Identify a '67 GT500 - Shelby Authentication

[Vince]

Hi
A simple question.How do i identify a GT500 -67 to be sure it´s not a clone??

/Michael

[roddster]

Know what I hate about answering a question like this? How do I (we) know, you aren't asking this so you can clone one???

OK, look at the aluminum Shelby Vin tag under the hood. Does it look brand new, but the car looks old? Or does it look to be as old as the car. Yeah, some folks have put on new plates, but...

ALL 67 Shelbys had this same number stamped into the top of the right side fender mounting flange, near the shock tower.

And, this is difficult, unbolt the right fender and pull it back to reveal the Ford vin. First thing is the plant code better be for the San Jose assembly plant. If not, well it's a clone.

Contact the SAAC registrar with both the Shelby vin, and the Ford Vin. SAAC will tell you if they match their records. SAAC WILL NOT RELEASE TO YOU THE FORD VIN.

Does it have the complete deluxe interior? rear fold down seats, front power disk brakes? roll bar with the Y shoulder belts?

Other things, but any of these could be changed due to wear, unavailablity, etc: 140MPH speed (not 120), factory tach, the real steering wheel, Ford 9" rear end, larger (wider) rear brake drums, the scoops, don't forget the real Shelby has a longer front end, so, it will not have a stock Mustang hood, and my favorite: look for the rubber/cast steel rear suspension rebound thingies toward the front of the rear springs, bolted to the bottom of the floor above the rear springs.

And of course, look undernearth the front fenders for welding/filler in the area under the vin.

[Vince]

Thanks for the exhaustive? answer.
I´m only 19 years old and can´t even afford myself a regular -67 mustang fastback so there will be no clone built in my garage.I´d rather drive the real thing
I just want to know what i´m gonna look for when I have enough money someday to buy my own -67 GT500

/Michael

[Magstar]

Did all 67 Shelby's have the spring snubbers I have seen a authentic S.A.A.C verified car without them not even any mounting holes.

[roddster]

It's my understanding that all the 67's had the traction snubbers, but, maybe on the late built cars they could have run out. I have never seen any without, and, would be leery of a car without them, meaning, I'd have to check into that way more.

[roddster]

One last thing about "verified" paperwork. With the computers, fonts, paper aging tactics at home today, you have to be leery of that stuff too.

[cougar]

You don't have to remove the right fender. The Ford vin. number should be under the Shelby ID plate. It is a lot easier to drill out a rivet than pull a fender.
Frank

[Snakepit]

Yes all would have the snubbers. Often when people restore the cars and replace the floors they can forget to replace them. Seen at least on at a show that was done that way

[roddster]

You are correct about the number under the Shelby plate. But, SAAC has had numerous info about the legalities of removing this plate, drill the rivets, etc. So, unless you really own the car, I would not allow anyone to drill mine out to check. Well, I also would not allow anyone to go pull back my right fender also.

[doc]

All the above information is correct. It may give you added assurance that the vehicle is not a clone but re-bodies may be harder to detect. The best way in my opinion for checking the validity of a car is hiring an expert. Paying a pro is a lot cheaper than obtaining an item that may not be all there or as "Advertised". Secondly he has a reputation and is paid to know what to look for. A professional appraiser has "No Dog in the Fight" and is not emotionally tied to the purchase of the vehicle. From a personal perspective, I have restored 2 Shelbys and crawled under my share of Concourse and Street driven vehicles. I have yet to learn something new that I didn't know before. I know enough to detect the obvious but with the market being what it is, the temptation and the capability of duplicating the real thing will make finding these differences harder to detect. There are obviously a few other things not mentioned in this post about how do you tell the real from clone but if you want to know what they are, you should purchase the SAAC Registry, Shelbys Buyer's Guide and reveiw Mustang Monthly magazines as well as the MCA Judging Rules. It is just too difficult to go line by line into the details of the Shelbys vs the Regular Mustang on a Forum page. Good luck with your future endeavors


DOC

[shelbyguy]

Shelby Vehicle Certification

Great way to insure you have a real car..BEFORE you buy
Great way to ready a car for sale too!

http://www.raicorp.biz/sva.html
There are about 12 certifiers around the country..

Yes, I am one too.

[shelbyguy]

RE: the rear leaf snubbers.

Cars ALL had them. A car without them could indicate a problem car.
IE: Rebody, Replaced floors or a wanna be Shelby.

[LateGT500]

ROD,
Great explaination on the real deal. By the way your car was missed lasted week in Fontana!

Know what I hate about answering a question like this? How do I (we) know, you aren't asking this so you can clone one???

OK, look at the aluminum Shelby Vin tag under the hood. Does it look brand new, but the car looks old? Or does it look to be as old as the car. Yeah, some folks have put on new plates, but...

ALL 67 Shelbys had this same number stamped into the top of the right side fender mounting flange, near the shock tower.

And, this is difficult, unbolt the right fender and pull it back to reveal the Ford vin. First thing is the plant code better be for the San Jose assembly plant. If not, well it's a clone.

Contact the SAAC registrar with both the Shelby vin, and the Ford Vin. SAAC will tell you if they match their records. SAAC WILL NOT RELEASE TO YOU THE FORD VIN.

Does it have the complete deluxe interior? rear fold down seats, front power disk brakes? roll bar with the Y shoulder belts?

Other things, but any of these could be changed due to wear, unavailablity, etc: 140MPH speed (not 120), factory tach, the real steering wheel, Ford 9" rear end, larger (wider) rear brake drums, the scoops, don't forget the real Shelby has a longer front end, so, it will not have a stock Mustang hood, and my favorite: look for the rubber/cast steel rear suspension rebound thingies toward the front of the rear springs, bolted to the bottom of the floor above the rear springs.

And of course, look undernearth the front fenders for welding/filler in the area under the vin.

[LateGT500]

Magstar, I have looked at many 67 shelby's over the years and havent seen any cars without the snubbers. They all have been mounted with 4 nut and bolt attachments

Did all 67 Shelby's have the spring snubbers I have seen a authentic S.A.A.C verified car without them not even any mounting holes.

[uwti]

All the cars were S code

140mph speedo 8K tach

Y shaped inertia reel haness

Steering wheel 4 hole reducing three spoke wood with chrome/class center
cap showing a gold gt500 emblem.

If car has AC hood should be louvered

9" rear

427/428 dual quad setup

[roddster]

A/c and louvered hood: This should read "should have", not "must have". Way too many of them don't have the louvered hood and have A/c, and also some got the louvered hood and don't have A.C.

[doc]

RE: the rear leaf snubbers.

Cars ALL had them. A car without them could indicate a problem car.
IE: Rebody, Replaced floors or a wanna be Shelby.

Correct me if I am wrong but the Rear Leaf Snubbers are mounted to the frame rail and there are at least two documented versions shown. If it is mounted to the rails, how does replacement of the floor pans changed that? I see on the drawings that there are 2 top and 2 bottom mounting locations yet when I look at my 67 I only see 1 mounting boss unless I am looking at the wrong thing. My car had the floor pans replaced during the restoration (firewall back)and it is defintely not a Rebody or Wanna be. My 68 looks exactly the same with regard to the above configuration underneath even though they did not use rear leaf snubbers for 1968. Puzzling at best but as we know there isn't anything exact with these cars.

Doc

[roddster]

Sorry Doc, they are not mounted to the frame rails at all. They are above the leaf spring, about 4 to 6 inches behind the forward spring mounting bolt.
So, if you have replaced the floor there, no holes - no nothing.