Topic: what color were v.i.n. plate rivets

[67gtasanjose]

I hope not to be the lucky curator of any more cars with them


It is good for the hobby that we make mention and not denounce. Broad strokes can often be proven wrong in Ford speak. Mass production of a low priced car with 1000's of components by low paid workers at different plants leads to anomalies as witnessed frequently on all of the car specific forums.

This is such a "touchy" situation in forum discussions. I learned to be more careful (and am still learning) on my input to threads. It was suggested that I might use phrases like "In the example I have,..." and to leave it as an example and for others to concur, or not.

I believe something I said in a thread a while back that must have been considered as a "denounce" by a reader because the subsequent comment language seemed a bit angry. I then became angry also because I felt my example was accurate and correct. Certainly, anger wasn't my motive. Being "right" wasn't either. I was simply trying to establish having an anomaly (or two actually) from comments previously posted in that particular thread, while attempting to point out the build dates and assembly plants involved in the two examples I had that did not seem to line up. I mispoke when I suggested another member had been "duked" into changing a part that may actually have been correct for his application (given my examples) Using that one word "duked", was the error I believe.

Some people on these forums have very good reputations among the fellow members. Engaging them, even by accident,  isn't always easy to avoid when "typing" out replies.

Forums like this one is, are an invaluable source to hobbyists & restorers. Some members restore for a living and it really isn't a hobby for them so writing anything that might be damaging, can be extremely costly for them. The combined knowledge of the forum's  members is overwhelming. Inadvertently stepping on somebody's toes will occur, and hopefully we can respond, not out of haste, but out of compassion for the restoration community. We ARE very passionate about our work, we sometimes easily get offended. We need to remember these comments can possibly steer people the wrong direction (by accident) when we put our personality above principles.

Richard

[67gtasanjose]

and here with a pic



http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/540272-need-new-dash-vin-plate-2.html

no one said it was the norm quite the opposite is MHO.

No One has seen more than just a small sampling of what was produced in total. Some more than others but still a small amount

I worked at a salvage yard in the 70's and 80's in So.Cal., I saw several examples on Various 68 Fords (various models) that had the screws (like VMF forum pictures) and not just the rivets. I remember thinking how easy they could be switched and how rediculous that the dash pad covered them. Obvious, somebody in the Car Theft market would have been tempted, and I never saw them after 68 model year and assumed Ford had been told to make a change. I never saw another car maker put those VINS way over on the right side either and we all know that changed in 69 model year as well.

put me down as rocking the boat
Richard

[J_Speegle]

Think this discussion is a good example of human nature and how much our experiences and beliefs inflluence us. Some see something out of the ordinary and assume that its a modification by a previous owner while another looks and see something they believe was done at the factory.

I fully admit my opinions are influenced by many years of hot rodding/modifying cars as well as all the stories I hear around the dinner table about the crooks and what they would go through while trying to cover their tracks and efforts.

Guess this might end up like the engine vin's. Factories were by law suppose to do one thing and most of the time they followed the rules though for one reason or another one or two slipped through here or there. But the discussions and sharing will continue