Inherited a GT500

[J_Joseph]

Hi everyone - we inherited a 1969 Shelby GT500 with the 428.

The car has been partially restored and partially disassembled. The body is repainted, no rust, a few places that show raw metal and a few finished panels that have to be attached. The interior is disassembled, but we have all the parts (allegedly . . .)

Missing: radiator, exhaust from the manifold to the Shelby rear box/pipes, plus probably 1,001 little things that have been lost or didn’t make the transition.

We have an older auto-body specialist who has worked on the car and will help assemble those parts, but I’m looking for information on the mechanics and wiring. I might be a slightly average DIY mechanic with modern cars (mostly foreign) but my uncle schooled me when I was a kid hanging out in his garage with American cars in the 70’s, so I do have some faint memories of doing that.

I never thought I’d touch another distributor cap in my life!

I know where to go for VW/Audi information, and I’m looking for the same type of community and manuals for the Shelby.

Haynes? The reviews of recent copies of the books are pretty lukewarm. Car clubs? Online forums?

The car is garaged, safe, and I have plenty of time. I”m sure I could figure it out as I went along (as my uncle used to say, “nuts are nuts and bolts are bolts and they only screw together one way” - and then he’d laugh his ass off at me trying to put something back together.)

Thanks to anyone who weighs in!

EDIT: We are located in New England.

[Rickmustang]

Congrats! Specify your location and hopefully someone can help with your assessment! And go to some Mustang and Shelby shows and meet and talk other owners.

[Coralsnake]

And tell us the Shelby number

[FL SAAC]

Congratulations  and enjoy

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Congrats - true bolts is bolts and nuts is nuts - but now you need to decide if you want to use "the bolt" or just "a bolt". Do you want a 100 point trailer queen that just hit the dealer showroom - or a driver that you and the family can enjoy the memories of the loved one who entrusted their dream to you?
Start with a Mustang restoration guide. That will give you the details on how to assemble the car that was modified into the Shelby. For the Shelby mods and details you'll find the best source here. Don't forget to get a Marti report to see how you car left the factory. Mustang and Shelby club judging standards will show you the correct parts to use for the reassembly.

[greekz]

Congratulations!  You will find many helpful folks here.  Best of luck with your project.

[kasearch@ix.netcom.com]

That is incredibly fantastic for you.  Congrats.  I was in a similar situation when I got my car.  I cannot say enough good things about the SAAC members in their help and guidance.   I am now in the final stages of finishing my numbers matching 69 GT500, and I do have a large number of original and replacement parts, along with new AMK hardware, available, that I will be getting rid of. If you decide to restore your car, you are welcome to contact me for parts.  Maybe I can help you with your project in this respect, and save you some money. 

[JD]

Hi everyone - we inherited a 1969 Shelby GT500 with the 428.

The car has been partially restored and partially disassembled. The body is repainted, no rust, a few places that show raw metal and a few finished panels that have to be attached. The interior is disassembled, but we have all the parts (allegedly . . .)

Missing: radiator, exhaust from the manifold to the Shelby rear box/pipes, plus probably 1,001 little things that have been lost or didn’t make the transition.

We have an older auto-body specialist who has worked on the car and will help assemble those parts, but I’m looking for information on the mechanics and wiring. I might be a slightly average DIY mechanic with modern cars (mostly foreign) but my uncle schooled me when I was a kid hanging out in his garage with American cars in the 70’s, so I do have some faint memories of doing that.

I never thought I’d touch another distributor cap in my life!

I know where to go for VW/Audi information, and I’m looking for the same type of community and manuals for the Shelby.

Haynes? The reviews of recent copies of the books are pretty lukewarm. Car clubs? Online forums?

The car is garaged, safe, and I have plenty of time. I”m sure I could figure it out as I went along (as my uncle used to say, “nuts are nuts and bolts are bolts and they only screw together one way” - and then he’d laugh his ass off at me trying to put something back together.)

