1967 Running Production Changes

[rsimkins]

Lately there has been a lot of questions regarding running production changes to 1967 Shelbys. I propose we track this information and take a look at all of them by both VIN and Shelby build date. Here is my short list of changes. Please feel free to add to it. I'll keep track of the data much like I have for the D.S.O. sheets and post it on my web site. I'll also create an input sheet.

Inboard vs. Outboard Headlights
Air Extractor (Upper Scoops) Lights
Functional vs. Non-functional Scoops
6 Point Roll Bars vs. 4 Point Roll Bars
Studded Tail Bezels vs. Through Hole Tail Light Bezels
Flat Rear Tail Light Panels vs. Curved (or Raised) Tail Light Panels.
Flat Gas Caps vs. Curved Gas Caps
Smooth Upholstery vs. Comfort Weave Upholstery
One Piece Grills vs. Two Piece Grills
Steel Frame Hoods
Amp Meter Wiring
MagStar Wheels vs. 10 Spoke Wheels
"Z" VINs vs. VINs w/o "Z"

Additional data needed for this project are:
Shelby VIN
Ford Production Build Date
Shelby Production Completion Date

Sorting this data by both VIN and Shelby Production Build Date should show us when the changes were made. Any takers?

[Shelby~gt350#3000]

Sounds Good, I'm in. SHELBY GT350 #3000 came with:

1) Outboards
2) Non-Functional Scoops
3) 4 point roll bar
4) Through Hole Tail Light Bezels
5) Raised Lenses, Raised Gas Cap
6) Comfort Weave Upholstery (still original and installed)
7) One Piece Grill
8) Amp Meter Wiring, Single Wrap
9) 10 Spoke Wheels
10) "Z" stamped VIN
11) Production Date : 6/27/67
12) Shipping Date: 7/21/67

Good luck with this project. Should turn out to be interesting data.

Jim

[rsimkins]

The 1967 car had many running changes during their production run. This project is aimed at determining which features the cars were originally build with, not any current changes. It should help us to understand when the various changeovers occurred, which we suspect were based more on production build date than strictly by VIN.

Some additional clarification here:
Early Tail light panels were almost flat in the area around the tail light instead of being raised.
Early Gas Caps were flat in the area beneath the cap emblem.
Amp Meter Wiring refers to the style in which it was covered, spiral wrap vs. vinyl tubing.

Once I start getting things set up, I'll post the link to the web page that will track the data. Please feel free to add to the data that will be tracked or to clarify anything we will track.

[roddster]

Funny how just last night I was composing this same kind of thing. But the website will not let me upload a new thread. So, I'll repeat. I was thinking of setting up some kind of production time line such as:

Here's what we need. My info as I recall is in parenthesis, and may or may not be correct. But what we cannot determine is down to the vin number. As Bob G pointed out a few weeks ago, for instance, the out board grills have been replaced due to owner preference. I'm sure there might be other changes the same way. And, what about the wrecked cars that have been rebuilt. For instance I've seeen #0013, and it was in a wreck. Rebuilt without the metal underlined hood, and a few other changes.
And lets remember, we can't "ask Carroll Shelby". He did not wrench on the cars. He was running the Ford GT 40 racing program, and the whole company and left a lot of these changes to "his people".
But here is what I had:
1)Date of the first build.
2) when did the flat gas caps end? (somewhere around car #0084)
3) when did the one piece grill (angled) end, then go to the angled two piece?
4) when did the scoop lights end? (car #0165, then spotty throught to car #0200 (I've seen car #0190 - no scoop lights, and on Ebay I've seen car #0166-0170, no scoop lights)
5) First GT 500? (0100)
6) First & only 67 Convertible.
7) Lil' Red Only hardtop (was crushed)
8)when did the metal underlined hood & decks end? (Car 350 to 600?)
9)when did the inboard up & down grills start?
10) when did the body color headlight rings end and the chrome ones start?
11) when did the grey ammeter block end (#1200 or so)
12) the early cars got 66 Mustang GT trip over the exhaust tips, and some got Cougar flat trim, when did that end in the use of the Mustang GT Valance? (after car 1200?)
13) when did the 2, 427 drag cars get built?
14)when was the SuperSnake get built?
15) when did the outboard grills start? (most were built above car #2000 or so)
16) when did the ammeter wiring change?
17)when did the lower scoops turn from the type with the funnel in the center, to the lower moulded fiberglass type, AND when did the ducting to the wheel well end?
18) when did the rear fiberglass panel change to the raised style?
19) when did the studded tail light frames end and the one screwed together form the out side start?
20) when did the comfortweave become available? (mid-Dec 1966)
21 When did the factory Paxton cars come out (some built around car #2200)
22)When did the accidental "A" code GT 350's get built" (late -after car #3000)
23)When did the accidental mis-stamped GT 500's get built?
24) last day of production?
25) when did the Z in the vin's start?
26) when did the change in the roll bars start?

