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Oct 31, 2012

New Book - Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds: Mustangs and Fords

Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds:  Mustangs and Fords.  The Hunt for the Ultimate Ford Muscle Cars.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

This is a brand new book that just arrived, and I really like it.  It is called Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds:  Mustangs & Fords.  

There are thirty cars ("Rare Finds") listed in this great book.  Here is the list:
1968 Mustang Cobra Jet Drag Car
Banjo Matthews' 1969 Torino Talladega
1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang
1969 Shinoda Boss 302 Prototype
1966 Galaxie 500XL R-Code, Dual Quad 427
1963 Thunderbird Italien Concept Car
1968 Shelby GT350 and GT500KR
1967-1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 Prototype/Test Car
1969 Mustang Mach 1
1963 and 1964 Ford Fairlanes with special equipment
1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang (yes, another one)
1965 Ford GT40
1971 Mustang 429 Cobra Jet Convertible
1958 Ford Skyliner Retractable Roof
1964 1/2 Mustang Indy Pace Car
1968 Pink Mustang Coupe
1968 Shelby GT350 Convertible
1970 W Code 428 Super Cobra Jet Convertible
1969 Ford Torino Cobra (not one, but two!)
1968 Mustang X Code Coupe
1967 Fairlane 500 Station Wagon
1969 Shelby GT500
1932 Ford Three Window Coupe
1965 Mustang K Code Coupe
1968 Shelby GT500KR
1967 Mustang Fastback
1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator Super Drag Pack
1969 Mustang Boss 302
1954 XM-500 Mercury
1969 Shelby Mustang GT350 with a Boss 302 Engine

Whew!  That's a big list of thirty, and thirty very interesting stories.

Click here to order the book.

Oh, and here is the "official" description of the book from the publisher:


During the 1960s and 1970s, all the major Detroit manufacturers made legendary muscle cars, and Ford was no exception. Shelby Mustangs, Cobra Jet Mach 1s, big-block and Hi-PO GTs, Boss and Talladega prototypes, K codes, S codes, and R codes, all familiar terms to Ford performance enthusiasts. Shockingly, even with how popular many of these models were, there are still long-lost examples turning up in barns, garages, backyards, and yes, pastures.

Some of these lost Mustangs and Fords were forgotten by owners, shuffled between family members, or simply parked to become non-descript garage fixtures. Some have lived hard lives on the street and in competition, and then been neglected and abandoned. Many of these Mustangs and Fords are among the most valuable and collectible cars Ford has ever built. These automotive jewels have been waiting for a dedicated enthusiast to rescue them from obscurity. In order to find these rare rides, collectors have had to do extensive research, fact checking, searching off-the-beaten-path locales, and make hundreds of phone calls.

As the automotive Indiana Jones, Jerry Heasley has been tracking down and documenting the stories of the rarest and most sought-after Mustang and high-performance Ford rescue stories for years. In this follow-up to the top-selling Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds, Heasley has built a collection of his finest stories, including the 1969 Boss styling prototype that was owned by Ford stylist Larry Shinoda, the original 1967 Shelby Mustang prototype that would become several other test cars, and a rare 1965 Shelby GT350R.

Publication Date:10/15/2012
Publisher: CarTech



Oct 29, 2012

More on 1966 Shelby - 6S933

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
 We posted last week about the new restoration project that just arrived at Maple Hill Restoration.  Being big 65-66 GT350 fans, we will be heavily involved in the research of this car along with, obviously, the restoration parts supply.

Today, we have lots of detail shots for you geeks like us.  If you regularly read our Blog, you are probably used to these type of images.  Be sure to take a close look at each image.  This car is in very nice condition.
Check out the images of the original 289 Alternator Belt and those super nice ten spoke wheels!

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  This is some awesome original paint which will enable us to match the original Sapphire Blue color.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  The original Mustang Data Plates were removed from the LH Door on the '65 and '66 GT350's.  Often, both data plate rivets did not come out of the holes.  Here you can see that one original rivet is still in place.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  This is the original cast aluminum 10 spoke wheel.  All five are in beautiful original condition.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.   This Shelby was produced early enough to be equipped with the Koni Shocks.  It still retains one of the original, unbroken "axle limiting" cables.  These cables were actually used to limit the travel of the rear Koni shocks.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  The floors in this car are in exceptional condition.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  This is a close up shot of the original 289 HiPo fan / alternator belt.  I don't think I have ever seen an original.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  Here is one of the date stamped horns for you detail geeks.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  How about the original 289 High Performance Air Cleaner Decal?
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang.  Check out the original Shelby American, Inc step plate label.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Oct 26, 2012

New! Shelby and Mustang Metal Signs


New Carroll Shelby Memorial Metal Sign.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
We have a great selection of cool metal signs featuring various Ford Mustang and Shelby logos, cars and vintage pictures.  

Here are our two latest signs.  Both are 11" x 17" powder coated metal signs with the images embedded in vibrant color.


