Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:07:21 EDT
Subject: Re: Mustang Registration
To: mexmust@hammar.dyndns.org

I spoke with Steve Ooley yesterday, who I bought the car from in Indianapolis. He arranged for the work done at that time, including transmission work to harden the shifting for drag racing. He says it's a C4, but I noticed the other day that the buck tag indicates a C6, so I asked him again and he's only "pretty sure" it's a C4. Most documentation on these cars say they were equiped with C4's, but in any event, I'll check the markings as it's a curiousity for me too now. The original rear differential is a Dana 44 (not a Dana 60 as at least one car had) non-locking with 3:00 gears as were most outfitted (it's sitting in the garage with the car). I bought a Ford 9 inch locker with 4:11 gears and 32 spline axles as a complete assembly from Jeff Sneathen of SEMA Mustang at the Shelby convention in Indianapolis and added a set of Shelby traction bars to stop wheel hop (which they did).

The car has never been raced (legally), but I do drive it around the countryside. The original drum brakes keep me honest. I have a house near Lime Rock Racetrack and it gets lots of quizical looks sitting in the parking lot or just driving around. It still sports the original glass-pack mufflers and tri-Y headers making it one of the louder cars in Litchfield County. In addition to which there's never been a front license plate holder or front turn signals installed. All the glass is original and still has the Mexican registration stickers in the rear window. The local state troopers look but don't ask.

Steve told me that Eduardo Velazquez owned and built this car for his wife, thus the "Emerald Green" paint (apparently the only one). It also explains perhaps the short cuts taken in the fabrication and installation of the unique fiberglass parts, of which this car seems to be the only one that has everything in Eduardo's inventory of molds, e.g.; "fastback" roof extensions, engine hood with NACA-type vents, trunk hatch with flanking quarters, taillight valance (with Thunderbird lenses) and front bumper all painted body color. The fit is crude, but not atypical of even the American counterparts, upon which mechanical performance came before precision coachwork. I've been loath to touch any of this stuff on the theory that "in for a penny, in for a pound" will create a financial quagmire. Plus I'm siiting on the fence when it comes to cutting the car and I refuse to disassemble it and then put it back together as I found it, not to mention the cost of replicating and/or salvaging all the original and unique interior parts. I'd like to restore and upgraded it to perfection, but it's a tough call as in any restoration, whether to "correct" the factory wrongs or not. It may be of some importance to get Eduardo to weigh in on this, but I've no desire to start anything I can't finish.

In the meantime, the car runs beautifully and it still looks very presentable. I bought it because I like to drive it and it's still lots of fun.

BK

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Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 17:06:42 EDT
Subject: 69 Shelby de Mex C4?
To: mexmust@hammar.dyndns.org

I had a look under the car this weekend and the transmission is an earlier C4 automatic with the breather tube mounted on the side of the case and matched it with photos from magazine articles on C4's. Most of these cars had 4-speed manuals, but this car was built for Eduardo's wife and thus the automatic (and dash undermounted air-conditioning which I had removed and put in the box with the other stuff the Paxton displaced). The tail housing had a part number RFP-70P-7A040-(? obscured). Oddly, I re-read my March 1991 issue of Mustang Monthly in which this car was featured and Eduardo was mentioned to have said the rear differential was a Dana 60, but again Steve Ooley says it's a 44.

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Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 14:44:43 EDT
Subject: Re: 1969 Shelby de Mex - pictures
To: mexmust@hammar.dyndns.org

I took these myself yesterday with a Canon G4 SureShot digital camera in late afternoon sun, automatic focus and aperture. The close up of the door tag is out of focus but reads "L AC 6 1 VC". The last shot is of the Dana 44 rear gear housing in storage, it's supposed to rain next Saturday and maybe I'll clean it up and look for markings to verify type. The transmission is definitely a C-4.

There's pictures of the trunk and engine bay, which need detailing. Since the engine bay is painted to match the body color, the idea of re-wiring, plumbing hoses etc. has me unwilling to dive in as the car runs beautifully and starts right up. "If it ain't broke..."

I've included odd angle shots to more clearly show the unique de Mex fiberglass as I've never seen these details in any publication.

B King

 
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