Last update I showed a quick shot
of # 1628. It is a GT500 4spd car. I thought I would do something a little
different on this page. While I will follow the restoration, I wanted to show
you some of the original parts that have come off the car.
This white
Shelby started off at Jack Loftus Ford in Chicago, Illinois. The second and long
time owner sold the car to John. John had known about the car for over 30 years.
A mere 24,000 miles had ticked off the odometer. The car was complete missing
only the air cleaner and the original distributor.
When I first
saw the engine, I had some doubts. The car was equipped with thermactor and the
carburetor was not the commonly seen Holley. I also noted there was no emission
decal.
I asked
several people if they had ever seen the AUTOLITE carb on a GT500. The answer I
commonly got was...."NO". The other comment was "Have you painting without a
dusk mask again? The paint fumes have got to you."
A gentle cleaning of
the carb tag revealed the "C8AF-9510-AE" part number. The date code was one
month before the build of the car. Part of this number was also stamped on the
base of the carb. I was able to locate a service bulletin from AO Smith
describing a modification to the carb. That could only mean, at least some of
these carbs did make it on to GT500s. I am unsure of how many.
When I
visited the Shelby convention, I was able to find yet another GT500 with the
same AUTOLITE carb. I wonder how many times this carb has been discarded during
a restoration?
It is very rare
to see an original muffler. Most were discarded a long time ago. This car had
the entire factory installed exhaust system intact ! Because this is a GT500 the
system has the 2 inch pipes.
Here's one
people always ask about. When I removed this master cylinder brake cover it did
not appear to have any black paint on it. In most cases I have found they are
painted from the factory. A closer examination revealed the black paint still
present, but only under the original decal.
The vaccum
hose to the booster was intact. It revealed the valve was actually white
plastic. The valve was painted black with the brake booster. I also noted the
small, rubber cap had a flat end, not a rounded one. Later cars used a black
plastic valve with the word "MANIFOLD" on it.
The original
engine tag is always a welcome find. The codes on the tag correspond to the
build sheet and the engine.
The good thing
about low mileage cars is USUALLY the hardware has not been messed with too
much. These three screws came from the taillight panel. On the left is the screw
that holds metal plates to the body. It is a phosphate (dark gray) drill screw.
On the right is the screw for the rubber shield that hides behind the bumper. It
is also phosphated. In the center is the screw that holds the fiberglass panel
to the body. Can you tell the finish? It is silver cadmium. Judges like to
debate things like proper finish on bolts and screws. You can see from this
example why determining the proper finish on hardware is sometimes difficult.
The two rusty screws look the same until you examine them very closely.
# 1628 is currently getting body and paint. I continue collecting,
cleaning and sorting original parts.
I wanted to show you
this motor mount. It is an original "New Old stock" motor mount insulator. It
has a D1ZZ part number. The original motor insulator is actually a C8ZZ part.
You can see this insulator has a yellow id mark on it. The original insulators
have a red mark on them.
This is the clutch
pedal removed from the car. You can see it is a FORD service part by the parts
label. Most production parts do not carry these labels.
This is an original
exhaust clamp. You don't see those too often. It is a 2 inch saddle type clamp.
Recently, some nice reproductions became available.
Original AUTOLITE
oil caps were always a concern. Finding a new old stock (NOS) cap is very hard.
If you do find a cap, you could expect to pay a handsome sum. The other option
was buying a rechromed cap. I never liked the look of the rechromed caps,
because they looked, well...like rechromed caps. This cap is actually a new
reproduction. The fitting has been replated. These caps are very nice and sell
for around $35. It is unrealistic to think you will find all original parts, so
finding good quality reproductions is important.
Sometimes a good
cleaning is all that is in order. These belts were disassembled. The buckles
were throughly cleaned and the covers were repainted. I washed the belts in the
washing machine. It is best to do this operation when your wife has gone
shopping.
Even though the
interior of the car had seen better days. A good cleaning and a light coat of
vinyl dye can make original parts look like new.
April Update:
1628 is looking much better. The body man has one small panel left to
replace. I am hoping this car can be in final primer very soon. The rear
fiberglass has been refitted to the car and all of the lines have been squared.
The process of
restoring the body shell can be long and full of pit stops along the way. It may
seem like a never ending flow of money, but the end result should make it worth
it.
The floors look better
than ever and a clean up is in order. This car will certainly be getting a lot
of attention in the future.
7/04/09
We often forget
about all those things in life that create set backs for our best intentions. It
has been three years and many things have have influenced the restoration of
this original GT500. The economy is one, those special relationships we have
with family and friends is another.
I think you will
agree # 1628 has turned the corner and is ready to be among the most elite cars
in the country. The original body shell has been massaged and now sports a fresh
new coat of white. I think it looks great !
I think the one
thing that can really set a car apart from the others is a correctly painted
floorpan. Sure, most people will never take the time to appreciate the hours of
labor needed to do it correctly. Here is the bottom. Notice how the white has
drifted in towards the center of the car ?
Once there are a
few shiny pieces of chrome and some blue stripes on this car it will really pop.
I think the most important things are doing your research and doing it to the
best of your ability.
Remember that C8AF
carburetor ? Well, it is ready to be reunited with the aluminum intake in the
near future. The square identification tag is the original. I always keep them
in a safe place when having the carb rebuilt.
1628 is finally ready
to get some parts! This is an exciting time. This is the original build tag. You
can see the factory had turned the tag when it was painted and then returned the
tag later. Not all cars are like this, but I recreated the detail.
The fuel tank is
onboard. I like to put the trunk mat in place so it starts to conform to the
proper shape. The jack assembly is also completed. It also makes a great place
to store a few parts. :-)
Inside the car, I have
set the carpet. The interior panel brackets have all been cleaned and returned
to their proper locations. The headliner and rollbar have also returned to their
original locations.
April 2012
The most important thing to remember when undertaking a large
project like a car restoration is to keep moving forward. Do something. Even if
it's researching the correct hardware or cleaning one part. #1628 is moving
ahead....
These large
interior panels had to be cleaned and repainted. I use glass beads and a very
light touch. If you have a small hole it can be repaired. The larger holes (like
speaker holes) mean the part is junk.
Rebuilding a
vent glass frame is a project in itself. I like to rechrome the originals and
clean all the hardware.
You need to
assemble the overlapping interior panels in the correct order. This bottom
corner panel is the starting point.
I use the
reproduction vent box for all the new parts needed here. I change out the
hardware and reuse the original fiberglass plenum.
Here is that big
panel installed in the car. The folding seat assembly is next on the mini-list.
The powerplant and transmission are back where they belong. The fuel line is unique to this carb.
I found this dated anti backfire canister on eBay. It is dated one month before the build of the car.
You may have noticed the AUTOLITE carb. There is also a small vacuum valve on the pcv hose.