The other new sign below was made from a scan of a Shelby Parts Accessory Catalog Cover.  It is our part number AC-468.
This new metal sign is a photo print from an original Shelby Parts Accessory Catalog.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Oct 24, 2012

New Restoration Project - 1966 Shelby GT350

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  It is the latest restoration project.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
An exciting car just arrived at Maple Hill Restoration.  It is a Sapphire Blue 1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  This is going to make a super nice car and a complete restoration is planned.

If you read our Blog, you know that we love the '65 and '66 GT350's, and you will see a lot of coverage about this car in the future.

This is a super nice and complete GT350.  It was purchased new at Hi-Performance Motors in California.  It was originally delivered with the optional ten spoke cast aluminum wheels and a 4 speed transmission.  The owner even still has the original window sticker!

I can't wait to share more pictures of this car!  Check out the images we have here along with the captions, and look for more here on the Virginia Classic Mustang Blog this upcoming Monday.

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  Here is a shot of one of the original Koni front shocks.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  The Shelby Serial Number was stamped on the RH Front Fender Apron on the '65 and '66 GT350's.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  This cool car still has both of its original front fenders.  This one is dated November 29th.  Even though the year is not stamped, this would be 1965.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  The other fender is date stamped January 15th of 1966.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  Here is the original GT350 Serial Number plate.  It appears to have never been removed.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  This car still has its original engine along with the Shelby Accessories such as the Cobra Valve Covers, Oil Pan and Intake Manifold.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  The engine assembly date stamping is 6A7M.  The 6=1966, A=January, 7=7th day of the month.  The "M" may be the designation for the person that did the stamping.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1966 Mustang Shelby GT350.  Here is a copy of the original window sticker.  This car was sold new at Hi-Performance Motors in California.  It is a Sapphire Blue Shelby with the optional Ten Spoke cast aluminum wheels.  It originally was delivered without LeMans stripes and without a radio.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Oct 19, 2012

New! The Definitive Shelby Mustang Guide: 1965-1970

The Definitive Shelby Mustang Guide:  1965-1970 by Greg Kolasa
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
We were really excited to get this new book, The Definitive Shelby Mustang Guide:  1965-1970.  Our friend and Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) Registry Co-Author, Greg Kolasa has been working hard to put out this great, new book.

Check out the publisher's description:

All car enthusiasts know about Shelby Mustangs, but what really separates them from their production-line relatives? What really makes a Shelby a Shelby? This new book from Shelby American Auto Club (SAAC) historian and registrar Greg Kolasa details the specifics on the performance and appearance alterations with both descriptive text and superb photographs.

This book gives a detailed look at both the performance and styling characteristics of each year of the 1965-1970 Shelby Mustangs in text, photographs, and charts/graphs and clears up many myths and misconceptions surrounding these legendary pony cars. In addition to his firsthand knowledge, Kolasa relies heavily on factory documentation and interviews with Shelby American designers, engineers, stylists, fabricators, and race drivers to get the true, as-it-happened story of these phenomenal pony cars. Additionally, the cars included in the book were chosen specifically for their historical and technical "correctness."

The Definitive Shelby Mustang Guide: 1965-1970 will serve as the illustrated Shelby Mustang sourcebook for years to come. For Mustang and Shelby enthusiasts especially, but even for general automotive historians, no automotive library would be complete without it.

Hardback Book. 192 pages.

Order by clicking here - our part number is LT-183.

Oct 17, 2012

New! 65-70 Mustang Rear End Pinion Snubber Plate for 9 Inch Rear

Original Mustang Rear End Pinion Snubber Plate for 9 inch rear equipped Mustangs and Shelbys.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
We now have a great reproduction of the original plate that was welded to the floor on the 1965-70 Mustangs and Shelbys that were equipped with the 9 inch rear end.  This plate acts as a "stop" for the pinion snubber bracket bumper, and, as mentioned, is unique to the Mustangs with the 9 inch rear end.

Our part number for this new item is SM-814.

Please note that a different, shorter style of this plate was used on earlier cars with an approximate build date earlier than April 1965.

Original Mustang Rear End Pinion Snubber Plate for 9 inch rear equipped Mustangs and Shelbys.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Oct 12, 2012

New! Ford / Mustang Timing Chain Cover for Aluminum Water Pump

We now have a really nice reproduction of the timing chain cover used with the aluminum water pump on the 1964 and early 1965 260 and 289 Ford Small Block Engines in the Mustang.  This one is different from the timing front cover that was used later with the cast iron water pump.

This early timing chain cover is deeper where the water pump bolts on to allow clearance for the exposed impeller on the aluminum water pump.  This cover is made by Scott Drake Mustang Parts from high quality die-cast aluminum like the original.  It features a built in timing pointer along with the Ford engineering number, date stamp and manufacturer logo.  The detail on this front cover is extremely nice.

Please note that this cover does not have the provision for the oil filler tube that is found on the very early generator equipped cars.

Our part number is EG-5701.

