Topic: Differences in manufacturing plants?

[Jays66gt]

I have a guy at work that is telling me that for each of the manufacturing plants there will be differences in the Mustangs.  So is a 1966 San Jose car different from a Dearborn car of the same year?  I can see maybe the east coast put on an undercoating but that's about it. 

So what are the differences?

[carlite65]

your guy is correct. too many for me to name........lots of subtle things, like the overspray patterns, paint inspection markings, fastener appearance.......why do you think jeff always asks what plant the car was assembled at? others will have more comments i'm sure.

[Jays66gt]

Neat.  My Mustang is by no means a concours car.  I really have no intention on bringing her to that.  It was simply a conversation between two car guys and neither of had a clue what the differences might be!  But I immediatly thought that someone here might know alot more about this...

Thanks.

[CharlesTurner]

Lots of differences as Fred alluded to.  It gets even more complicated when running changes are introduced in the middle of a production year and each plant makes the changes at different times.

Don't know that anyone could ever document every little thing, so best to ask questions, read info like here on the forum and look at a lot of cars.

[J_Speegle]

I have a guy at work that is telling me that for each of the manufacturing plants there will be differences in the Mustangs.  So is a 1966 San Jose car different from a Dearborn car of the same year?  I can see maybe the east coast put on an undercoating but that's about it. 

The assembly plant never applied undercoating that was something done by dealers. And that practice depended greatly on where the car was delivered. Example Dearborn car in Southern Calif would not typically get dealer undercoating (or even know where to get it done) where a NJ built car delivered to Mich would likely get (for some extra $$'s) a good coating of everything

Lots of little differences but then there are many just between different months at the same plant

Things like different hardware, direction of bolts, differences in finishes (likely due to different suppliers) undercarriage colors, finish of wheelwells, trunk mat patterns all come to mind

[Jays66gt]

Just for the sake of argument could you see 1965 part numbers on a very early run 66? 

[Bob Gaines]

Just for the sake of argument could you see 1965 part numbers on a very early run 66?

Engine pulleys is the first thing that comes to mind  .

[J_Speegle]

Just for the sake of argument could you see 1965 part numbers on a very early run 66?

Don't get hung up on part or engineering numbers. In many cases if the part was not redesigned then there was no need for a new number. We can find part numbers from the 40's and 50's on early Mustang for example as well as  68 engineering numbers on parts used through 70 production and so on.

[CharlesTurner]

It can work the other way too, but not typical.  For instance, the C6 4V intake manifold on late '65 cars.