65 Shelby Tri y header flange thickness?

[gbart14]

Looks to me like the left side has reinforcement welds done at the top of the tube. The right side headers are not reinforced. I will get some more clarifying photos. Thanks for the input.

[Bob Gaines]

   The set you have pictured above is not consistent with my originals. Too many tack welds in the wrong places. IMHO an early copy. MANY have copied them over the years and the "finger print" for the originals is different.
     Randy

+1. Tack welds in the wrong place are one of the ways to tell genuine original from copies. The originals did not have tack welds on the outside of the flange .The welding was only done from the engine side of the flange. The copies have tack welds on the outside of the flange along with welding done on the inside.   

[gbart14]

Yup, this set with the 1/4" flange was definitely welded on the outside. Same thing on the collector flange. See photos. Butttttttt, these could have been used on that one day in the Shelby history when they ran out of stock and had to go down to the local Western Auto and ..............., hmm, probably not!

[gt350hr]

    Sorry , not a chance.  "At the time" these headers were only made for SAI by Cyclone.

[427heaven]

Another TRUE way to tell if they are originals is to look on all 65-66 SHELBYS headers on the bottom of the collectors is the PROVERBIAL dent. While unloading the cars they all smashed the collectors in the same spot.

[gbart14]

Randy - sorry to change the subject but I noticed your tag of drag racing 6S477 and wonder if you ever ran up against a Shelby from the Santa Maria area? My information is that it was at least partly owned by the Simkins family. Sandy Simkins or Danny Simkins. They had my 5S243 and it was heavily drag raced in the late 60's early 70's. Thanks

[Rickmustang]

Pics of what I believe are my original tri ya with 0.250 inch thick flange.

[Rickmustang]

Another

[Rickmustang]

Final

[gbart14]

Excellent! Thank you for the photos. From all the sources that I have been in contact with, yes, those look original. The best pair I have are 1/4" flange and the flange shape is cut exactly like yours (except for the shape on the area around the bolt holes) but they are welded on the outside as well as the inside. I am thinking they may have been from the same supplier but made at a later date. I got them from Dralle's son at the Cobra weekend. I was with Fred Ghering here in Portland yesterday at the new Mustang exhibit at World of Speed. He had his 66 Shelby there and he has a set of replacement headers he got in the early 70's that he says came from SAI and they are welded exactly like yours with no weld showing outside the pipes on either the head flange or the collector flange. 

[gbart14]

Also of interest is that 5S238 is in the World of Speed Museum on display and it has headers exactly like mine with the weld reinforcement on the outside. I did not measure the flange but it may be a bit thicker. Nice car that was heavily drag raced from the beginning and who knows how many times they changed headers? I am really picking at straws here because my 5S243 will not have its original engine or trans in it. They are long gone and I am going to drive it and have fun with it. Guess I will pick the best of the bunch I have and go with them. Thanks to everyone for all the help.

[chris NOS]

The best headers you can get are from Jim cowles , really concours and totally correct , that's what i have on 241.

[427heaven]

In the end its your decision on what to run , but from the top side it looks wrong because they didn't have thick flanges nor did they have welds from the outside edge. On the bottom side of the car the persnickety ones will look for the proverbial dent that only the original cars came with because they got this from unloading on the transporters.

[gbart14]

Understood and thanks for your input. I very much appreciate everyone's input. I may get lucky and find another pair that match up with the originals before I am finished. But I probably will not be spending $1200 on the headers. The persnickety ones will also note that although it is a correct time frame K code engine, it is not the original, nor is the carb, nor is the transmission or shifter. All those original parts are long gone. I am investing in excellent body / sheet metal work done at same place 003 was done and will have a streetable paint job so I can enjoy driving it like Carroll said I should.

[427heaven]

Enjoy the ride because you can... Not because OL SHEL said so.