Topic: 66 SJ Running Change Thread - Fan Shroud Rubber Pad

[s2ms]

Based on a thread on the SAAC Forum it seems that the rubber pad found on OE fan shrouds used on 289 HiPo and A/C cars may have been phased out during 66 production, at least for San Jose cars.

To help determine if this is the case, I'd like to ask any of you who have a SJ HiPo or A/C car with the original fan shroud to please comment on whether it has the rubber pad (or at least the staple holes) or not, along with the car's scheduled build date and/or VIN.

Thanks!
Dave

[jwc66k]

Last month I provided materials and assistance to a March build Shelby owner to replace the rubber pad and correct size staples on his car's shroud. My Oct 65 build "K" car has the pad, but that's an early 66 build.
Jim

[s2ms]

Jim,

Do you know the Shelby number of the car you helped with? Just curious because near as I can tell my 66 GT350 has a late March 66 SJ build date...

Thanks,
Dave

[jwc66k]

I tried to get in contact with the owner for the Shelby number but he's out of town. I think it's in this range - 6S174x.
Jim

[s2ms]

Thanks Jim, great info. That's really close to my 66, 6S1757.

Dave

[hertz350]

My March 66 San Jose Hipo with sequential vin of 175xxx had the rubber pad stapled on the shroud.

[J_Speegle]

Don't recall that the thread you mentioned came to any conclusions, only a collection of observations on a variety (both restored and unrestored) of examples as often happens. After we look into it maybe we'll change the title of this thread to reflect a running change and then link it to that list/sticky

Will look through what I've got and report back

[J_Speegle]

Took some time but got through all my pictures and note and graphed them out with everything else and came up with the following

As always we can't be certain exactly when any of these cars were completed at San Jose and we know that they were not built in sequential order of their Ford VIN's With that said I found that based on my data points (examples) of non-restored cars the change may have taken place between when cars 6R1766xx  and 6R1774xx were built

One being the highest VIN I found with a pad and the other the lowest example I found without a rubber pad and staples  Of course visibility is tough looking at pictures of this area of the car as it is sandwiched between the battery and the radiator so the angle needs to be just right. Battery being out helps allot  

Hope this information is helpful to those making choices about their car

[6R07K]

Hi,

1938XX schedule build May 2nd has the pad, Restored in the 90's so can't confirm if original to the car.

[outlawincorporated]

I have just removed the fan shroud from my unrestored 66 GT coupe with air con it has vin number range of 6R07A1767*% and a schedule build date of 21st march.

there is no signs of a rubber pad or staples and i feel very confident it is original to the car as the unique San Jose radiator was still in place.

regards

PHILL BERESFORD
MELBOURNE.
AUSTRALIA.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks - Supports and tightens up the period as much as we can for a year we don't have real records of build dates for.

Since the expectations for decades is that all had pads we can assume that allot of cars got them when restored if they didn't have them to begin with due to those expectations and rules at the time