67 Slant Grilles 1pc/2pc & headlight bucket mounting bands/plates -Got em?

[Richstang]

The early 1-piece slanted grille was found on approximately the first 75 cars. These cars also had some hand-fabricated brackets, rather crudely made. They used a flat strip of steel, shaped to a band/clamp, for mounting both the low-beam fender and high-beam center of the grille mounted lights. 

At some early point in production Shelby American started making (or cutting?) the slanted grille in 2-pieces to help ease installation. They also changed the mounting of the headlight buckets from 4 band clamps to 4 metal plates - one for each bucket. It seems it started first with the high-beam grille light buckets and then the fender light buckets as well.

This change is thought to coincide with the arrival of Fred Goodell, in early December of 1966. It eliminated a number of fasteners and hand-fabricated parts that all had adjustment variables and must have been labor intensive to make and install. 

The plates for the grille light buckets were spot welded to the hood latch support. The fender light plates were still captured with the Shelby license plate/nose support to the radiator core support. (The later version outboard mounted high-beam grill lights used different style of mounting plates.  There were additional sheet metal pieces that would attach to those plate/brackets on Air Conditioned cars to direct air through the radiators.)

The very bottom edge on all of the grilles, early 1-piece and 2-piece as well as the later inboard and outboard versions, got a protective "U" shaped polymer (rubber/plastic) strip. It prevented the bottom of the grille from damaging the painted surface of the lower nose opening. This is missing on many cars. 

There are some other variations of items related to the grilles...such as the presence of added fasteners, one to four, to hold the bottom of the upper nose opening to the top of the license plate/nose support...the 3 different locations of hood pin lanyard attaching points to the top surface of the grilles, the early cars used two locations...the fasteners used to attach the grille to the back of the license plate/nose support and the variations of the license plate/nose support! 

Here's an initial list of 1-piece and 2-piece grille cars. This should help identify the approximate transitions for each of these versions as well as the headlight bucket mounting method. As always, please tell us if you know of a car that can be included or of other variations, errors or additions.

NOTE: Many unique early parts don't seem to have been inventoried for service replacements. Over the years, cars that were in accidents and/or restored were likely to have had later style parts used. This was because the same styles were not available or the originals were so crude and difficult to install. Also, the fender light components rusted so terribly that using later parts may have been necessary. SAAC Registry footnotes and known car histories are important to this topic.

[Richstang]

