What was your dream car when you were a teenager? For Steve Beck, it was a 1965 Shelby GT350. Steve was afforded the opportunity to borrow his dream car from a friend after hearing he was to interview for his first job. Said interview as for a position as a mechanic, so naturally one look at the Shelby helped him land his first job.

Shortly after on his 18th birthday, Steve purchased that same Shelby from his friend for a mere $900 cash. Sure, it smoked like a chimney and the water pump leaked, but we’d be willing to bet that was the best $900 investment he ever made. Having owned the car for more than 43 years, Steve is now 61, and his Shelby is still running after being fixed up on a few occasions.

(Photo Credit: Hagerty)

Over the years, he massaged and hot-rodded that Shelby standard 289ci V8 to deliver more power, but everything can be returned back to stock if the occasion ever called for it. As Steve said in the original story from Hagerty, “I’ve had the car apart and together at least five times. Every time I break it, it goes back together and it goes faster, quicker, easier to drive.”

A former Vice President of the Los Angeles Shelby American Club, Steve has plenty of experience racing them around the track. With add-ons such as larger front brakes, GT350R touches, Koni shocks and a Detroit Locker rearend, this Shelby GT350 can hang on the curves at Willow Springs just fine. Check out the original Hagerty here for a full in-depth look at Steve’s GT350.