Topic: Shock Tower Help

[J_Speegle]

I had previously thought it was only big blocks that had the welds but as noted above the small block Shelby's did as well. We are restoring a 68 HCS J code GT and I have found that it is welded as well. It does not have the competition handling option.
Marty

Getting a bit off thread with the addition of 67's and 68 small blocks - we'll see if we need to split.

Marty think that someone has "improved" you 68 HCS as you've mentioned - other things have altered

Looking at other 68 San Jose J codes through the whole production period I see on original cars only those shock towers without the extra welding as we've been discussing on the early big blocks. Have at least 50 examples but here are a few of the clearer ones rather that posting a ton of them

Do have some with the extra welding in many/all cases the black paint is burnt off of the area welded and often there is additional shock tower damage that appears they fixed at the same time












Just like C and T codes

[ruppstang]

Getting a bit off thread with the addition of 67's and 68 small blocks - we'll see if we need to split.

Marty think that someone has "improved" you 68 HCS as you've mentioned - other things have altered

Looking at other 68 San Jose J codes through the whole production period I see on original cars only those shock towers without the extra welding as we've been discussing on the early big blocks. Have at least 50 examples but here are a few of the clearer ones rather that posting a ton of them

Do have some with the extra welding in many/all cases the black paint is burnt off of the area welded and often there is additional shock tower damage that appears they fixed at the same time"




 Jeff I can not say for certain that a PO did not weld these but there was no signs of burned paint or a repaint. These look very much like other originals even with the sloppy wire left.
J codes that were not GTs got a 8 inch rear axel and lighter springs while the GTs got a 9 inch rear axel and heaver springs and sway bar. Possibly welded shock towers was another addition to that package. There are a number of strange thing on this car such as the factory sound deadner on the tunnel like a Cougar. Plus this car sat in a yard for the last twenty years so this would have to have been done long ago. What do you think?   
Marty





 
 

 
 

[WT8095]

ruppstang, your pics look EXACTLY what I found on my S-code. The welds themselves are not pretty, but solid. And the extra wire looks like it wasn't a botched weld, but more like the welder had some extra wire sticking out of the gun and burned it off on a nearby area of the tower.

Perhaps yours was not supposed to get the extra welds, but got them by mistake?

[J_Speegle]

Jeff I can not say for certain that a PO did not weld these but there was no signs of burned paint or a repaint. These look very much like other originals even with the sloppy wire left.
J codes that were not GTs got a 8 inch rear axel and lighter springs while the GTs got a 9 inch rear axel and heaver springs and sway bar. Possibly welded shock towers was another addition to that package. There are a number of strange thing on this car such as the factory sound deadner on the tunnel like a Cougar. Plus this car sat in a yard for the last twenty years so this would have to have been done long ago. What do you think?   

Good point - had completely missed that you were suggesting that it was possibly a GT modification rather than a J code one. Wish my Cal Spec was home to compare.

Pictures do look factory but can't be sure without confirmation IMHO with other original cars rather than leaning towards the "mistake" button

20 years in storage at this point IMHO really isn't that long. Plenty of Mustangs had 200K miles by the mid 80's

Will go through the pictures and add the GT option to the search this time

[sportyworty]

Just checked my San Jose 68 GT J code. It is welded on one side and not on the other. The welded side has a piece of wire as well. Checked the small block Cal Spec and it does not have the welding but it is not a GT

[WT8095]

Was the welding unique to SJ, or was it done at the other plants too?

[J_Speegle]

Was the welding unique to SJ, or was it done at the other plants too?

For which car?  We've sort of gotten off thread with the small block discussion. Think I'll split it so that we can focus and make what we collect easier to find in the future for others

[WT8095]

For which car?  We've sort of gotten off thread with the small block discussion. Think I'll split it so that we can focus and make what we collect easier to find in the future for others

I meant shock tower reinforcement welds in general, regardless of engine size, GT status or handling package. Were any Dearborn or Metuchen cars welded this way, or was it a SJ-only practice?

This thread is very informative, I did not know the wrap-around reinforcements started in late '68!

[Bossbill]

Here I go again -- posting to an old thread again. However, most of the pics have disappeared due to the Photobucket debacle.

Adding another data point to the shock tower welding discussion . . .

Here is a pic of a SJ 67 Shelby GT350, with the latest sheetmetal date in the first week of February.
Ignore the UCA bolts as those are part of roller stand to move the car around.



A larger picture is available by clicking the picture above and being sent to the original Flicker picture.
In the blowup you can actual see the "1 24" date on the engine brace!