A phone call about an old Mustang that hadn’t run in nearly 14 years sounded like a fairly ordinary restoration job. For mechanic Brandon Cummings, however, the assignment would turn into something he’d dreamed about since childhood.
Brandon, who runs the BeAircooled YouTube channel, was contacted through a friend about a classic Ford sitting in a Chicago garage. Its longtime owner, Chris, wanted the car running again before selling it to someone who could enjoy it.
The Mustang turned out to be a genuine 1968 Shelby GT500, chassis number 562, complete with a 428-cubic-inch V8. It was the kind of car Brandon had admired since building plastic model engines as a child.
Yet the Shelby’s mechanical specifications were only part of its appeal. Chris had spent decades building connections with the people behind Shelby American, and his prized Mustang carried a particularly personal reminder of those encounters.
A Shelby With a Remarkable Personal History
Chris purchased the GT500 in spring 2001 and drove it roughly 4,000 miles during his ownership. For years, the green fastback was a regular at Chicago-area car shows before being parked around 2012.
He also traveled extensively to Shelby gatherings, meeting Carroll Shelby often enough that the automotive legend eventually recognized him by name. Shelby personally signed the car’s dashboard, dedicating the autograph to Chris and chassis 562.
Chris also preserved the original air-cleaner lid, which Shelby and racing driver Bob Bondurant signed. A separate memorabilia book contains 24 signatures from people associated with Shelby American, reflecting years spent attending reunions and meeting the people behind the cars.
Fourteen Years of Sitting Left Some Surprises
With Chris preparing to demolish the aging garage, Brandon arranged to extract the GT500 and transport it to his workshop. Rather than immediately attempting to start the long-dormant V8, he began examining the fuel and braking systems.
He drained nearly 10 gallons of stale gasoline, then inspected the tank with a borescope. Surprisingly, it appeared exceptionally clean, with little evidence of corrosion.
The brakes needed more attention, particularly on the driver’s side, where a suspected leaking rear axle seal had left gear oil around the backing plate and brake shoes. Brandon also planned to rebuild the front calipers, replace aging hoses, and inspect the engine internally before attempting to turn it over.
One Last Chapter Before a New Owner
The restoration is intended to make the Shelby mechanically sound enough for Chris to sell with confidence. After 25 years of ownership, he’s ready to pass the car to someone else.
This project offers Brandon a rare opportunity to work on a genuine big-block Shelby with an unusually personal history. Granted, the 428 hasn’t fired up yet, but chassis 562 is finally on its way back to the road.