that aren’t worth restoring. However, some owners have been unknowingly hiding unique gems that may be worth a fortune once returned to their factory specifications. The 1969 Shelby GT350 you see here is one of those cars.
With the same owner since 1974, the Shelby has been off the road since the day he bought it, so it spent a whopping 48 years in storage. There’s no info as to why it sat for almost five decades, but based on the way it looks, the car was taken apart for restoration. Life probably got in the way and the Mustang never got the refresh it deserves.
Come 2022 and the car is still dismantled but it’s pretty much complete, although the parts are scattered in different locations. It also appears to be in good condition save for some rust spots, a sign that the owner kept it in dry storage most of the time. And impressively enough, the numbers-matching engine is still with the car, even though it’s been taken apart and will require a rebuild.
The mill in question is a 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) Windsor V8. Offered in 1969 only, it’s the largest ever V8 fitted in the first-generation Shelby GT350. The unit was rated at 290 horsepower and 385-pound-feet of torque (522 Nm) when new, enabling the car to cover the quarter-mile in less than 15 seconds.
But more importantly, the Marti Report revealed that this Shelby is actually unique. One of 824 GT350 fastbacks built in 1969, it’s one of only 247 that were fitted in the four-speed manual gearbox. The Acapulco Blue paint narrows it down to only 24 units, but it’s the options like the eight-track stereo and the air conditioning that turn it into a rare gem.
That’s because only two Acapulco Blue cars were ordered with the eight-track stereo in 1969 and only one also had the A/C unit. This is that car! And needless to say, Dennis didn’t was time and immediately made a deal to take it to his shop. And the even better news is that the Shelby will get restored and put back on the road.
Once that happens, this 1969 GT350 will also become a very expensive classic. Because restored examples are now going for more than $150,000. For instance, a perfectly restored example in Candy Apple Red, also with a four-speed manual, changed hands for $170,500 in January 2022.
But well-equipped, unique cars are known to fetch close to $200,000. With classic car prices going steadily up, this Acapulco Blue example might just exceed that sticker. Until that happens, see it getting rescued after 48 years in the video below.
