Topic: SJ Firewall Insulation Pad

[mmus65tang]

Were the SJ Firewall insulation pads - dimpled versions ever installed in 1966 Dearborn built mustangs?

Thanks

[J_Speegle]

Ever?? Don't know if a crate of them was sent to Dearborn at some point in 66. Guess your asking because your car has one so the follow up question would be about when was it completed at Dearborn so we can focus on other examples around the same time frame if possible

[mmus65tang]

My mustang is a Dearborn, August 12th (late) 289 hipo, GT. I have owned the car since 1981. I disassembled the car back in the 80's and stored the parts waiting till the time of restoration. Well I am deep into the restoration and learning all kinds of things about the car. This Forum has been a great help. I had 3 fire wall pads that I had all packed away in a wooden box I had built for them. One of these 3 pads was out of the Hipo fastback. Back in the day I was not aware of the different styles. I have learned this info from this forum. At first I assumed the firewall insulation pad for the hipo was one of the black non-dimpled styles I had. But after studying the holes in the pad and the info about these pads on this forum I am now convinced that the SJ dimpled version I have is the one that was originally in the car. Specifically the hole for the Hipo choke cable shows the evidence of a cable used in the hole. The other two pads have never had a hole in that area. One of the non-dimpled version has the vertical cut out area for the AC and the other one has the horizontal oval cut out area. The dimpled version matches up better than the non-dimpled pads by the holes that are in or not in the pad.

[mmus65tang]

Well since I have not gotten any responses that there are other late 1966 Dearborn cars that had the dimpled style firewall pad. I will not use it for my cars restoration. I am pretty sure the dimpled pad was used in my car. Maybe a shortage at the end of the 66 production in Dearborn of the non-dimpled pads resulted in units from SJ being shipped to Dearborn to finish out the 66 production. But that is just a guess. Without other 66 owners who can say their cars also came from the factory with a dimpled firewall pad I will probably get told at every mustang show that I have the wrong firewall pad in my car if I used the dimpled style. So, I will go with the non-dimpled style that I have.

[J_Speegle]

At least with a post and thread it may collect some additional support and findings some where in the future. If original they didn't send only one by it self to Dearborn so there would be 100? - or more examples out there.

Good luck with the rest of the project

[carlite65]

Well since I have not gotten any responses that there are other late 1966 Dearborn cars that had the dimpled style firewall pad. I will not use it for my cars restoration. I am pretty sure the dimpled pad was used in my car. Maybe a shortage at the end of the 66 production in Dearborn of the non-dimpled pads resulted in units from SJ being shipped to Dearborn to finish out the 66 production. But that is just a guess. Without other 66 owners who can say their cars also came from the factory with a dimpled firewall pad I will probably get told at every mustang show that I have the wrong firewall pad in my car if I used the dimpled style. So, I will go with the non-dimpled style that I have.

glad you have chosen not to be 'that guy'. the one who is always attempting to justify an item he cannot document. makes for smoother judging. good luck with your project.

[J_Speegle]

Rather than for judging I would not want to lead someone with a similar Mustang to make the choice by following the style/example. Not that its easy to find a San Jose firewall pad