I'm sure there may be a few others. But if we answer these question, maybe we can submit it to the SAAC registrar to be included in the next registry.
Remember, it really doesn't need to be a list of "how MY car was built", or "as it is today". Seems there is no absolutes in this. And, the car numbers I used meant "around that car number" , not "that car number". Don't forget, the most accurate answers will come from the owners who know they have a ownership trail on their car.
Some of these answers and in the registry and just need to be plucked out (Lil'Red, and the convertible for example)

[patty.dilabio]

Hi to all on this thread ! The 67 Shelby has always been the most unique in the varible ways it evolved during production.The cars built prior to January
1967 are the true handbuilts and in theory may be more collectable than any other cars,but with current trends,auctions,clones,continuation cars,etc.I really dont think people are putting enough consideration into the real value of authenticity.This chart will help,and there is a lot to consider.My 2 cents for today--The only red cars produced before New Years 1967 were all factory engineering cars, 100 131 139 As production streamlined,many parts were made by different suppliers--The steel framed hoods were made by Borg Warner,and there were no radio static troubles with them.O B A and Plaza were other fiberglass contracts and Shelby really needed them to keep up with production.This alone accounts for many of the varibles,and I often wonder if SAAC or Dave have any copies of invoices for parts.This would really be the only accurate way to know that as an example:100 cars had flat fuel caps,or 2000 cougar exhaust trim rings were sent from Ford..I think you catch my drift.A big thanks to Roy for such a GIANT effort! P.D.

[Shelby6t7]

Other running changes that occured in 67 that some may not know about were a limited amount of cars that received a 2 piece fiberglass nose. You can also go so far as to see how many 500's came with black air cleaners instead of natural aluminum, as well as black oil breather caps instead of chrome, although the air cleaners and oil caps would be a Ford running change and not Shelby.

Kenny
67 GT-500 #2868

[ELJ1st500]

Hello,

Another change to make note of is some of the early GT 500s had oval air cleaner tops that did not have COBRA cast into them. They used the oval air cleaner tops from the Galaxie instead, but without the 427 Thunder Bird emblem.

Best regards,
Eric

[Shelby6t7]

And yet another running change that comes to mind is the routing of the fuel line. Earlier cars had the fuel line running through the transmission tunnel, and later cars had the fuel line routed along the rocker panel.


Kenny

[67GT500#2100]

I doubt we will ever know for certain the exact date of each change. In the 80's many restoration shops changed things that they thought where wrong but where actually correct on that particular car. I still think it would be cool to try. On the functional/nonfunctional lower scoop thread we narrowed the change down to a 3 week window of late April to early May and that thread did not even get alot of responses. I guess that gives us hope of unraveling all of the 67's mysteries.

[ELJ1st500]

Hello,

Another change worth noting are the differences in the steering wheels. The wheels on early cars had angled/staight black tabs out at the spoke ends. Later cars had curved/radiused black tabs out at the spoke ends.

Best regards,
Eric

[rsimkins]

Originally Posted by Shelby6t7

And yet another running change that comes to mind is the routing of the fuel line. Earlier cars had the fuel line running through the transmission tunnel, and later cars had the fuel line routed along the rocker panel.


Kenny

I'm going to guess that this one might be a Ford production change. Anyone agree?

Originally Posted by ELJ1st500

Hello,

Another change worth noting are the differences in the steering wheels. The wheels on early cars had angled/straight black tabs out at the spoke ends. Later cars had curved/radiused black tabs out at the spoke ends.

Best regards,
Eric

This might be a change by the steering wheel manufacturer. Should we track this?

