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« on: August 01, 2022, 08:05:12 PM »
It is great to read about our Shelby Research Group here on the SAAC forum. Nice to read our ‘Z’ stamped theory on Ford’s takeover.
There are many other reasons that led us to believe Ford took over SAI in very late April / early May 1967.
The ‘Z’ stamp on the VIN plate is just one of the reasons...
For example, there is the letter that discusses Shelby American getting split into 3 separate companies around this time.
Another letter, discusses Ford opening up sales from the 90 franchised dealer networks to over 1000 non franchises Ford dealers around the country...
to move more units out of inventory.
Then there is the invoice from Shelby to Ford to get paid before the change took place on ‘Loss of Use” of company cars.
Then we see the DSO group number change. Originally it was ‘71', it changed to ‘84’ then to ‘89’ about this same time.
Each change reflected a point in time and Ford’s relationship. I’m sure the list goes on, but you get my point.
Years ago I heard the theory that the ‘Z’ stamped VIN meant that a car should have an outboard grille and lights.
After collecting hundreds of photos of every ‘67 VIN plate I could find, that theory dissolved.
I was also tracking VIN plate photos by the noted registry completion dates. I discovered the added ‘Z’ stamp appears on cars on 4/27/67
… not one day before that.
Like most everything with ‘67’s, there are one or two exceptions to every rule. We found one car completed after 4/27/67 with a ‘Z’ stamp.
Thanks to Jeff Speegle for sharing that one! The outboard grille / lights start appearing on cars around the second week of May.
That was a couple of weeks after the ‘Z’ stamping started. It’s an interesting theory, but it doesn’t hold water anymore.
Another theory was the cars with a ‘Z’ Stamping were not to be scavenged for parts. That one faded away too.
It was mentioned here on the forum; Why not simply put a card on the dash?
Yes the “Z’ stamp would be more permanent, but who’s going to open and close every hood to check?
Recently, I’m hearing a theory the ‘Z’ stamps were added to cars that received the upgraded Mustang 390 brake pads.
(By dealers that already had cars?)
There was a Service Bulletin issued on March 1st 1967, to dealers, that the brakes pads should be changed to the new 390 on any customer complaints.
Ford was going to change to these other brake pads on Shelby’s after car ‘1422’. That work was under warranty, not a recall of any kind.
It doesn’t explain all the cars with the ‘Z’ the stamping after that ‘1422’ VIN and onward until the end of ’67 production.
Nobody would need to track those units. Also since that service bulletin was issued March 1st it was many weeks before we start to see the ‘Z’ Stamps!.
“98 SVT” I’ve noticed you quoting our SRG posts before, but I don’t think you’re signed up on any of our websites…are you?
We would welcome anyone who wanted to participate and help add information of any kind to the topics.
The links to our sites are in my signatures.