Car # Model    Grille    Light Mounting    SA Completion - Source
001    GT350    1pc      bands              11/4/66 – photo RP
002    GT350    1pc      bands              10/20/66 - PDB shelbyforum / BobG bands
003    GT350    1pc?    bands?             10/19/66 – photo RP modified to outboard
004    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 – registry notes 1pc / owner "GT350N4" shelbyforum
008    GT350    1pc      bands              11/5/66 - JD / BobG bands
010    GT350     ?        plates               1/9/67 - photos 6972boss update 5/22/2019
013    GT350    1pc?    bands?             11/22/66 –photo NVSAAC vertical inboard / changed?
014    GT350    1pc      bands?             11/3/66 - JD
016    GT350    1pc      bands              11/2/1966 - photo Brian S update from Mecum 5/18/2019
017    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 - PDB shelbyforum / photo RP
018    GT350    1pc      bands              10/19/66 – mecum photo
019    GT350    1pc?    bands?             10/20/66 – photo NVSAAC vertical inboard / changed?   
020    GT350    1pc      bands              11/2/66 – registry notes 1pc
021    GT350    1pc      bands              11/4/66 – registry notes 1pc
022    GT350    1pc      bands              11/5/66 – photo RP
023    GT350    1pc      bands              11/4/66 – photo JD
024    GT350    1pc      bands              10/26/66 – registry notes 1pc / bands per owner updated 3/21/2018
025    GT350    1pc      bands              6/26/67 - Modified currently with vertical inboard/plates; some early parts sold off for #0032 Bob G
026    GT350    1pc      bands              11/4/66 - photo / repro grille
028    GT350    1pc      ?                     11/7/66 – JD / PDB Shelby forums
029    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 – registry notes 1pc / photo RP
030    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 – registry 1pc / photo MM Jan 92 update 4/4/18
031    GT350    1pc      bands              10/26/66 - registry notes 1pc / photo RP
032    GT350    1pc      bands              11/7/66 – photo RP NVSAAC - BobG early parts from #0025
036    GT350    1pc      bands              11/7/66 – registry notes 1pc / RP photo
043    GT350    1pc      bands              11/11/66
046    GT350    1pc      bands              11/9/66 - JD
048    GT350    1pc      bands              11/5/66 - JD
050    GT350    1pc      bands              11/9/66 - photos
054    GT350    1pc      ?                     11/5/66 – registry notes 1 pc
059    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 – photo JD
060    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 - photo JD
062    GT350    1pc      bands              11/6/66 – photo RP
063    GT350    1pc      bands              11/14/66 – registry notes 1 pc / photo RP
066    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 - photo JD
069    GT350    1pc      bands              11/10/66 - PDB shelbyforum / owner 1pc & bands update 3/21
071    GT350    ?         bands              11/30/66 – photo RP update 4/12/2018
073    GT350    1pc      bands              11/30/66 - PDB shelbyforum
078    GT350    1pc      bands              10/31/66 – owner / JD
082    GT350    1pc      bands              12/13/66 - photo RP SAAC 40
083    GT350    1pc      bands              11/5/66 - photo / repro grille BrianG
085    GT350    1pc      bands              11/6/66 – photo JD SAAC 42
086    GT350    1pc      ?                     11/7/66 – registry notes 1pc
087    GT350    1pc      bands              11/8/66 - owner
089    GT350    1pc      bands              11/6/66 – photo JD
095    GT350    2pc Vrt plates              3/3/67 – photo JD RP vertical inboard
100    GT500    2pc      bands              12/7/66 – EJ photo
102    GT350    ?          plates             12/5/66 - photo RP
107    GT350    2pcVrt? plates?           12/1/66 – photo Mustang Monthly May 1992 restored/ 2pc vertical grille changed? update 3/15/2018
111    GT350    ?          ?                    12/6/66 – photo JD
112    GT350    2pc      both               12/5/66 – registry notes 2 pc – JD both plates & bands
117    GT350    2pcVrt  plates             12/8/66 - photo vertical inboard / changed?
126    GT350    ?          plates             12/12/66 - JD
127    GT350    2pc      plates             12/8/66 - JD / display board notes update 7/10/2018
128    GT350    ?          ?                    12/16/66 - JD
130    GT350    1pc      plates             12/8/66 – registry notes 1pc – photo RP
132    GT350    1pc      ?                    12/12/66 – registry notes 1pc
135    GT350    ?         plates              12/13/66 - photo RP NVSAAC
136    GT350    2pc      plates             12/14/66 – photo JD NVSAAC / 2pc grille per third owner update 3/9/2018
140    GT350    2pc      plates             12/14/66 – photos JD / MM photo June 96 update 4/4/18
142    GT350    2pc      ?                    12/16/66 – registry notes 2pc
143    GT350    2pc      plates             12/19/66 – registry / JD / RP photo
145    GT350    2pc      plates             1/6/67 – owner / JD
146    GT350    1pc      ?                    12/14/66 – registry notes 1pc
149    GT350    2pc      plates             12/29/66 - photo RP Updated 1/16/2020
151    GT350    2pc      plates             12/19/66 – photo JD
153    GT350    2pcVrt? ?                   12/14/66 - Restored/changed? JD
156    GT350    2pcVrt? plates            12/16/66 - photo SAAC forum update 6/10/2018
157    GT350    ?         plates             12/14/66 – photo JD
158    GT350    2pcVrt plates             12/16/66 – photo RP vertical inboard
159    GT350    ?         plates             12/21/66 – photo RP
166    GT350    ?         plates             12/21/66 – photo SAAC forum
167    GT350    ?         plates             1/4/67 – photo owner
168    GT350    2pc     plates             12/28/66 – photo RP updated 10-2019
169    GT350    2pc     plates             12/21/66 – photo JD
171    GT500    ?         ?                    1/19/67 - JD
173    GT500    ?         plates             12/12/66 – photo RP
185    GT500    2pc     plates             1/4/67 – owner; no lower grille when bought 46 yrs ago
186    GT500    2pc     ?                    12/22/66 – PDB Shelbyforums
187    GT500    2pc     plates             12/22/66 - owner / owner FH notes plates update 3/9/2018
194    GT500    2pc     plates             1/5/67 - photo
195    GT500    2pc     plates             1/4/67 – photo JD
202    GT500    2pc     ?                     1/4/67 – photo JD
203    GT500    ?         plates             12/30/66 – photo NVSAAC
208    GT500    2pc     plates             1/4/67- owner / plates per owner update 3/17/2018
212    GT500    ?        plates             1/3/67 - Barrett-Jackson photo update 6/25/2018
213    GT500    2pcVrt plates             1/4/67 – JD RP photo vertical inboard
234    GT500    2pc     plates             1/4/67 – photo NVSAAC
244    GT500    2pc     plates             1/4/67 - photos Brian S. 6/5/19
253    GT500    2pc     plates             1/5/67 - photo RP 8/11/19
258    GT500    2pc     ?                    1/9/67 – JD / photo RP SAAC 34
264    GT500    2pc    plates              1/11/67 - PDB Shelbyforums / plates photo RP update 5/4/2018
304    GT500    2pc    plates              1/11/67 - photo RP had 2pc, owner changed to CNC 1pc
316    GT500    2pc    plates              1/16/67 - PDB Shelbyforums
320    GT500    2pc    plates              1/12/67 - JD
328    GT500    2pc    plates              1/6/67 - JD
329    GT500    2pc    plates              1/10/67 – photo RP / owner confirms 2pc & plates with photos update 3/14/2018
341    GT500    2pc    plates              1/13/67 – photo RP
363    GT500    2pc    plates              1/12/66 – registry notes 2pc / plates photo update 5/6/2018
413    GT500    2pc    ?                     1/30/67 - JD
425    GT500    ?        plates              1/20/67 - photos sales ad update 3/18/2018
458    GT500    2pc    plates              1/30/66 - PDB Shelbyforums / owner confirms update 3/13/2018


