Please critique my engine

I'd look more into your firewall color. I know my May 5th car was all black but am not sure when the change over date was when the cowl was all black and no body color above the export brace. You may want to delve deeper on that. Engine looks good though. Reminds me of of a couple of ones I had. Although the waterneck should be blue. The power steering pump paint is the wrong color. Even though it was batch paint that is way too wrong. I had some paint color matched to an original late 1968 390 pump and gave a color sample to my friend who does the parts ordering for NPD. They now carry my color which is correct but last summer when I bought a can from them it looked exactly like yours and Scott acknowledged that it wasn't right for the later years and was looking for the correct color and now they have it in stock. The master cylinder cap should be silver( with the letter raised on the cap) with a natural master cylinder OR painted black along with the master cylinder. Gold is wrong and that come directly from Ed Meyer- Head SAAC Shelby judge. Gary

 

My area of knowledge is mainly 67's. But, I think the shocks on a 69 are supposed to be white. You know the shock towers are not bolted down in the photo. And, I'd look up what color the shock tower bracketry should be.

 

Couple of questions - Since '70 Shelbys were left over '69s, would the manual choke be correct? I though manual chokes came on '70CJ 4 speed cars?

Also, is black the correct finish for the throttle cable bracket? I've seen gold cad/dichromate in the past.

Also on Dearborn cars, shouldn't the shock tower mounts be grey phospate and not black painted? And the smog hose clamps look to be silver - the ones I've seen in the past had a gold finish.

 

I would agree, shocks were blue or white, probably white on the 70s. The thermostadt housing should be blue with a metal vacuum tree. I would say the accelerator cable bracket is natural (or plated?) not black. The elbow hose that comes off the PCV is normally painted as are the clamps and the block for the PCV. I don't think you get a caution fan decal. Smog check valves are wrong design. I think shock tower caps are painted black. PS pump color, smog clamps and master cylinder lid (as mentioned previously). PS pump brackets are usually not painted, but rather phosphated. (Use flat if you are painting it). I don't see the idle limiter caps on the carb (may be the angle). Production PCV valves do not use the ID ring. RH smog hose is not correct shape. Is that a steel line on the oil pressure sender?

 

Automatic chokes on all Shelbys 1969-70. Shock tower brackets are black because they have the washers welded on them per all 1968-70 Shelbys. Shocks are white gabriel adjustables with the ring near the top on the front ones. These were still available from Gabriel until a few years ago. My car came with Konis and until I can prove it(Konis are date code june 70 and my car sold new Sept 30, 1970) they will be left on the side. It will take Claude Dubois to release the info on export cars like mine to SAAC. He was known to add stuff to cars. Here is a picture of the correct set up on my concours gold car. Notice the tall nuts. These are out there but hard to come by but are correct for your shock tower brackets. Paint daub was color matched off an original one.Notice the vin number stamped on the shock tower-a must I was told for cars in Europe. Gary

 

"Most" 69/70 (probably all that were rebadged as 70s) had white shocks. Early 69s could have the blue Autolites like the 68s. 70 GT 500s were refitted with manual chokes.

 

First nice job

Some of these have been mentioned

1- Thermostate housing finish

2- Ported vacuum switch on housing is a plastic replacement

3- Would double check the upper cowl finish

4- Spark plug wire retainer bracket on valve cover finish

5- Decal on coil (should be ink stamp with correct date – not Nov 70) and normally near bottom edge

6- Drivers side thermactor check valve? Shape, from this angle, looks like a replacement.

7- Thermactor hose clamp finish should be zinc dichromate (goldish)

8- Firewall appears to be missing sealant around all openings and mounts

9- Prefer to see the PCV rubber hose out to valve painted (even overspray on valve) My understanding was that that whole assembly was together at time of painting the block. And the short hose connected to the tubing at the back of the block would be painted

10- Master cylinder cap and assy (would prefer all black)

11- Shock color and the complete head, with rubber, would be painted

12- The throttle brackets – I’ve only seen Phosphated ones on these engines

13- Can’t make out the drivers side cowl wire retainer. How are the wires attached to the clip ? What color is the clip?

14- I’m ok with the semi-gloss black steel PS mount. Aluminum mount looks to have some stains on the top. The pump color looks like one of the rattle cans - too light and green IMHO

15- Manual choke looks fine for this application. Does the car happen to be a Drag-Pak car?

16- Looks like the radiator hoses are lacking the three staples for each clamp (reason for the Pat Pending ink stamp)

17- What is the finish of the hood hinges?

18- Missing the Engine ID tag (paper one) Passenger side head?

Sure I missed a number of items during my quick scan of your pictures. Hope this helps

 

The cars built after April 1969 had the white C9 shocks

 

The shock tower braces are different from the cowl finish its self. The current understanding is that "slop gray" was used (dipped not sprayed) for the shock tower braces, battery box and front spring covers, as installed at Dearborn for the car that would become Shelbys.

The other issue is the color of the body on the firewall/cowl above the pinch weld that is there but under the cowl cover that mounts over this area

NPD is/was aware of the color issue and has been reported to have had the paint color redone (rather than purchasing it through another source)

 

Thanks Bob and Tim. I was under the impression that the whites were the only ones(correct though for my late ones I had owned). As for the manual choke on the 1970 GT500s, well I didn't know they changed those out. Is it a fact everyone was changed out? I stand corrected on this. Now that I think of it I think I might of had one on 0F02R483052-drag pack 4 speed car I restored. My memory fails me on this aspect. It had the trunk vent tube on it though. Anyone out there own #3052 now? Last I heard of it it went through B-J in about '03. Always learning Again, anyone wanting the ps pump paint NPD now sells an acceptable blue/green paint for the later years. It came from a color sample I gave them from some I had matched to an original late 1968 pump. Gary

 

Here is a 12,000 miles 70 drag pac. orig paint survivor. Might help
Also I think all 70 500's had manual choke conversion plus tag on carb should have stamp that reads ED which i belived meant edited

 

Looks nice but I wanted to add that the chrome air cleaner lid should be engine color just so someone dosn't go copying that aspect of a otherwise original looking engine compartment.

 

I noticed the unrestored one also has the HD starter solenoid. Did all SCJ/Shelby/CJ cars come with these? Has there been any research on their application?

 

I am curious also on the starter solenoid. Did they use them on the convertibles specifically a GT350? Had one on my car when I bought it and put one back on it when I restored it. Gary

 

The use of the heavy duty round solinoid was a early late issue and not GT350 vs. GT500 or convert vs. fastback . I suspect that the change over occured around the first of the year 1969.

 

Thanks again Bob. Gary

 

I've never seen one (HD style) with a a 68 date which may support Bobs belief on the subject