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What's this rare lighted grill emblem?

17K views 41 replies 28 participants last post by  lewin-theautopian 
#1 ·
#3 ·
They sold lots of them back in the day. I recently sold a dozen of them new in boxes in the "barn find" Mustang convertibles parts hoard that went with the cars.
 
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#7 ·
This is an aftermarket item. There are at least 4 different versions of this back lit grille ornament. The "best" version has the horse embedded in an acrylic plastic on top of a white back light lense. This "best" version was availible at the Ford parts counter. 1965-66 and 1967 versions of this "best" type were manufactured. The second best is the one shown here ... an amber lense light deeply recessed behind the running pony. The third version is a plastic housing and white lense the owner would retrofit behind the pony. This version requires the owner to cut the mounting flange from the running pony and attach (glue or drill and screw) it to the lense. All of these 3 types were availible as period aftermarket accessories. The fourth type is a recently introduced accessory ... on this version, the pony is a molded feature of the lense. This modern version is easy to spot at the pony is dull .... it isn't chromed. My first Mustang (a 1966 Sprint) had the third type I am refering to. It was cool as it was wired as a running lamp. If the motor was running ... the grille light was on. Rick
 
#9 ·
This is an aftermarket item. There are at least 4 different versions of this back lit grille ornament. The "best" version has the horse embedded in an acrylic plastic on top of a white back light lense. This "best" version was available at the Ford parts counter. 1965-66 and 1967 versions of this "best" type were manufactured. The second best is the one shown here ... an amber lense light deeply recessed behind the running pony. The third version is a plastic housing and white lense the owner would retrofit behind the pony. This version requires the owner to cut the mounting flange from the running pony and attach (glue or drill and screw) it to the lense. All of these 3 types were availible as period aftermarket accessories. The fourth type is a recently introduced accessory ... on this version, the pony is a molded feature of the lense. This modern version is easy to spot at the pony is dull .... it isn't chromed. My first Mustang (a 1966 Sprint) had the third type I am refering to. It was cool as it was wired as a running lamp. If the motor was running ... the grille light was on. Rick
I have two of these -- one of the "best" versions you describe for my 1967 Mustang. I bought it at a car show in Indiana 34 years ago. It was a dealer installed option. I still have the Ford box.I also have an amber aftermarket one for my 1966 Mustang -- what I believe you describe as the "second best" option (your picture is no longer viewable). These were called a "Silhouette Safety Light" and were made by B.J. D. Corporation in Lancaster, Ohio. I believe Scott Drake makes a new version of this with LED lights that tape onto the back of the existing horse and a flat piece of metal painted white installs behind the existing horse at the back of the corral. Many people over the years have commented that they have never seen this option before when they see it on my cars.
 
#13 ·
PART I

Before this 16 year old thread gets buried for another 16 years, there are a few items that are misleading, or just plain incorrect, that need to be addressed.

The purpose of my Post here is to clarify and correct some of the misinformation that has been presented in this 16 year old thread. I have been researching and collecting these since 1978. Over the years, I have amassed quite a bit of information on this item, and will share some of the pertinent things here.

However, before getting into details, a little "semantics" are in order. Throughout its years, Ford has offered additional, "non-standard" items for its cars and trucks that could be included at the time of purchase in addition to its "standard" vehicle, and added or installed at the Factory. These would be items like Power Brakes, Power Seat, Air Conditioning, upgrade in engine size, Whitewall Tires, Full Wheel Covers, etc. These items are called "Factory Options", or commonly, just Options.

In addition, going back to the Model T days, Ford also published catalogs of "Accessories" most every year. Accessories could be purchased at the Ford Parts Counter by an Owner or his designated Mechanic. If a Dealer were to install an Accessory for an Owner, this, mistakenly in my view, some times gets called a "Dealer Option". I say "mistakenly because invariably, over the years the word "Dealer" gets dropped, and is called an Option, implying that something was a Factory Option, instead of an Accessory installed by the Dealer. In 1957, when Ford still showed Accessories in the Salesmens' Retail Price booklets, they made a point of showing on a separate page, "Dealer Installed Accessories". Of course, there can be overlaps that apply to both ; items like Floor Mats, Door Edge Guards, Luggage Racks, Full Wheel Covers, to name a few, could be installed, or included (usually put in the trunk), at the Factory, or purchased from and installed by, the Dealer.

To avoid confusion, I have always found it prudent to call non-standard items installed at the Factory "Options", and items which could be purchased at the Ford Parts Counter, "Accessories".

