How were '67's delivered to Shelby by Ford?

[owenkelley]

Did they show up with the dual 4-barrels already installed from Ford? Valve covers? I have seen pictures of Mustangs in Shelby's lot without hoods, noses, trunk lids etc. Is that how they arrived or were those things removed at Shelby? Was the interior already in place and have to be removed in order to install the side scoops, roll bar etc.? Did they all arrive with steel wheels and then the Magstars (and ten spokes) installed by Shelby later for the cars that were ordered with them? Was there employees at Shelby mounting and balancing tires? Did Shelby have his own painters? Were the fibre glass parts painted off the car and then installed?

Things I've been curious about over the years that I've never thought to ask.

Thanks!

[Richstang]

Shelby ordered the '67 Mustang base unit by each DSO group (package) with many parts omitted to save on disassembly time at LAX. The SVO sheets (Special Vehicle Order & Part Specifications ...AKA add /delete sheets) for each DSO group outline the deleted and added Shelby specific parts. These parts changed slightly for each DSO group as production continued through the model year. (Many of these SVO sheets are available for a small cost from the '67 Registrar; Dave Mathews)

All the mechanicals were installed at Ford's San Jose factory and the cars were drivable even with all the deleted parts. The intention was to limit as much disassembly as possible for SAI.

The rear interior sections were removed at LAX to install the upper and lower scoops and the roll bar/ shoulder belts.

Initially the early cars arrived with Magstar wheels. Once production was underway it is my belief they arrived from San Jose with steel rims and based on the dealer orders were either shipped with the standard wheels or upgraded at LAX to Magstars or 10 spokes based on the Production Order. (These POs are also available from the registrar for a small cost) I would assume the upgraded wheels were mounted at LAX.

There were two paint booths at LAX so the fiberglass part could be painted as needed. I am not certain if some may have been painted on the car before or after installation. I always assumed painted first, then installed, but a photo of #0231 shows a gray primer nose installed. This was likely due to the fitment issues.

If you're looking for more of these intricate details, check out the 1967 Shelby Research group on Google.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/shelbyresearch

[Bob Gaines]

Did they show up with the dual 4-barrels already installed from Ford? Valve covers? I have seen pictures of Mustangs in Shelby's lot without hoods, noses, trunk lids etc. Is that how they arrived or were those things removed at Shelby? Was the interior already in place and have to be removed in order to install the side scoops, roll bar etc.? Did they all arrive with steel wheels and then the Magstars (and ten spokes) installed by Shelby later for the cars that were ordered with them? Was there employees at Shelby mounting and balancing tires? Did Shelby have his own painters? Were the fibre glass parts painted off the car and then installed?

Things I've been curious about over the years that I've never thought to ask.

Thanks!

Yes they typically showed up with the dual 4-barrels already installed from Ford including Valve covers air cleaner P/S cooler etc. The cars arrived as seen in the pictures you mentioned without hoods ,trunklids or front valance assembly components . The interiors were already in the cars and Shelby removed and later re installed what they need to for the installation of the side scoops and roll bar. Typically the cars arrived with ether steel wheels or the optional wheels and the tires that they were mounted on. Shelby painted the fiberglass components to order typically on site with their own painters. The fiberglass components were painted off of the car in lacquer paint. Ford assemblyline used a single stage acrylic enamel. It was cheaper to have Ford do as much as they could them contract them to do rather then to have Shelby change all of the components out on a already completed car. 

[JD]

only the GT500's had the dual 4-barrels Holley's, the GT350's had single 4-barrel 715 Holley on 4-speeds or Ford AUTOLITE 650 on Automatics (although it seems as though some of those got the Holley 715 too).

The cars had to be driven off the assembly line at Ford and onto and off of the transporter (truck or rail) at Shelby.  Running cars but not complete street legal cars.

[owenkelley]

Great info. Thank you guys!

[Coralsnake]

I don't know what they did in 1967, but 1968 junk hoods (both fiberglass and steel) were sent to Ford Assembly, put on the cars for transport and then returned for another trip

Of course, it was sunny California, so they probably just loaded them as is...

[Richstang]

All of the LAX lot photos show the base units delivered just as described...no hoods.

