Snorkel StampsIn the Shaker detailing article in the March '05 issue, we omitted the samples of the artwork used to duplicate the engineering number stamped on the air-cleaner duct and valve (snorkel) for the '70 Boss 302 (D0ZF-9D626-B) and '69-'70 428 Cobra Jet (C80F-9D626-B). The color of the ink is white.
Added Originality ValueI'm in the process of slowly restoring a '66 Mustang, which is already in fairly good condition. My question is, how much monetary value does using historically correct items, such as belts and hoses, add to the car, if any? I need to replace them now and would like to know if the extra cost is worth it in the long run.Tim WilliamsonVia the Internet
I always recommend original Ford parts, if you can find them at a fair price. I also believe you get your money back when you sell the car because of the increased value due to the original parts. The worst scenario is to buy parts twice to upgrade your restoration. Reproduction parts have little or no value after you remove them to replace them with original parts.
Original parts help the value of any first-generation Mustang. Some will benefit more than others having original Ford belts, hoses, and so on. For instance, if you had a '69 Boss 302 with 4,000 original miles and it had reproduction belts, hoses, tires, carpet, and such, I would wonder why a 4,000-mile car has all those reproduction parts. Why pay a premium for a low-mileage Mustang if it's equipped with a lot of non-original components? For a 4,000-mile Boss 302, original parts would be important to most collectors.
Another prime example is a '65-'66 Mustang GT. It's hard to prove you have a real GT if it's equipped with a reproduction gas cap, fog lamps, fog-lamp grille bars, etc.
Remember the old slogan about genuine Ford parts being "made right." They also fit right, last longer, and score more points at concours events.
Quarter-Panel PaintingRecently, a detailing question about factory paint was posted on one of the Mustang Web sites. The question was, did the rear quarter-panel end caps on '70 Mustangs, as in a Boss 302, get painted off the car? The consensus was split. In your opinion, what items were painted off the body on a Boss 302?Tom WeberSt. Louis, MO
At both the Dearborn and Metuchen assembly plants, the quarter-panel extensions on Boss 302s were painted on the unibody but slightly back from the normal fit position, resulting in paint coverage on the edge of the quarter-panel and extension with no tape lines. The extensions were later removed and gaskets installed on the extension before adjustment for final installation. Shown here is a photo of a '70 Boss with the quarter extension removed for reference.
The '70 Mustang unibody was painted with the doors, decklid, rear valance, and quarter-panel extensions "hanging" on the unibody. The hood, fenders, cowl, fender extensions, front valance, and panel between the headlight buckets were painted off the car. However, special-order colors sometimes did not follow this pattern.
All racing mirrors were painted before assembly and, of course, off the car. Special-order-paint cars were supposed to get chrome mirrors because of the racing-mirror paint and assembly procedure. Again, this was not always the case. Special-order requests in the '60s and '70s were handled much different from today.
'69 Spoiler BracketsDid a '69 Mach 1 come with brackets for the rear decklid spoiler? I bought a set of the brackets that go under the decklid. They are L-shaped but have a big, round spacer welded on them. Am I supposed to drill a hole into the decklid bracing to accommodate this spacer or should I install my spoiler and decklid without the bracket?Joe KleinVia the Internet
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