That being out of the way, on to the details of the "Lighted Grill Ornament", or to use Ford's official name for it, "Radiator Grill Illuminated Medallion Kit".

Due to the number of pictures that I want to attach, I will have to do this in two parts. Part I will cover the Genuine Ford Parts, and Part II will address the "Non-Ford Parts".

PART I - GENUINE FORD PARTS

Ford did offer this as an Accessory in 1966 (Part Number C6ZZ-8B366-A), and in 1967 (Part Number C7ZZ-8B366-A). It did not appear in the 1966 Accessory Catalog, nor in the November 1. 1965 Ford List Price Book. However, in the 1967 Ford Accessory Catalog, not only was the 1967 Illuminated Medallion Kit listed, but so was the 1966, C6ZZ Kit. While it is not uncommon that an Accessory that was also listed for a previous year, being listed in later catalogs for the current year, it is highly unusual for an Accessory that is only for a prior year to be listed in a later catalog. As a matter of fact, I cannot think of another time that this was done.

The above Accessory Catalog listing is just about the extent of Marketing that Ford did in relation to the Illuminated Grill Medallion.

I have most, if not all, of the 1966 and 1967 Ford "Parts and Merchandising News" publications, and the "Parts and Service Marketing Action Guides". Both of these "Dealer only" publications typically addressed new Accessories, and how to market and sell them. I have not seen the Illuminated Grill Medallion addressed in either. This, of course, helps explain why not many of these were seen, or even known to exist. Another contributing reason, is that the Illuminated Grill Medallions were not legal in the States of Arizona, California, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, or the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

The first picture I have attached is from the 1967 Ford Accessory Catalog ; the only printed advertising of the Ford Illuminated Grill Medallions that I have seen (so, if anyone has other Ford advertising that shows either the 1966 or 1967 Illuminated Medallions, please Post them here).
The next 5 pictures are of the 1966 Kit. When the C6ZZ Kits first came out late in the Model Year, they were packaged in a brownish-tan, plain box, with the Name and Part Number printed on the end flap. At some time later, the C6ZZ was sold in the "normal" blue, gray and white packaging.
The next 3 pictures show the 1967 Kit. The first obvious difference is in the packaging ; then of course, the shape of the unit itself, now to fit the 1967 "Corral".

To install either the 1966 or 1967 version, one had to first remove the existing, die cast Factory horse. The new, Grill Medallion would then be mounted inside the corral, filling it completely (see copy of 1966 Ford Instruction Sheet attached)

Both the 1966 and 1967 Kits were listed at $12.50 each.

While I do not know the exact date when the C6ZZ Kit was available for purchase, I can say that it wasn't listed in the November 1, 1965 Ford List Price Book, or in the 1966 Ford Passenger Car Parts and Accessories Book, that was printed in January of 1966. Since it does appear in the 1967 Ford Accessory Catalog (Accessory Catalogs were normally available at Model Introduction time), and is listed in the November 1, 1966 Ford List Price Book, one could say that it was probably available by, or before, August of 1966, and definitely by November of 1966.

Interestingly, this Accessory had a relatively short "life span", in my opinion, due to Ford's late introduction of the Illuminated Grill Lights (much like a new toy not appearing in the Marketplace until a month ot two after Christmas), and their lack of Marketing of same.
Unless a Parts Department "just happened" to have some left in their Inventory, sometime between July of 1970 and July of 1971, this Accessory was no longer available.

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As it turns out, once again, Ford was actually ahead of its time. In the early 1990's, Automobile "Daytime Running Lights" became "the thing". This was primarily due to Canada having a Law at that time that all vehicle had to have Daytime Running Lights. GM decided at that time, rather than build cars specifically for Canadian Export, they would include Daytime Running Lights on all their cars. This of course spurned many aftermarket versions of Daytime Running Lights being available for all cars, old and new, and other than new Model GM cars.
 
#14 ·
PART II
PART II - AFTERMARKET (NON-FORD) PARTS

Aftermarket

While the availability of the 1966 Ford Radiator Grill Illuminated Medallion Kit has been fairly well established, it also appears to show that Ford was not the first to offer a :Mustang Lighted Grill Ornament". In JC Whitney's Catalog No. 227 (unfortunately, JC Whitney only numbered its catalogs, and did not date them), the cover of which touted "NEW, 1966 Parts", an "Illuminated Grill Ornament and Running Light " was listed (copy of listing attached). Thus, this is, most likely, a case where the "After-Market" ´preceded the part it was competing against.

