been waiting for a confirmation by another...not so much an AC thing (as I believe Bob said) but I thought it must be solely for clearing the Thermactor pump. (mostly only saw California cars so this detail was vague, assembly manual indicated this though)
OK what I found
- Interesting that the pieces we're discussing (the water pump attachment) wasn't even serviced or carried by Ford six months after production had stopped. Not even a listing (Feb 68 MPC) for anything to fit the application. Which is odd IMHO that they didn't suggest just using the 68 version if it cleared everything without the elbow.
- Big Fords were built with the straight water nipple and it didn't interfere with the Thermactor pump - though made it a little tighter fit and required that the heater hose take an passenger side route but those bigger engine compartments had allot more space than Mustangs and Cougars
- Pictures are from all played with cars or at least the possibility. The since the elbow moves the hose and the end of the nipple away from the Thermactor pump I can't see where it is needed or provides additional space for that need. Without the elbow/adapter the end sort of heads towards the top of all the Thermactor stuff up front
- We know well that the Thermactor and the style Bob is describing does play well with one another considering all the GT500 examples we have and for that case even with Thermactor and AC.
- Can report back that I did check again through the pictures I have ignoring those that had been "restored" and the like and did find a couple of San Jose Thermactor cars still with the style we see on Shelby's.
In some cases there are not indexed well and now (when picture was taken) point in another direction
Which can lead to mis- identification
As can be expected many of them have been replaced over the years as they failed
Pretty early car in the 7R108xx range
Fairly late San Jose indexed way over towards the passenger side
And an example from a non-unrestored car showing the orientation of the nipple, Thermactor pump and AC brackets and such