1965 Shelby GT350 Intake Differences

[Shelby_r_b]

I'm looking for some help.  I did some research online (and on the forum), and I can't find pictures or references to (what I'm led to believe) are three different versions of the 1965 GT350 small letter intakes:

- Early GT350 Intake
- Later GT350 Intake
- R Model Intake

Also, were the same intake(s) used on the small block Cobras?

Thanks!

[Dan Case]

There have been multiple threads over the last few years; with pictures.

Others can cover the multiple "1965" versions. Decades ago I had the idea of buying one of every 4V COBRA aluminum intake. That idea crashed when 1964-67 I learned that there were a bunch of them. In 1965 at least two different foundries were doing casting and at least two different shops doing machining.

Cobra wise, there was a light weight thin wall small passages casting made available for Cobras circa late third quarter 1964. It was intended for racing and had no provision of any kind for a PCV system, which street Cobras were built with HP289 PCV systems 4V and 2-4V induction 1963-65. They are very rare. I have seen five ever and three had cracked somewhere or another and been repaired. I have a new old stock one that a Cobra owner ordered post delivery but never got installed. One was dealer installed on a late CSX24xx chassis and its still installed right where the service department installed it. Somebody, the dealer or an owner rigged up a road draft crankcase ventilation system.

1964 Intake (These pictures have been posted on multiple sites since 2011.)
1964 COBRA High Rise 4V Intake Overhead


1964 COBRA High Rise 4V Intake Underside


1964 COBRA High Rise 4V Intake Front Overhead


1964 COBRA High Rise 4V Intake Rear Overhead


The high rise intake was preceded by a regular production option low profile COBRA aluminum intake given a 1964 engineering number of C4SA-9421-1 and used as a factory and over the counter option for Cobras with 1962 HP260, 1963½ HP289 and 1964 HP289 engines. Design wise think 1961 technology flow wise for a 260 cid engine and mild camshaft.  They were used Cobra wise with road draft tube connected at rear for HP260s and PCV system connection at rear for 1963½ HP289s. There was a stamped steel cover to block off the vent port in the rear for 1964 engines (same as the plate for over the counter 3-2V systems). This intake is a rebranded Holman-Moody Falcon Rally car program circa 1962. For a brief period the same intake was a option for Sunbeam Tigers with "TIGER" lettering instead of "COBRA". The COBRA version has both the Holman-Moody and Shelby numbers cast in. The TIGER version has only the Cobra number included.




Three Cobras received high rise intakes and R-3259 family carburetors during 1965 after 1965 MUSTANG GT350 production was underway. We don't know what intake manifolds they received as all three cars lost their day one induction systems over time and no pictures have turned up so far. I use to have the carburetor from one of the cars and it was made in December 1964.

[Shelby_r_b]

Since I couldn't find the information I was looking for on Forum 2.0, regarding 1965 Shelby GT350 intakes, here's what I understand / have questions about:

- Early GT350 intakes - it's my understanding that the early (up through maybe 5S300) GT350s had intakes without the the following:
  -- Part number on the pad just aft of the carburetor pad
  -- Firing order on the lower pad towards the back fo the intake

- Later GT350 intakes
  -- Could have the part number aft of the carburetor pad
  -- Had the firing order on the aft pad of the intake

- R Model intakes
  -- No part number nor firing order
  -- No PVC Valve hole / threading
  -- No temperature sensor hole / threading
  -- Question:  Were there originally holes for the PVC valve and temp sensor already drilled, and Shelby American filled them?  Or, were the R model intakes cast with the holes already removed for the R Model setup?

- Early small block Cobras-- No part number nor firing order
  -- No PVC Valve hole / threading
  -- No temperature sensor hole / threading
  -- Question:  Same as wit the R Models:  were there originally holes for the PVC valve and temp sensor already drilled, and Shelby American filled them?  Or, were the R model intakes cast with the holes already removed for the R Model setup?

Thanks

[Shelby_r_b]

There have been multiple threads over the last few years; with pictures.

Others can cover the multiple "1965" versions. Decades ago I had the idea of buying one of every 4V COBRA aluminum intake. That idea crashed when 1964-67 I learned that there were a bunch of them. In 1965 at least two different foundries were doing casting and at least two different shops doing machining.