A big THANKS to JD for all his helpful knowledge and working with me to get this put together.

[Richstang]

1 piece & 2 piece grille

[Richstang]

Headlight buckets

[Richstang]

center bracket

[Richstang]

Inboard variations

[Richstang]

one possible method of attaching the lower grille on the front side of the rear lip, on the nose support




A second method seen is overlapping the upper and lower grille. It was attached on the back side of the rear lip, on the nose support

[Bob Gaines]

The early 1-piece slanted grille was found on approximately the first 75 cars. These cars also had some hand-fabricated brackets, rather crudely made. They used a flat strip of steel, shaped to a band/clamp, for mounting both the low-beam fender and high-beam center of the grille mounted lights. 

At some early point in production Shelby American started making (or cutting?) the slanted grille in 2-pieces to help ease installation. They also changed the mounting of the headlight buckets from 4 band clamps to 4 metal plates - one for each bucket. It seems it started first with the high-beam grille light buckets and then the fender light buckets as well.

This change is thought to coincide with the arrival of Fred Goodell, in early December of 1966. It eliminated a number of fasteners and hand-fabricated parts that all had adjustment variables and must have been labor intensive to make and install. 

The plates for the grille light buckets were spot welded to the hood latch support. The fender light plates were still captured with the Shelby license plate/nose support to the radiator core support. (The later version outboard mounted high-beam grill lights used different style of mounting plates.  There were additional sheet metal pieces that would attach to those plate/brackets on Air Conditioned cars to direct air through the radiators.)

The very bottom edge on all of the grilles, early 1-piece and 2-piece as well as the later inboard and outboard versions, got a protective "U" shaped polymer (rubber/plastic) strip. It prevented the bottom of the grille from damaging the painted surface of the lower nose opening. This is missing on many cars. 

There are some other variations of items related to the grilles...such as the presence of added fasteners, one to four, to hold the bottom of the upper nose opening to the top of the license plate/nose support...the 3 different locations of hood pin lanyard attaching points to the top surface of the grilles, the early cars used two locations...the fasteners used to attach the grille to the back of the license plate/nose support and the variations of the license plate/nose support! 

Here's an initial list of 1-piece and 2-piece grille cars. This should help identify the approximate transitions for each of these versions as well as the headlight bucket mounting method. As always, please tell us if you know of a car that can be included or of other variations, errors or additions.

NOTE: Many unique early parts don't seem to have been inventoried for service replacements. Over the years, cars that were in accidents and/or restored were likely to have had later style parts used. This was because the same styles were not available or the originals were so crude and difficult to install. Also, the fender light components rusted so terribly that using later parts may have been necessary. SAAC Registry footnotes and known car histories are important to this topic.

