How This 2008 Shelby GT500 Is Still Going Strong After 210,000 Miles

Tyler Hoover finds out how much power is left in his high-mileage 2008 Shelby GT500.

Tyler Hoover from the Hoovies Garage YouTube channel has an affinity for making odd vehicle purchases. His most recent vehicle conquest has led him to a high-mileage 2008 Shelby GT500, with over 210,000 miles on the clock.

This was among the upper echelon of American muscle cars in the mid-2000s. However, there’s no telling what’s wrong with the Shelby-badged Ford Mustang. Here Tyler discovers if he’s unknowingly dug another money pit, or if he’s made a good purchase.

This 2008 Shelby GT500 Has 210,000 Miles On The Clock

Tyler explains that this 2008 Shelby GT500 wasn’t a garage queen, instead it has 210,000 miles on it. It’s also not in the best condition, as it has a bit of wear and tear on the exterior. According to Tyler, he paid $14,000 for the car, making it the cheapest GT500 in the country.

The GT500 has a 500-HP V8 engine paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Tyler describes the car as a beautiful reimagining of when Carrol Shelby returned to Ford in 2007. This GT500 is a major piece of automotive history, but one that was used and enjoyed, hence the incredibly low price.

Tyler admits that he’s happy that he found the car. He bought the car sight unseen from California, so he had no idea how it would turn out. Tyler plans to take a close look around the Shelby and then take it to a dyno shop to find out how much power it has.

While standard GT500s produce 500 HP, this one has a few engine modifications. He explains that this GT500 was released when he was around 20 years old, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. This was around the same time the 2006 Ford GT was discontinued, so this was supposed to be the new halo car from Ford.

The Engine Was Different From The One In The Ford GT

Tyler explains that although the GT500 has a 5.4-liter supercharged V8, it’s very different from the Ford GT’s engine. The GT500 has an iron engine block whereas the Ford GT has an aluminum one. The cars also had different types of superchargers, but they had similar cylinder heads.

Tyler states that there’s very little that makes it more of a race car, other than the massive power increase. The engineering is fundamentally the same, and it has larger Brembo brakes, better suspension, and larger SVT wheels. The GT500 has an old live rear axle that was also used on the first generation of Shelby GT500s.

For The Same Price, People Could’ve Bought A More Refined Performance Car

Tyler admits that for the sticker price of around $50,000, people could’ve bought an E92 BMW M3. However, Tyler likes the fastback design of the GT500 along with the vapor silver paint. At 210,000 miles, the swirl marks and imperfections can be seen, which means that it still has the original paint.

Since it’s a California car, it’s been blessed with a nice climate, so all the rubber trim pieces are in good condition. Tyler points out that the interior was well cared for, but the downside of these cars is their interiors. It features a lot of hard plastics, with a small attempt at a leather door panel.

Tyler points out that the dashboard looks a bit better than the door panels, but the rest of the interior is littered with hard plastic. However, the seats have nice bolsters, and they have the famous Cobra logo etched into them.

Tyler admits that he missed having a 6-speed manual transmission in his 2021 Shelby GT500. That car had 760 HP with a dual-clutch transmission, which he claims is fantastic. The 2008 GT500 has a Shaker stereo, which is pretty good, and a host of generic Ford controls such as climate control.

Engine Specs

Manufacturer	Ford
Production Years	1999-2012
Configuration	Supercharged V8
Displacement	5.4-liter
Power	500 hp
Torque	480 lb-ft
Fuel	Gasoline
Noteworthy Applications	Shelby GT500, Ford Falcon XR8, Shelby GT500KR

The California Climate Ensured That The Rubber Trim Pieces Were Kept Intact

The interior of the GT500 was well cared for.
The front seats are the best feature in the cabin, as the rest of it is filled with hard plastic.
The Shaker stereo is among the better factory car stereo systems.

The GT500 Is Fitted With A VMP Supercharger

Tyler states the biggest surprise that came with the car is the VMP supercharger, which is supposed to add an extra 100 to 150 HP. However, the belt is a bit noisy, which he hopes isn’t directly related to the supercharger.

According to Tyler, for 210,000 miles, the engine looks superb. It’s a good foundation for aftermarket parts and has aftermarket air intakes which are dirty, but the engine itself doesn’t look like it’s abused. The exterior needs a bit of work, especially the passenger side headlight which has some condensation.

Tyler plans to keep the paint as it is, as he likes the natural patina. He also shows off the original floor mats, which are in reasonably good condition. Tyler believed that he would need to replace a few engine components based on the price and age of the vehicle. However, the check engine light flickered to life as soon as he started driving. He also explains that the live rear axle made it very easy to spin the car, which is the reason for the platform’s bad reputation.

The Live Rear Axle Makes The GT500 Easy To Spin

The check engine light went on as soon as Tyler started driving.
The VMP supercharger can add up to 150 HP to the engine.
Tyler likes the natural patina on the paint.

The GT500 Made 573 HP And 535 lb-ft Of Torque On The First Run

The VMP Supercharger Is A Common Upgrade

The car made over 100 HP more than a stock GT500.
The VMP supercharger was fitted with a smaller pulley to increase the boost.
Stock GT500s make around 430 HP to the wheels.

Tyler headed to Polk Performance, where Dave Polk was eager to find out more about the GT500. Dave points out that the VMP supercharger has a smaller pulley on it to increase the boost. He also claims that stock GT500s made around 430 to 440 WHP (wheel horsepower) on his dynamometer.

Pricing

Trim	Avg. Used Market Range	Original MSRP
2-Door Coupe	$65,694	$47,155

After the dyno run, Tyler confirmed that the GT500 made 573 HP to the rear wheels and 535 lb-ft of torque on the first run. The second run didn’t see much difference in power and torque. According to Tyler, this might have been his best purchase in a very long time. Considering the car seems to be running very strong after a few hundred thousand miles, we couldn’t agree more.

2008 Shelby GT500 Reliability

Avg. Yearly Maintenance Costs: $544
Est. Maintenance Costs During First 10 Years: $7,093
Recalls: 5
Problems Owners Report: Clutch failure, worn outer tie rod ends, check engine light, rough idle