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1st Generation 1964 1/2 - 1973 - Questions & general discussions that apply to a specific year => 1966 Shelby => Topic started by: dan green on April 02, 2012, 01:49:34 PM

Title: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: dan green on April 02, 2012, 01:49:34 PM
Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?  Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: Brant on April 02, 2012, 04:06:30 PM
Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?  Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?

Dan,

I have always since black paint sprayed on the areas where the brackets were cut and welded.

The brake ducts in the wheelhouses vary.  On the earlier cars, the ones I have seen were originally installed from inside the car at the wheelhouse.  On the really late cars, I have observed them installed from the the outside with no additional coating applied.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HTF31VtJOhE/TFrtyjFLtzI/AAAAAAAALmA/G4RW_U8sUqU/s640/IMG_1001.JPG)
Blacked out area at rubber bumper bracket.  This is an original, unrestored example.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7hic67SWvPk/TFrtPMXh9kI/AAAAAAAALi0/ghzN-Eh5tNY/s640/IMG_0952.JPG)
Inside car installation (image shot from in wheelhouse)  This is an original, unrestored example.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GgfdS9kQqRQ/TIJ1kxA2kcI/AAAAAAAAMlw/mNu1qXVMUUQ/s640/IMG_1362.JPG)
Late '66 GT350-outside car installation. (image shot from in wheelhouse)  This is an original, unrestored example.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: dan green on April 02, 2012, 05:27:51 PM
Thanks Brant.

In your examples the wheelhouses were not blacked out.  Is that common?  Is it acceptable to have them blacked out?  Were they done both ways?
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: CharlesTurner on April 02, 2012, 08:55:32 PM
Black-out of the rear quarters would most likely only happened if a dealer applied undercoating.  Brant's examples are correct as the cars were made.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: dbm350 on April 02, 2012, 11:34:21 PM
     Don't know if this helps, but I have a mid April 66 GT350 and the brake ducts were definitely installed on the inside.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: Bob Gaines on April 03, 2012, 12:39:02 AM
Typically some type of dum dum strip caulk etc. was used to provide a weather tight seal between the fiberglass duct and the wheel house regardless of wether installed from inside or outside.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: Brant on April 03, 2012, 08:32:35 AM
     Don't know if this helps, but I have a mid April 66 GT350 and the brake ducts were definitely installed on the inside.
Thanks for the information. 

The only ones that I have seen installed from the outside were very, very late production cars like the red one in the picture.  Perhaps the very late cars were the only ones installed this way.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: Bob Gaines on April 03, 2012, 11:45:16 AM
Thanks for the information. 

The only ones that I have seen installed from the outside were very, very late production cars like the red one in the picture.  Perhaps the very late cars were the only ones installed this way.
I agree with your obsevations and theory.
Title: Re: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts
Post by: J_Speegle on April 04, 2012, 12:19:16 AM
Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?

If you look at the list of parts that is out there showing the parts used to convert a 66 Shelby there is a line item for black spray paint that a worker attempted to apply over the welded and freshly cut surfaces. Normally they missed some like ( in 65 ) the results of the welding of the spare tire mount - not a 66 thing ;)



Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?

Nope