The JC Whitney version consisted of an off-white plastic horse of approximately the same size as the Factory die cast, chrome plated horse. In addition, the plastic horse was fitted with a bulb in order to illuminate it. Installation required removing the Factory horse, and replacing it with the plastic horse.(picture of actual unit attached).

JC Whitney was by no means the only Aftermarket supplier of a Mustang Lighted Grill Ornament. The B.J.D. Corporation of Lancaster, Ohio, introduced a Grill Light (pictures attached) that they marketed as "Silhouette Safety Light" (previously noted in an earlier Post). Unlike the JC Whitney one which required removing the existing Factory horse, the Silhouette Light was attached behind the existing horse, thus giving it the "silhouette' effect. Interestingly, the Silhouette Lights were available in Clear, Amber, and Blue (possibly others, but I have not seen other than what I listed). The question arises as to when the Silhouette Lights were made available to the Public, and particularly in comparison to the Original Ford ones.

There are no dates on the box, nor on the Instruction Sheet. The box, however, does note "Pat Pending". A little digging here showed that a Patent was applied for on January 14, 1966, and finally awarded on December 12, 1967. My "guess" would be that the Silhouette Grill Light's availability preceded that of Ford's, although I have no documentation to confirm it. The Silhouette Light sold for about $6.00 (according to the first article I ever saw on Grill Lights, which was in 1978, in (now long gone) "Mustang News".

A third aftermarket version, although not seen as often as the two previously mentioned ones, was called "Mustang GT Lamp".(pictures attached). Like the Silhouette Safety Light, there are no dates on the box or Instruction Sheet, which shows applications/instructions for both 1965 and 1966 Mustangs. While I am still trying to find out more information on this version, I can say that it was Marketed and sold by the Alexander Brothers (of 1950's and 60's Customizer fame) from Detroit.

What is unknown at this time is, "did Alexander Brothers themselves design this version and have some Company manufacture it for them, or did they just act as a Vendor" ?

Interestingly, as you can see by the pictures, the Mustang GT Lamp is strikingly similar in appearance and installation as the Silhouette Safety Light. As a matter of fact, so similar that this may have been what prompted BLD Corporation to file for its Patent.

While there may have been other Aftermarket Grill Lights, in my 40 plus years of collecting Mustang Accessories, I have never come across any others (except of course for the recent LED ones).

It is my opinion that, while the Ford Design may have preceded (note the 10/26/1965 date on the C6ZZ Instruction Sheet), that of the three aftermarket versions just noted, that all three were available for purchase by the Public before the Ford C6ZZ version.

Fakes

I purposely did not include the following in my "Aftermarket discussion", as they were not Aftermarket, but out and out fakes (not even worthy of the "faux" spelling), meant to deceive and take advantage of the unknowing public.

In the early 80's, a "miraculous warehouse find" uncovered hundreds of "original" Ford 1966 Grill Lights, that the seller was offering for the bargain price of $45. To put this price in perspective, in the article I noted from "Mustang Times", it mentioned that originals were selling upwards to $175. When I obtained my original in the mid-eighties, I paid $100, and figured I got a bargain since being an early one in the brownish-tan box, and missing the end flap, the seller probably thought it was an Aftermarket one. This made the "warehouse find" price of $45 seem a real bargain to the un-knowing buyer.

The manufacturer/ seller of the fake Grill Lights went so far as to box them in plain white, flip-open and tab type end flap, corrugated cardboard boxes (original boxes all were "no tab, end flap opening, non-corrugated cardboard"), with ink stamping on the end of the box noting "Medallion-Rad. Grille Illuminated" (very similar to Ford's actual name), and a C6ZZ part number of "7A726-A" (a non-existent Transmission part number). In addition, they also took an original Ford Instruction Sheet, and eliminated all reference to Ford, and any "specific" Ford wording. The unit itself was a one piece, thin blow-molded plastic, with the molded horse being painted Argent. Also of interest is that all connections were "crimp-on" not molded like originals. To me this was pure fraud ; a blatant attempt to deceive the public. I am truly surprised that Ford didn't go out and sue them(although maybe they did, and we just never heard of it). I have attached several pictures of one of these 1966 fakes.

Apparently, after advertising these, the manufacturer/ seller must have gotten quite a few calls from 1967 Owners wondering if there were any C7ZZ's in the "warehouse" along with the 1966's.

Ask, and you will receive" must have been their slogan, as sure enough, after a couple years of the 1966's being available, the 1967's "appeared".

