lower hinges for 69/70 louvers

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

HI--can anyone please help me identify rear louver lower hinges---somebody is selling them as NOS with no box---to this point every time I bought NOS with no original package it was not original---thank you

[Coralsnake]

Can you post a picture?

Louvers were not original to the cars. Have you abandoned the original restoration?

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Hi---I had questioned when we bought the car 30 years ago about car having louvers and the answer was that when car was delivered to Shelby Administrative offices to be used as company car they added louvers and that why they are Ford original with numbers in the middle . When we repaint the car we lost lower hinges and rechromed original upper. Actually car has never been restored except we treat car as aircraft. No expense has ever been spared, if we found part that is not performing correctly we just look for original replacement. My objective is that when I am long gone my descendents will have chance to compare how we lived 100 years ago and be proud that they are part of what has always been the greatest nation in the world. Thanks for your help

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

here is photo of lower hinges

[Bob Gaines]

Hi---I had questioned when we bought the car 30 years ago about car having louvers and the answer was that when car was delivered to Shelby Administrative offices to be used as company car they added louvers and that why they are Ford original with numbers in the middle . When we repaint the car we lost lower hinges and rechromed original upper. Actually car has never been restored except we treat car as aircraft. No expense has ever been spared, if we found part that is not performing correctly we just look for original replacement. My objective is that when I am long gone my descendents will have chance to compare how we lived 100 years ago and be proud that they are part of what has always been the greatest nation in the world. Thanks for your help

The "anything is possible explanation" can be used in almost any situation. A more reasonable explanation is the problem solving principle (called Occam's razor ) that the simplest explanation is generally the better then the more complex/extraordinary. In this case most likely past owner added. Of course it is your car and you should do what you want. If the car is restored now it will be hard to cover up the attaching hardware installation of the louvers now if you decided to be more factory.

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Thank you for your input---realy by the sound of it most appropriate solution is to bite bullet , remove headliner , weld the holes and do repaint ,I hope we good body repair shop should be able to do match paint since the paint is only 2 years old and car has not been expose to environment---your opinion please--thank you

[Bob Gaines]

Thank you for your input---realy by the sound of it most appropriate solution is to bite bullet , remove headliner , weld the holes and do repaint ,I hope we good body repair shop should be able to do match paint since the paint is only 2 years old and car has not been expose to environment---your opinion please--thank you

I suppose it depends on what your expectations are and if you are willing to go to the expense to correct the issue. It will not be easy  as I think you suspect. It will be evolved and require a good painter to blend paint. If a metallic paint it will be all the more harder.  It will also depend on if you plan to show the car in a Mustang/Shelby concours venue. The louvers will always be a source for point deduction and if you are trying for the highest score. The deduction amount depending on venue. There will always be people asking if that was original or not. You could also just live with them. My opinion is that you have to decide what makes the most sense to do for you.

[johnzajc@gmail.com]

Bob thanks---what is point of asking for advice and then not acting on it---I believe your opinion is genuine and professional, that leaves with with only one solution---louvers have to go--thanks for being honest and direct ---john

[TOBKOB]

Good choice   

TOB