I've seen the book and it is a neat read, that said it really doesn't cover much outside of the very basics so it can be easy to 'outgrow' in a hurry for those who are really interested in this period of Ford history. Personally my favorites are typically the ones written from an inside perspective, they tend to have the best and most in depth information as well as the least amount of speculation. (a lot of 'wrong' history circulating from this period out there so I advise anybody be careful of what you read) I would recommend anything by Friedman as a great source for Shelby American history that really details how close the relationship between SA, H&M, and FoMoCo really was in the 60's. And of course, as the 'official' photographer for Shelby American during that period you get some really great snapshots to put into perspective that these really were high dollar 'hot rods' sanctioned by the factory. Best of all, his books are a great starting point for beginners but relevant enough to still hold the interest of those familiar with the history already.

 

Always interesting to hear about the history of Ford and Shelby. Now that we understand Carrol Shelby so well, what kind of Mustang will he unveil at the Detroit Auto Show ?

 

You are missing something here Drew. If somebody else makes it and Shelby puts his name on it somewhere - the part turns to gold. If Shelby's people make it (prisoners on not), well, not so much. Witness the KR axle reservoir that is now only available to KR owners as a warranty item. Right out of the shipping box...









Hose that looked to have been dragged around the paint shop for a few years (as well as being filled on the inside). Welds that even Michael J. Fox looking through Stevie Wonder's eyes couldn't duplicate.

Superb quality control. Worth thousands in a few short decades.

 

Looks like it was made by a Neanderthal.

 

You are way too polite Karl!

 

Exaggerate much? Now here is when you bring up the hood. Would I rather have a Shelby branded part on my 500? Yes. Am I willing to pay more for a Shelby branded part? Yes. Do I like everything that Shelby puts his name on? No.

 

They must have switched manufacturers or something, I have one in my garage that doesn't look nearly that bad (although I wouldn't call it precision-manufactured). I'll get pics later.

 

my word.. that looks like a kid made that in shop class.

 

Seen it before, still genuinely terrible.

 

Too bad Ford of Canada doesn't have same integrity.

 

Interesting. Every single one I have ever seen had the same weld 'signature' on it. Do you recall the approximate date when you bought it?

 

......

 

Sometime in 09 I believe.

 

How much does Shelby sell the axle reservoir for ? I suspect that part is not something most people would see. The part looks robust enough that it looks as if it would never need to be replaced except for the hose or if it fell off and got run over. The welds are continuous and look more than sufficient .

 

That is a piece of ****. Did that come off of your KR? I noticed you said every one you have seen was like that, how many have you personally seen?

I'd be embarrassed to have that out there, did that come on all of the KR's? They made a couple of thousand of them between 08 and 09 didn't they? Most people probably know about that by now, I'd figure that there are thousands of pics of those floating around the web.

 

What dont you guys like about that part ? To me , it looks like that is an aluminum piece. I would say it is MIG welded. Did you all want it to be TIG welded so it would look pretty ? I have never seen an axle reservoir before, but the Shelby piece looks as if it would last forever. I would rather have a part that is rugged than pretty. That piece looks good for something most people will never see.

 

The welds are highly irregular and convex. I highly doubt that any purging or backgassing was done either - something that needs to be done when welding stainless. In other words, you really wouldn't want to see the inside of that piece. And it isn't about a part looking robust - it is about simple, quality fabrication. I agree though, the welds are continuous (which is irrelevant). They are continuously horrible.

It isn't aluminum. It is rolled stainless sheet that has MIG welded ends as well as MIG welded pre-bent brackets. You don't have to TIG stainless for it to be "pretty" - a metric that has nothing to do with proper welding technique and execution.

You never see your crankshaft, but would you want Shelby's fabricators welding in balancing slugs on a custom crank - pretty or not? Egads, I sure as he** wouldn't.

Furthermore, the complete lack of QC on Shelby's part with regard to final inspection before packaging is completely unacceptable. Dirt and dust aren't normally included for free on Shelby's parts (or are they?).The rubber hose was cut with a dull butter knife or gnawed off by a toothless beaver.

Here's a much better product offering when considering an axle reservoir.

 

That part was made with no pride whatsoever. That looks like something built at the track one afternoon. I could get those built for dirt cheap and look way more professional. The tank is not even round. It still functions fine I'm sure but it looks rigged up and home made.

 

I missed this initially.

I purchased it direct from Shleppy headquarters. There are quite a few photos on the Team Shelby site (no less) that document the poor build quality. Everyone that bought one has voiced similar concerns regarding the piece.

Most KR guys have little reason to take the piece out just to document its poor fabrication work. Many have no idea what goes on under the back of their car beyond 'stuff' that makes it go weeeeee!!!!!!

Even if they did decide to look around underneath the rear chassis of their gold mine this is about all they would see...