The 1967 "fake" was much like its 1966 predecessor ; a plain white, corrugated, tabbed end flap box, with ink stamped "Medallion - Rad. Grille", and "Illumxxxxxxxxx66-A" (on the sample I have, the stamping is missing as noted by the "x's"), below it. It was the same blow-molded construction as the 1966 fake version, only now to fit a 1967 corral, had the newer style crimp-on connectors, the same "doctored-up Ford Installation Sheet from 1966, and now was even shrink wrapped, further signifying a newer production. The shrink wrapped parts were then put in the plain white box, which now was similar to the actual Ford box, less the markings of course.

From what I remember hearing, they sold hundreds of these 1966 and 67 "fakes", mainly due to the fact that most buyers had no idea exactly what an original Ford one looked like.

I have also attached a few pictures of the fake 1967 one, so that prospective buyers of this "rare Ford Accessory" will know what to look for.

I trust this has been informational, as well as "illuminating".

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#18 ·
Maybe it is just semantics but the terminology that i have always heard is different than your explanation.

Ford has a base model for every vehicle.

Ford offers factory installed options at the time of manufacture. The dealer, buyer or Ford could determine what the factory options installed at the time of manufacture were. For example a dealer in the Pacific Nortwest may not want many cars with AC, while a dealer in Florida may want most cars with AC. Ford could offer a High Country Special as an option package that was a regional sales promotion available to only certain DSOs. The same with the Sprint Package, Ford grouped together certain options in a package hoping that it would appeal to a large number of buyers. A customer could order a Mustang with any paint color that Ford offered that year. An off color such as Dusty Rose could be had on a Mustang even though it was a Thunderbird color.

Factory installed options will be on the buck tag, build sheet or window sticker. Unless there is documentation that the option was installed at the factory at the time of manufacture, it may not be a factory installed option. 65/66 AC comes to mind. factory or dealer install looks the same. The holes in the core support will tell you which it is.

Dealer installed factory options were options that were available at the factory that a particular car on the lot didnt have. The dealer installed the option either at the customers request or at the discretion of the dealer. A dealer installed factory option would be on the original sales invoice. Dealer installed factory options could be installed after the sale or installed on a used car. These options will not be on the buck tag, build sheet or window sticker.

Dealer installed Ford accessories were items that were not available as a factory installed option. In 1967 you could have the dealer install AC in a Mustang. This would be the underdash hang on unit that was a factory option in 65/66. In 67 the hang on AC was not a factory option, it would be a dealer option only, installed by the dealer or customer since it was sold over the counter.

Dealer installed Accessories were items that were not authorized by Ford and did not have a Ford p/n. Undercoating comes to mind.

Of course dealers did all kinds of crazy things to sell cars.
 
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#20 ·
Maybe it is just semantics but the terminology that i have always heard is different than your explanation.
Yes, it is a matter of semantics. I would whole-heartedly agree with everything you described, except in regard to "Dealer Installed Factory Options". I would agree with it if "Factory" were in quotes, and/or if it said "Dealer Installed Options Similar to Factory Options". I say this because, except in the simplest cases (Floor Mats, Wheel Covers, Radio, Luggage Rack, etc.), the "options" installed by the Dealers, were not identical to the same Option installed at the Factory. Even the simplest ones could have had aftermarket similar ones installed by the Dealer, only later to have an owner find out that they were not genuine Ford. The Ford "options: that Dealers did install were actually Ford Accessories installed by the Dealer, and the reason they didn't show up on the Build Sheet, Invoice or Window Sticker. You already mentioned the 1965-66 A/C, but The Power Steering Kits, Power Brake Kits, etc., while performing the same function as their Factory counterparts, were not exactly the same. Thus, why I like to draw the distinction between a (Factory) Option and a Dealer Installed Accessory. A good Concourse Judge would do the same.

Bob
 
#21 ·
Seriously, thanks for documenting this bit of trivia. I have one of these on my grill and couldn't find a lot of information about it. Probably not going to install it, bit definitely gonna keep it. Just because a thread is old doesn't mean it can't be resurrected to add pertinent information.
 
#28 ·
Makes sense I guess. I only opened the thread to see who had brought it back THIS time.
Interesting though. Man claims what I would otherwise swear to be a very aftermarket part has Ford engineering numbers on it. I'm not the concours guys with the master parts catalogs that I could say one way or another myself.
 
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#32 ·
I do believe you would know. So Ford versions DO exist then. No idea how desirable one might be but NOS one in box can't be cheap.
 
#34 ·
I vote for keeping it or selling it as NOS boxed jewelry. To have and keep but not really use. In practice kind of silly and tacky thing to put on a car if you ask me, but a really neat thing to own and be able to show off to a few certain kind of folks now and then.
 
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