From Dan Davis (429megasite - via Boss302.com 2004)
Ever wonder why in 1972 the Mustang two barrel had ram air and no other 1972 Mustang engine combination did? This is what caused that to happen.
In 1971 I was involved with the local Mustang Club. {One of the members} was working in the Ford test track and was complaining about the amount of overtime he had to work. He had a 1971 Bright Blue Mach 1 with a 429 CJ. He had a car for daily driving and saved his Mach 1 for those nice evening cruises. His complaint was that he couldn?t enjoy his car at all since he was working non stop.
At that time Ford would run every engine calibration for 50K for emission certification. This was engine, transmission and final drive gear combination. This was done on the Dearborn test track. All the mileage and emission test data was input into a key punch type system for recording and governmental inspection. That was {my friend?s} job. He was one of the data entry and record keeping persons.
Each drive train combination had to go through a 50k mile emission certification. There were many combinations that had to be proven out. Having ram air was another combination that had to be tested. He was anticipating the completion of the test cycles so he could get some time off to enjoy his ?71 Mach 1.
There were government prescribed maintenance intervals and tasks that could be done to the test cars. Only the allotted tasks could be performed at the set mileage.
For whatever reason, {Mr X}a supervisor at the test track decided one fine evening to have the mechanics slap a tune up on a car. It was, I believe, a Mustang with a 4 barrel 351 Cleveland. They were ahead of schedule and the car could be taken off the track. The next day, when management reviewed the data, they observed a spike in the readings. When {the supervisor} came in for his night shift they were waiting for him.
He was quite proud of the fact that he had ordered a tune up to assist in getting the cars to successfully pass the tests and be on time. Hello Houston, this is a big problem. Management went into orbit. The problem they faced was to keep it quiet and let life go on or tell the government. They called in the government and put it all on the table.
The final resolve was to repeat the test on the cars that were in process. Rather than doing the whole 1972 line up, the government agreed to let those that had completed the test go into production. Ford figured that if they had to repeat the entire test sequence on the 1972 line up they would be introducing 1972 models in 1973.
The company also looked at the driveline combinations and started pulling out those that would increase the testing time. There were some engine, transmission, body combinations that were scrubbed from the 1972 line up. An easy one to drop was ram air.
I figured they would have fired the test track supervisor for this, they didn?t. Seems {his boss} didn?t tell him about the maintenance. He just told him to run cars and get the tests done on time.
I remember that there were large numbers of new 1972 models locked down at the assembly plants. They couldn?t get sales release until the calibration for that drive line was certified.
{My friend} got to see even less of his beloved Mach 1. He was now on a 24/7 schedule. They had people quitting the job because of the work load and pressures put on them. The government group was camped out at the test track to insure that procedures were being followed.
Remember this occurred when the emission concerns were growing and everyone was paving the emission road as they drove down it. All the auto manufactures were scrambling to meet the requirements. The government was making up testing standards on a daily basis. This had the potential to cripple Ford Motor if they had not come forward when the mistake was discovered. The entire 1972 model line was at risk. They couldn?t have gone back to selling the 1971 model as they didn?t meet the 1972 standards.
This whole mess rated a little blurb in the newspaper that Ford had encountered a problem with the government testing requirements. Ford was working with the government to insure compliance.
This is the reason that some models have ram air and others don?t. It all depended on where their driveline was in the test cycle.
Mark
