The Cobra
Some people fall in love with a car at a dealership. As a proud "band nerd", it was the sweet serenade of horsepower that first drew me to this car. I fell in love with the growl of the 1993 Cobra in middle school — hard enough to get the logo tattooed on my shoulder blade as an ever present reminder of that "lost love".
I named the car Zeus, but didn't actually have one.
Then, I found one.
Now Zeus is a 2008 Shelby GT500 Convertible. Black Clearcoat paint over Charcoal Black and Crimson Red leather. A supercharged 5.4-liter V8 pushing 500 horsepower (at least when we started!) through a 6-speed manual with a 3.31 limited-slip rear end. Ford built it at Flat Rock on January 25, 2008 — forty-three days behind schedule. Sometimes it takes a while for the thunderbolt to reach your ears.
According to the Marti Report, only 235 GT500 Convertibles were built with this paint and trim combination, and only 241 got the Red Stripe Appearance Package. This car started life at a dealer in Roselle Park, New Jersey. When not on Mt. Olympus, Zeus now lives in a garage in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
The Walk Around
When Brook Whitmire would bellow about what to do if your blood runs red and black, I took it to heart! Here is a lap around Zeus — the black-on-red exterior, the 19-inch red wheels (not stock), and a few details you won't find in the spec sheet. The combination of speed and power in red and black rings as pure as the Chapel Bell on a Saturday in the fall!
Marti Report
Every Ford built between 1967 and 2012 has a story in the Ford database. A Marti Report decodes the door data plate and tells you exactly what your car is, when it was built, and how rare the configuration is. Here's Zeus'.
with this paint code
with this paint/trim combo
with Red Stripe Appearance Package
ordered from New York region
with this engine/transmission
Modifications
Every mod tells a story. Some I did myself. Some I was smart enough to hire out.
The supercharger was running the show. The Eaton blower's whine was dominating the V8 growl at every RPM. This was about rebalancing the voice, not just turning up the volume.
Zeus arrived a little pre-loved. Clean CarFax, but the front bumper had stories to tell. Classic Auto Painting matched the factory Black Clearcoat. I handled the wrench work.
The Shaker 500's six-disc CD changer served its purpose. Bluetooth and a cleaner interface bring the cabin into the current decade — without touching the factory speakers or the trunk sub.