1967 Shelby - fiberglass nose - 2 pieces?

[Bob Gaines]

I have a 67 Shelby GT500 #00348 and I have missing the front nose and hood.

How can I indifi if it was a 1piece or 2piece nose and if the hood was with the steel frame or not ?

Your car 0348 most likely had a two piece nose based on the reported cars with that style built in the same time period.Car 0348 would have had a hood and trunklid with steel innerstructure based on how early your car is relative to the many hundreds of cars later in production when the all fiberglass versions transitioned into production.

[Kyle]

Ok thanks Bob , yes my the trunklid is with steel frame.
Here is some photos of my grill that I think it is the original to the car.

[Bob Gaines]

The grill with the eyebrows is very hard to find and is a sign of a early car. It most likely is to your car. The backside of the center headlight /hood latch bracket is interesting with additional cut openings . That was most likely done by a past owner.

[Kyle]

Yes me to the grill most likely is correct to the car.
Do you think that the backside of the bracket latch was all with the cut openings from Shelby factory or was from past owners? If the front nose was 2 piece this grill is correct for it or it needs to be 1 piece grill please?

[Bob Gaines]

Yes me to the grill most likely is correct to the car.
Do you think that the backside of the bracket latch was all with the cut openings from Shelby factory or was from past owners? If the front nose was 2 piece this grill is correct for it or it needs to be 1 piece grill please?

The extra holes would have been done by past owners. There would typically be no reason Shelby American would need to do that. Most likely a 2 piece grill was used on your car based on when it was built.You have the hardest to source section.

[Kyle]

Ok so the extra holes was made by past owners. If my car was with 2 piece grill and 2 piece nose it has a Shelby GT500 emblem please ? Were can I find 2 piece nose and a hood with steel frame ?

[Bob Gaines]

Ok so the extra holes was made by past owners. If my car was with 2 piece grill and 2 piece nose it has a Shelby GT500 emblem please ? Were can I find 2 piece nose and a hood with steel frame ?

Unfortunately both are very rare parts. For example ,I stay tuned in and hear about many Shelby parts of all years given my interests and see or hear about maybe one steel frame hood coming up for sale every year or so. The two piece nose I have only seen one or two damaged ones for sale and heard about another for sale in the 40 plus years that I have been working with Shelby parts. I hope that I am wrong but the odds of you finding them in any condition for sale will be high.You would be better off time and money wise to find a high end restoration shop that specializes in Shelby's and commission them to make the parts like Shelby did. Add a Mustang steel inner structure to a original hood not repro . Use a Cobra fiberglass brand nose or original as a basis to make the overlapping two piece design nose. This is just my observations and opinions based on experiences,others may have different ones.

[2112]

Is Cobra Fiberglass brand what Branda sells?

[Bob Gaines]

Is Cobra Fiberglass brand what Branda sells?

Branda has a long history selling that brand. It is one of several mfg brands that they sell each at a different price point.

[Kyle]

Bob,sorry I'm not sure if it was a 2 piece nose or 1 piece. The tail light panel, trunk lid and all scoops from the backside is all fiberglass cloth pattern If I make a 2 piece nose it would not be with a correct backside pattern ?

[Bob Gaines]

Bob,sorry I'm not sure if it was a 2 piece nose or 1 piece. The tail light panel, trunk lid and all scoops from the backside is all fiberglass cloth pattern If I make a 2 piece nose it would not be with a correct backside pattern ?

If you want to make it easy on yourself put a one piece nose on . As I stated before your car most likely came with the 2 piece nose based on how cars were built around the same time frame as yours. You for sure can mimic the back side texture. In the now many decades since enthusiasts have started to care about such details this is not the first time this situation has come up .   The correct looking backside pattern is the easiest part of the build process relatively speaking . That is part of the trick of replicating details that specialized enthusiasts and restorers learn who have done it before.

[Richstang]

Hi Kyle,

I can understand your wanting to learn more about your car...and the questions you posted, but going forward please start a new thread for the off topic details specific to your car, so we can focus here on the 2-piece nose subject.

As we discussed previously (in emails) it is VERY likely your car came with the slanted 2 piece grille.
That follows the photos you posted.

There is no data (no paperwork that is known to exist) that will state if your car, or any '67 Shelby's, had the 1 or 2-piece nose.
As Bob similarly stated, the Shelby American completion date noted in the last registry for your car does appear to suggest it did.
We can see that by comparing with other cars completed around the same time in late January 1967.

Anyone reading this, that is aware of a 2-piece nose car, that is not listed in the first post in this thread, is urged to share that info.
It will help everyone interested in them.
Thanks
   

[kkupec02]

My GT500 #817 has a two piece nose riveted together at center of grille area. Build date 1/26/67

[Richstang]

My GT500 #817 has a two piece nose riveted together at center of grille area. Build date 1/26/67

Welcome KKupec02
You second post and your digging in...terrific

Thanks for the update on your car having a 2-piece nose! As you can see in the first post, #00817 fits at the tail end of the SJ build dates and Shelby VIN's in my list of known cars that have the feature. SJ did not install the fiberglass, so the SAI completion date (2/16/67) is very important for all the Shelby specific details.

PM to follow

[Terry Curry]

1967 Shelby GT 500 Moss Green #504 has the 2 piece nose and slanted Grill. SA completion date January 30th.
Question though, the upright bracket looks like it was two piece, and welded, is this correct. Based on comparisons it seems it is not correct.