Topic: 65 Dearborn Tie-Down Bracket Oddity

[Carters]

I have a ?65 C Code convertible, single exhaust, Build Date 2/26/65.  I removed tie-down brackets to refurbish them.  They are the three-bolt style.  My understanding was that the three-bolt was used just for the dual exhaust cars.  Also, my brackets have the square corners on top and look to have been painted black.  Again, from my understanding, these would be San Jose brackets.  Correct? 

Would this be a correct theory:  A dealership somewhere has both Dearborn- and San Jose-made cars.  Removes the tie-down brackets and sends them all to Dearborn for the $1.00 reimbursement.  At the Dearborn plant, the SJ brackets are mixed in with the Dearborn (why would they even care?) and ended up on my car.  It?s the end of the day, end of a shift, they have run low on the single-exhaust brackets and slap on the three-bolt bracket just to get the car our and move on to the next. 

I just found this interesting.  Maybe someone could shed light on this. 

[Bob Gaines]

I have seen something like this before to suggest the scenario you mentioned only on later then 65. Besides this combination I have seen the same thing but with unpainted tiedowns from Dearborn on SJ cars. Not to say it couldn't happen but I haven't seen or heard of this scenario on a 65 model. Again not to say it couldn't happen just that I have always postulated that the cars were too new for the logistics of the brackets being turned back in and redistributed in a mixed up manner to end up at the various assemblyline plants across the country from each other. At least a rare enough occurrence (in 65) to not show up on the many examples that I have seen over the years. I should also say that the vast majority of cars that I typically pay attention to are duel exhaust cars so there's that.

[jwc66k]

I have a ?65 C Code convertible, single exhaust, Build Date 2/26/65.  I removed tie-down brackets to refurbish them.  They are the three-bolt style.  My understanding was that the three-bolt was used just for the dual exhaust cars.  Also, my brackets have the square corners on top and look to have been painted black.  Again, from my understanding, these would be San Jose brackets.  Correct? 

Would this be a correct theory:  A dealership somewhere has both Dearborn- and San Jose-made cars.  Removes the tie-down brackets and sends them all to Dearborn for the $1.00 reimbursement.  At the Dearborn plant, the SJ brackets are mixed in with the Dearborn (why would they even care?) and ended up on my car.  It?s the end of the day, end of a shift, they have run low on the single-exhaust brackets and slap on the three-bolt bracket just to get the car our and move on to the next. 

I just found this interesting.  Maybe someone could shed light on this.

"It" is possible. Ford dealerships were supposed to remove the tie downs and recycle them. From what I've read, "some" dealers removed the brackets and tossed them in a barrel to be returned to the assembly plants, two in 1964 building Mustangs. (Other dealers didn't bother - they had a lot of business to attend to.) To be "correct" you should replace them with the recommended brackets and hardware. If you don't particularly care, leave them as an oddity.
Jim

[J_Speegle]

"It" is possible. Ford dealerships were supposed to remove the tie downs and recycle them. From what I've read, "some" dealers removed the brackets and tossed them in a barrel to be returned to the assembly plants..............

+1 This was covered in an earlier thread and that appeared to be the logical reason for a few cars to receive the "incorrect" or different tire down brackets

Our big tie down discussion thread for those that want to read more.

https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=10470.30