Oct 10, 2012

1965 and 1966 Mustang Front Disc Brake Splash Shields

Correct 1965 and 1966 Mustang and Shelby GT350 Front Disc Brake Backing Plate / Splash Shields.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com
This is a great brand new part that has never been available as a reproduction.  These new Front Disc Brake Splash Shields / Backing Plates are made just like the original 65-66 Mustang and Shelby design plates.  The previous reproductions are actually copied from the '67 Mustang style splash shields.  These '67 are still available and will actually fit 65-66 Mustangs while offering better venting.

Now you can replace your missing, pitted or bent original splash shields with these new, correct shields.

The part number on the new correct 65-66 style brake shields for the Mustang is BK-3481.  These are sold as a pair.

The 67 Mustang style shields are sold individually.  The part numbers are BK-348L and BK-348R.

1967 Mustang Front Disc Brake Shield / Backing Plate.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com


Oct 8, 2012

Just the Details...1965 Mustang Convertible

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Today we have some more pictures of the 1965 Mustang Convertible being restored by Jeremy Turner at Maple Hill Restoration.  You can check out Maple Hill's web site at www.MapleHillResto.com.

This Mustang is being painted Twilight Turquoise.  Please note that due to the flash and lighting that the color does not look exactly the same in all of these images.

In this pictures, Jeremy has painted the underside of the car in the correct gloss black like original.  This was matched to the original finish on this January '65 production, Dearborn plant Mustang Convertible.  You can also see how the body color (Twilight Turquoise) paint was applied over the black, duplicating the original spray patterns.

The engine compartment was then painted with a black that is not as glossy as the underside, again, duplicating the original finish.

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray in the rear wheel house area.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows the Twilight Turquoise overspray.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Underside is painted.  This image shows area above the rear end housing.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  The rear trunk brace was originally painted with a gray sealer that has been duplicated here.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Under rear deck area.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Inside of rear quarter panel area is painted a red oxide primer, duplicating the original finish.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Engine compartment is painted a semi-gloss black, duplicating the original finish.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Engine compartment is painted a semi-gloss black, duplicating the original finish.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Flowable seam sealer has been applied exactly like the original found.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

1965 Mustang Convertible.  Inside floor pans and dash area are painted and finished.  They have been covered and taped up for the other painting.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Trunk area is now ready for seam sealer and then paint on this '65 Mustang Convertible.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com

Trunk area is now ready for seam sealer and then paint on this '65 Mustang Convertible.
www.VirginiaClassicMustang.com



Oct 5, 2012

Jim Morrison from The Doors - 1967 GT500 Shelby




Many of our readers may know that Jim Morrison from The Doors owned a 1967 GT500 Shelby Mustang.  It was nicknamed "The Blue Lady."

Anyway, here are two pretty cool videos featuring the car.


Oct 4, 2012

65-66 Mustang and Shelby Disc Brake Proportioning Valves




NOS Ford 65-66 Mustang Disc Brake Proportioning Valve.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc.
I am re-posting this Blog post that was originally published in December of 2010.  It was one of our more popular posts, and I've sent it to several people just this week.


If you are really into the detail end of the 65-66 Mustang and Shelbys, you may find this post interesting.  A Kelsey Hayes disc brake proportioning valve was originally installed on the 65-66 Mustangs with factory front disc brakes.

Rather than discuss the function of this part, this post is more about the detail and restoration.  There seems to be a widely held thought that this valve was originally a bluish-gray color.  All of the New Old Stock / Ford Service parts that I have seen are certainly this color, and perhaps some of the ones originally installed on the assembly line were also this color.

Original Black Paint Finish shown on Disc Brake Proportioning Valve from a June '65 Production San Jose Mustang (Early '66 GT350)     Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc
Original Black Paint Finish shown on Disc Brake Proportioning Valve from a very late Production San Jose Mustang (Very Late Production '66 GT350).  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc
I do have evidence though, that at least some of these valves were originally finished in black paint.  I have seen several other original examples that were black, including the one on an early '66 GT350 (SFM6S033).  This GT350 will be featured here on our Virginia Classic Mustang Blog soon.  I have also seen a black one on a much later production '66 GT350 (near the very end of the '66 GT350 production.)

The "end discs" on these valves are dated. The numbers indicate the day of the year along with the year.



End Disc stamped "81-5."  This is the 81st day of 1965, which is March 22, 1965.  This disc was clear zinc plated for restoration.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc

Disassembled Proportioning Valve with Zinc DiChromate Plated Nut and Clear Zinc Plated Adjusting Stud and End Disc.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc


Valve has been Cleaned, Glass Beaded and then Epoxy Primed before sending out for Brass Sleeving and Rebuild.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc

Rebuilt valve reassembled with the newly plated original parts and  refinished with black paint.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc
Jeremy at Maple Hill Restoration did the paint work on this.  He also does the restoration work on the 1965 Mustang 289 HiPo convertible that is featured on our Blog.  He will soon start on our Carryover 1966 GT350 Shelby.  You can contact Jeremy by going to his web site at www.MapleHillResto.com.






 Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc




Dated end disc.  Image ©Virginia Classic Mustang Inc