Topic: '67 Shock Tower Braces, strong enough?

[mikelj5S230]

I had always thought that the terms export brace and shock tower brace were interchangeable, and coming from the Shelby world was used to the one piece wrap-around style.  When told mine were incorrect on my '67 S code (one piece, wrap-around), I looked at a vendor suggested for a "concours" export brace, but they too were just one piece.  A great part supplier was able to locate the original, correct, two piece set for me (Kerry W.).  Now I am looking at them and seeing that they are much more flimsy and thin than the one piece and am wondering how much the ride/handling will suffer having the original two piece vs. the stronger one piece.  Any experiences and advice out there?  Maybe I should only use the two piece ones for judging and replace with the one piece  for driving?

[jwc66k]

Maybe I should only use the two piece ones for judging and replace with the one piece  for driving?

A lot of people do just that. With only the originals braces in place, take a corner hard and watch the gap between fender and hood and you will become a believer of the full export brace and a Monte Carlo Bar for regular driving.
Jim

[J_Speegle]

Never could figure out why owners called the shock tower supports - export braces. Always has been confusing. Beleive it started with the internet and caught on - forcing us to push back to reduce confusion

Yes the repos are made of lighter material than original and on the shock tower supports remember (for our purposes) they are dated


Since the front end of most of our cars have seen allot of abuse over the years putting in an export brace is often a very difficult and damaging (scrapped paint and such)  process as you pry and force it into place.  Unless your pushing the corners while driving I don't think you will notice as long as you stay on paved roads

[krelboyne]

We have installed export and Monte Carlo bars on cars here at the shop. Almost every car will need some persuasion to get the parts to fit. We have found that using a single jack stand under the engine cross member over night, will relax the shock towers a measurable amount. Port-a-power will get us the rest of the way. One fellow had a 7/16 inch gap between the hood and fender on both sides of a 1967 after installing the Monte Carlo and export brace. He was shocked at how far his car had sagged in the last 40+ years. Obviously the fenders had been realigned a time or two during previous repaints.
FYI, the current Scott Drake version of the 1967-70 export brace is very good, much heavier gauge steel and better formed like the originals.

[mikelj5S230]

Thanks to that great parts supplier I use often, Kerry W., I have the original , correctly dated shock tower braces, not repops. But, a very nice export brace is on the car now.  So my question becomes, is it wise or even possible to install the original, correctly dated braces for judging, then go back to the much stronger and more practical export brace afterwards?  Or is switching back and forth just too hard and difficult to accomplish and I need to put the original braces on it and leave it, if I can even get them to fit?

[67gtasanjose]

Thanks to that great parts supplier I use often, I have the original , correctly dated shock tower braces, not repops. But, a very nice export brace is on the car now.  So my question becomes, is it wise or even possible to install the original, correctly dated braces for judging, then go back to the much stronger and more practical export brace afterwards?  Or is switching back and forth just too hard and difficult to accomplish and I need to put the original braces on it and leave it, if I can even get them to fit?

On my 11/66 San Jose built, there is a thick amount of seam sealer on the top side, where the export brace would sit. This would complicate having it "look factory" and switch back and forth. My original stock supports were on the under side of the pinch weld and therefore didn't interfere with the original seam sealer on the top side. My thoughts (on my car) is to keep the export brace, I put it on in the late 80's and really appreciate how it helped out.

Richard

Deduct away, I'm not going for GOLD as some might be.

[mikelj5S230]

Probably right to keep the export brace, in looking at the judging deducts, it appears you would lose more points for having missing sealer than for an export brace, where I don't see any deducts except at the bottom of the engine compartment section for 5 points for anything not correct that was not previously deducted.

[J_Speegle]

Just pulled my export brace off the Boss 302 - going back to the shock tower supports. Just me 

[mikelj5S230]

Just pulled my export brace off the Boss 302 - going back to the shock tower supports. Just me 

Jeff, how much out of shape will the entire body be when the export brace is removed and shock tower braces installed?  In other words, will you (or would I, if I follow suit) need extraordinary tools, jacks, lifts, etc. to install the braces after export brace removal?

[J_Speegle]

Jeff, how much out of shape will the entire body be when the export brace is removed and shock tower braces installed?  In other words, will you (or would I, if I follow suit) need extraordinary tools, jacks, lifts, etc. to install the braces after export brace removal?

Depends on the year your working. Some of the factory brackets have elongated holes whole others have a round hole. Since there are two separate pieces I've always found them easier to install than the export braces since there are twice as many mounting holes. Guess if I was being exact or building the car from step one I would get it on a frame machine and make sure its square again (did that to the Shelby)  or at least do all the measurements and jack the car accordingly then install the braces but the Boss is just a weekend driver so the details don't bother me at this point

[mikelj5S230]

I tried just placing it over the existing export brace, looks like it will fit like a glove.  Does the firewall end go above or under the pinch weld area?

[J_Speegle]

I tried just placing it over the existing export brace, looks like it will fit like a glove.  Does the firewall end go above or under the pinch weld area?

under

[mikelj5S230]

Thanks Jeff, I'm on it…….

[fast66]

The export braces that were put on export cars and Shelbys had an extra reinforcement plate spot welded to the cowl and the triangular brace was put on top of that plate. The reinforcement was extremely sloppily sealed and this was done before the car was painted. Without this extra reinforcement anything will look "not original".

For 65/66 and IMHO early 67, the mounting holes for the export brace at the cowl were evenly spaced and they do not fit any of the original holes. From thereon and for the aftermarket braces the mounting holes are spaced to fit the original pattern, two and two together.
Also the towers for the shoch absorbers that were used with export brace had a thick washer welded on top and UNC instead of UNF threads on the shock mounting bolts and nuts.

Wish I had some pictures to back this up, but not on the job computer ;-)

br
Claes

[J_Speegle]

The export braces that were put on export cars and Shelbys had an extra reinforcement plate spot welded to the cowl and the triangular brace was put on top of that plate. The reinforcement was extremely sloppily sealed and this was done before the car was painted. Without this extra reinforcement anything will look "not original"....

For Shelby's the installation of the firewall brace stopped with the end of 66 Shelby production

Can't find any export 67 Mustangs I have pictures of (original cars)  with the equal spaced export brace. This saved dollars since it didn't require Ford workers to redrill all of those holes on the line taking up time.

Maybe some early 67 Mustangs but I've not seen them. And for equally spaced firewall attachments I've never seen that on a 67 Shelby maybe that ended before Shelby production began likely another cost saving measure on Ford's part. Maybe the red prototype had one will have to check the pictures