Topic: World's Fair Mustang #003 at Charlotte

[Hipo giddyup]

  So I was lucky enough to attend Charlotte's 50th last week and came away with even more mysteries about the early 64 1/2's. I looked over the #003 World's Fair car that was on display and found a number of items that I thought were wrong or incorrect?? Please enlighten me. I understand that many changes were taking place early in production but these items seemed to be "later" production pieces. Maybe they have been replaced??? I'm not sure if this car is completely original... Here it goes;
 Some of these engine compartment details were picked up from my pics (not yet posted from me, but member AU SNK  has a great photobucket URL from the EVENTS link: credit where credit is due!)

1. This car has a "standard" master cylinder cap where I thought the early cars had the "copper" flat style??
2. This car has "standard" pulleys and not the "cast" style found on early production cars??
3. One of the seat hinge covers (inside cover that is color matched), had the screw in the middle similar to later style. The other cover, I believe the passenger side, had the screw retain the cover at the far end, (early style).

Anyone else have comments on this or other findings? What a learning expirience!!

[carlite65]

if that car could talk it would tell you that it has been refurbished several times during its use on  the skyway. i would not take too much for the originality of some of its' parts.

[drummingrocks]

I was surprised to see that the car had rear seatbelts.  My wife thought maybe it was because Ford expected everyone to buckle up during the ride through the Skyway, but if you watched the video they were showing next to the Skyway car, the part that showed passengers climbing off and on the Skyway shows that that isn't the case.  In the video, everyone just seemed to step in and out of the cars.

[Hipo giddyup]

Drummingrocks, true about the belts. I would hardly think they were used... I guess some folks added belts ?

Carlite65, I can understand the refurbishing, maybe for cosmetic reasons at least, but pulleys are not typically replaced unless there has been severe front end damage or something?? Again,, just curious if these were original. Since restoring my first 64 1/2 I have found so many nuances it's unbelievable. Some changes are notes down to the month, (like colored door lock knobs, I believe changed out in May). I thought my June , Dearborn built coupe would have came with cast pulleys but no one could be 100% sure. And, since the stamped pulleys "looked" original they went back on the car until proven wrong.. Just thought i would see what others thought about this topic.

[carlite65]

the engines were removed prior to skyway rides. then reinstalled later reinstalled. some were not reinstalled into the same cars. that may explain  some of it.

[Hipo giddyup]

Wow, didn't know that piece of info! Always learning something new.

[67gtasanjose]

I learned a whole lot, and already knew about those engines being pulled out for the Fair cars by reading "Mustang Fifty Years" by Donald Farr. Very nice book, and I am not a book person!

[Skyway65]

Ford Motor Company used 12 Mustangs during the 1964 season of the World’s Fair.  The 1964 season cars were all “5C” preproduction models starting with VIN 5F08F100003.  During the ’65 season of the World’s Fair, Ford replaced these Mustangs with 11 new Mustangs produced in January of ’65 at Dearborn.
All Skyway cars were sent to Carron and Company in Inkster, MI for transformation for use on the Skyway.  The heavier cars, Lincolns, Galaxies, etc. had their drivetrains removed.  The smaller cars-Mustangs and Falcons retained their drivetrains to help equalize the weight with the larger cars to keep the propulsion system loads more equal. 

I have done extensive research at the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, and with my good friend Kevin, who is on this Forum, have discovered many details of these Skyway cars. There are currently 3 Mustangs from the Magic Skyway known to exist.  Mustang 5F08F100004 and 5F08F100006 from the ’64 season and my car, 5F08T383386, from the ’65 season of the Fair. 

These Skyway cars are very special indeed.  It is a miracle that any of them survived in the first place—Ford spent a lot of money refurbishing these cars as well as maintaining them for daily ride usage.   

[Paperback Writer]

A couple of clarifications...

 - I believe it was #004 (owned by Dr. John Mansell) that was at the Charlotte Event.  Although it is identical to #004 (Raven Black/Red Interior), I don't think #003 has been found yet...

- In conversations I had with Bob Gurr from Disney back in 2007, I learned that the engines were only removed on the larger Magic Skyway cars (Galaxies, Park Lanes, T-Birds, and Continentals).  The Mustangs, Falcons, and Comets did not have their engines removed, as they were trying to make all of the cars on the ride weigh roughly the same amount.

- carlite65 is correct that the '64 Magic Skyway cars were refurbished several times during the 6-month run of the 1964 Season.  Things like seats, carpets, door panels, etc. would get damaged/worn and need replacement - and Ford went though dozens of radio knobs as guests often took these home as "souvenirs."

- After the '64 Season ended, Ford shipped all of the Magic Skyway vehicles back to Carron & Company in Inkster, MI for a full refurbishment which included removal of the platens under the cars; removal of the audio tape systems; and re-installation of the gas tanks, steering linkages, and engines/exhaust systems on the larger cars.  (A whole new set of cars were shipped to NY for the 1965 Season)

- The refurbished cars were then shipped to the Ford Employee Sales lot - and the employees often added new items to the cars after they were purchased.  For example, Gary Schweitzer's car has a front bench seat, an AM/8-Track tape player, 66 Mustang hubcaps, and a set of odd interior door lights that were not part of the original equipment for his car at the time it was put into service as a ride vehicle...

So while these cars are very cool for their history on the Magic Skyway ride, they are probably not the best examples of originality...


UPDATE - Dang it Gary, you just beat me to it!! 

[Skyway65]

sorry....

[Paperback Writer]

No worries - at least our stories match!

[C5ZZ]

I was at the Charlotte show, how did I miss the car?
Where was it located? Any pictures?

[carlite65]

it was in the media center.

[AU SNK]

Would the radiator cap on #003 have been what would have been on cars through 66 from the factory? Trying to determine what came on my survivor 66 NJ April build car. Or would it have been what you see on most concourse cars today with the raised lettering?

[CharlesTurner]

On the pulley's, this could have been a 260 vs. 289 thing.  The pace car I just finished is a 260 and had a steel dual groove crank pulley (p/s) and a single groove steel water pump pulley.