Topic: New member - 1966 Sprint 200?

[tomtri66]

Hi everyone!  I am new to this board but have been a mustang owner for 22 years.  I have to say great board! I have learned a lot in the past couple of days just browsing the threads.

I purchased my hardtop in 1990 and have done a lot of work to it over the years.  I have always had some questions about its origin and I thought I would post them here a see if you guys can shed some light.

First, the drivers door has been replaced by a PO, so the warranty plate is long gone.  Also I have found no build sheet as the car was partially "restored" when I bought it and the interior was replaced.    Luckily it is a Metuchen built car and the buck tag still exists and is in great shape.  Here is the buck tag information as I have been able to decode it in my research.

6T07T194XXX
customer ordered
rotation number: 762
welding bay 4
scheduled build date A20 (Jan 20)
body type 65A (2 door hardtop standard interior)
color Y (silver blue)
Interior code 22 (blue/blue trim)

My car had a chrome Sprint 200 type air cleaner installed when I bought it.  It also had quarter emblems deleted, vinyl roof molding installed ( but no vinyl roof, car was repainted wimbleton white), rocker panel modlings, and a bench seat installed so no console.

My question is could this be a sprint 200 car?  The air cleaner is evidence to yes but the lack of a console and the fact that I have read that the earliest known sprint was built in early Feb says no.  Also, could the car have had a vinyl roof if it wasn't indicated on the buck tag?  Could this have been dealer installed?

These questions have always bugged me.  Thanks for any insight you can give!
Tom

[Twilight65]

Hey Tom,
Welcome to the forum, I've know a few people that have Metuchen built mustangs and the build sheet was rolled and taped around the wiring under the dash behind the instrument cluster. Maybe have a look there.
Dave

[tomtri66]

Dave,
Thanks.  Unfortunately I have searched under the dash and have not found it.
Tom

[svo2scj]

Hi Tom
Welcome !   Neat car - I'm not up on them but it looks like the center console was a limited addition to the Sprint Packages (A or B)



Mark
P.S.  That car is very early - BUT they had to start someware for plans in March !

[Pete Bush]

Hey Tom,

I'm a Metuchen Sprint owner, too.

If your buck tag is the original one that came with the car, then 65A would be a standard bucket seat interior. 65C was the bench seat. You may want to peel the carpet back a little and see if there are any holes where a console would have been screwed down. The Sprint package would have included a console. I know of no Sprints with bench seats.

It's believed that Sprint production began at all plants at the beginning of January 1966, although there have been some reports of Sprints as early as December and November.

Dave's right about the possible build sheet location behind the speedometer. That's where I found mine. I had to remove the speedometer. It was folded up and taped to some of the wiring harness there with black cloth electrical tape. Hard to spot without removing the speedometer. Other places you might look include behind the door panels, under the seats, or under the carpeting.

I'm just beginning to put together a blog where Sprint Owners can find information unique to these Mustangs. You can find it at: http://66sprint200.blogspot.com/

My intention is to open it up to all Sprint owners. If anyone with a Sprint has some pictures of their car, or other Sprint info they'd like to share, just let me know and I'll upload it.

Pete

[tomtri66]

Pete,
Thanks for the info.  I think you are right that a look under the carpet is in order.  It's possible a PO wanted a bench seat and removed the console.  The car was solid when I bought it but had been redone with incorrect dark brown and white interior and was painted Wimbledon white.  The PO I bought it from owned an automotive upholstery shop.  Another thing that bothers me is the car had aftermarket rims on it and had standard hub caps in the trunk - no spoked hub caps.  It definitely had deleted quarter ornaments because I stripped the car to bare metal when I painted it in '94.

I'm pretty sure that no build sheet was behind the speedo because I had the dash apart when I painted it to restore the interior way back when, but since you said it its hard to see I'm definitely going to take another look.  I would love to find it.  At this point I am pretty sure this is a sprint, unless other standard I6's came with deleted quarter trim. Thoughts?

Thanks again and I will check out you blog for sure!
Tom

[tomtri66]

Mark,
Thanks for the welcome and the nice words.  Love the ad.
Tom

[Shasmu]

Tom,
I owned a Sprintime yellow Sprint years ago...
If your's originally had a vinyl top, you would see the pop rivit holes on the bottom side of the drip rails.
Dave

[Pete Bush]

Tom,

Any Mustang buyer could order the Accent Stripe - Less Quarter Ornamentation for $13.90 retail ($10.70 wholesale). It'll be the combination of chrome air cleaner, console, wire wheel covers, and accent stripe that will make the car suspect of being a Sprint.

If you happen to find a build sheet, my preliminary research indicates that a code 6 on the bottom line, 6th box from the right, may indicate the Sprint option group.

Pete

[tomtri66]

Dave,
Where would those rivet holes be exactly?  In the front of the drip rail, the back or both?  Also there probably were small chrome trim pieces on the A pillars as well correct?

Thanks everyone for your input!  I intend to do some searching on the car this weekend, I'll let you know what I find
Tom

[tomtri66]

Well I climbed under my car this evening and found the 6 holes in my transmission tunnel.  This would confirm that my car indeed had a console from the factory.  I have confirmed 3 of the 4 pieces to the puzzle that this is a Sprint 200.  Chrome air cleaner, deleted quarter ornament, and console.  The wire wheel covers are long gone but I believe that they were there at one time.

Assuming I'm correct, I would think with a January 20 scheduled build date and a 194154 consecutive number that this is a very early Sprint 200.  Anyone know what they earliest know date/vin is?

[Pete Bush]

Tom,

I have a record of 13 Sprints produced in January; the earliest of which is 05A Metuchen. I also have 1 dated 30M and 1 dated 27L. That last one is a fastback, and because of its early production date, and the fact that all fastbacks had the quarter ornament delete, it's kinda hard to confirm for sure without seeing an invoice. Sprint Registry owner Tony Kovar may be able to add to this.

The rest of my list breaks down as follows:
February 20 Sprints
March 7 Sprints
April 11 Sprints
May 22 Sprints
June 17 Sprints
July 18 Sprints
August 2 Sprints

The last is an August 8th Dearborn coupe.

Remember, too, these are the "scheduled" door tag dates, and yours is the buck tag "build" date.

[tomtri66]

Pete,
I would be interested to know what the other Jan dates are.  Where does mine fall?
Thanks,
Tom

[Pete Bush]

Dearborn
06A
11A
11A
12A
San Jose
14A
14A
17A
Metuchen
27L
30M
05A
11A
14A
19A
20A Tom
28A
31A

Are you thinking now of converting the Sprint back to a 6-cylinder?

[tomtri66]

Lol Pete!  I can't say the thought hasn't passed my mind in the past few days.  My plan with this car has been to build what I always wanted in a Mustang and I'm very happy with how it has turned out so far.  After all the expense and effort I have expended I don't think it's in the cards financially.  However I am carefully storing all the original parts that I have been able to save and I will search for those parts that are missing and purchase them as the right deal presents itself.  I know one thing: my car will sport an original console again.  The way I see it, this just adds a new angle to the hobby I've enjoyed for the past 23 years.  Love it!

Thanks for all the help Pete.  Really enjoying this board because of folks like you.
Tom