Topic: Early 1967 Shelby tail light hardware

[1967gt350]

     Hi

     I'm in the process of mounting my tail lights to the tail light "buckets", but after 20 years the original mounting hardware has been misplaced. I have photos of allegedly original cars which use normal hex head bolts to mount the tail lights, but my AMK kit has serrated flange style hex nuts like you would use with studs. Their kits are normally pretty accurate but I'm a little suspect on this one. Any thoughts?  If they are normal hex head bolts should they be plated or not?

     Thanks ...Mark

[Road Reptile]

      Hi,
To respond with a question(s) what is currently in the taillamp body ?(if they have studs,it makes sense to use the kit from AMK)and what car number are you working with?If you could post some pictures it would really help.Make sure the lamp body has a good clean ground to give you bright lights.Nice to hear you are getting it together!
                 R.R.

[1967gt350]

   Hi R.R.,

   That's my dilemma. When the car was dissasembled most of the hardware was taped to the part or bagged and labled for future reference. However, the threaded bolt holes in my tail light assemblies have nothing in them. The kit from AMK has the serrated nuts as I mentioned, but the kit does not include any studs which makes it really open to interpretation. The other unfortunate thing is that the Shelby assembly manual from Branda does not include the tail lights. The car is #0157.

   Thanks...Mark

[Bob Gaines]

   Hi R.R.,

   That's my dilemma. When the car was dissasembled most of the hardware was taped to the part or bagged and labled for future reference. However, the threaded bolt holes in my tail light assemblies have nothing in them. The kit from AMK has the serrated nuts as I mentioned, but the kit does not include any studs which makes it really open to interpretation. The other unfortunate thing is that the Shelby assembly manual from Branda does not include the tail lights. The car is #0157.

   Thanks...Mark

Mark, you can start out with some 1/4 -20 threaded rod around 3 inchs long and after the serrated nuts (normally zinc phosphate from what i have seen) have been installed and tightened down the excess length is snipped off about a 1/4 inch or so from the end with some bolt cutters or the like. All 67 Shelby's were installed this way at SA wether early or late. The difference will be in the length of rod used because of the different in early and late tail panels and tail panel box. I hope this helps.Bob

[1967gt350]

Mark, you can start out with some 1/4 -20 threaded rod around 3 inchs long and after the serrated nuts (normally zinc phosphate from what i have seen) have been installed and tightened down the excess length is snipped off about a 1/4 inch or so from the end with some bolt cutters or the like. All 67 Shelby's were installed this way at SA wether early or late. The difference will be in the length of rod used because of the different in early and late tail panels and tail panel box. I hope this helps.Bob

      Thanks very much for the insight, Bob. As I suggested before it struck me as odd that the AMK kit would include the nuts but nothing to thread them on to, and "original" reference photo's are kind of scarce.  I have since gone and purchased the threaded rod and hopefully I'll get some time over the weekend to install the tail lights.
      BTW, I am absolutely amazed at how nice my original tail light lenses polished up with ultra fine polishing compound. Well worth the effort!

      Thanks again...Mark
     

[Bob Gaines]

Mark, glad to hear you were able to save the original lens. For those reading -the repro lens is made from original tooling but is made thicker. You can't tell from the outside when installed. A welcomed option as hard as nice originals are to find. Bob

[1967gt350]

   
       Hi  Bob,

      The plot thickens...

      I've mounted the tail light "buckets" to the car, attached the mounting studs to the tail light housings and installed the housings to the buckets.  As you can see in my photos (I hope this works), the inner or gas cap end of the tail lamps protrude nicely and will allow the aluminum trim ring to clamp down properly. The problem I'm having is that the outer end of the tail lamps seem to be too far "recessed" in to the car. I have also included (hopefully) a photo showing that the tail light housings are mounted squarely into the buckets and that the buckets are also mounted squarely in to the car. I guess what I'm not sure of his how to compensate for the "concave" curve of the car's tail light panel.
     I should also mention that all of these parts are original to the car, the car has never been hit/ rusty/ or any panel replacement. I know they used to fit. I hope there's something simple I'm just not getting.

     Thanks as always...Mark

[1967gt350]

       Interesting that I have to be logged on to see the pictures.

       Always learning...

[Bob Gaines]

   
       Hi  Bob,

      The plot thickens...

      I've mounted the tail light "buckets" to the car, attached the mounting studs to the tail light housings and installed the housings to the buckets.  As you can see in my photos (I hope this works), the inner or gas cap end of the tail lamps protrude nicely and will allow the aluminum trim ring to clamp down properly. The problem I'm having is that the outer end of the tail lamps seem to be too far "recessed" in to the car. I have also included (hopefully) a photo showing that the tail light housings are mounted squarely into the buckets and that the buckets are also mounted squarely in to the car. I guess what I'm not sure of his how to compensate for the "concave" curve of the car's tail light panel.
     I should also mention that all of these parts are original to the car, the car has never been hit/ rusty/ or any panel replacement. I know they used to fit. I hope there's something simple I'm just not getting.

     Thanks as always...Mark

Mark ,it must be because it is a Monday but i don't see what you are refering to. Maybe put some arrows or something. Bob

[jmlay]

Put a strait edge form the left to right 1/4. If the lights are square to that then I think it is the curve of the body.

[roddster]

Since I have the tail lights out of #0036, along with the tail light boxes, here is what I need to know/affirm:
 For the boxes, I should use the black colored pop rivets, and, which side of the heads of the rivets on? Inside, or outside?

[1967gt350]

Since I have the tail lights out of #0036, along with the tail light boxes, here is what I need to know/affirm:
 For the boxes, I should use the black colored pop rivets, and, which side of the heads of the rivets on? Inside, or outside?

      Mr. Roddster,

     I spoke with Mr. Gaines on this very subject.  You do use the black rivets and they are mounted with the head of the rivet inside the trunk, against the tail light box.

     Hope this helps...Mark

[Bob Gaines]

      Mr. Roddster,

     I spoke with Mr. Gaines on this very subject.  You do use the black rivets and they are mounted with the head of the rivet inside the trunk, against the tail light box.

     Hope this helps...Mark

On reflection over this subject I would add that on as early as this car is , the silver rivets would not be out of the question ether.

[roddster]

Bob, This must be why you've never pointed the car on that.  Then I'd rather use the silver ones.

All- Seems to me that you have to run the Tail light harness before you mount the black tail light box on the passenger side.

[Bob Gaines]

Bob, This must be why you've never pointed the car on that.  Then I'd rather use the silver ones.

All- Seems to me that you have to run the Tail light harness before you mount the black tail light box on the passenger side.

The Mustang taillight harness was already installed at Ford and I don't see any indication that it was ever taken out or needed to be taken out during the Shelby conversion process. Bob