Topic: '65 San Jose courtesy light hardware

[CharlesTurner]

Finding 2 different styles of fasteners used to hold the courtesy lights to the bottom lip of the dash.  Have many examples showing a hex sheet metal screw used to attach them and then some like the Dearborn/Metuchen style with the tooth washer pan-head phillips screw with an attaching nut.

Anyone with some good untouched examples, please let me know what you find.  Also let me know approximate production date.

Thanks!

[J_Speegle]

Not allot of shots of the underdash - generally (didn't only  check your time period ) I've been finding the hex head on most of the SJ early cars

[NEFaurora]

I've seen the same... Hex Head on the SJ '65-'66 cars only.. As Jeff mentioned.. Don't know if the later cars had the Phillips pan head screws or not..


Tony K.

[Twilight65]

Here's my May 1966 convertible. 10-24 x 3/4" long bolt w external tooth washer, 10/24 stamped nut .62 OD

Dave

[Brant]

My March 65 San Jose car has the same hardware as Dave posted above.

[ChrisV289]

Charles,

My 10/29/64 SJ Fastback has a hex head on the driver side but the same type of screw in Dave's post above on the passenger side.  Not sure which one is original or not

[rockhouse66]

My 9/65 scheduled build '66 San Jose car also has the Phillips head screws for the courtesy lights.

[ChrisV289]

Sorry to bring up an old post but was looking at a May build 65 SJ car last week and he had the same setup I do (Oct 64 SJ) with the hex head on the driver side (no nut) and a phillips head on the passenger side (as above)...Only recently looked at mine again since I had them out while doing the heater core...Evaporust cleaned them up nicely...So I assume this setup is correct?

[CharlesTurner]

It's a neat detail, but I would have a hard time saying it is "correct" as it may be that this configuration was used in addition to the normal, 2-screws-the-same version.  I wouldn't deduct for it in judging on a '65 SJ car, but I probably wouldn't deduct if they matched either.  We don't know the beginning or end date of the practice either.  Just one of those things that is hard to call either way

[jwc66k]

I looked at one of mine (Oct 65, San Jose) and I've replaced the hardware but I remember that one (LH?) side had a hex head tapping screw. I thought it was a "later life" fix for a lost screw/nut combo. I replaced it with the screw/nut set-up. I would attribute this to two different containers of parts on the different sides of the assembly line. What I've also seen is the use of two different nuts, 378715-Sxx (finish was lost to time), 10-24 stamped hex, or 359606-Sxx, 10-24 formed hex (the former is the same as the four used on parking lamp retention, the latter on back-up light retention) which is the type shown in a picture that Dave has a few post up. I then (like about ten minutes ago) looked at 6S1232 (Feb 66 build) and it has the hex head tapping screw on the left hand side holding the socket in place (there is no light on the right, a work in progress). There is supposed to be a spacer (C4ZB-13A739-A) used between the socket and the dash for 65-66 but I can't remember seeing one. There are different part numbered screws, nuts and washer (as a spacer) documented for 1964.
Jim

[mustangmann]

I know this topic has been dormant for quite a while, but I wanted to add some more evidence. 

I am restoring a 66 Shelby Carryover car (early August, 1965 San Jose built) and although I am not certain of the hardware that attached the courtesy lights originally, the fasteners do leave witness marks on the retainers, and mine show that the drivers side had a hex head tapping screw (3/8" wrench head) on the drivers side, and the before mentioned Phillips head screw with captured star washer and stamped nut on the passenger side.  In addition, I had a late 65 San Jose Coupe here a while back (5R07T251XXX) that had the same exact hardware.  See photo. 

The evidence is pretty convincing to me, so I will probably put the hex head screw on the drivers side courtesy light, and have to explain myself to the judges. 

Ken

[NEFaurora]

Yeah, Your passenger side is wrong.  It should be a HEX HEAD for your '66 "Carryover" San Jose Shelby... one would think..

Just change the Passenger side to the correct HEX HEAD and you should be good to go....I assume.

I've never seen a mixture of Both..which would seem very strange....but maybe Jeff Speegle can chime in again...

)

Tony K.

[CharlesTurner]

Yeah, Your passenger side is wrong.  It should be a HEX HEAD for your '66 "Carryover" San Jose Shelby... one would think..

Just change the Passenger side to the correct HEX HEAD and you should be good to go....I assume.

I've never seen a mixture of Both..which would seem very strange....but maybe Jeff Speegle can chime in again...

I disagree with this.  I have only seen the hex screw used on the driver side.

[jwc66k]

Yeah, Your passenger side is wrong.  It should be a HEX HEAD for your '66 "Carryover" San Jose Shelby... one would think..
Just change the Passenger side to the correct HEX HEAD and you should be good to go....I assume.
I've never seen a mixture of Both..which would seem very strange....but maybe Jeff Speegle can chime in again...

No! No! No!

I looked at one of mine (Oct 65, San Jose) and I've replaced the hardware but I remember that one (LH?) side had a hex head tapping screw. I thought it was a "later life" fix for a lost screw/nut combo. I replaced it with the screw/nut set-up. I would attribute this to two different containers of parts on the different sides of the assembly line. What I've also seen is the use of two different nuts, 378715-Sxx (finish was lost to time), 10-24 stamped hex, or 359606-Sxx, 10-24 formed hex (the former is the same as the four used on parking lamp retention, the latter on back-up light retention) which is the type shown in a picture that Dave has a few post up. I then (like about ten minutes ago) looked at 6S1232 (Feb 66 build) and it has the hex head tapping screw on the left hand side holding the socket in place (there is no light on the right, a work in progress). There is supposed to be a spacer (C4ZB-13A739-A) used between the socket and the dash for 65-66 but I can't remember seeing one. There are different part numbered screws, nuts and washer (as a spacer) documented for 1964.

For San Jose only. It's an "oddity".

- a 66 Shelby Carryover car (early August, 1965 San Jose built)
- I had a late 65 San Jose Coupe here a while back (5R07T251XXX) that had the same exact hardware.  See photo. 
The evidence is pretty convincing to me, so I will probably put the hex head screw on the drivers side courtesy light, and have to explain myself to the judges. 

One more example, my May 65 San Jose GT Fastback has both sides the same, a 10-24 screw and nut combination.
Until this get an "official" entry in the assembly line deviation documentation, replacing the hex head sheet metal screw with the screw and nut combination is more practical, and less likely to raise a judge's eyebrow.
Jim

[Brant]

Here is an example of a late '65 GT350 with a scheduled San Jose build date of June 1965...very close to carryover GT350 production time. I can't find a good picture of 6S033, but it has the same hardware.