VIN Change on 70 Shelby’s

[Bob Gaines]

I have read that every 1969 to 1970 Shelby VIN tag change had to witnessed by an FBI agent during the process.

Is that a known fact or an urban myth?

Hoping to get a definitive answer to this very question, in 2015, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the FBI. The official response was that there were no records pertaining to this subject.
   So this could mean that there was never an FBI agent on site, but yet it still leaves
the possibility that there was an agent on site who either did not file a report or did file a report which was ultimately lost or destroyed.

The urban legend used to be that the FBI had to oversee the change when it was done at dealerships . That always struck me as impractical . No support evidence ever showed up to verify that theory/myth. The new and improved consensus of opinion is that all the update to the 70 VIN was done at KK .That makes the most sense and what I have always thought. My guess because I doubt we will get anything more concrete is that most likely there was a agent that had to sign off on the update being done to a number of cars at one time instead of having a permanent desk on site 5 days a week or whatever  . Hopefully something will turn up to nail this down.

[aj]

13 months between build date and sold date on the Marti for my '70.

Order Received:         01/02/70
Car Serialized:           01/30/69
Bucked:                     02/21/69
Scheduled for Build:    02/26/69
Actually Built:             02/26/69
Sold:                         03/20/70

I've always been curious where the car was located during those 13 months.  Did it lingered unsold on the dealer's lot or ...and then what...re-VIN at dealer or perhaps shipped back to KK.

Or did it remain static in Ford's inventory...eventually re-VIN then sent to dealer.  But seems like a big gap  there (13 months).

Not as familiar with dates as experts, but the 02/26/69 build date seems early to remained unsold and result in re-VIN to a '70.   

[Coralsnake]

It probably sat in AO Smiths lot, until it was shipped to KK Brighton. The reason it was renumbered is because it was unsold. Ford or a dealer is not in this equation.

[Special Ed]

Those 69 shelbys in petes photo are all early built no grabber colors & e-70-15 tires before april HD F-60-15  big suspension changeover .

[shelbymann1970]

Not all 69 Shelbys were changed out at KK. Some were done on Market street in Livonia(many buildings on Market street now are owned by Jack Roush). While at a roush open house in 2017  a longtime acquaintance  of mine pointed down the street and said he converted 69 Shelbys to 70s. He still has the 69 VIN tags for those 69s he changed out. Obviously i won't post his name here but is a heavy hitter in the Ford circles and used to run the Ford performance hotline. Gary

[shelbymann1970]

13 months between build date and sold date on the Marti for my '70.

Order Received:         01/02/70
Car Serialized:           01/30/69
Bucked:                     02/21/69
Scheduled for Build:    02/26/69
Actually Built:             02/26/69
Sold:                         03/20/70

I've always been curious where the car was located during those 13 months.  Did it lingered unsold on the dealer's lot or ...and then what...re-VIN at dealer or perhaps shipped back to KK.

Or did it remain static in Ford's inventory...eventually re-VIN then sent to dealer.  But seems like a big gap  there (13 months).

Not as familiar with dates as experts, but the 02/26/69 build date seems early to remained unsold and result in re-VIN to a '70.   

Larry Lawrence paid a pilot to take an aerial view of Kar Kraft back then. It has been seen in a few sites. He lent the pic to a president of some club and never got it back. At his age and health a few years ago Larry couldn't remember who he lent it to. In the photo many Shelbys along with bosses can be seen. Larry, as a 19 year old, was hired basically by mistake to do the paint work at KK. He now owns a  collision shop in Brighton not far from the original KK location. His video of KK in 1969 has been around the internet and facebook on the brighton historical society page. Gary

[shelbymann1970]

Cant find anything to support the FBI story, but its possible.

Well the guy I know who VIN changed in  some told me the FBI wasn't there and he still has 69 VIN tags.  Gary

[Special Ed]

Gary u must be talking about john v

[Bob Gaines]

Cant find anything to support the FBI story, but its possible.

Well the guy I know who VIN changed in  some told me the FBI wasn't there and he still has 69 VIN tags.  Gary

My guess is that the FBI more like rubber stamped the procedure paperwork wise. It would not seem practical or reasonable that a G man had desk and was at the plant during all of the shifts supervising the change.

[Special Ed]

Would be nice to find someday if ford would have kept the 69  shelby buck ,door & dash tags along with all warranty tags & window stickers after being converted to 70 models. I have seen some 70 shelbys that had the 2 aluminum 69 metal door tag rivets pushed back in the 2 lower door holes after the 69 metal door tag was removed to fill the holes. Wonder what happened to all the 69 distributors & automatic choke parts removed from the 70 shelbys anybody know?

[Bob Gaines]

Would be nice to find someday if ford would have kept the 69  shelby buck ,door & dash tags along with all warranty tags & window stickers after being converted to 70 models. I have seen some 70 shelbys that had the 2 aluminum 69 metal door tag rivets pushed back in the 2 lower door holes after the 69 metal door tag was removed to fill the holes. Wonder what happened to all the 69 distributors & automatic choke parts removed from the 70 shelbys anybody know?

You have them in your basement ? Or did Donna move them too?

[Side-Oilers]

It probably sat in AO Smiths lot, until it was shipped to KK Brighton. The reason it was renumbered is because it was unsold. Ford or a dealer is not in this equation.

Imagine that same photo location, but with snow covering the cars, as it most certainly would have looked a few weeks before or after. 
Cold & lonely '69s awaiting someone to love them.