Fog Light History or Fairy Tale

Mosesatm · Jan 5, 2006

Ok, here’s my warped theory on the history of our fog lights.

California Specials were originally supplied with Marchal 656 fog lights mounted on brackets in the grille. Shelbys were also supplied with Marchal 656 lights but they were mounted on posts. (I think everyone agrees on that.)

Then, due to the recall, the Shelbys were changed over to Lucas Square 8 LR8 fog lights. Since the Lucas lights were larger than the Marchals they rode too high and were no longer centered in the grille so they were then mounted on small square chrome pedestals. Someone in Corporate was probably really pissed that they had to scrap all those posts and buy stupid little chrome pedestals because of the @$%# Feds. (Seems logical and am pretty sure that’s what happened.)

The same Lucas lights were to be used on the California Specials but they also rode too high when attached to the original Marchal brackets. There was lot of head banging and sweating and swearing until it dawned on someone that they had a ton of Shelby posts that were going to be scrapped. They tried a set and they worked so all the Shelby posts then found their way to the GT/CSs. That person was knighted and became the VP of BS. (Sounds good but has a lot of room for interpretation)

Does anyone know if that is more-or-less what happened? Well, other than the knighting, that is.

Are they the exact same posts? If so, then could we not add those to our list of Shelby parts in California Specials?

hookedtrout · Jan 5, 2006

Mosesatm said:
Ok, here’s my warped theory on the history of our fog lights.

California Specials were originally supplied with Marchal 656 fog lights mounted on brackets in the grille. Shelbys were also supplied with Marchal 656 lights but they were mounted on posts. (I think everyone agrees on that.)

Then, due to the recall, the Shelbys were changed over to Lucas Square 8 LR8 fog lights. Since the Lucas lights were larger than the Marchals they rode too high and were no longer centered in the grille so they were then mounted on small square chrome pedestals. Someone in Corporate was probably really pissed that they had to scrap all those posts and buy stupid little chrome pedestals because of the @$%# Feds. (Seems logical and am pretty sure that’s what happened.)

The same Lucas lights were to be used on the California Specials but they also rode too high when attached to the original Marchal brackets. There was lot of head banging and sweating and swearing until it dawned on someone that they had a ton of Shelby posts that were going to be scrapped. They tried a set and they worked so all the Shelby posts then found their way to the GT/CSs. That person was knighted and became the VP of BS. (Sounds good but has a lot of room for interpretation)

Does anyone know if that is more-or-less what happened? Well, other than the knighting, that is.

Are they the exact same posts? If so, then could we not add those to our list of Shelby parts in California Specials?

I'll support that theory, I can picture it exactly as you describe it.

Cory

hcsstang · Jan 6, 2006

The square post were never used on the GTCS's.I believe thats right.

Mosesatm · Jan 6, 2006

Well, actually, hundreds or thousands of California Specials had them but they weren't supposed to.

Maybe the memo to the dealers just said to use the short pedelstals under Lucas fog lights without stating "For Shelby Only". In the corporate world anything can happen, and usually does.

Some other car must have used the same short pedestals because every other set of Lucas lights I purchase has the chrome pedestals. It might have been Rolls Royce. Sounds like a good research project for work today.

It's my theory that the tall posts from the early Shelbys are the same as the GT/CS Lucas posts. If I only knew where there I could find an early '68 Shelby.

Jason, next time you see Tim will you find out what kind of posts he has?

390cs68rcode · Jan 6, 2006

his lights are Marchals so it is the short square ones.

Mosesatm · Jan 6, 2006

Marchals get the long posts like the GT/CS. The Lucas lights get the short ones.

Mosesatm · Jan 6, 2006

Mosesatm said:
Some other car must have used the same short pedestals because every other set of Lucas lights I purchase has the chrome pedestals. It might have been Rolls Royce. Sounds like a good research project for work today.

Found a '77 Rolls on eBay that has the Lucas lights with the newer lens covers.

Click to expand...

case12 · Jan 6, 2006

Mosesatm said:
Well, actually, hundreds or thousands of California Specials had them but they weren't supposed to.

I have seen a couple CS's with the square chrome posts and wondered if this was an original dealer mistake or a bad restoration. I like the cylinder post better on the CS, as it was intended. Casey

390cs68rcode · Jan 6, 2006

I stand corrected. Talked to Tim and his Marchals have the cylinders like our Lucas lights do. He said he has never seen the square pedestals on Shelby's.

case12 · Jan 6, 2006

Interesting. At the Carroll Shelby show there were a number of Shelbys with the square posts. Here are a couple of pictures. There are others I took in the old Gallery, under Shelby Show. Casey

Mosesatm · Jan 6, 2006

case12 said:
I have seen a couple CS's with the square chrome posts and wondered if this was an original dealer mistake or a bad restoration. I like the cylinder post better on the CS, as it was intended. Casey

I asked that same question a few months ago and a few theories were tossed around about the dealers.

They found it easier to install the short Shelby posts. (Greedy dealer)

They didn't understand that the GT/CS retrofit was different than the Shelby retrofit. (Lazy or inept dealer who didn't read the entire memo) Were both cars recalled at the same time?

They thought the Shelby posts looked better (Tasteless dealer)

They had a bunch of Shelby post laying around from the Shelby retrofits, and hated to throw away perfectly good parts, so they reused them. (Dishonest dealer)

They thought the GT/CS was a Shelby and the memo said to use the short posts on all Shelbys. (Dumb dealer)

I agree there are more than a few inaccurate restoration. There have probably also been many times where bodyshops used the wrong posts when repairing damaged cars.

Imagine the following from the manager of a Chevy dealer's bodyshop ordering parts for a GT/CS with a crunched front. Could even be someone restoring the car who wasn't Mustang savvy.

"What kind of car is this? Kind of looks like one of those Shelby things. Yep, here it is in the book. Same big Lucas fog lights. This car seems to have the wrong kind of supports, though. Oh, I see what they did, they used some water pipe instead of spending the money to buy the correct parts. Well, that's a pretty Micky Mouse arrangement. Geez, the stupid things some people do. Well, we'll make the owner happy and put it back to original by installing the correct little chrome posts.":frust:

It'd be interesting to find out how many cars were improperly retrofitted by the dealers and how many were ignorance on the part of others.

case12 · Jan 6, 2006

Here is a picture of a Marchal light on a Shelby, and a Lucas light on a Shelby from a SAAC site explaining the differences. The Marchal is on cylinder posts, and the Lucas is on square posts. Casey

jk89cat · Jan 6, 2006

and casey , that blue rag in the first set you posted, thats a nice car !

case12 · Jan 7, 2006

jk89cat said:
and casey , that blue rag in the first set you posted, thats a nice car !

Try to make the Carroll Shelby Show at Volo this year - June 3. I already registered my CS, and they register them as Shelbys for the show (only $20). You get to meet Carroll and get a real autographed dash plaque (well worth many times the registration fee). Plus you get to see some amazing Shelbys (like the ragtop) and AC Cobras. Volo phone is 815-385-3644. There was only one CS there last year. Casey

Fog Light History or Fairy Tale

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