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valve covers-carb top plates

Discussion in '1965-1970 Shelby Mustang GT350 & GT500' started by dodmort, Dec 24, 2007.

  1. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    can someone direct me to a thread about the 67 500's and what colors were the valve covers and top plates.
    this has to be out there and i cant find it.
    thanks in advance.

    best xmas and
    good new year to all of you
     
  2. 65gtfastback

    65gtfastback Well-Known Member

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    unpainted cast aluminum Cobra Lemans valve covers
     
  3. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    for sure...no ? about it.
    the reason i ask is i have had the car since 69 and found a picture that i had taken then and they were for sure painted and very badly faded black with fins showing bare alum.
    the "cobra" top plate on the carbs was painted in 1969 also.
     
  4. Snakepit

    Snakepit Well-Known Member

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    Likely something the PO did to update the car when the car was fairly new. Have seen 65-67 owners add things like side marker lights and paint engine items when the 68's came out ... made the cars look more like the new ones and the marker lights made the cars look less "old fashion"

    Remember these were not collector cars and were every often altered as soon as they got home.
     
  5. Bob Gaines

    Bob Gaines Well-Known Member

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    What Jeff said is true that the cars were comonly modified. Interestingly even though I prefer the look of the all aluminum valve covers and matching all aluminum aircleaner lid many later 67 Shelby's had the lid painted black. For many years I thought the only way they came was natural. I have 3 or for 4 1967 dated Polaroid pictures taken by owners and they all show a black lid. I have no original mag photos or owner photo's that show it all natural other then the ones of the lids without the Cobra letters. I have seen many examples of surviver type cars with lids that had faded or remnants of the black which coupled with the Polaroid photos gave me no choice but to change my mind. I wonder if anyone out there has a 60's era photo of the top of the lid that is natural besides the early ones without the Cobra. I would like to know.I have only seen the valve covers natural and don't doubt that they only came natural in 1967.
     
  6. Bob Gaines

    Bob Gaines Well-Known Member

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    Forgot to add a picture.
     

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  7. Snakepit

    Snakepit Well-Known Member

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    Same picture (well one of a few from that car) I've got from 962. I wrote this one off as a PO unless we have others around the same time (doubt they painted a single lid at the factory)


    Would like to see some additional cars with the same detail from the same time period at Shelby. Bob the other couple of cars ... when were they built? Closest original one I have near 962 is 1191 with natural


    Isn't this fun ;)
     
  8. TLEA

    TLEA Well-Known Member

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    I don't have any pictures (only a 50 year old memory and that is scary) but I seem to remember seeing some late cars with black tops. Isn't the 68 lid before the recall modification a S7MS part #?
     
  9. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    You all have seen more than I.
    So
    I know what I have to change.
    Now......
    Want to weigh in on Coil location.??
    Top of the manifold or front of block???
     
  10. 2dragpac500converts

    2dragpac500converts Well-Known Member

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    here is a photo to add only 15 months old and owner said did not modify.
     

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  11. Bob Gaines

    Bob Gaines Well-Known Member

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    The coil seems to be mounted in both spots. The way it was engineered to be mounted when used on a Shelby Mustang is on the head for non A/C cars and on the intake manifold when the cars came with A/C. In the real world I have seen it in both places on non A/C cars. On A/C cars there is only one place to mount it which is on the intake. The vintage photo I posted shows it mounted on the intake even though it is a non A/C car. I personally think it looks more appropriate on the head and doesn't look so slapped on like it does when mount on the intake. The single four FE intake has a provision for the coil mount which makes that look OK (so I don't get beat up by the 68-70 crowd) ha ha.
     
  12. 2dragpac500converts

    2dragpac500converts Well-Known Member

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    sorry, just realized i posted same photo as bob.I missed it when scrolling thru thread.
     
  13. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    re: coil
    when i got the car it had a spin on gas filter mounted on the head.
    that is no longer there but sits nicley in my 68 bronco.
    have had many fe engine powered units in last 40 yrs.
    such a straight forward engine.
    so simple.
    all on manifold.
     
  14. 2dragpac500converts

    2dragpac500converts Well-Known Member

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    Heres another photo. Old article from 67 installing a/m valve covers. Pretty cool! NOtice the water pump outlet and smog on 67's. Dont see that correct stuff that often
     

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  15. Snakepit

    Snakepit Well-Known Member

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    Looks like someone has been leaning on some of the pipes (bent over and such)

    This should be the Popular Hot Rodding issue and that Magazine car. As we mention before .. lots of possibilities of things being changed on these cars.

    Wonder if they used the original bolts to put the hood back on ;)

    Great to have a color picture though since so many of the magazine ones were black and white - making it difficult to make out some of the details. The number on the inner fender panel is interesting... not a typical San Jose thing. Wonder which car this is (might have it written down some where... but who knows)
    Easy to see its a late car by the washer bottle and the orientation some of the Thermactor parts
     
  16. 2dragpac500converts

    2dragpac500converts Well-Known Member

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    I wondered if the number was the car number, tried to blow up tag and just not clear.
     
  17. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    i have some color photos from 69 on my car that i will post soon.
    son-in-law had to clean them up and sharpen them up digitally and is taking some time since they were heading down hill quicky.....
    i still had a black and white tv then....
     
  18. mgreene

    mgreene Active Member

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    Also, the M/C cover is painted black with a decal on top.
     
  19. dodmort

    dodmort Active Member

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    wish i had taken a lot more pic's of my car 38+ years ago.....
    for sure the engine compartment...
    but
    they were just the daily driver back then...
     

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