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Some additional pictures since we have them

Ignore the throttle spring modification 





A restored example

Not sure if someone has removed and or repaired the other changes/modifications such as the radiator support and all of the supporting braces for the roll bar  but for some possible buyers these can all add up. For others its likely going to be just what they are looking for. Just be a informed buyer so there are no surprises.

Don't believe I've ever seen pictures of the bottom side to see what else it could tell us and I don't think I've seen the car in person. 

Had to look at where this car was likely built. Won't you know

"Located in: Loxahatchee, Florida, United States"

My car did not have a metal trap door when I bought it.  I recently started looking to get a replacement and have ran into an issue.

Might help to know what car you are working on or when the car was really completed at Dearborn. May make a difference or not in the answer. We will never know with out that detail if there was some small change. Since this a a common Mustang also detail their are your fair share of examples when you include those cars in the research. This practice saved Ford money since they only had to stock red and charcoal trap doors, upper trim and corner pieces. Not sure which of these were painted at the car plant though possibly so.

It has not been unusual when the cars were repainted or "restored" for owners to change these panels to white since many people like that better or they were copying a different years white interior details - happens way more than it should IMHO. And for sure we can find really pretty "restored" examples on the web and in magazines with the panels painted white also because of this    You may also see on white interior fastbacks where they added or that is the only thing made by the suppliers, the read stripe added to the back section of the bucket seat like you do on Black interior fastbacks with that interior.

I have white interior. The three surrounding pieces are white as well.  Yet everything I am reading says that these, as well as the trap door, should all be black, not white.

The pieces in my car are molded white, they are not painted.  They have ford part numbers on them.

They were all molded out of the same material so they will all have that off white material. Even the charcoal painted ones will have the same finish on the back side visible (originally) from the trunk side looking forward.  Same engineer numbers also.

Was there an option to have a white trap door and surround? 

No - no option to choose the factory colors of the panels on 69 sportroofs with fold down in a sportroof/fastback


Here are some pictures from unrestored examples









Picture #1 and #4 though they look very close to one another they are different cars.

Haven't heard any history of if these were placed in the cars when they left SA or if they were placed in the cars after sale at a dealership. Ford owners manual and other parts of the manuals were handled in the fashion.   Distribution would be very different, as far as version, if the later was typical

Since some of the manuals (High performance, Safety and so on)  were handled later I wonder if that affected the Shelby specific manual.

Commonly found addition for that location and screw. Not original to the car as you suspected

When was the car completed at San Jose?


For the basics the 350 and 500 used the same calipers for the same production periods

Neither originally though many builders paint it with something since the original finish is gone or was stripped when they had the car blasted 

The floor was painted by paint jets mounted below the moving uin-body through this process and were set to stop appling paint before it reached the rear cross member which was galvanized to try and keep it from rusting since it would not be getting painted. Same thing goes for the forward facing surface and a small section at the rear most point where it meets the cross member.  Then the rear valance was installed before the car was painted so the only exterior color introduced onto the cross member was some from the ends as it hung freely down from the taillight panel as the quarter panels and valance were painted and also through the empty back up light holes. Rear valance was not cut for the Shelby exhaust ports yet so that blocked direct paint application from that.

Of course they was some overspray introduced into the cavity from the trunk area when those panels were being painted and the high volume of overspray in general that spray guns of that period produced though Ford tried to reduce that with air manage systems of the era 

Hope this helps

..........Is there a car number listed in the judging standards for the cutoff.

No. Have to consider that the cars were not all built in sequential order so the best one could likely do is to provide a range during which the can might have taken place, not an exact specific car number when the change occurred

I obtained a pair of TS etched bulbs from a ex fire department Econoline van. Even trade for a pair of new halogens installed. Maybe you could source from one of those southwestern salvage yards.

In years past we always searched and checked postal vehicles since they rarely used their headlight and were more often still good. Of course over the years every idiot spent their time in yards breaking headlights as a pass time apparently 



School buses also

OK looked through most of my stuff (low hanging fruit    and came up with these

Did find one that had a K85 date on it. Not sure of the source

Tried to also include FoMoCo with and without oval around it. Sometimes the FoMoCo are on the same fan blade as the engineering number and date. On others they are on different blades. Didn't include that detail

5E      Hipo Fan Survey      
   Fan Date     Stamped   S C3OA-C?   
63   L63              Front    No   
64   G64              Front    No   No Oval Above
64   J64              Front    No   No Oval Above
64   L64              Front    No   
65   A65              Front   No   No Oval Above
65   C65              Front   No   No Oval
65   E65         
65   F65              Front   No   
65   G65         
65   J65              Back   Yes   
65   L65              Back   Yes   
66   A66              Back   Yes   
66   C66              Back           Oval FoMoCo above
66   J66              Back      Yes   
67   A67              Front    No     Oval FoMoCo above
67   J67               Back      

Hope this helps

Remember or at least consider every time a previous non-widely known and shared detail is shared it can help potential buyers but also those that wish to take advantage of those that would cheat, fake, misrepresent or just steal from another potential buyer. If everyone knew everything them is would be just about impossible to tell the real from the copies.

If your looking to confirm a car please don't go it alone, ask and get some quality help. If they are good you can't learn enough in a short enough period to protect yourself. Way too many stories and way to many "that guy" purchases over the decades.

Just my thoughts

Thanks for sharing. That's a BIG collection

One kit I kept over the years since the GT350 (in blue) matches the wife's car.

Cory are you focusing just on 66 production or a wider look at 64-66 with the early style K code fans?

Just wanted to know where to start and stop and sampling

The one on the top and on the right are correct the installed bottom one is too long.

Yes the one on the bottom left doesn't have the correct "Filter" material either - guessing its some ones repo attempt. Was included to show in context to where it is located on a assembled car. Should have mentioned the differences in the post