Every once in a while I mess up and give out the wrong phone number. I’ve been given the wrong number on many occasions, but that’s a whole different story, and doesn’t apply here. I’m sure Vintage Venom’s (http://www.vintagevenom.com) correct phone number was somewhere in the literature sent to us about its Shelby GT500 brake conversion kit for SN95 Mustangs, but somehow I missed it. Get the correct number and more information after the jump…
First off, Vintage Venom’s correct number is (248) 942-2486. The company’s main focus is providing late-model brake conversion systems for early Mustangs. Most of Vintage Venom’s kits center around SN95 Cobra front brakes and rear disc brake conversions for the early iron. However, for its latest trick the company has developed a Shelby GT500 brake conversion for SN95 Mustangs. The conversion kit and the Shelby GT500 brake package are sold separately. The conversion kit came straight from Vintage Venom, and I sourced Ford Racing Performance Parts for its M-2300-S 2007 SVT Mustang brake kit.
The brake conversion kit and the brake package were easy selections, but the wheel choice has been harder to crack. Since we need a wheel designed for the Shelby GT500 most wheel offerings center around 20” designs. Sorry, but my ’94 Cobra would look as silly as Editor Turner racing Jamaican sprinter and world record holder (He broke my record) Usain Bolt with 20s on it. Even 19s are a stretch so I set my sights on an 18” wheel. What I found out is that the majority of 18” wheels will not fit the Shelby’s 14” brakes. Yes, I know, the factory Shelby GT500 wheels would work, but I am not a big fan of those wheels.
To work with the brake conversion Vintage Venom recommended an 18x9 ½” wheel with a 45mm to 50mm offset. Checking out several wheel outlets I discovered it was slim pickings. I settled on American Muscle’s (www.americanmuscle.com) GT4 wheels in 18x9. To contrast my Cobra’s Oxford white paint I chose the Hypercoated versions. I’ve always been intrigued with dark wheels on a light-colored Mustang so I made the plunge, and we’ll see if it works.
The new GT4 wheels should be really close to the wheel location my Cobra enjoys with American Muscle’s S-style 18x9 front and 18x10 rear wheels. The only bad thing is American Muscle’s GT4 2005-current Mustang offset is only available in 18x9. However, the good news is that an 18x10 version will be available soon. When the 18x10 comes out, there will be a pair of them on the back of my Cobra.
I just got an e-mail from American Muscle telling me the wheels wrapped in Sumitomo treads are on the way. As soon as they hit the office we’ll be calling Jay Meagher over at Real Street Performance [(407) 695-0699] in Winter Springs, FL for the installation, which will take place within the next couple weeks. Stay tuned.