Topic: 66 GT350 axle bumpers and brake ducts

[dan green]

Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?  Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?

[Brant]

Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?  Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?

Dan,

I have always since black paint sprayed on the areas where the brackets were cut and welded.

The brake ducts in the wheelhouses vary.  On the earlier cars, the ones I have seen were originally installed from inside the car at the wheelhouse.  On the really late cars, I have observed them installed from the the outside with no additional coating applied.


Blacked out area at rubber bumper bracket.  This is an original, unrestored example.


Inside car installation (image shot from in wheelhouse)  This is an original, unrestored example.


Late '66 GT350-outside car installation. (image shot from in wheelhouse)  This is an original, unrestored example.

[dan green]

Thanks Brant.

In your examples the wheelhouses were not blacked out.  Is that common?  Is it acceptable to have them blacked out?  Were they done both ways?

[CharlesTurner]

Black-out of the rear quarters would most likely only happened if a dealer applied undercoating.  Brant's examples are correct as the cars were made.

[dbm350]

     Don't know if this helps, but I have a mid April 66 GT350 and the brake ducts were definitely installed on the inside.

[Bob Gaines]

Typically some type of dum dum strip caulk etc. was used to provide a weather tight seal between the fiberglass duct and the wheel house regardless of wether installed from inside or outside.

[Brant]

     Don't know if this helps, but I have a mid April 66 GT350 and the brake ducts were definitely installed on the inside.

Thanks for the information. 

The only ones that I have seen installed from the outside were very, very late production cars like the red one in the picture.  Perhaps the very late cars were the only ones installed this way.

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks for the information. 

The only ones that I have seen installed from the outside were very, very late production cars like the red one in the picture.  Perhaps the very late cars were the only ones installed this way.

I agree with your obsevations and theory.

[J_Speegle]

Did Shelby American do anything to coat or treat the area that they cut and welded the new bracket for the rubber axle bumpers?

If you look at the list of parts that is out there showing the parts used to convert a 66 Shelby there is a line item for black spray paint that a worker attempted to apply over the welded and freshly cut surfaces. Normally they missed some like ( in 65 ) the results of the welding of the spare tire mount - not a 66 thing

Also did the put any coating on the brake ducts in the wheelhouses?

Nope