[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by LMH

The C3SF alternator was used on the last few Cobras. I don't know exactly what chassis numbers though. Larry

Larry’s comment is based on a picture I sent him showing typical factory ink stampings on a 1963/64 type alternator. The only picture of any legible original stamping I had was that of a Thunderbird service assembly. The alternator in the photo was not a Cobra part. The confusion is my fault. Sorry Larry.

For general information, I have never seen any evidence that Shelby American substituted an off specification alternator on CSX2201 and later street and race cars. The O.E.M. Cobra assembly would have not been something anybody was likely to pick up locally as a service part. I would strongly suspect that any assembly on any car after it left Shelby American was installed by somebody besides Shelby American. In addition to Cobras CSX2201 and later street and race a few complete engines sold by Shelby American also included them; including at least one engine for one of the Sunbeam LeMans Tigers.

The May 31, 1965 Shelby parts list has entrees for both the production and service units (no Thunderbird units are listed):

C3MF-10300-A Alternator Ford $59.29 retail $32.61 dealer (Cobra production assembly)

C3MY-10346-A Alternator Ford $59.35 retail $37.54 dealer (Ford service assembly)

The December 23, 1966 Shelby parts list only has the Ford service assembly units (no Thunderbird units are listed) listed:

C3MY-10346-A Alternator Ford $58.30 retail


From my electrical notes on CSX2201 and later cars:
Assembly, Alternator, 1964 model year design created for a specific high performance 427 c.i.d. engine Mercury and Ford charging system option package. FoMoCo® C3MF-10300-A, GL-23, 40 amp (C3MY-10346-A was the Ford service assembly number) 1964 Mercury but also available in a Ford; includes the fan and sheave assembly C3MF-10344-A (C3MY-10344-A was the Ford fan and sheave assembly service part number), Autolite® GP-351 by 1966. Hunting information on how many 427 powered Mercury and Ford sedans there were in 1964 has not been very successful. Based on what little is posted on the website for 427 Galaxies only early 1964 production cars equipped with transistorized ignition built around December 1963 used this alternator assembly. A subsequent running production change for 427 Galaxies led to the introduction of another alternator assembly. Genuine Cobra production alternators have sheave and fan assemblies different than the known 427 Ford production sheave and fan assemblies and those subassemblies in service alternators or alone as loose service parts. There was at least one version of service sheave and fan assembly not marked with an engineering number. The details that make the assemblies fitted to Cobra unique are believed due to the choice of subcontract machine shop chosen to make the sheave and fan assemblies.