Adding Shelby-style rear taillights to a '67-'68 Mustang just got a lot easier. In the past, just finding a Shelby rear panel with its Thunderbird-style lights was a difficult and expensive proposition. It was also nerve-wracking because to install the large Thunderbird taillights, rectangular openings had to be cut in the car's sheetmetal rear panel, but thanks to Mustang Project, a company that specializes in sequential LED taillights for early Mustangs, those days are over.
With Mustang Project's '67 Shelby taillight conversion kit, adding sequential Shelby taillights to any '67-'68 Mustang is now an obtainable goal. The kit actually consists of two separate pieces; the fiberglass reproduction of the original '67 Shelby rear panel and the actual taillight kit, which consists of the LED panels, lenses, and lens bezels. Mustang Project chose to offer the parts separately because some owners may already possess a Shelby rear panel. Priced at $159.95 for the fiberglass panel and $449.95 for the lights and lenses, the $610 total is still less than you'd spend for original Shelby parts, assuming you can find them and muster up the guts to slice into your rear panel. In fact, you can easily remove the Mustang Project rear panel and return to the factory taillights. Only small holes are required for the self-tapping screws, and they are hidden by the closed decklid and the bumper.
To check out the installation, we enlisted help from Merv Rego and Matt Simmons at Classic Creations of Central Florida, where we installed the Mustang Project Shelby taillights on a customer's '68 fastback. Although our installation wasn't meant to be permanent, it did provide us with some insight about the kit's installation. Notably, the fiberglass panel, although originally designed for use on a fastback (remember, all '67 Shelbys were fastbacks), must be trimmed for a good fit before prepping for paint.
The key to the Mustang Project...
The key to the Mustang Project '67 Shelby sequential taillight conversion kit is the fiberglass rear panel, which is an exact reproduction of the '67 Shelby panel. As with all fiberglass body components, some fitting is required before paint and final installation. Originally designed for fastbacks, it can also be adapted for use on hardtops and convertibles.
The sequential LED light panels,...
The sequential LED light panels, taillight lenses, and aluminum trim are sold separately from the fiberglass panel. Because the LED panels are flat, you don't need to cut the rear panel as with the original Thunderbird lights used on '67 Shelbys, and they're bright, with 252 LED lights in each panel.
Begin the Shelby taillight...
Begin the Shelby taillight installation by removing the rear bumper.