Topic: Introduction: Restoring my 65 Fastback

[kryptonite]

One of the best sources of information, especially if you are missing the door tag, is a build sheet. On Metuchen cars, they are sometimes taped to the instrument panel wiring harness or under the seat springs.  I was able to find mine and fill in most of the information from my missing door tag.

Yea, that was one of the first things I looked for. Didn't see it. 

[DKutz]

Yea, that was one of the first things I looked for. Didn't see it. 

I never found mine, but my car had been gone through once before I got it.  I haven't looked at the wiring harness close, but I assume mine is gone!

[CharlesTurner]

If you think the car might have sold originally in NC, try doing a DMV title history search.  You have to say it's for research purposes and you do not intend to contact previous owners.  Have to go to downtown Raleigh DMV office and request it in person, it usually takes them about 15-30 minutes.  That could at least narrow down the DSO, although not 100% definitive.

I believe I have seen some work done by the place in Denver, it wasn't concours level, not even close.

I'd suggest taking a bit more time to collect your thoughts on what exactly you want.  It can be very costly to correct poor workmanship later.   You may want to post some pics of what you have to get more input on the best approach.  Shops will want to replace full panels as it's quicker for them and less headache.  It's almost always better to weld in patch panels and keep as much original sheet metal as possible.  A lot of body shops won't want to do this though... or do not have the skill level.

One other thing, check up in the roof area for a build sheet.  My first fastback, a Metuchen car, had one stuffed up in the metal above the headliner.  They are almost always taped to the main wiring harness.  Someone probably removed it if it isn't there.

[jwc66k]

When you get to that last bit of information missing from the door data tag, fake it. (Jeff won't like that.) I'm referring to the DSO. The best guess (and closest to you) would be 22 Charlotte (in North Carolina I believe). Look for service labels on the door jams for "clues".
Jim

[kryptonite]

If you think the car might have sold originally in NC, try doing a DMV title history search.  You have to say it's for research purposes and you do not intend to contact previous owners.  Have to go to downtown Raleigh DMV office and request it in person, it usually takes them about 15-30 minutes.  That could at least narrow down the DSO, although not 100% definitive.

I believe I have seen some work done by the place in Denver, it wasn't concours level, not even close.

I'd suggest taking a bit more time to collect your thoughts on what exactly you want.  It can be very costly to correct poor workmanship later.   You may want to post some pics of what you have to get more input on the best approach.  Shops will want to replace full panels as it's quicker for them and less headache.  It's almost always better to weld in patch panels and keep as much original sheet metal as possible.  A lot of body shops won't want to do this though... or do not have the skill level.

One other thing, check up in the roof area for a build sheet.  My first fastback, a Metuchen car, had one stuffed up in the metal above the headliner.  They are almost always taped to the main wiring harness.  Someone probably removed it if it isn't there.

Well if there was one in the roof area, it's not there anymore. I forgot to mention that the guy I bought the car from had some roof damage and the rear glass was busted out. When I pulled the headliner, I it looked like a squirrel made a nest in between the roof panel and headliner. It was raining acorns and other "stuff". 

Here are some pictures of my car after I had started stripping it down. The previous owner had also riveted cardboard on the underside of the car to cover the holes in the floor, so I wouldn't see them while I inspected the car. Looked like he also used some of the truck bed liner to hide the cardboard too.

[CharlesTurner]

I've seen worse dents in the roof.  A good body guy can fix those with minimal to no filler required.  Don't let anyone convince you to replace the roof... big mistake.

One pic catches the "absence" of the rear floor... looks like it may benefit from a full floor?

Definitely a lot of work.  Best to strip it to the bone, take everything, I mean everything off the unibody.  Bag and tag parts, don't throw away anything.  It might be best to get the body shop to do all the sheet metal repair and then have the whole car media blasted.

[J_Speegle]

When you get to that last bit of information missing from the door data tag, fake it. (Jeff won't like that.) I'm referring to the DSO..............

Sometimes with the early cars I agree that you have to use a "best guess"  Nice thing with teh door tags is that you can change it later if you get better info

[kryptonite]

I've seen worse dents in the roof.  A good body guy can fix those with minimal to no filler required.  Don't let anyone convince you to replace the roof... big mistake.

One pic catches the "absence" of the rear floor... looks like it may benefit from a full floor?

Definitely a lot of work.  Best to strip it to the bone, take everything, I mean everything off the unibody.  Bag and tag parts, don't throw away anything.  It might be best to get the body shop to do all the sheet metal repair and then have the whole car media blasted.

When I stripped the car, I put all the small parts in freezer bags and labelled where they came from and then packaged them with the larger parts so I knew what went with what.