Thanks to anyone who weighs in!

Congratulations!

Here are some links to manuals that you could benefit from, the Jim Osborn book is a series GET ALL in the series and the Ford Service manual as well.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/chassis-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138101?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/electrical-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138090?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/engine-assembly-manual-1969/138134?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/body-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138070?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/shop-manual-printed-1969-ford-mercury-car/138042?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

[aj]

If needed,  i have many dozens of photos i took during disassembly of my 69/70 GT500.   A lot of helpful folks and knowledge on this forum.

[J_Joseph]

Congrats! Specify your location and hopefully someone can help with your assessment! And go to some Mustang and Shelby shows and meet and talk other owners.

Thank you, I edited the post.

[J_Joseph]

Congrats - true bolts is bolts and nuts is nuts - but now you need to decide if you want to use "the bolt" or just "a bolt". Do you want a 100 point trailer queen that just hit the dealer showroom - or a driver that you and the family can enjoy the memories of the loved one who entrusted their dream to you?
Start with a Mustang restoration guide. That will give you the details on how to assemble the car that was modified into the Shelby. For the Shelby mods and details you'll find the best source here. Don't forget to get a Marti report to see how you car left the factory. Mustang and Shelby club judging standards will show you the correct parts to use for the reassembly.

Yes, fair points and I’ve never been a fan of trailer queens when it came to cars, although my uncle built some amazing hot rods for shows that went in trailers, and then some other hot rods (like a 50’s fire truck) that they drove like mad.

[J_Joseph]

That is incredibly fantastic for you.  Congrats.  I was in a similar situation when I got my car.  I cannot say enough good things about the SAAC members in their help and guidance.   I am now in the final stages of finishing my numbers matching 69 GT500, and I do have a large number of original and replacement parts, along with new AMK hardware, available, that I will be getting rid of. If you decide to restore your car, you are welcome to contact me for parts.  Maybe I can help you with your project in this respect, and save you some money.

That’s massive, thank you.  I’m in the position now where I’m making an inventory of what I have and what I think I need, so I will definitely contact you with questions if you don’t mind.  I really appreciate the offer.

Case in point: we have a new gas tank (the old one is gone), but no sending unit, filler pipe/neck, or gas cap.  It’s possible the gas cap is in one of the many boxes, wrapped up in an old sheet or something.  From my research, it looks like Ford used a type of ribbon caulk to go between the tank and the body, plus some simple sheet metal screws.

It’s quite easier than modern cars, which I appreciate.  I can’t imagine how long it would take me to put together a new car that was delivered in parts. 

[J_Joseph]

If needed,  i have many dozens of photos i took during disassembly of my 69/70 GT500.   A lot of helpful folks and knowledge on this forum.

That is awesome.  I’ve been saving photos that I’ve found online because they indicate what the finished state is.  To be honest, some of the bits I have no idea what they should look like when I put them back together.  (Although I did get the steering box back in this weekend without any diagrams or photos - just made sense.)

Are your photos online here?

[J_Joseph]

[/quote]

Congratulations!

Here are some links to manuals that you could benefit from, the Jim Osborn book is a series GET ALL in the series and the Ford Service manual as well.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/chassis-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138101?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/electrical-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138090?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/engine-assembly-manual-1969/138134?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/body-assembly-manual-69-mustang/138070?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969

https://www.npdlink.com/product/shop-manual-printed-1969-ford-mercury-car/138042?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dservice%252Bmanual%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D1969&year=1969
[/quote]

Those manuals look like exactly what I need.  Thank you very much.

(Also, I’ve been a creative for a very long time and appreciate the old design and topography.)

[aj]

J-Joseph,   My photos from disassembly aren’t posted online.  Many of them are close ups that likely need an explanation to give context of what the photo is showing.  I’m happy to be the librarian and pick and sort through them to find which photo is/ are applicable to your task at hand.  Others here also have many.