Topic: 68 Running Changes Main Thread - Metuchen Findings

[J_Speegle]

As we've done for other years it appears it time to at least start a thread covering 68 Metuchen running changes. 

Will continue to add suggestions for individual running changes here in this thread while will be the basis for related link threads focused on each individual subject. Remember to keep these 68 Metuchen focused here please not for cars and findings from other plants or years.

To keep the thread from getting too long or out of hand please don't post that you found this version or that on car 8T02C14583x (for example). We can save that for the research period and for the individual running change threads as we have for other years so far. Just trying to identify the features during this first effort. Will break out the findings by plant of course.  Hope we can work through other plants also. Since this is likely to get to be a very long list I think that unlike the 66 version I will break the lists out by general area of the car to keep it a little more organized. We'll see how that works.

We will drop items and discovers if its determined that a detail is not a true running change but was a result of some other finding.

If you post suggestions for items to be included I will delete your posting after it has been incorporated rather than let the add to post run on for pages


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DRIVETRAIN-

Engines-

DE1- 390 4V Intake "S" casting - Large or small - Discussion and examples

DE2- 289/302 Air cleaner snorkel - Vacuum to thermal divert plates - Discussion and examples

DE3- 289/302 Air conditioning brackets and pulleys - May need to break the discussion threads down to multiple ones - Discussion and examples

DE4-

DE5-

DE6-


Transmissions-

DT1- Manual transmission shift levers trunion size change. - Discussion and examples

DT2-

DT3-


Rear End-

RE1-


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ENGINE COMPARTMENT-

EC1- Hood hinge - Discussion and examples
       Non-plant focused discussion http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=21649.0

EC2- 289/302 Air conditioning brackets and pulleys - Later built cars have a stamped steel AC compressor bracket, early cars have a cast fixed and adjustable idler brackets,later stamped steel.   

EC3- 390/428 Air conditioning brackets and pulleys -  Early cars have a cast fixed and adjustable idler brackets,later stamped steel.Early and later stamped steel upper lateral compressor bracket.

EC4- Wire loom restainers/loops - Change to the Large "D" shaped retainers for some of these on later cars. To be determined

EC5- Small vacuum hoses - Change from color coded solid stripe pattern to color coded striped and "MX" lettered hoses. To be determined

EC6- Power Brake Check Valve Change. Early to late style change over point

EC7-

EC8-

EC9-

EC10-


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EXTERIOR/BODY RELATED-

E1- Rear quarter panels & reflectors - Recessed to surface mounted

E2- Lower door hinges - Cast iron to stamped steel

E3- Quarter drains (rubber) show engineering change numbers.

E4- Coupe vinyl top drip rail strip - Change from "snap in" to riveted at critical points in Oct 1967 production according to TSB #1216 published in the following thread. Reply #51
      https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=8032.msg175969#msg175969

E5- Deluxe hood insert rattle - After cars built October 1967 a small daub of sealant was applied to address rattle complaints of customers. Published in TSB #1217
       https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=8044.msg46279#msg46279

E6-

E7-

E8-


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INTERIOR-

I1- Arm rest - Two hole verses three attaching holes/screws. Discussions and examples
      http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=21730.0

I2- Pillar pads -

I3- Knee pad -

I4- Radio Bezel -

I5-Bucket seats- According to TSB #1233 there was a changed made prior to Oct 1967 in the welding of the upper seat frame and a second back stop bumper installed in the base frame/seat section at or around the same time.
       https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=28866.msg175971#msg175971

I6-

I7-

I8-



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TRUNK-

T1-

T2-

T3-

T4-
 
T5-

T6-


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UNDERCARRIAGE & SUSPENSION-

US1- Rubber quarter panel drains in trunk drop panels - Design and engineering (printed on part) change

US2-

US3-

US4-

US5-

US6-

Last updated 9
/18/2023

[J_Speegle]

Since I can't move individual posts from one thread to another and if I do a merge the posts with the earlier posting date/time move to the top - in this case before the main post  - I'm left to move the information from individual posts to this posting in order to capture and share that information until I get it added to the list above. Feel free to start the collection of data and discussion in individual threads titled 68 Metuchen Running Change - (Subject) and like the other Running change threads I will link the discussion and findings to the main list and in turn remove the submission from the comments in this thread to keep things neat and up to date. Seems to have worked for the other years and plants. Thanks

