January 2021 • By Tony Thacker, photos Dave Kommel, Todd Landon & Tony Thacker
Presented by MicksPaint.com & USAutomotive.co.uk

We first encountered Todd Landon’s Mustang GT350R ‘Silver Bullet’ at an East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) land speed event at Blytheville, AK, in 2019. Then it was at Spaceport and then Bonneville. This guy gets around we thought but as we dug deeper we realized the story of this fastback reached way back, back to 1965.

The story of Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs has been told many times, needless to say, sensing some money to be made, ’Ol Shel’ got hold of a coupe and tested it at Willow Springs, CA. Realizing the cars’ potential; Shelby ordered a batch of 1965-1/2 2+2 fastbacks from Ford’s San Jose, CA, plant. Painted Wimbledon White, they came sans hood and back seat to meet the SCCA’s sports car requirement. The rest is history.

The late Tom Silver purchased this particular car out of north central South Dakota. It was fairly rust free and it was bought sight unseen from photographs. “When I got there to retrieve it,” said Landon, “it was missing a partial quarter panel and the taillight panel, as it had been hit from the rear. I think that was 2003 and I think it was finished for La Carrera Panamericana (LCP) in 2004.  

Before it became a land speed racer, Silver Bullet had a whole different life as a pedigreed La Carrera Panamericana, Targa Newfoundland and Chihuahua Express competitor. 

It was during the 2007 ChiX that things went upside down—literally. For those who don’t know ChiX is a three-day stage rally or open-road race in Chihuahua, Mexico—its spring training for the La Carrera Panamericana. The full competition cars cover 1000 miles over the three days, including about 250 miles of unlimited speed stages. The average speed stage is 7.4 miles long, including one that is 20.5 miles long. Over the three days there are 33-35 speed stages.

2007 was, in fact, the first year of the Chihuahua Express and Tom Silver, after whom the Silver Bullet is named was driving and Dave Fuss was navigator. According to the organizer’s report Tom, “clipped a mountainside twice before turning over.” Thankfully, both Tom and Dave were unharmed. Of the 56 starters only 27 finished. Sadly, Tom Silver died of cancer in 2009 soon after winning his last La Chihuahua Express.

“After the Chihuahua Express (ChiX) crash and Tom’s subsequent death, I felt it just needed to live on.” Continued Landon. “Mustangs to Go was a side venture I had for road racing at Pike’s Peak and in Mexico but I closed the LLC around 2014.

“I met Jack Rogers at LCP one year and we discussed the car,” said Landon.  “I had already purchased it from Tom’s estate and I needed to finish it. I also met Steve Strupp, crew chief for Jack and now owner of the ECTA and the game was on. I have friends from Europe with an interest in land speed racing too that wanted to have a go, so we made even better friends and we had some great fun on the salt.”

Powering the Silver Bullet in excess of 200mph is a Paxton-blown 358ci Ford V-8 with aluminum C3 heads based on 351 Cleveland Heads.

In 2011, Todd rebuilt the Mustang for land speed racing with the hope of going 200 mph. Anybody who has done that can attest to the fact that it’s not at all easy and can take some time to realize the goal. The first of three drivers was Thierry de Latre du Bosqueau who made a very respectable first run at 143.402mph in the C/CBGALT class (C for engines between 306 and 372.66ci and CBGALT for Classic Blown Gas ALTered.  During the week the team, that also included drivers, Simon Jefferies and Bruno Van Marsenille managed to push the speed to almost 200. Unfortunately, on Simon’s last run something broke and the distributor wouldn’t turn. Nevertheless, Thierry managed a top speed of 199 mph—they were so close to the magic 200 but it would be nine long years before they got there.

At the August 2020 Bonneville Speed Week they were close to reaching their goal with an out-of-the box run of 194.835mph and on August 10 driver Todd managed 202.843. The guys came back in October and ran 197.594, 200.907, 206.068, and 208.705 with an exit speed of 209.446.  The 200 mph result was a fitting tribute to the late Tom Silver.

Vehicle: 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R
Owner: Todd Landon, Mound, MN
Top Speed: 209.446mph

• Engine: 358ci Ford V-8
• Heads: Aluminum C3 based on 351 Cleveland Heads
• Oiling system: Dry sump
• Supercharger: Paxton Novi
• Exhaust: JBA shorty headers for ground clearance with a stainless steel-oval exhaust underneath that exits as an X in front of the rear tires
• Control: Racepak V300 SD
• Transmission: 4-speed Jerico with reverse locked out
• Shifter: Hurst Super Shifter
• Clutch: Single disc clutch that is not used as the car is pushed to 30 mph before the driver drops it into first gear

Chassis
• Front suspension: Global West coil-over
• Steering rack: Global West
• Shocks: QA-1 with added adjustable helper springs fitted over the rear shocks
• Rear end: Currie Ford 9-inch

• Tires: Custom steel land speed wheels
• Wheels: Goodyear Eagle Land Speed 25 x 4.50-15
• Sponsors: Andres Foreign Auto Parts, Goose Lake Auto Parts, Currie Enterprises