65 Shelby help

Thanks ... now I understand how you came up with the dates. A few thoughts just for discussion


If Pete's car has the original engine, it would be easy to make
a very accurate estimation of production date at Ford in San Jose
based on the engine assembly date

Since the engines were cast, machined, assembled then shipped by train to San Jose I would not agree that it would give us any close to the real date it was completed at San Jose.

Don't believe that Ford had the 65 Shelby bound cars sitting for
any length of time at San Jose after being ready.

You would not think so but we can't be sure. Don't know if anyone would recall but all ask if someone recalls (well would really feel more comfortable if we can get a couple of guys to independently recall the same details

Does anyone recall a rail line that went directly to Shelby (don't believe there was one) or did the car have to be unloaded then transported from a rail yard?

Would guess that the early May is as close as we will likely get

Thanks for the response

 

Jeff,
I agree that early May is the best guess. Look at the dates
on my car, very tight between engine assembly date and
car received at Shelby.
Texas Swede

 

For some backround FWIW:

SFM5S339 VIN on cylinder block (just checked) 5R09K****** (sorry for the tease gents, 337 if you would like the number PM me)

Regarding the holes in the floorplan from the original side exhaust: the holes are still there and they are very asymmetric in the floor stampings from left to right, quite crude. The original side exhaust was hanging when I bought it in 1974, suspended from U-bolts on leaf spring bolts;

Regarding SFM5S337 (with no offense intended): wouldn't the invoice have shown the striping and wheels? Was it striped with Crager Wheels? (I've never seen the invoice for my car (striped-steel wheels), which while obviously a completely different car is just two numbers away).

This may be a naive question but what is the state of research on where these cars came from? Years ago (save for some early prototypes) it was then said that the 65-66 carryovers were from a single production run? Has this since been fleshed-out?

Thanks

 

From what I understand there are some beliefs but nothing to prove if the cars were built one after another at San Jose or intermixed in a couple of days production. Since VINs nor even projected build dates (if the cars had been given door tags - which they typcially we're) neither would indicate anything.

In addition there are urban legends (for lack of a better term) that they all were assemblied on the last day at San Jose that year and others. Again likely not and impossible to confirm. Only "real" dates (other than casting, stamping and subassembly dates at places other than San Jose) we have to work with on much of this is what was done once the cars reached Shelby.

IMHO this detail (if the carry over cars were assemblied in one or more groups) isn't really very important ... but just that's just me

 

About 337, yes the regi shows no stripes, steel wheels, and that info came from the invoices SAAC has. No big deal to stripe it, etc. if it is not going to be a concours contender, or if the loss of a few points is not an issue - he can do as he wishes with it.

Mike

 

He got that car from the guy that has 3 of them, out west if I recall.
I called that guy a few times with no luck, which turned out to be lucky for me in the end when I found 17.

Mike

 

339, I had hoped you read the PM I sent first, It is entirely your right to put that # out there for all to see, and it is again as you posted it.
No insult was intended, please read my PM and contact me directly if my apology is not enough.

Mike