Topic: Buck Tags

[mach1one]

What happened to the buck tags on 69 shelby fastbacks and convertibles. were they removed at dearborn.?

[J_Speegle]

What happened to the buck tags on 69 shelby fastbacks and convertibles. were they removed at dearborn.?

Here are pictures of two (sure I could check for more - just the first two I looked up) pictures from original cars from each end of production (approx #100 & #2900). Can't see much of them but the arrow hopefully helps highlight them

[mach514]

I've been trying to get the guys at Marti to make me a buck tag for my 69 Shelby over the last few days but after doing some research they said no, for some reason thier research shows no buck tags for the 69 Shelbys, Jeff's pictures show they existed I wonder if they were supposed to be removed by A.O. Smith during the conversion but some slipped through the cracks? or if during the install of the new front end assembly they were removed and not replaced?

[Bob Gaines]

It appears from all the evidence I have seen over many years that the 69/70 Shelby's all started with buck tags as evidence shows on the core support of every unmolested radiator support I have come across. They all bear evidence of a screw hole were the buck tag was secured. Everyone that I have come across that didn't have evidence of a buck tag ether showed evidence that a radiator support had been replaced or in a few cases the car underneath the Shelby fiberglass replaced.      The screw hole would not be there if the buck was not placed on the radiator support sometime early in it's life. I can remember seeing a few tags that were not taken off like Jeff's picture shows but the vast majority were removed . I have seen many where the screw and sometimes the screw along with a piece of torn buck tag still remained. My theory is that they were in the way when the front Shelby fiberglass was installed and was the reason they were taken off at AO Smith. You can tell from Jeff's picture how that tag might be in the way when installing and maneuvering the front clip in one piece as we now know was done . Bob

[J_Speegle]

Thanks Bob. Thought it was interesting that the first two unrestored cars I looked up had them. Will look to see if there are more - just for discussion.

BTW the Red Shelby (bottom picture) was taken of the unrestored car that was at SAAC last year.

The upper is a teardown picture of the one Armond did last year.

[mach514]

Thanks for the replies, Bob's thoughts make perfect sense and Jeff's photos back it up. I hope the guys at Marti get a look at this and change thier minds on this subject.