1966 GT350 - how to determine if it came with side exhaust or rear exhaust?

can't answer that question for you, but am curious, what is the source of your info?

Z. Ray

 

Hipo exhaust meaning they exited through the rear valance? Never from Shelby American.

 

Hi,

I have never seen any literature that stated there was a side exit option for a 66 - from the Shelby factory. It would have been too expensive to offer an optional side exhaust exit for the odd car. Not sure about a dealer option, but you'd need the dealer receipt to confirm.

I remember reading (I think in the 97 registry) that there were some 65's that required a rear exit exhaust due to laws in some States.

Rohan

 

I have heard this many times but i cant remember where.
Vern

 

The 66 Shelby GT350 came with the non GT duel exhaust which exited under the rear valance not through the valance like the Mustang GT. 1966 street GT350's did not come with duel exhaust out the side like the 65. The 66 Shelby Trans Am coupes had side exhaust though.

 

Rohan is correct, there were 14 factory 65's with rear exit exhaust turn downs <not trumpets>, and a few cars that were retro-fitted after leaving Shelby's facilities. Almost every one is after # 400. There is one here on the island (original owner) and whenever I called (every few months) they (the owners kids) just hung up on me, knowing I was calling about buying the car! Stopped calling a few years ago, maybe time to start again?

Mike

 

Do they know which 14 65's came with rear exiting exhaust? My car did not have the original exhaust on it when I bought it in 1985, but it did have the factory rubber isolators installed on the rear frame rails.

I believe I also read some where that the original 65 rear exiting exhaust systems were still used glass pack mufflers anybody know?

 

The 14 cars have a letter B in the features box in the registry.
What car # do you have?

It's also entirely possible that the hangers were left on (not removed) during its build.

Mike

 

Yes original cars could have (not sure of the percentage with and without since many were removed by previous owners) the rear hanger brackets still in place since they didn't need to be unbolted (U bracket just slips out of the insulator) to remove the stock exhaust system

J Speegle

 

Mike,

My car is #426 which was sold at Hayward Ford in CA August 65. I have an old registry that only mentions a few cars with rear exiting exhaust. Would you check your registry and see if my car is one of the 14.

Thanks,
Paul

 

My car is 550 and came with side exhaust and it still has all the hangers in rear for dual exhaust. As they came down the line they still put all the hangers in the rear.

Mike

 

The only notation on 426 is the oil pressure gauge.

Mike

 

Mike , The order in which things were done was - the cars came from Ford to Shelby in 1965 with full Hipo duel exhaust and Shelby's people removed the complete Ford duel exhaust from the exhaust manifolds to the exhaust tips/turndowns . This was also supposed to include the 2 large hangers at the mufflers and the 2 small hangers back at the exhaust tips. Like I said this is the way it was supposed to be done but mistakes were made. It looks strange underneath with those pieces dangling in the breeze. As you indicated on your car that the big hangers and or the little hangers were left on is not the only instance that I have come across were this mistake has happened and they were left on. Back in the day maybe things were moving fast, a push was on to get a car or cars done and this minor thing was overlooked . My opinion is that it was a mistake and does nothing to inhance the looks or performance of the car. If a car was being restored, I would prefer to see it as it was intended to be done or with normal assembly line production variations rather then with a mistake . I would not take points off because I have seen this mistake too many times .I do not think it does a restored car justice. That is just my opinion.

 

Bob,
I did not indicate that # 17 had them, I believe that was another member.
I am in agreement with you on what SHOULD have occurred @ Shelby's plant(s), and that leaving them off is the way to go.

Mike

 

Sorry about that i got mixed up with the names .Bob

 

They started out with the K code non-GT Mustang exhaust. Anything else happened at Shelby American, the dealer, or somebody's back yard. Certainly not the GT "trumpets".

The vast majority of 66 GT350 would have had the full length style. The early "leftover" cars may have had something else.

 

I love these threadfs that come back from the dead. This one jumped a 3 year gap.


Z.

 

A while back, I was reading that someone was in the process of making the original exhaust system for the 66 Shelby. I need to find that article, and see what the latest is.

TommyJ