"The early 1-piece slanted grille was found on approximately the first 75 cars." I disagree with this statement and think it was used on more cars. How many more I am not sure but my guess would be at least 75 or more. Regardless I have seen one piece grill cars in the 100's.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           "At some early point in production Shelby American started making (or cutting?) the slanted grille in 2-pieces to help ease installation. They also changed the mounting of the headlight buckets from 4 band clamps to 4 metal plates - one for each bucket. It seems it started first with the high-beam grille light buckets and then the fender light buckets as well."
This statement seems to imply that when the one piece grill was separated (which still had the wide headlight bezels made into it) that the fender light brackets changed at that point. Whether that was the intention or not I believe the change to the much simpler flat plate fender brackets coincided with the introduction of the new and improved style of 2 piece grill which was different from the one piece style cut in two. The new and improved style was the one used all the way until discontinued in favor of the outboard style grill.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              " The fender light plates were still captured with the Shelby license plate/nose support to the radiator core support."  For clarity I wanted to mention that the fender brackets were attached regardless of early or late by being bolted to the radiator support along with the license plate/nose support. I didn't want anyone to think "captured" meant one piece.

[Richstang]

JD and I put a lot of time into building this list and the intro. Hopefully it can be appreciated for that effort. We certainly don't expect everything written to be set in stone and welcome the feedback, and suggestion for changes or additions.


Bob thanks for the reply,

(Of course, I don't speak for JD in my reply below)
-I took the "approximately 75" 1-pc slanted grilles from an old forum post. I agree that the number is likely much higher. I suspect the first 100 cars in DSO 84-2505 all had them as well as few stragglers after that. We can see those few cars on the list above (#130, 132, and 146).
-I initially thought the grille change from 1-piece to 2-pieces coincided with the change from bands to plates. As you said, for simplicity reasons. There are a few cars that brought this point into question. (The same cars listed above with 1 pc grilles after 100.) I have only seen the 1pc with plates on #130, in photos. The other two are registry notes. Also vintage pictures show car #100 with bands and a 2 piece grille around Dec 9th 1966. Since that was an engineering car it certainly could have been changed from its initial build. As we find more cars to add to the list we'll have to see if these few cars are exceptions to the rules or prove to have been changed at some point.
-I'll let JD reply on your third point.

[BGlover67]

You can make a strong argument that having an original one piece slanted grill is a rare occurrence indeed.  Of the possible 100 plus cars that received them, most were replaced with later versions since the grill was one of the most common things to get wrecked.  If you had one for sale, you could ask a small fortune these days. Metal backed hoods suffered the same fate, but thankfully there were many more originally produced.

[2112]

Cool Thread   

[JD]

I agree that it is highly likely that more than 75 cars got this version of the '67 grille.

"At some early point in production Shelby American started making (or cutting?) the slanted grille in 2-pieces to help ease installation. They also changed the mounting of the headlight buckets from 4 band clamps to 4 metal plates - one for each bucket. It seems it started first with the high-beam grille light buckets and then the fender light buckets as well."

I believe this to be multiple points as well and don't think Rich intended that to be thought as one all-encompassing change.  (He did make them separate sentences)  At least one car got the two versions of headlight bucket mounting (plates for the inboard grille lights and band/clamps with hand-made brackets for the fender lights) and it has the 2-piece slanted/angled grille and I wouldn't be surprised if there was more than one.

Just for clarity, the 4 versions of '67 grilles were:
1-piece slanted/angled with centered (Inboard) High-beam lights
2-piece slanted/angled with centered (Inboard) High-beam lights
2-piece Vertical (the upper grille setting on the upper opening) with centered (Inboard) High-beam lights
2-piece Vertical (the upper grille setting on the upper opening) with the High-beam lights mounted (Outboard) at the outer ends of the upper grille opening.  The mesh on these two grille parts was different than the 3 versions above.

This thread is discussing the first 3 versions to get feed-back from current and previous owners to try and better define the time frame and overlap of the grille variations and the head light bucket mounting variations.

"The fender light plates were still captured with the Shelby license plate/nose support to the radiator core support."
Yes, the separate piece(s) for the fender mounted headlight buckets, regardless of which type, was always bolted with the Shelby license plate/nose support to the Ford radiator core support.

[Bob Gaines]

The problem with surveys like this is that you will get mis information from those owners who don't know for sure but because it is a certain way on their car "IT HAS TO BE ORIGNAL" because they  unknowingly (or knowingly) think their car has never been messed with. That misinformation may improperly skew the results . I hope that is not the case.

[Harris Speedster]

This post should be placed where it can be easily viewed.
You guys have nailed it, and the info and pics should find a easily accessible home herein !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
John

[roddster]

  It is my understanding that somebody is making (or was making) repops of the early grill.  Either the one piece or the two piece.  I do not know who it is, and, it has been a long time since I have seen one (a repopped one) on Ebay.
  Any comments on this are welcome.

  The metal pattern is known as "airline".  So, who can make those headlight enclosures for the grill?  I'm asking in case somebody needs one some day.  Right now, I don't.