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Shelby Colectibles Vs. Lane GT350R

10K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  JSB 33 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Shelby GT350R
In late 1964, Ford came to Carrol Shelby asking him to take the Mustang racing.
They had attempted to get the new pony car approved by the SCCA and had failed.
It turns out that Ford new Shelby was the answer because after a meeting with SCCA Executive Director, John Bishop (later of ISMA) The Mustang was going raciing in B Production.

To convert the Shelby GT350 into an R model as simple as getting the Mustangs delivered from Ford with no heater, door panels, soundproofing, hood, rear window and so on. Shelby was able to shave almost 500 pounds off the weight off the street car.
This of course, had a great impact on the performance. Many engine modifications and upgrades were also part of the conversion. Larger Gas tank (2 stock tanks welded together) Increased oil capacity and lots of other little improvements were what it took to turn the Mustang into a winner on the track. In fact, the R won its first time out on Feb 14 1965 with Ken Miles behind the wheel.
The car had much sucess and helped build the Shelby reputation even thought he was very hesitant to get involved at all!

Diecast
We are lucky to have some choices in manufacturers for Shelby Mustangs.
Lane has been making various Mustangs since about 1999 or even earlier.
This was their first release and while considered to be fantastic when released, it has not stood up to the current level of of their most recent releases. They do some beautiful cars but this one should not be compared to what they do today.

A newcomer to the diecast scene is Shelby Collectibles (S/C). They are offering some very competetive Mustangs at bargain prices.

While it is noy usualy fair to compare a 6 year old release with a brand ner one, in this case it is warranted. The Lane is priced at around $90 and the C/S is around $29.

So what do you get for your money?

Lane...







C/S...







As you can see, both are very well done representations of the GT350R.
The few differences in appearance are historically correct. The Jerry Titus car #61 is as raced and the S/C is as delivered. Side scoops were not part of the package and were added later by the race teams.

The biggest thing I see is the incorrect side stripes on the S/C. They are too narrow and the text is too small.
Also, the color of the "Goodyear" lettering on the tire is a more accurate color than on the Lane but the difference is very small.

I would give a slight edge to the Lane only because of the stripes

Lane....


S/C....


Engine detail

Both are pretty decent. whatever one has, the other has as well in the way of painted or moulded in detail. Spark plug wiring, seperate carbs and intake, well defined radiator, fan, water pump and so on is present in both.
Another mistake on the S/C but not the Lane is the wrong engine color. The Mustang should have a Black engine block and not a blue one.

Contrary to what some reviewers will try to tell you, niether cars engine is much to write home about, much less among the best of the hobby.

Again, a small edge to the Lane, I would say it is 5-10% better execution.

Lane....


S/C....


Interior and Trunk.

Level of detail is again, very close. It is easy to think that whoever did the S/C had a Lane in front of them to use as a guide.
The Lane gets the nod by a very small margin, mainly because of slightly better materials and a more convincing dash. The interior is the weakest point for the S/C and to be honest, it should not be as close as it is but the Lane is not very good itself.

Lane....




S/C....





Chassis Detail
Same old story, both are almost identical but with and extra step or 2 taken on the Lane. Its better but not by a whole lot.

Lane...




C/S....




Fit and Finish
No contest, the S/C is much better than the Lane.
Paint is better (by far) Cast in detail is better defined and sharper, Panel fit is better.
Not sure if you can tell by my mediocre pictures but here is a close up of the finish of the front fender.

Lane...


S/C....



This is where we get into the value competition.
The S/C is 1/3 the price and yet it looks very close (and sometimes better) than the Lane. The areas where the Lane does look better are very minor things. Yes the Lane is a bit better in some places but the difference is quite small.

I know that if I wanted a 65-66 Shelby Mustang, I would not hesitate to buy the S/C.
The Lane just does not deliver the quality that the price would indicate.
In this case, you do not get what you pay for. Not by a long shot.

Who makes the best 1956 Shelby GT350?
Not either one of these companies
The nicest one released is the Franklin Mint in 1:24 with the 1:20 Revell (Creative Master) right along side it.
I have the FM but not the CM.

Here is a Mattel 1:43, FM 1:24 and C/S 1:18

 
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#4 ·
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]
Both are possible, Winston.
Remember, with racing cars, things changed a lot and very quickly.

I do believe that the R models came from Shelby witrh the stripes but I have seen pics of the Titus car without them so it seems to be correct as well.
 