Im sure these changes are also plant and bodystyle specific

Exterior Sheet Metal One of the most prominent changes is to the exterior sheet metal of the 1968 Mustang/Shelby. The rear quarter panels change halfway through the Mustang production cycle in mid- February 1968. Early cars have a recessed quarter panel with a special trimmed reflector. Later cars have an oval reflector that is flush mounted.  This is an easy way to establish if a body was built "early" or "late" in the production sequence. The official date was Feb 15, but specific body styles also figure into the equations

Convertible Seat belts The mounting locating for the convertible, rear seat belts change during the 1968 production year. Later cars have the seat belts have the belts mounted to the floor, earlier cars do not.

Hood Seal The forward radiator/hood seal maybe either stapled or screwed in place. It appears both methods were used throughout production. Hardware seems dependent on supply?

Interior Pillar Pads Pillar pads are pads located on either side of the windshield ("A" pillar). They are common to cars built early in the production cycle. Later cars do not have the pillar pads. The change over was around the same time as the changes to the rear quarter panels.

Interior Dashboard Padding The same is true of the "knee" pad above the glovebox. The change over date is not the same. So, it may be possible for some cars to have one, but not the other. Knee pads go through the end of CY 1967

Interior Pillar Pads Pillar pads are pads located on either side of the windshield ("A" pillar). They are common to cars built early in the production cycle. Later cars do not have the pillar pads. The change over was around the same time as the changes to the rear quarter panels.

[68blk500c]

Here are some other things that come to mind for consideration for this thread:  ADDED ** COMMENTS BELOW**;  ALL BASED ON NJ PLANT EXPERIENCE.

-radio bezel edge contour; **(Associated with dash knee pad & windshield pillar safety features)**
-fender side marker light backing bracket plating; **(no pattern/random--maybe supplier thing)**
-upper control arm cutback; **(big block only associated with tire size)**
-radiator support to hood seal attachment; **(likely a production improvisation if staple machine was down)**
-"MX" vac hoses;**(have a few documented originals--Q1 '68)**
-rear brake backing plates & plugs;**(experience is limited to big blocks)**
-trunk mat material;**(maybe a supplier thing, but maybe a pattern, too?)**
-inner apron/engine comp. wiring loops;**(progresses from "67 style" to larger "D style" later in production--with mixture of both)**

[J_Speegle]

Couple of follow up questions to explore a bit

Here are some other things that come to mind for consideration for this thread:

-radio bezel edge contour;
-fender side marker light backing bracket plating;
-upper control arm cutback;
-radiator support to hood seal attachment;
-"MX" vac hoses;
-rear brake backing plates & plugs;
-trunk mat material;
-inner apron (engine comp.) wiring loops

Were all of these change during the year at NJ?

Or were some of these a result of different suppliers intermixed during the production year. Pattern verse random. 

Also on the backing plates same question and I guess we'll need to narrow the focus to specific backing plates or we'll be collecting and mixing ones from all applications 6 cylinder to 428's.

More than happy to see individual threads started to find out the answer for each and then add to the list once determined. Or maybe we can find a thread already started and expand it for our focus.

Could not find a thread focused on just 68 NJ trunk mats to see where that one leads and set a format like we have in other years and plants to get us going.

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=22472.new#new

[68blk500c]

Jeff:  Please see modification comments in my previous list of topics.  Don

[J_Speegle]

Here are some other things that come to mind for consideration for this thread:  ADDED ** COMMENTS BELOW**;  ALL BASED ON NJ PLANT EXPERIENCE.

-radio bezel edge contour; **(Associated with dash knee pad & windshield pillar safety features)**

Does the change coincide with the change in the radio delete panel also?

-upper control arm cutback; **(big block only associated with tire size)**
-rear brake backing plates & plugs;**(experience is limited to big blocks)**

So on both of the above there was an early production version and a later year version?

Did start a thread to collect the trunk mat patterns if there are any  and added a couple from your list to the main first post above