'67 Upper Scoop Lights - Got'em or Not?

[JD]

Over the years these lights have remained available at auto parts stores around the US for very little money.  There are people that list them (daily) on e-Pay for insane amounts of money.

Since they have been for sale soo long and the company changed ownership there are a number of variations.  Some of the variations are not seen once the lights are installed/embedded in the fiberglass scoop.  The part that does show is the lens.  There seem to be five variations to the lenses, and one that is viewed as "assembly line correct".

The originals have the Dietz "DZ" on a oval molded onto the lens along with the model number "77-823" below it.
There is another version that also has four "nubs" at the perimeter but these are believed to be later versions.

There is a version with "SER-DO" and "K-101" and "SAE-P-65" molded onto the lens below it.
There is another version that also has four "nubs" at the perimeter but these have "SIGNAL-STAT" and "77-823" below it molded into the lens, also a later version.

The last (?) version does not have anything molded into the dome of the lens but along the perimeter is "LS-310" and opposite it on the lip is typically a single number which may be a mold number.

[Bob Gaines]

Great Job as always JD.

[Steve Z]

   Guys, I own 0194 which has a build date Dec ' 66' . I had talked to the guy who restored the car the 2nd time and he said that when he got in the restoration that the original holes were filled in with Bondo and that the wire harness was tucked behind the sail panel. The reason I asked this question is that on the list it states the lights were added by the owner. I just wanted to clarify the info given and weather the car came from the factory with the side maker lights. I believe it did . Any help on this. Thanks Steve

[Richstang]

   Guys, I own 0194 which has a build date Dec ' 66' . I had talked to the guy who restored the car the 2nd time and he said that when he got in the restoration that the original holes were filled in with Bondo and that the wire harness was tucked behind the sail panel. The reason I asked this question is that on the list it states the lights were added by the owner. I just wanted to clarify the info given and weather the car came from the factory with the side maker lights. I believe it did . Any help on this. Thanks Steve

Hi Steve,
Thanks for posting about #0194. Since the scoop lights were an added component by Shelby, we really need to look at the Shelby American (SA) build date 1/5/67, not the San Jose (SJ) build date 12/10/66. January is a bit late for an upper scoop light car. Another consideration is the majority of upper scoop light cars are from before your DSO 84-2528. The note on our list was based on the above and also the photos of your car showing incorrect scoop lights. The wiring may have been added by the owner who put on those incorrect lights. It is possible the wiring was factory installed and not connected.
I'm not here to say your right or wrong, just wanted you to be aware of why we noted it as such. Do you have any photos of the 2nd restoration that show the wiring and connection or the scoops (I know that's a slim chance), it might help.

[Steve Z]

   Rich, I had a chance to go back thru the restoration photos , but nothing showed up in the pics. No help there, so I can't say for sure. Thanks Steve

[roddster]

  Not bragging but I've been saying for years it has been less than 200, more likely 180 or so with the scoop lights. 

   And yes, some dope let the word out to Ward Auto Supply that "these fit the 67'Shelby" so they raised the price.

[Richstang]

new updates made to list;

#208 GT500 No
#211 GT500 No

[BGlover67]

I just found something pretty interesting.  Im not sure if it's been mentioned here before or not.  If so, I apologize.  Car 43, a recently beautifully restored early nightmist car popped up on my radar screen, but for another reason I will explain soon.  But anyway, I received this picture of the restored car and quickly noticed that it doesn't have USL's.  What gives? it's Shelby competition date was 11/11/66. Scoops were never removed before, and no sign of the lights at the restoration.  I spoke with the 67 registrar who told me there were other cars completed in Nov that didn't receive them.  I honestly thought that it was safe to assume that all cars completed up to the end of November received this feature, but obviously I have no idea what I'm talking about.  Thoughts?

[JD]

Yes, there are some double-digit cars that seem to have never had them - there's just not rhyme or reason on these dang '67's.

[Richstang]

Brian,
Thanks for posting the photo of #0043 (If you have any other photos of it please let me know). Personally, I think it highly respectable that the owner / restorer did not add the scoop lights during the restoration even though they might have been tempted too..

Yes, there are a few double digit cars without the Upper Scoop Lights for one reason or another. One or two can be explained by the SA build completion date, but the others like #0043 are a bit of a mystery.

From what I've seen the Upper Scoop Lights were installed on these cars until approximately early to mid December. We can't nail down the exact date since the cars were not started and completed in order. By the VIN, they get a bit scattered starting in the 150's. (In my opinion, they end in the late 150's with one or two exceptions; #176 the Lime Gold GT350 Brochure car being one of them (a September 66 SA build). Anything after this time or VIN is highly questionable, but you just never know.)

The Upper Scoop Lights would likely have been installed early in the build process. Some cars may have been started upon arrival at LAX, but not finished until weeks later as noted by the SA / SJ dates. Other cars may have been started and completed in a few days (perhaps these mystery November cars). We know there are some cars that had the wiring installed, but had no signs of the lights, in the original scoops, were found during their restorations. At least one car is known where a later owner added the scoop lights because of existing wiring. The temptation was too strong to resist.

Just one more of those pesky '67 changes through the production run...

[KR Convertible]

What did the wiring look like?  Was there an actual harness or just a couple of Scotch-Locks and wire?

[JD]

What did the wiring look like?  Was there an actual harness or just a couple of Scotch-Locks and wire?

Yes, basically that was what was done for the "feed signal", also a ground wire for the light unit was added, not Scotch-lock.  (look at the 3rd image in Reply 3 of this thread)

[Richstang]

I'm not sure if I posted this before.
Here's an unidentified Nightmist Blue GT350 that popped up in 2010 in Michigan. Noted as the "Ford and Mustang Birch Run".

Perhaps someone might know the Shelby Vin by the unique (different year) fender emblem.

[owenkelley]

Here's a question I've never seen asked before. Is there any record of a car having small red lights on the inside of the car that light up at the appropriate times that the out side USL's were supposed to? I was looking at a car recently that the owner says has the wiring for the USL's but the lights aren't there. There are just these little lights on the inside of the car in the rear vent piece.  The car has an early January build date, the owner has had it since around 1980. There were USL's in the trunk when he bought it and he assumed this car was supposed to have them.

[Bob Gaines]

Here's a question I've never seen asked before. Is there any record of a car having small red lights on the inside of the car that light up at the appropriate times that the out side USL's were supposed to? I was looking at a car recently that the owner says has the wiring for the USL's but the lights aren't there. There are just these little lights on the inside of the car in the rear vent piece.  The car has an early January build date, the owner has had it since around 1980. There were USL's in the trunk when he bought it and he assumed this car was supposed to have them.

I am very skeptical about any lights on the inside . Disregard the fact that I have never seen one with them in the large number that I have seen during personal observations, requested by enthusiast car evaluations and judging venues but it doesn't even make sense from a functional standpoint. What would the purpose be for lights located in the interior vent area to illuminate?