Topic: 69 shelby scoop and end cap sealer

[mach1one]

at recent shows I have noticed black sealer placed on the side air scoops and also on the rear quarter end caps. I've seen original cars to have the sealer at the side scoops but have never seen the sealer on the end caps. where else does one see sealer. fenders to apron/ gas filler neck to  tailpanel/ tailpanel to body? anywhere else? Also while obseving these cars I've noticed the underside of the front fenders blacked out. Should one see the flesh colored glass with sound deadener?

[Bob Gaines]

The sealer is in the places you mentioned. I have also seen on a few occasions double sided tape (can only see the side profile when installed)used on the side scoops. Confirmed installation upon dis assembly.  The underside of the front fenders were not blacked out or undercoated. You would see pink fiberglass and body cover overspray to some degree. The splash shields did not have sound deadener/sealer applied like a regular Mustang would ether. Bob

[mach1one]

Thanks Bob, my shelby BD 3/5/69 has the textured rear tailight panel. should the blackout be non textured on the end caps? Also where exactly does the sealer go on the tailight panel to body. Is this sealer dark gray or black. while i'm in the question mode my car would have been equipped with E70 tires. were they blackwall or rwl. Is there anything close in repo. Thanks for your time Lu

[J_Speegle]

I've only seen original applications use clear silicon on 69/70 in the side scoop and a few end caps to body joints, but the current belief is that both received sealant. The end cap sealant started in 67 at the LA plant and was continued at AO Smith. The clear is often difficult to see and with time appears to shrink and the end caps have a very thin edge to hold it in place so not sure how well it stayed in place.


Finding examples of the side scoop sealant is allot easier than the end caps









The taillight panel and the front fenders were sealed using a very dark grey or black seam sealer to seal them to the body.



Not sure what you mean by black out.  If your referring to the application of sound deadener in the front wheelwells that was not a factory practice on 68-70 Shelby's. Though many dealers surely talked new owners into paying some extra dollars to slap some on the cars when new to protect them from the elements in many parts of the country. I would expect to see the pinkish backside of the injected "plastic" with areas of black bonding agent (to attach brackets and such) as well as body color overspray on the back side of the fender. On the inner fenders I would expect to see a combination of (front to black) engine compartment black or at least overspray, red oxide primer and then body color at the rear. All over some sealers at the proper panel joints.

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks Bob, my shelby BD 3/5/69 has the textured rear tailight panel. should the blackout be non textured on the end caps? Also where exactly does the sealer go on the tailight panel to body. Is this sealer dark gray or black. while i'm in the question mode my car would have been equipped with E70 tires. were they blackwall or rwl. Is there anything close in repo. Thanks for your time Lu

The converts did not have texture on the end caps . It was blacked out and it was smooth. The E70 15 tire was a blackwall . It was the same blackwall tire as the later 68 Shelby's got. These tires are not to be confused with the Speedway 350 tires the earlier 68 Shelby's received.  It is hard to tell you the closest tire . The correct size of E70 15 is like the Speedway 350 but it is not a polyglas tire. The Speedway is the correct size and the correct MFG., so that is 2 out of 3. I hope this helps. Bob

[T Lea]

at recent shows I have noticed black sealer placed on the side air scoops and also on the rear quarter end caps.

Just to be clear I don't believe AO Smith (68-70) production ever used black sealant, only clear. In addition to never seeing anything but clear the supplier lists spec clear silicone. I recently asked one of the 69 engineers as well and he doesn't remember anything but clear.

[mach1one]

Is thegray  black sealer used on the fenders to apron and on the tailight panel the same as the strip caulk or is it brushed on sealer, Any photos?  Also my early shelby convertible with factory quarters had no provisions/ holes for the side scoops. Was double sided tape with silicone used at the factory. what is everyone using for silicone sealer? 

[T Lea]

The 3M strip caulk is what you want (black/charcoal) For the silicone just use clear 100% silicone that you'd get at any hardware store/home center

[Bob Gaines]

I hate to differ with my colleagues but this wouldn't be the first time we have seen things done differently on the cars then the assembly manuals /engineering drawings indicate. I know I have heard those quotes by myself and others before. Just to remind everyone that the strip caulk material was used on the tailpanels of both 68 and 69/70 at AO Smith . It wouldn't be a stretch for the same in house material to be used on the side scoops or the end caps for some reason from time to time. It certainly has the same sealing qualities. There most have been extenuating circumstances for the use of a alternate material. As I mentioned before I have even seen double sided tape used on some 69 Shelby convert side scoops. This same material was used on the 69/70 hood moulding to help it lay down as needed so that was a in house material also. The RTV clear sealer was by far the most prevalent and has been the method I always used when answering a question but after seeing the other materials used on reliable examples has changed my mind one more time from saying "this is the only way it was". Time and time again we have found that statements like that are found to be too final.   I too would rather not see a bunch of these anomalies show up on multiple restorations but I would not feel forth coming if I didn't mention the other possibilities when asked a direct question even if they are obscure. In regards to the side scoop or end caps I think a better way of phrasing the answer would be by using "most prevalent " or "most accepted". There my be other ways of phrasing it so to get across the same idea. The phrases I mentioned would be the most historically accurate way of  describing the use as well as to infer the preferred use that I can think of at this moment. This is just my opinion .Bob   

[T Lea]

The RTV clear sealer was by far the most prevalent and has been the method I always used when answering a question but after seeing the other materials used on reliable examples has changed my mind one more time from saying "this is the only way it was". Time and time again we have found that statements like that are found to be too final.   I too would rather not see a bunch of these anomalies show up on multiple restorations but I would not feel forth coming if I didn't mention the other possibilities when asked a direct question even if they are obscure. In regards to the side scoop or end caps I think a better way of phrasing the answer would be by using "most prevalent " or "most accepted". There my be other ways of phrasing it so to get across the same idea.

I absolutely agree. I guess I tend to use stronger verbage (I've never seen, I don't think) in cases where the original example is gone and the owner is trying make a choice of what would have most likely been there. I've certainly been on both sides of the equation. When Pete and I started finding Autolite carbs on the 500s people looked at us like we had been sniffing weatherstrip adhesive.

[J_Speegle]

Adding a couple more examples I posted elsewhere to enhance this thread

[specialed]

On the fender to aprons sealant i have seen that sealant being black about 1'' wide flat sealant that looks like it was on a roll and unrolled  and i found the correct thickness and width in a big roll and was selling it on ebay years back.