Yes, the paint is gone on the top, but it will stay that way. No shiny new paint is going on this part.
Not many of these around. They were used on other Fords and Ford guys will fight over an original like this.
When I first looked at the car, I thought the heater hoses had been spliced and then tied together. After looking at pictures from a 1964 magazine, I realized that it was exactly as it left Shelby. The same lashing is used in other places under the car to hold things in place and it is still there.