#5 ·
Wow, GREAT shoot-out Jeff! You sure made my mind: a SC for me please! In terms of bang for the buck, the SC is the absolute winner. Even if you don't take price into comparison I think the SC will come in 1st place. You've just got the SC's GT350R (white with blue stripes) in my Wish List. :cheers
 
#6 ·
That was a great comparision Jeff. And lots of little-known facts about the Shelby. Some other things I noticed on the Lane vs. S/C The lower a-arms should be half semi-gloss black and half natural finish on both cars. The rear end pumpkin carrier on the S/C should be red oxide like on the Lane. The S/C doesn't have the rear brake scoops underneath. The've both got the export "Monte Carlo" brace in the engine bay. Also like you mentioned on the engine color, Ford didn't go to Ford corporate blue until 1966. I also think the regular GT350 had some kind of traction bars at the rear but maybe the R didn't.
I've always loved Mustangs and both the Lane and S/C look great, but I'd have to go for the S/C. If Kaybee ever gets any here, one of them will be mine. . . :giggle
 
#9 ·
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]
Great review, and great pics, thanks for the comparison. One thing to remember: the Lane is a pure competition replica, while the SC is a street version, prior to competition prep. Race preparation, and when, can speak legions about any subtle differences. For example, Ford 9 inch rear ends are the standard against which all rear ends are compared. Depending on who prepared the "pumpkin" (the portion of the rear end that contained the ring gear and pinion), the cast iron housing could be painted a different color. Also, some race teams painted each rear end ratio pumpkin a different color, so that there was no mistake about what rear end gear was in the car.

Similar with the rear brake ducts. These might not be appropriate on a street version, like the SC depicts, but fully appropriate on the Lane racer version.

The export brace was one option on the street versions that carried over to the racer, it truly served a function.

The rear traction bar option was tried for a while, but discontinued for two reasons: First, it really didn't work, and you could accomplish wrap up control through a varying of the number and sizing of the rear leaves. Second, the SCCA would not permit the rear bulkhead to be compromised in order to mount the traction bars the way Shelby originally designed them, which was above the axle, and then through a rubber boot into the rear passenger compartment. I had a racer Camaro that was a teammate to a racer GT-350, and it was obvious when I bought the Camaro that they had tried to transfer the same traction bar technology to the Camaro. When you read the SCCA rule book, it is pretty obvious that it was illegal. The rear bulkhead had to be intact, and without any type of hole.

Finally, there is a KB outlet in my town, and they have several of the GT-350 and Cobra 427's in stock. If you can't find them in your locale, let me know, and we can work out a deal.

:cheers
 
G
#7 ·
Great comparision! Thanks a bunch for doing this! Ive been waiting for more comparisions on these two. I have the exact one in your pics but the S/C version. I love it and Im gald I got it while the going was good. S/C really puts alot of detail for the money.
 
#11 ·
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]
Nope, the term "Detroit Locker" refers to what is happening with the spider gears inside the pumpkin. You could have it totally open, locked, welded, limited slip, spool/mini-spool, etc. From the outside, they all looked the same. The only one's that knew were the crew and the driver, and the other drivers, if you happened into a situation where the characteristics of one disclosed its presence (like if you had a fully locked rear end, under slippery circumstances, and you really stood on the "loud" pedal, and found yourself facing, in lieu of leading, your competition.

:cheers
 
#15 ·
Sorry, should have been more specific. I am still under the impression that "R" models were street legal, in that they had all the requisite equipment to be licensed for street purposes - that is the basis of the SCCA classification of "B" Production. Even though the "R" model had special equipment installed by Shelby, SCCA regs required them to be streetable. Same would be true for a 1969 L-88 Corvette, with no heater, no radio, no sound deadening in the doors, etc., but still could be licensed for street purposes, meeting the criteria for "A" Production.

I think we are saying the same thing.

:confused
 
#16 ·
Great job, Jeff - some great info on the models and the 1:1s
 
G
#19 ·
:310 Jeff,
great car great pics great info. :nicejob
that last shot i would agree the F/M stands out a mile even in that shot ....the crispness about the whole car compared to the other two.in my humble opinion.
The S/C surely does represent great VFM. :goodpost
 
G
#21 ·
I must have missed this topic when first posted.

Ihave always been on the fence about the S/C version as it is not a bodystyle I am fond of. But after seeing those pics, I can feel a little better about them now.

Thanks for the review.
 
#29 ·
Great comparo, Jeff.

I have the Lane 350R & SC Street version...if I'd known that SC was going to release actual race versions of the R (as they recently have) I doubt that I'd ever have bought the Lane version. The Lanes are good models, especially if you can find them on sale, but to me, they're not worth anywhere near their retail price (& I LOVE Mustangs).

 
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