Cobra wise, there was a light weight thin wall small passages casting made available for Cobras circa late third quarter 1964. It was intended for racing and had no provision of any kind for a PCV system, which street Cobras were built with HP289 PCV systems 4V and 2-4V induction 1963-65. They are very rare. I have seen five ever and three had cracked somewhere or another and been repaired. I have a new old stock one that a Cobra owner ordered post delivery but never got installed. One was dealer installed on a late CSX24xx chassis and its still installed right where the service department installed it. Somebody, the dealer or an owner rigged up a road draft crankcase ventilation system.

Three Cobras received high rise intakes and R-3259 family carburetors during 1965 after 1965 MUSTANG GT350 production was underway. We don't know what intake manifolds they received as all three cars lost their day one induction systems over time and no pictures have turned up so far. I use to have the carburetor from one of the cars and it was made in December 1964.

Thanks, Dan!

One follow-up question:  did the high rise small block Cobra intakes have the 4 port holes on the carburetor pad, or was it one massive hole?  Also, were they originally cast with holes for the PVC and temp sensor, then filled, or did them come cast with no holes for either attachment?

Thanks again!

[Dan Case]

Every 1964 design (low or high profile) I have ever seen were drilled and threaded for heater hose port and coolant temperature sensor.  All had four bores under the carburetor. Both are very rare. I have failed to find anyone actually running an original C4SA COBRA or TIGER intake since I started paying attention in 1986 when I bought my first one. I have discussed them with a man that ordered his 1964 new with a COBRA low rise intake and was very disappointed. He bought the car to race. He said every Ford or aftermarket 4V intake of any kind he ever tried in road racing worked better; most likely because they were designed for 289 cid engines and not 260 cid ones.

I have only found one of the 1964 for a Cobra high rise intakes installed on an engine and it is still right where the dealer's service department put it.

See the pictures above.

That's Cobras. If you think that is complicated then covering every there is a period picture or physical parts regarding a factory prepared street or race GT350 1965-67 it would be a small book I bet.  Then there would be the over the counter parts that had all kinds of variations of their own and that's why my idea to buy and display one of everything crashed a long time ago.

[Shelby_r_b]

Many thanks, Dan, regarding the Cobra intakes!

Was there a hole drilled that was later filled? Please see the circled area in the picture attached. It looks like it might have been filled.

[Dan Case]

Many thanks, Dan, regarding the Cobra intakes!

Was there a hole drilled that was later filled? Please see the circled area in the picture attached. It looks like it might have been filled.

No sir, but pretty flat with lots of casting porosity. I just went and looked again. I have examined in hand all the ones I have ever seen but one and a characteristic of all of them is poor casting quality with regards to porosity. They would suffer pretty bad corrosion in the water jacket also. They must break easily because three I have held had been cracked and repaired somewhere, one of the bosses for a carburetor base stud cracked downward at least an inch based on where the weld repair was. I sold a repaired one the the owner of SFM5026 some years ago along with the original R-3259A from CSX2555.

[JD]

Not sure if this helps...

[Shelby_r_b]

This is great, JD!

Based on the attached picture you shared, what are the correct applications for:

- 2nd intake from the left
- 4th (last) intake from the left

Also, did the R model intakes come configured like the 2nd from the left, but with no hole for the temp sender?

[Dan Case]

The first race intake for SFM5R002 had a mechanical water temperature sensor in the heater port and some type pipe plug in a small temperature sensor port best I can see in the picture.

[JD]

Ruben, Dan and others will know more about the order of creation, makers and specific intended/common uses.   

I was trying to determine correct intakes for '66 and '67 Shelby's and like others gathered images of variations of SB, Ford aluminum, 4V intakes and as Dan has stated there are MANY.

[sfm5s081]

Anybody know where I can buy one of these for an early 65?

[J_Speegle]

Wanted section of this site and possibly others is a great place to start to get the word out as well as searching for sale ads around the internet

[Shelby_r_b]

Anybody know where I can buy one of these for an early 65?

PM sent.