The floor has holes under the driver and passenger feet as well as behind both front seats. The remainder of the floor pan actually looks decent. Also the toe boards on the driver side is pretty bad. Some little holes in the trunk pan. The car looks like its been in an accident. When stripping the paint, found A LOT of bondo covering the damage.
All I am getting the bodyshop to do now is repair the body damage (ie floor and roof dents and any rear quarter damage)

[rocket289k]

If the 23G date is from a Metuchen buck tag, it is July 23, 1965 rather than July 23, 1964. It is not too far off from my late 65 coupe, which has a buck date of  F29. Unlike the door tags, the buck tags did not use second year production codes.  Here's a quote from the Marti Tagbook, as cited in an earlier thread:

"The next code on the second line is the date that the buck was completed.  It is in reverse order compared to the door data plate.  The second year of production codes were not used, so if a Mustang was built in May of 1965, the door tag used the letter "S" for the month, but the buck tag used the letter "E".  Following the build date is the serial number of the car."

+1 The body bucks tags are different beast in that they didn't use the second year of production codes for the date (just to screw us up  ) unlike the door date plates which did use the second year of production codes for the date. 

On my Metuchen built car, the door data plate tag date is "19U" (aka July 19th, 1965) but the buck tag date is "G21" (aka July 21st, 1965).  So it was bucked a couple of days later than was originally scheduled.  The date on my door tag plate 19U matches the Scheduled Production date on my car's Build Sheet.  I was fortunate to find my build sheet wrapped around the main underdash wiring harness. I appears my car was built very close to the car in question in this thread - Neat!

Regards,

Ron

[mjd 65]

+1 The body bucks tags are different beast in that they didn't use the second year of production codes for the date (just to screw us up  ) unlike the door date plates which did use the second year of production codes for the date. 

On my Metuchen built car, the door data plate tag date is "19U" (aka July 19th, 1965) but the buck tag date is "G21" (aka July 21st, 1965).  So it was bucked a couple of days later than was originally scheduled.  The date on my door tag plate 19U matches the Scheduled Production date on my car's Build Sheet.  I was fortunate to find my build sheet wrapped around the main underdash wiring harness. I appears my car was built very close to the car in question in this thread - Neat!

Regards,


Ron

Ron,

Your car was  produced pretty close to my Metuchen coupe. My buck date is F29 (June 29, 1965) and the scheduled date on my build sheet is 08U (July 8, 1965).

[kryptonite]

Well some luck has come shining down on me today!
While getting my car ready to go for bodywork I found what was left of my build sheet!
It possibly had come loose from the wiring harness under the dash and wash lying on the steering wheel column.
It is is pretty bad shape, but I was able to piece it back together with some tape and a blank piece of paper!
50 year old paper is pretty brittle!!!!! 

Can someone post me an example of a build sheet so I can try and figure out the wholes I have on mine?
Looking for the headings more than anything.

[J_Speegle]

Some of the print is pretty small and for a 65 Mustangs only about a third of the boxes were used since the buildsheet was designed to apply to all Ford products that year


Believe they make reproductions - not sure how correct the early ones are - the later versions fall short INHO


Here is one that has been blanked out hope you can make out most of the info - some of the print is pretty small and reproducing it on screen makes many of the sections hard to read. It is missing the two columns on the far left but its the best scan I have for 64/65 form . Hope it helps

[mjd 65]

Here's my late 65 build sheet.

[kryptonite]

Some of the print is pretty small and for a 65 Mustangs only about a third of the boxes were used since the buildsheet was designed to apply to all Ford products that year


Believe they make reproductions - not sure how correct the early ones are - the later versions fall short INHO


Here is one that has been blanked out hope you can make out most of the info - some of the print is pretty small and reproducing it on screen makes many of the sections hard to read. It is missing the two columns on the far left but its the best scan I have for 64/65 form . Hope it helps

I actually have quite a few boxes filled in on what is left than mine.

Yea, mine has holes in certain places as well as black tape pieces that were indistinguishable and weren't attached to what I had found. Good thing I didn't just grab it. It would have crumbled to dust in my hands.  the numbers were legible in the serial number section.

What is that section to the left of serial number? I couldn't read the heading, but had some numbers in that box.  My schedule date was 12U and I had 26 in the box to the right of the schedule box, but couldn't really make out the heading as part of it was missing. Could that be region District?

[mjd 65]

I actually have quite a few boxes filled in on what is left than mine.

Yea, mine has holes in certain places as well as black tape pieces that were indistinguishable and weren't attached to what I had found. Good thing I didn't just grab it. It would have crumbled to dust in my hands.  the numbers were legible in the serial number section.

What is that section to the left of serial number? I couldn't read the heading, but had some numbers in that box.  My schedule date was 12U and I had 26 in the box to the right of the schedule box, but couldn't really make out the heading as part of it was missing. Could that be region District?

Yes, that's the "region district" box. This thread has some good information on build sheets, including some of the more obscure codes.

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=3925.0