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I acquired this little piece just recently and wondered if Hi-Performance Motors actually used this identifier on their plates? That was the claim by the seller who patterned this repro from file materials he received from Lew Spencer in 1984. My car was invoiced to Hi-Performance Motors so I wanted the piece for the small Shelby shrine I created in the home office.

Recent acquisition.  Apparently a service part with label taped on. What am I looking at here? 843 currently has a ridiculous little hold down tab which is apparently all wrong. Friend of mine says there should be the letter "c" stamped on this block shaped clamp which I do not see. If I got seen off it wasn't for a lot. Curious.

One hell of a long ride.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/stunning-one-owner-1964-mustang-with-700k-miles-for-sale-it-s-the-steal-of-the-millennium-233164.html

Ready...settie...goooooowh!

I am hoping it is as good if not better than Fury Road.

A Shelbyized one minute horror story.

I just bought an oem left hand cold air vent for the car. Looks to be in great shape. None was installed during assembly. I cannot seem to find the screw type to bolt the vent bracket to the underside of the dash. They sell the three nuts to attach it to the cowl but nothing for the bracket. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Fancy seeing me in this section of the boards.  That said, anyone here a bit neurotic about having the rubber cap on the high beam switch and the grommet that is embedded in the carpet?  I am considering getting them for the Hertz.  Along with some other missing parts and pieces like the battery shield that mounts to the inner fender apron to prevent the positive from sparking upon removal.  Keep in mind that Legendary Motor Car did all of the body and paint.  I was a poor struggling lawyer back then so I had to pull the car.  Two assemblers came and went to get the car road worthy but they were not Mustang guys so some things were hit and miss.  I am aiming to correct the missing stuff.  A fire has been lit under me.  Finally. 

I was put to shame the other day when my friend came over and asked if I knew the Ford VIN on 843. I had no idea. I have it memorized now. He was pointing out all these date codes on parts of the inner fender. Man oh man my ignorance would fill a book.

Ray Brown lap belts.  The flat clip next to the door with the fastening latch side hooked to the driveshaft tunnel or vice versa?  I have seen it both ways. 

After being on the road since 2012 and being reliable for the most part, problems are beginning to arise. This one involves the clutch pedal. It is not pulling far enough on the clutch to slip into gear as easy as before. And the pedal is spongy which suggests the return spring is losing its tensile strength? I attempted to adjust the pedal under the hood on the Z bar but it hasn't fully corrected the problem. Wondering if that rod is even correct for the setup. Also wondering if there is a secondary place under the dash for an adjustment or is something more insidious going on like loosened bracket(s)?

Something not seen until today. The rear caps are creating bat ears from the setting sun. Like the bat signal perhaps. Unusual.  Never a dull moment with that car I tell you.

A one minute paranormal short about a man and his cherished Corvette.

https://youtube.com/shorts/qpipkw9oS-M

Isn't today the 60th anniversary of the release of the Mustang?

 Three Forty Six Pak

By

Richard L. Elsliger © 2024


She was a stunning ride
The source of all my pride
A three forty Six Pak
On the ready to attack

The engine stirs to life
A sound so full of strife
With hand on pistol grip
I pop the clutch to let her rip

Into battle we must go
Man and mistress all aglow
We will own this road race track
Only me and my Six Pak

The green flag drops and we're away
We charge headlong toward the fray
Then my Six Pak takes the lead
A blur of paint at insane speed

But when I find around the turn
A phantom wreck that there does burn
I turn my wheel but lose control
My car begins to flip and roll

A grinding crash splits the air
My life will end it seems unfair
And when I leave this mortal dream
I know that Death does reign supreme

 

Yeah I know, not Shelby related but it is car related. Always a soft spot for old Mopar.  I took artistic license with the pistol grip and the three two barrels.  I do not believe that the Trans-Am version of the Challenger had either.  But hey, it's a poem.  It's fiction. Enjoy.  Or not.  Depending on your view of the car featured and/or quality of the poetry. 

I normally don't dwell on what really are routine celestial phenomena at any given time in any given place in the world but got inspired to write this ditty on the solar eclipse 2024.

The Solar Eclipse
By
Richard L. Elsliger 2024

When sun and moon and Earth align
The thought sends chills upon my spine
The sun and moon I cannot touch
Their beams and rays I cannot clutch

The sun shines light upon us all
But soon the moon will cast its pall
It moves with stealth across the sky
The sun's bright face it will defy

The time arrives the moon is here
A jaunty gloom so many fear
It glides with ease to block the sun
To tell us all the moon has won

But then the sun again appears
To warm the land, dispel all fears
I will not cross the river Styx
Yet still I fear the next eclipse


And no, I do not fear solar eclipses. Unless I stare at it unfiltered.  I plan to ignore it all on Monday and go about my business.  Besides, this is Chicago and the cloud cover will "eclipse" the eclipse, a spoiler for those who aspire to get a view.

I happened upon a discussion about the alleged weak firewall on early Mustangs.  Apparently the brake pedal application can cause the firewall to flex.  I also have a clutch pedal.  The car is not tracked but are there any potential nasty surprises I might encounter with anything breaking or bending with the current pedal setup? 

This is the starting point of a video showing a totally modified 67 fastback where the topic was mentioned.
https://youtu.be/RazJt1rESh4?si=s1qbdQBGKFnwac8I&t=907

I got to researching the issue (as I am want to do) and apparently Hane Performance (Walt Hane who raced and won the B Production in 1966 in an R Model) created a solution.  Not something I would really want to do to a street car and especially not to 6s843 but I don't like surprises while out on a jaunt.
http://haneperformance.com/Firewall-Brace.html
https://youtu.be/RazJt1rESh4?si=s1qbdQBGKFnwac8I&t=907

Apparently no new holes need to be drilled.  It looks awkward but perhaps necessary in a car with metal that is 57 years old? 

As an addendum, I can really recommend Hane's book "Racing to Riverside."  It was a very enjoyable read and he really analyzed the weaknesses he found in the R Model that he modified to make the car indestructible during the racing season in 1966.  The ingenuity he used on his R model was inspiring to say the least. I have no proverbial dog in the fight.  Just passing on a good read.
http://haneperformance.com/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lcD-ChO6i9Q

Maybe only the date changes and the rest stays the same.  According to Mark Twain history doesn't repeat itself but it sure likes to rhyme.

I wonder how many of us were as wild with our cars back in the day.  Me, I wasn't so brash.

843 came up on my Aldi receipt today. Maybe it's a sign to buy a lottery ticket.

Amusing to say the least.  I did not know that Henry Ford's mother died giving birth to her seventh child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjqjoehA7kM

Bought a gym membership for the Hertz and woke up to this...
All kidding aside this car looks brutal.