Antenna Location 68 Shelbys Revisited

[P DeCap]

Former 66 GT 350 owner looking to get back in with a '68 GT 500.  Saw the prior posts from January 2024 on this topic and I'm revisiting because the car I'm considering has had a full restore and the antenna is on the front right fender. The Shelby serial is 800.  Marti report shows car was built 12/14/67 and sent to Levittown Motors on Long Island. The SAAC Registry indicates the car was sold on 6/15/68.  From the prior 2024 discussion it appears this serial number places it above the "early car" number.  I know that much of what is Shelby is "it depends" but would this serial number be too late to be an early car even though it was built 12/67 and/or is this just an instance of a dealer not paying attention?

[Coralsnake]

Early and late has nothing to do with it.

It was the dealers decision where to mount the antenna

[Bob Gaines]

I do not disagree with Pete however the vast majority of original 68 Shelby's cars that I have seen with a front mounted antenna happen to be on early cars. With that said the front mounted antenna will give more static on AM stations because of electrical interference coming through the fiberglass hood from the ignition system. A steel hood shields and contains the interference from getting to the radio. I suspect the location wasn't widely considered initially by dealers until the factory made suggestions to the dealers for the desired placement because of the radio interference issue.There had been warranty issues in previous years Shelby's about this problem and the antenna location from the front fender to the rear quarter was a simple fix. I should mention that the static is not a big issue for FM reception. At least this is conclusion that what I have arrived at based on observations over the years.

[Coralsnake]

I submit McCollum Ford as exhibit 1, GT500 KR with front mounted antenna

http://www.thecoralsnake.com/McCollum.html

I will add the intention was dealers should put the antenna on the rear quarter panel. That is why the factory installed the cable in the rocker panel

[FL SAAC]

dealerships probably had instructions or direction on placement

but ultimately it was the employees discretion as to placement, that's why you see all these anomalies

[azdriver]

Antenna location on this car seems unusual...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLU3TDKG40E

Pat

[QuickSilverShelby]

Mine is located on the rear, drivers side fender.

QSS

[shelbymann1970]

I have had 2 68s ordered the same day in Dec. Built end of Jan 4 days apart from the same dealership and ordered by customers(talked to both). My old GT350 had the antenna mounted on the front fender and my GT500 on the DS rear quarter and BOTH original paneled cars with the 500 still sporting original paint. So my assumption is both were delivered to the dealer in a relatively short time frame from one another(have sold paperwork on my 500 but not the 350). I have also found other 68s from the same dealership(Stark Hickey of Royal Oak, Mi.) with  fender mounted antennas.

[Bob Gaines]

I don't remember if All 68 Shelbys came with a assemblyline installed radio or not . With that said if some didn't I wonder if there is any correlation with cars that did not come with a factory radio but added by the dealer in which case the instructions and mounting template in the radio kit would show installation on the front fender like a regular Mustang. Just a thought.

[Coralsnake]

All came with radios

All came with the extended cable installed in left rocker

Dealers did what they wanted

[FL SAAC]

All came with radios

All came with the extended cable installed in left rocker

Dealers did what they wanted

That's what this guy had said

dealerships probably had instructions or direction on placement

but ultimately it was the employees discretion as to placement, that's why you see all these anomalies

[Coralsnake]

Pat,

That is unusual. I recall a Canadian dealer that did several cars like that. I have never seen anything to indicate the issues with radio interference, but its possible.

The prep job was usually assigned to a low skill employee and thats why you see them all over the place.

I do agree with Mr Gaines, that because the Mustangs were typically mounted on the right front fenders, thats why some Shelbys initially ended up with them there. 

Bottom line is not something factory did.

[highland green]

I was told that Sud cars had them in both locations. 459 had a front mount passenger fender, when I restored ,I moved it to left rear,

[Bob Gaines]

Pat,

That is unusual. I recall a Canadian dealer that did several cars like that. I have never seen anything to indicate the issues with radio interference, but its possible.

The prep job was usually assigned to a low skill employee and thats why you see them all over the place.

I do agree with Mr Gaines, that because the Mustangs were typically mounted on the right front fenders, thats why some Shelbys initially ended up with them there. 

Bottom line is not something factory did.

You have to go back to 67 Shelby production to see all of the warranty radio issue claims during the time that the all fiberglass 67 hood was used. Early 67 had a steel inner structure hood that better shielded against electrical interference. Some 67's with all fiberglass hoods had a more noticeable problem than others. 67 Shelby predominantly had the antenna mount on the front fender. Many 67 Shelby were ordered without radios. It was common that many of the the earlier year Shelby's were ordered  without a radio and one was installed at SA/High Performance Motors so as to make more money. A loop hole in the system was discovered where the radio could be purchased by SA cheaper then having the factory do it.I understand that things changed (Ford closed the loop hole sometime in 67 that made the SA radio install impractical  The radio kits included a template to use for antenna placement on the front fender . The number of radio interference warranty issues became more noticeable as more cars were sold. Most fixes had to do with trying to eliminate the interference with the antenna on the front fender because of the nightmare to change locations after the fact. Consequently in 67 there were different strange fixes like bonding screen wire to the underside of the hood to shield the radio from the electrical interference. Most ended up just living with the static on AM on a front antenna car. Some of the in the know dealers that sold 67's installed the antenna on the rear quarter from the get go to head off possible problems that had been experienced by others. I have a high confidence level those past interference issues effected the rear mount design for 68.  Sorry for the non 68 history lesson but I thought it was pertinent in understanding the evolution of the antenna placement. 

[vtgt500]

Interesting thread.  My Dec production '68 was purchased unmolested in '77.  Antenna is on left rear.  Curious to me as front and rear mounting may have different cable length.  If rear mount, I'd expect the cable would have been routed prior to carpet and seat install.