SAAC Forum

I did buy them from John as a spare set for track use and he did represent that they were magnesium. I did the vinegar test and they are definitely aluminum. I have emailed John to get his take on everything.

In October of 2017 I purchased a GT350 from NY where it was registered for 40 years (no title) as a Ford. I submitted the VIN to the Florida DMV and requested that it be titled as a Shelby. The clerk tapped for a while on her keyboard and apparently did a search on the Ford portion of the VIN and told me that I could title it as a Shelby, which I did. 
Unfortunately, Florida abbreviates the manufacturer's name and officially it is now a "Shely" 

Photo I took at Daytona this year of the No. 30 Lola T70 race car that Dan Gurney drove to victory in the 1966 Can-Am race at Bridgehampton in New York ready to lead the 2018 Rolex 24 At Daytona field around on its pre-race parade lap. It was the only Ford-powered car ever to win a Can-Am race.

Here are some pics of the wheels in question. Click to expand full size.

I've got a set of Goodyear bias ply tires for show and street cruising but it doesn't take much to get them to break traction. I was hoping to get a second set that would be a good compromise for performance street driving and occasional track use. Although the Avons are pricey, it sounds like they will do the trick and if I get caught in a Florida rainstorm I won't be skating off the road like I might with slicks.
My next issue is now identifying the rims. A friend of mine thinks they may be aluminum rather than magnesium. I understand you can put a few drops of vinegar on them to tell - magnesium will react and aluminum won't. Does anyone have experience with this?
If they are aluminum and not magnesium, would they potentially pass tech inspection and be allowed on track at an SAAC event?
I have pics of the rims if someone can identify by sight but I'll have to resize or send separately as the files are too big.

Quote from: zray on February 20, 2018, 09:51:09 AM

Quote from: kjspeed on February 20, 2018, 08:04:29 AM
Sounds like Avons are the way to go. If they'll pick up loose change as well as they do on Z's car I'll have them paid for in no time! 

I don't take long trips in the car because @ 11.5:1 it likes Sunoco purple race fuel and at $8.37 a gallon it's not what you'd call economical. So for the short trips I take I don't mind cleaning the road debris off the quarters. It is a driver after all.

All that's left is to decide on rims. If I stick with 15's I'm limiting tire selection. If I go to 17's there are tons of selections but not for the Avon CR6ZZ. Decisions, decisions.

Yes, on long trips I must pull over every so often and pull $15-$20 from each tire. And then due to the 4 IDA 48 Weber's,  I give the coin to the gas station attendants.

I have 4 48IDA's too so the extra gas money would be great!

Sounds like Avons are the way to go. If they'll pick up loose change as well as they do on Z's car I'll have them paid for in no time! 


I don't take long trips in the car because @ 11.5:1 it likes Sunoco purple race fuel and at $8.37 a gallon it's not what you'd call economical. So for the short trips I take I don't mind cleaning the road debris off the quarters. It is a driver after all.


All that's left is to decide on rims. If I stick with 15's I'm limiting tire selection. If I go to 17's there are tons of selections but not for the Avon CR6ZZ. Decisions, decisions.

I really appreciate the feedback gentlemen! I hadn't given a thought to the mags not passing tech because of age. I did check for cracks but wasn't aware that magnesium got more brittle with age. So....


Based on that, these rims are not what I want to use. However, I understand they are fairly valuable so I'll probably sell them and put the money towards a better set of tires and rims.

I'm in the market for a new set of street/track shoes for my 68 GT350 w/Boss 351. I plan on mounting them to my American Racing 200s 15" vintage magnesium 7" rims and I'm looking for recommendations on which tire to use. I have a set of Goodyear bias ply for show, so these are more for go. I am replacing BF Goodrich Comp T/A 235/60ZR15. It appears they no longer make that tire in 15".


I'm seeing Cooper Cobra white letter tires with T (118MPH) rating for $109 or less each which is either a good deal or cheap tires. I don't know which.


These will be mostly used on the street, but hopefully turn a few laps at future SAAC events. Thanks in advance for the help!


-Kevin

I'm totally into sharing my passion - with anyone! It's a blast grabbing the next gear with the engine twisting up past 6 grand. Puts a smile on my 11-year old granddaughter AND my 81 year-old mother-in-law as well as my wife, kids, brothers, etc. sitting in the passenger seat.


Went to the local cruise-in last Saturday and got to talk to a lot of folks - old and young - about the car. There is passion out there.

As a 15-year old high school sophomore I found an ad in the local (Syracuse, NY) newspaper for a 1969 Shelby for $1200. The car was being sold by Household Finance Company (HFC) in Solvay, NY and me and my buddies went down to take a look, even though it would be a year before I could get a driver's license and I was about $1000 short of the asking price. The car was a red GT500 convertible with white interior and top and it was rough! Ran hard and put away wet, it looked like it had been sitting under an oak tree for 50 years although the car was less than 10 years old at the time. But I fell in lust with that car! A true Shelby fixer-upper!
I pestered the loan officer with several follow up calls and visits trying to get him to take a lower offer. He finally agreed to $600 cash if I could bring the money by Friday. So I began working on my parents to borrow the additional $400 I needed. No deal. I was crushed and had to walk away from the opportunity but I've never forgotten that car. I still wonder whatever happened to it. I never got the VIN so it would be hard to research.
It's probably for the best anyway as I would likely have driven it in the snow and possibly even wrapped it around a tree.
It took another 40+ years but I finally got a Shelby. My tastes changed a little bit and I got a 68 GT350.

For anyone interested in the Hagerty vintage race weekend car show March 3rd at Sebring, this is per Toni Cumbess @ SVRA:

I do believe that we will be taking the show car on track during the lunch break. 12.15 - 12.45. We should get several laps in and the speed will be around 60 - 70 mph.
This is a fun weekend. I look forward to meeting you. Spread the word to your friends.




Have a great day.
Toni Cumbess
V.P. of Marketing
SVRA
tc@svra.com
svra.com
863-698-8620

Thanks for the clarification Bob. Great information for those who want to keep things correct and I also appreciate the insight on the halogen color difference.

FL SAAC TONY, what is the deal on the le Journal de Montreal GT500KR with snow tires and a phone? An earlier pic shows it being broomed off after a snow storm! Was this some sort of company car for a reporter in Canada? Does anyone know where the car is today?
-Kevin

I should have been more clear that I'm not concerned with concours correctness, just want bulbs that won't set the wiring harness on fire! I'll check with the local auto parts stores and see what I come up with. Thanks for your input Bob, John & PR 


FYI This is John Barnes's old 'factory' Jade Green GT350 with a Boss 351, Webers and 200 MPH speedo so correctness definitely takes a back seat to performance. (Insert old peel out emoji here)