2007 Shelby Mustang: Overland Park man wanted a unique sports car, and got one

After Steve Fisher retired, he searched for the car of his dreams. He wanted a one–of-a-kind high performance car that he could fit in.

He joked that because of his 6-foot-4 size, it eliminated the Corvette for him because he thought he was too big to fit comfortably in one. As an owner of a Ford F-150, it was natural for Fisher to choose the Mustang as his dream car.

So in 2013, Fisher got on his computer at his Overland Park home and searched all over the country.

“I was looking for a black Mustang convertible with a fairly recent body style,” he said. “I was looking for black and red interior with a V-8 and a five-speed.”

He found one in Chicago – a black 2007 Shelby Mustang with only 17,000 miles.

“It was a one-owner, low-mile car,” Fisher said. “I flew up and drove it back and started the build.”

For Fisher, the project of making his Shelby Mustang unique had just begun. He first had the interior completely redone in Kansas City. All new leather seats were put in. He also had a Ford supercharger, a Hurst shifter and heavy duty brakes installed in Kansas City. With the supercharger, the engine puts out 500 horsepower.

But then Fisher sent his car away in early 2014 to Shelby American in Las Vegas to have the Mustang completely remade to a design that existed only in his mind.

“It is scary, very, very scary,” Fisher said. “They would periodically send me pictures when they tore it all down. The worst part about it was it was a beautiful car to begin with. I was really nervous about tearing it down.”

Fisher, though, wanted high performance tires on the Mustang.

“That is probably the most dramatic part of the car, the wheels and tires,” Fisher said. “In order to do that, we had to put a wide body quarter panel package on it. All the panels are extended out.”

Shelby custom wheels and a deep draw hood were also put on the Mustang in Las Vegas.

When the Mustang was finished, Fisher said the folks at Shelby assured him he was now the owner of a one-of-kind 2007 Shelby Mustang.

Fisher received confirmation of that when the finished product was shipped back to him in April.

“When they rolled it off the truck, I thought, ‘My gosh, that is the most beautiful car I have seen,’” Fisher said. “When I got behind the wheel, I was quickly reminded what a monster it is. It will get away from you if you are not real careful.”

Fisher enjoys driving his Mustang on the highway.

“A 110 (miles per hour) with the top down is quite a thrill for this old guy,” he said. “I will tell you that for sure. I’m a straight-line guy. I like to go zero to 60 as quickly as possible.”

It is easy to see the kid in Fisher when he gets behind the wheel of his Mustang, rolls down the top and pumps the gas.

“It has a beautiful sound to it,” he said.

A love for cars was ingrained in Fisher at an early age.

“My father and his three brothers were all car guys,” Fisher said. “I grew up with a love for automobiles, and my two brothers as well. We have always had a thirst for automobiles.”

And now Fisher has a car that is a conversation piece.

“I wanted to make it one of a kind,” Fisher said. “It is my expression of creativity. I wanted it to be mine.”

This story was originally published February 20, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "2007 Shelby Mustang: Overland Park man wanted a unique sports car, and got one."