Petrolicious, the creator of quality, original films and articles for classic car enthusiasts, has released its latest video, featuring automotive devotee Dave Rioux who restored his classic 1967 Shelby GT350 exactly how he wanted it after 51 years of ownership.
After a couple of years away, the Petrolicious website and YouTube Channel has been recently rebooted by duPont REGISTRY Group, and new films are now dropping every Friday. Petrolicious celebrates the inventions, the personalities, and the aesthetics that ignite a collective lust for great automotive machines, and it seeks to inform, entertain, and inspire its community of aficionados and pique the interest of those who have been missing out.
Today, Petrolicious takes up Rioux’s story…
Dave will be the first one to tell you his ’67 Shelby GT350 isn’t period correct. But when it comes to ticking the boxes of what truly matters, concours rules don’t even make the list. This car is more than a restoration; it’s the embodiment of perseverance, sacrifice, and a vision he held onto for decades.
As a teenager, Dave watched the GT350 roll past his gas station, driven by a Vietnam veteran who had bought it brand new. To Dave, it wasn’t just a car; it was a rolling symbol of freedom and individuality. He knew, deep down, it would be his someday. That day came in 1973 when, after a few changes of ownership, he finally made the dream a reality.
As it inevitably tends to do, life came by and happened. Marriage, family, and the responsibilities of adulthood meant the GT350 got pushed off to the back of his mind. Still, Dave never let go of the vision he had when he disassembled the car in 1976. Thirty years later, with his family’s support, he finally turned his attention back to the car, not to build a concours queen but to create something deeply personal.
“This car is not necessarily period correct.” Dave says, “It’s not a concours car, but it’s a hell of a machine because I built it the way I want it.” It took two years of bodywork, engine rebuilds, and assembly. He meticulously archived every bolt and part, documenting every detail as he blended authentic elements with personal touches to craft a machine that fulfills the longing he felt all those years ago watching it cruise by the station.
Plenty of people want a factory-spec restoration, a polished time capsule built to live on manicured grass instead of asphalt. Instead Dave built something that embodies everything he values most: hard work, sacrifice, family, and the passion to see something through, no matter how long it takes. It’s not correct by concours standards, but it’s real by every measure that counts. For Dave, that’s all it ever needed to be.
