Eye-Level Brake and Turn Signal Lights
Brian Styles
Eye-Level Brake and Turn Signal Lights, often referred to as ‘upper scoop lights’ (USLs) by today's enthusiasts, are found in the earliest-completed ‘67 Shelby G.T. units. They’re a rare feature that provides additional lineage to Shelby’s involvement in the Daytona Coupe and GT40 programs.
The two most common questions regarding these lights are how did they function and which cars received them?
Photo credit: Dr. Brian Glover, car #0083.
The lights were present on the two pre-production advertising cars (#V738-2 and #0176) and on regular production units from the launch. The light assemblies on the advertising cars had a chrome bezel at the base. Like most running changes (RCs), it has been tough to pinpoint exactly when these lights were discontinued. Luckily, through the relentless data-gathering and organizing efforts of JD, Rich Plescia, and others, it can be summarized that the lights disappeared from production vehicles completed around mid-December 1966. Of course, there are always exceptions.
Some folks have misunderstood the purpose of the lights, how they were wired, and as a result, called them ‘running lights.’ Early sales literature referred to these as “Eye-Level Brake and Turn Signal Lights” and a recently scrutinized document confirms this application and clarifies when and how the mandate came down to deprecate them.
This document is titled “Product Letter 67-1,” drafted by Frank Martin on December 2, 1966, and sent to department managers.
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This date of the document coincides rather well with the results from vehicle-specific data and helps to explain why vehicles completed for a short time after the date of the letter were still fitted with the lights.
It’s important to remind everyone that when tracking this and other RCs, that we must look at the vehicle’s SAI completion date and not simply at the VIN sequence that it was assigned.
Most RCs weren’t what you’d call a ‘clean break.’ For example, tail light assemblies were made and wired in batches, by one team. The assemblies were racked and stacked on shelves ahead of the cars being run through the shop, and I doubt that a FIFO inventory selection method was closely followed.
These early tail light assemblies had a pigtail with quick disconnect pre-wired to them. In cars built after the approximate mid-December 1966 cut-off, we have documented at least one unit (car #0200) as having the pigtails on the rear light assemblies, however, the pigtails were not connected to any additional wiring and the lights were not present in the air extractors. It’s likely there are quite a few other cars completed by SAI from mid-December through approximately the first week of January 1967 that had partial (pigtails only) or complete wiring from the tail light assemblies, but no actual lights installed.
Note: This ‘RC transition evidence’ can also be found with the brake scoops that were changed from functional to non-functional. Some cars have been found with holes drilled to the rear inner wheels houses yet there was no ducting installed and the backside of the brake scoops was closed-off making them non-functional.
Car #0100 is the only G.T. 500 Fastback that was completed before the lights were discontinued.
Cars #0131 and #0139 would have received the lights based on their 12/7/66 completion date, however, the coupe and convertible body styles didn’t have the cabin air extractors and therefore could not be fitted with the lights.
Product Letters:
It appears Product Letters were used by SAI to address problems and the solution -- what we have typically referred to as Running Changes (RCs).
This one is numbered “67-1,” which would seem to indicate that it’s the first Product Letter related to the ‘67 model year vehicles.
We’ve previously found and published Product Letter “67-4,” dated Jan.24, 1967 which addressed the cooling problems inherent to the GT500 Air/Con cars. Both Product Letters we’ve found so far are marked “Confidential.”
On December 2, 1966 (the same date of Product Letter 67-1), we also have a memo that announced Ford’s Fred Goodell assumed the role of SAI’s “Engineering Manager,” replacing John Liefeld, who reportedly ‘resigned’ on the same day.
Prior to this first Product Letter, it appears that basic memos were used to notify staff of RPCs. Examples would include the October 5th, 1966 memo regarding the Goodyear tire changes and the November 10th, 1966 memo regarding the VIN length change. Perhaps the transition from ‘Memos’ to ‘Confidential Product Letters’ was one of may changes and processes implemented by Goodell.
It should go without argument that there would be two Product Letters, numbered 67-2 and 67-3, issued between 67-1 on 12/2/66 and 67-4 on 1/24/67. We haven’t found these documents (yet), however, if we had to speculate, one might be related to the running change that implemented the ‘temporary’ 2-piece front-end, and perhaps the other might correspond to switching to the stamped GT rear lower valance. One could further speculate that subsequent Product letters would have been issued for the discontinuation of functional brake scoops, the raised-style tail light panel, the change to the 67-½ style (outboard highbeam location) front-end, and one for the louvered hood which was implemented on the GT500 cars with air conditioning.
See also:
Data gathering and additional research over on the SAACforum
