advertisement

Ford dealer's 40-year-old dream comes true

Dan Heller has always been a die-hard Ford fan. Growing up as a teen in the 1960s, he had his sights set on owning the Blue Oval's top performer: a Shelby Mustang.

Heller had plenty of access to see the wild stallions up close; a short walk through the family business gave loads of inspiration. His dad, Gene, owned Heller Ford in El Paso, a small town in Central Illinois, and the dealership was a licensed Shelby distributor.

“Dad didn't sell too many with it being a small rural community,” Dan recalls. “But they were, for sure, my dream car.”

Gene Heller, on the other hand, wasn't a fan of his son cruising around in one of Carroll Shelby's cars. “Dad said no way could I get one,” Dan laughs now. The father's caution didn't mean he was against all forms of muscle or underwood tuning.

Dan Heller of Bloomington, left, and Ross Gregory of Marquette Classics in Ionia, Michigan, brought Heller's Mustang to the 2018 World of Wheels car show in Rosemont last weekend.

“When you grow up a Ford guy, you are always mixing it up on the street with the Chevy crew,” Dan says. “You worked to make your car a little different, a little faster, a little better. Dad loved it and participated, too.”

Dan went on to own several 1968 Mustangs, but it wasn't until a few years back that he finally got his 1968 Shelby. He purchased it from his friend, Gary, who had owned it since 1994. Prior to that, the car was in Idaho, where it had been sold new.

The original plan was to freshen the Shelby up in time to join in on the Hot Rod Power tour, a multiday, multistate cruise of classics, custom and collector cars. To get it ready for the journey, Dan took the car in 2016 to Marquette Classics in Ionia, Michigan. The locale was more than perfect - not only was the shop able to handle what would turn into a major rebuild, but the car had traveled back to its roots.

This 1968 Shelby Mustang is powered by a fuel-injected, 351-cubic-inch V-8.

Leading up to 1967, the late racer and car designer Carroll Shelby modified his Mustangs out in Los Angeles, but in 1968 the special 'Stangs were indeed, built in Ionia. “The car really returned home to get rebuilt,” says Dan. “The two shops are only three miles apart.”

While the initial thought was to give the vehicle a simple update, the end product arrived at a whole other level. A Roadster Shop chassis was slid underneath and a coat of custom white paint was applied and given plenty of blue pearl. Under hood, a fuel-injected, 351-cubic-inch V-8 was installed while Wilwood disc brakes were bolted on at each corner. All of the car's original sheet metal was retained except for a small section on a lower rear quarter panel.

All of the sheet metal on Heller's Shelby is original except for a small section on a rear quarter panel.

The over-the-top creation was just completed a few months ago and it became a key star at the 2018 World of Wheels car show, held March 9-11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

Dan did make it to the Power Tour but with a different car. He plans on being there in his Shelby when it kicks off again in June. But before that, there's another priority. At the end of the Rosemont show, Dan took the Mustang back to Central Illinois for the first time since the project was completed.

“Dad hasn't seen the car,” Dan says. “His house will be the first place I take it when I get home. I can't wait to see what he thinks of it.”

Share your car's story with Matt at auto@dailyherald.com.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.