Early 1966 "Crossover" GT350's

Perhaps most of the early '66 GT 350's today have the Cobra on the bottom because these tachs were garbage, even when they were new, most of them died very early in their life. Same thing for the 1965 tach which was sourced from Delco, my car was purchased from the dealership with a SW tach already in the pod! Almost all the early cars have had their tach replaced years and years ago, you can take the acorn nut off the back of the tach and read the ink stamp for the date and you will see the date supercedes the date of the build of your car. A friend of mine just bought an early 1966 tach with the Cobra on the bottom, it is dated December 14, 1965, it must be one of the first ones with the COBRA on the bottom. I am trying to remember when my #99 car was built, but the tach I eventually found for the car, with the Cobra on the top, was dated in October (if I remember) of 1965. I would think your car would have had the black Ford door sill plates, as much as I like the CS ones. Glad to hear you kept your car, now start that website! Jim knows these early '66's car well, I am sure he will do a fine job on your car.How about:

 

Sorry to mis-lead you, I feel the first 252 1966 GT350'S should have had the tach with the Cobra on the TOP. I think what happened is that a lot of these early tachs died and they were replaced under warranty through Ford or they were replaced years later with the tach which was most plentiful (where the Cobra was at the bottom). Sorry for the mis-communication, again, I am fairly certain you need the tach with the Cobra on the TOP.

 

Steve, I'm interested in the 66 GT350 sill label question as well. Might be a good idea to start another thread asking owners with their original labels to report their VIN and label type. Dave.

 

regarding the sill plate and tach;
081 has a single line and embossed CS on the right.
Tach is logo on the bottom although I have a spare that I'll have to check logo location on. As a secondary note on my car, if I remeber correctly it left Shelby American in late '66 so I am not sure if it had updates before leaving the plant.
Jay

 

The sill labels on my carryover read: "shelby american, inc. CS" The original
owner confirmed that it came that way. Other carryovers I have observed
have the same type also.

The tach has the Cobra logo at the top. This was the first generation Faria tach. Probably all of the carryover cars as well as the first numbers of '66
units recieved this tach. The second generation Faria tach had the Cobra logo on the bottom.

The first Faria tach had a d'arsonaval movement to move the indicator. A
very voltage sensitive unit and sometimes not long lasting. ( It did not help
surplus military pieces were used in its manufacture.) The second Faria tach
used a full electronic type movement for the indicator. Also, the Cobra logo
grew in size to be more noticeable.

Carryover cars that I have seen, all had the black wrinkle finish on the tach housing. My carryover included. It seems not too many cars recieved the
chrome tach housing.

Faria got out of the tachometer business in the early 1980's. A former employee was given all spare parts, equipment and tooling and authorization to repair returned tachs as Faria no longer wanted to be involved. I had my tach cleaned and serviced by this individual in the mid 1990's. It still works
just fine.
shlby66

 

SFM6S087,

My carryover car does not have rear seat belts.

As an aside: When I removed my interior; I noticed filing labels on the bottom of the seat and the carpeted spacer board that goes behind the folding rear seat. They ( labels ) were marked "198". My car is 188.

So, I wonder which car may have my rear seat assembly as I apparently have the rear seat to 6S198.

This is probably not too uncommon as a former Shelby worker told me, "ten or twelve cars were brought in to build and the interiors were taken out and put in a big pile on the floor while the work was being done". No special care
was attempted to keep each individual cars interior pieces with it.

The transmission is all aluminium. Case and rear housing.

shlby66

 

shlby66

Where the filing labels that you found - white with a blue border on the top edge and a short blue line mid way?

Have found them on the side trim also

 

Snakepit,

The filing labels I found were white with a yellow border. No blue stripe.

I just looked to make sure. The rear seat is on a parts shelf in the garage as I have the '66 package tray in the car. I find it quite convenient ( and about 120 lbs lighter ).

Still wonder which car has my rear seat.
shlby66

 

If I understand this correct, the 252 "crossover" cars were delivered with the 65GT instruments as about the only difference from the real 65 cars.

None of these crossover cars had been Shelby modified in any way, before Shelby started to make them to 66´ specs. Correct?

What I then not understand, why did Shelby make any 65 modifications at all to these cars then, when they could have just made them according to the new 66´specs? Why spend time on lowering the front end and installing the over ride traction bars?

Anders

 

Because they were built the last day of 1965 Mustang production at the San Jose plant just as the other Shelby specific 1965 Mustangs had been. They
were 1965's.

Ford ordered this group of cars for Shelby American to have enough inventory
to last through the Ford factory July/August shut down to re-tool for the
upcoming 1966 models.

This group of cars recieved the 1965 GT optional instrument cluster. This was the only basic change from the ones previously produced for Shelby.

So, this group of 1965 Ford Mustangs, pupose built by Ford to become Shelbys, indeed carry a "5R09K" Ford Vin number as well as their specific
Shelby VIN niumber.
shlby66

 

shlby66 - where did the "they were built the last day of 1965 Mustang production at the San Jose plant" come from and how was that confirmed?

Understand that they were produced near the end but the "last day"?

Not that it makes any real difference, just part of the discussion.

Jeff

 

Snakepit,

I believe that "the last day of 1965 production" has become a standard
acceptance over time in general conversation.

The Shelby World Registery states, "cars were ordered at the very end
of 1965 production".

Now, whats ones interpretation of "at the very end"?

Could have been first day of the last week, middle of, or the very last day.
Perhaps somewhere in all of the Shelby factory documents that the Shelby
American Club posseses, that specific information exists.

For at least for the last 25years or so, most of us owners of these cars have generally accepted the "last day" theory.
shlby66
accepted

 

Not looking to argue ... just a clarification. And as you kindly explained it is just a description some people have used to describe a non-specific date.


I just had not heard that used in that way before and have been involved with these cars for at least 25 yrs

 

Snakepit,

It seems there is always some particular facet of these cars that does not
provide an absolute explaination. No black or white; just more grey.

The carryover cars seem to have their own mystique. The fact they were
built as '65's and became the very first '66's, puts them in their own group.
They are hybrids. I'll use that word since they are a combination of the '65
with the updates of the '66.

I think they are the best of both worlds. All the goodies of a '65 and with
the looks of the '66. Great combination! But then, I'm biased on this. Just a cool ride.
shlby66

 

Thank you.

I do understand that they were ordered to have a batch of cars to start up the 66 production.

What I still quite don´t understand is that they still performed the Shelby front end drop. Was it that the specs for the 66 actually in the beginning of the production year still included the front end lowering, or was it because they had already been prepared from Ford with this?

From what I have read, they discontinued this to keep cost and production time down. Correct?

Did the 1965 come from Ford with no rocker panel stripe, or was that something Shelby added?

Anders