are the65/66 shelbys the only early cars that with a export brace from factory ??
thanks

 

Do you mean other than mustangs exported to Europe? I know the Shelby uses a different bolt pattern on the cowl than the others.

 

yes there were ones that exported to Europe with an export brace, to be able to drive on the Autobon.

 

The export brace is from ford exporting mustangs over seas to keep the front end straight after a month on a ship.Shelby used them because they was off the shelf and stiffened up the front end.

 

I find it interesting that you can tell a Shelby unit from a ford unit at a glance by the bolt spacing, I wonder what promoted that?

 

Shelby was probably spacing out the loading for greater strength. Shelby also welded a reinforcing plate on the cowl. Several Fords had an export brace. You can get the Falcon brace in repro. I have a magazine article from 1964 that shows the engine in a Fairlane, and it has one, too. The rarest, I think, is the BOSS 429 export brace. They sell well into four figures, when they can be found at all.