[ELJ1st500]

Roy,

You are probably right about the steering wheel changes being done by the manufacturer on their own and not at the request of Shelby American.

How about this one. Early cars had no grill emblem while later cars did. It might be possible to determine when that change occured.

Best regards,
Eric

[patty.dilabio]

Hello all ! This is beginning to warm up a bit.The fuel line change is a Ford item,as is the windshield washer reservoir-vinyl or plastic.This was in March of 67 according to Ford parts & service info.I think we should try to stay on track and keep it Shelby stuff.The taillight panel changed several times and the early style has 4 studs to retain it-when you look in the trunk 2 will be visible on either side of the fuel filler pipe.The upper edge of this type does not overlap the metal flange,and they often have a part number cast into them along the bottom edge . Another type uses a flange and rivets to hold it to the metal (often 5 evenly spaced also visible when you open the trunk)
I really doubt the raised type was an original part.Can't ever say positively yet most seem to have been repainted...lots of flat type that are original paint.On the 2 piece nose comment--have only seen a few and dont think they saved any time--one Shelby employee told us it was a 5 man job to install a nose on a car! So far nobody has mentioned headlight mountig brackets.Early types are a band of metal around the bucket/later type are flat sheet metal behind the bucket.license plate brackets also changed.And on the interior the early (handbuilts I call them)have no metal plates around the folddown latches or rubber doughnuts around the roll bar..did this end when 6 point roll bars were changed to 4 point type? Hood hinge springs are also lighter than standard Mustang type to attempt to stop hood warpage.

[Shelby6t7]

I believe the raised taillight panel was implimented due to lack of spare tire clearance in the trunk. The flat tail panel made it difficult fit a fully inflated Speedway 350 in the trunk without hitting the taillight boxes. When the raised panel was introduced, it moved the taillights and boxes approx. 1" rearward to allow the spare to fit properly.


Kenny

[1967GT350]

"I believe the raised taillight panel was implemented due to lack of spare tire clearance in the trunk. The flat tail panel made it difficult fit a fully inflated Speedway 350 in the trunk without hitting the taillight boxes. When the raised panel was introduced, it moved the taillights and boxes approx. 1" rearward to allow the spare to fit properly."

Kenny

Just an observation....

Kenny could well be right, but... If you look at most early "pre-raised" tail light panels, including the ones in the original magazines articles and pamphlets, you can see that the thin fiberglass strips above the tail lights are sagged or drooped. This is especially true on the driver's side. I wonder if the "newer" raised panels are engineered that way to help prevent the "sag"? I can't help but think that back in the day there was only one mold and the boys at the shop were pounding these panels through without the proper cure times, etc.
I made up a jig to straighten and re-enforce my early style panel. When I mixed up the resin I had it cure over a longer period of time and left it in the jig for a few days before I removed it. Now it looks like it should have in the first place.

Mark

[roddster]

Oops, forgot about the latch cover not being on the early cars. That, the washer bag and the fuel line change were Fomoco production decisions and not related to the Shelby assembly, but should also be included.

One Shelby related item I missed was that the early cars received no grill emblem. Yes, none. I'm thinking that addition came right along the time the headlight ring went chrome but I'm not sure. I'm thinking this change occured between car #0200 and 0400 (again, don't pin it down to a car number). The chrome ring change is another area where the owners might have liked the chrome rings better and changed them themselves. Ditto on the addition of the grill emblem. Long ago, local judges thought they were just missing instead of not ever installed at Shelby American.

I can't add these to the list in my earlier post because there is only a 24 hour window to edit posts, but these would be worthy additions.

Patty is correct about the center head light bucket mounting change. I think it was before car #0125
Also, her comments on the rollbar doughnuts should be noted.
6T7: I know somebody with a very late car and can ask him the measure his tail light boxes

Again folks, lets finalize a list, then submit our answers. And yes, it does appear that knowing your Fomoco build date, the Shelby completion date will also be important.

[Shelby6t7]

67 GT-500 #2868
Ford Build Date: 5/31/67 (5 days behind schedule)
Shelby Completion Date: 7/21/67
Shipping Date: 9/25/67

[roddster]

Ahem: Yes, the build dates are handy, but, if you don't refer to the "list" of equipment changes, look at your own car to see if it does, or, does not have these changes, then what?