JD,
I always like seeing that color photo (with Jack Khoury?) on the east side of the production hanger.
Great place to post it!

[Bob Gaines]

I don't know what they did in 1967, but 1968 junk hoods (both fiberglass and steel) were sent to Ford Assembly, put on the cars for transport and then returned for another trip

Of course, it was sunny California, so they probably just loaded them as is...

It was as you suspected because weather conditions were conducive to transport and for that matter leaving them in the lot until needed without hood or trunks . Not even plastic covers etc.over the engine compartment anyway from the evidence I have seen. Back east the weather is not so predictable.

[FL SAAC]

Great info and great site to visit

Shelby ordered the '67 Mustang base unit by each DSO group (package) with many parts omitted to save on disassembly time at LAX. The SVO sheets (Special Vehicle Order & Part Specifications ...AKA add /delete sheets) for each DSO group outline the deleted and added Shelby specific parts. These parts changed slightly for each DSO group as production continued through the model year. (Many of these SVO sheets are available for a small cost from the '67 Registrar; Dave Mathews)

All the mechanicals were installed at Ford's San Jose factory and the cars were drivable even with all the deleted parts. The intention was to limit as much disassembly as possible for SAI.

The rear interior sections were removed at LAX to install the upper and lower scoops and the roll bar/ shoulder belts.

Initially the early cars arrived with Magstar wheels. Once production was underway it is my belief they arrived from San Jose with steel rims and based on the dealer orders were either shipped with the standard wheels or upgraded at LAX to Magstars or 10 spokes based on the Production Order. (These POs are also available from the registrar for a small cost) I would assume the upgraded wheels were mounted at LAX.

There were two paint booths at LAX so the fiberglass part could be painted as needed. I am not certain if some may have been painted on the car before or after installation. I always assumed painted first, then installed, but a photo of #0231 shows a gray primer nose installed. This was likely due to the fitment issues.

If you're looking for more of these intricate details, check out the 1967 Shelby Research group on Google.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/shelbyresearch

[JD]

some more images of cars as delivered to Shelby.

The second image is a close-up of the left side of the third image.

The fourth is a close-up of the first image in this set...

[JD]

Inventory of completed cars...


No "junk" hoods or deck lids.

[camp upshur]

Couple more:
(click to enlarge)
(FWIW-in post #9 that's a UAL B720-talk about inefficient!)

[greekz]

Just wondering, in Reply 2, it says fiberglass parts were painted off the car then installed, which makes perfect sense. Yet, in Reply 11, the bottom photo shows a succession of cars with unpainted noses installed and appear to have trim rings installed.  Could this have been a staged photo, because it seems like wasted effort to install, then remove for painting.  As we know, Shelby did not like wasted effort.

[Richstang]

Just wondering, in Reply 2, it says fiberglass parts were painted off the car then installed, which makes perfect sense. Yet, in Reply 11, the bottom photo shows a succession of cars with unpainted noses installed and appear to have trim rings installed.  Could this have been a staged photo, because it seems like wasted effort to install, then remove for painting.  As we know, Shelby did not like wasted effort.

From reply #1
"There were two paint booths at LAX so the fiberglass parts could be painted as needed. I am not certain if some may have been painted on the car before or after installation. I always assumed painted first, then installed, but a photo of #0231 shows a gray primer nose installed. This was likely due to the fitment issues.[/i][/b]"

We know the first fiberglass nose pieces were a very poor fit from the early molds. Since this white car is noted as #00231 this should still be one of those early pieces.  It is possible the nose was fitted in place on early cars prior to painting to make adjustments as needed. I suspect by the time the 2 pieces nose arrived they could be pre-painted with the other parts off the car before assembly. After the revised (new) one piece nose arrived the fitment may have been good enough to pre-paint prior to installation. just my thoughts...

Edit; I don't think the production line had time to stage photos since the early cars were slow to complete and likely far behind schedule.

[JD]

Some early cars have yellow Grease pencil writing on the back of the fiberglass pieces with the last 2 digits of the car number, implying that the pieces were fit, removed, painted then reattached.  Some cars have numbered parts form another car completed at the same time, same color.

It is known that there were horrible fitment issues, especially with the nose pieces.  Accounts of the steps and procedures required to get them to "fit".

Here is a tail panel...