Who installed the lockers in 65 Shelbys?

[TJinSA]

It's been my experience the 'L' stands for limited slip, not Locker. While a limited slip will drag the outside wheel if having been parked for a while, they do not have the ratcheting experience of a Locker.

While that may be true, on the early GT350s, Detroit Lockers were offered and installed, rather than Traction Locks.

Who installed the lockers in 65 Shelbys? Did SAI breakdown a rear diff and replace the spool? or did Ford install them when they built the rearend?  If it was an RPO Ford would have done it, if not, SAI did the work.  Chuck Cantwell was pretty clear when describing the coordination of the building of the basic car that Ford fltly refused to do ANYTHING that was't an RPO.

[Bob Gaines]

It's been my experience the 'L' stands for limited slip, not Locker. While a limited slip will drag the outside wheel if having been parked for a while, they do not have the ratcheting experience of a Locker.

While that may be true, on the early GT350s, Detroit Lockers were offered and installed, rather than Traction Locks.

Who installed the lockers in 65 Shelbys? Did SAI breakdown a rear diff and replace the spool? or did Ford install them when they built the rearend?  If it was an RPO Ford would have done it, if not, SAI did the work.  Chuck Cantwell was pretty clear when describing the coordination of the building of the basic car that Ford fltly refused to do ANYTHING that was't an RPO.

Both Ford and SA installed them . It was typically a early late thing. SA did it to begin with and later they got Ford to do it.  A sure sign of a Ford install is the L on the rear end tag.

[GT350Lad]

I have a early 66 locker installed car and it has a L on the rear end tag. On the order paperwork I got from Howard Pardee it was ordered that way from SA. That's interesting that Ford installed it for SA, so the sequence of events is: order form came from dealer to SA, SA placed order to ford for K code car with locker?

Cheers

[TJinSA]

The Master Parts Catalog shows a DACO no-spin spool for the full-size cars I'll eat a big crow on this one. 

[gt350hr]

  Tom ,
   DAPCO = Detroit Automotive Products Co. The original name of the company. My notes are very few were done by SAI ( mainly by tag codes ).



GT350Lad

      Can you post a picture of your tag with the L on it?  My notes (again) are that '66s ordered with a locker , had the locker in the trunk . IF it came with it installed , the change would have been done at High Performance Motors (IMHO) before the sale , similar to the way radios were done. I haven't seen a C6ZX tag with the L designation in all my years of owning and studying these cars. There is always room for a first and I am anxious to add to my "I've seen that" experience.  Not doubting you at all.
   Randy

[GT350Lad]

All good Randy I'll find my pics, it's not a C6ZX it's a C5ZX tag dated very late in the year. It's pretty beat up too

Cheers

[Brant]

  Tom ,
   DAPCO = Detroit Automotive Products Co. The original name of the company. My notes are very few were done by SAI ( mainly by tag codes ).



GT350Lad

      Can you post a picture of your tag with the L on it?  My notes (again) are that '66s ordered with a locker , had the locker in the trunk . IF it came with it installed , the change would have been done at High Performance Motors (IMHO) before the sale , similar to the way radios were done. I haven't seen a C6ZX tag with the L designation in all my years of owning and studying these cars. There is always room for a first and I am anxious to add to my "I've seen that" experience.  Not doubting you at all.
   Randy

Here is the tag that is on 6S1066 (SA invoice shows " 'NO SPIN' REAR AXLE" at a cost of $114.50):

[TJinSA]

Thanks, Brant.

[GT350Lad]

Thanks, mine is a bit different

C5ZX-A
3L89    5LA  SP

I'll get pics up

[TJinSA]

Does SAAC have a list of those VINs/SFM#s known to have been delivered from San Jose with Lockers, or is that information only derived by a case by case basis looking at Billing/Invoices?  How many do they know of?

[GT350Lad]

I am sure Howard would possibly have the figures; otherwise it's possibly in the registry
Cheers

[Bob Gaines]

Probably not too many got the Detroit locker C5ZX(Ford installed) in 66. Given the vast majority of cars were built on speculation the ones built with options like the locker rears were most likely limited to the buyers who were willing to wait for a special ordered vs. one that was already on the lot or in the pipeline that didn't have the locker/limited slip and have the dealer install one.    The locker was made a option for 66 starting with Job#1 according to SA memos.  The Detroit locker or the Eaton Trac-Aid limited slip were typically dealer installed as needed or requested.

[GT350Lad]

Thanks Bob for the info. What's the different tags mean? DSO at the start vs just the C5ZX tag?
Cheers

[GT350Lad]

Here is tag
Cheers

[gt350hr]

   Interesting! The tag marking procedure is consistent with '65 versus '66 "Calender year" not "model year" . Tags "before" Jan 1 do not have the DSO before the C5ZX. It is also interesting to note that the suffix changed from A (Dec '65 built) to B ( Feb '66 built). It is "my " educated opinion that the  C5ZX - B diff was ordered as a "service" third member from Ford by SAI and "changed out" . "Service" third members had a new tag in the box back then as I bought a few myself from the late Ray Wolfe (rip) at his shop in Inglewood Ca. When you bought an Equa lock or Detroit locker from Ford , there was a blank tag ( except for the L) in the box. I still have a couple of those.
      Open to other opinions / information,
            Randy