Topic: 1968 Metuchen Hoods / with turn signal indicators or without

[wll17057]

Hi everyone.

Our car particulars:  1968 Metuchen coupe;  Actual Build Date 07/24/68;  Data Plate 8T01T225520;  the rest 65A U 2AA 31U 16 6 1;

Our car does NOT have turn signal features on the hood.  It does, however, have the turn signal features on the hood frame.  As you can imagine, I am reminded that I have the wrong hood on our 1968 car.  I know for a fact, as supported by the original owner, that the hood which we have is the hood used during the manufacturing process.  There were NO subsequent modifications.

I have been told that there was a supplier strike during the mid/late second quarter of 1968...the supplier or plant that made hoods for 1968 Mustangs.  Ford, at least Metuchen, ran out of 1968 "turn signal" hoods...and made the decision to use 1967 hoods for which there was a lot of inventory left over from the prior year.  These hoods did NOT have the hood, turn signal feature.  I discussed the hood issue with an MCA judge last April at the AACA Grand National Meet in Charlotte.  He KNEW the story and supported the issue.  A breath of fresh air.

I am looking for supportive comments or documentation regarding non-turn signal, 1967 hoods being used at Metuchen during the June/July/August time period, 1968.

Any / all input and/or information will be immensely useful, appreciated...and fun to show those who tell me I have the wrong hood.

Thanks in advance.

[Coralsnake]

Bill-

I don't believe the information you were given is accurate.
 
The strike gets blamed for everything and this is a new one I have not heard before.

Your car is at the end of 1968 production and the strike was over in November of 1967. That's almost 9 full months before your car was built.  Extremely unlikely that  "1967 hoods" were used and besides the hoods were stamped by Ford, not a vendor or sub contractor.

I think it's much more likely there is a misinterpretation of what you have. Not all 1968 hoods had the turn signals, it was an optional part. It became optional when Ford dropped the "Exterior Decor Group" option. The hood would be noted on the build sheet (Box D-22). You probably have a build sheet, because NJ assembly taped them behind the dash. 

I think it's much more likely Ford used the same lower bracing in 1967 and 1968 regardless of the top skin used.

I guess we could be optimistic and call it a "1967 style" hood, but its still not accurate, as you could get the "Exterior Decor Group" option in 1967, with the turn signal lights.

[J_Speegle]

Guess I missed initially an important question.

"Our car particulars:  1968 Metuchen coupe;  Actual Build Date 07/24/68;  Data Plate 8T01T225520;  the rest 65A U 2AA 31U 16 6 1;

Our car does NOT have turn signal features on the hood.  It does, however, have the turn signal features on the hood frame.  As you can imagine, I am reminded that I have the wrong hood on our 1968 car.  I know for a fact, as supported by the original owner, that the hood which we have is the hood used during the manufacturing process.  There were NO subsequent modifications."

Was your car ordered with a turn indicator style or not. There was more than one style of 68 hood.

If your car was ordered with the turn indicator style - read on 


Well the first difficulty with the story of " Ford, at least Metuchen, ran out of 1968 "turn signal" hoods...and made the decision to use 1967 hoods for which there was a lot of inventory left over from the prior year." is that the plant would not have stored last years hood left overs for 6 plus months. Not that much storage at the car plants - especially NJ and at San Jose they would move it on even quicker, to store all the possible left over for that long. What ever was left over got sold off to scrappers based on weight for recycling or got move into the supply system for the dealerships and repair shops. Add to these items that Ford and the stamping plant could with some ease, resupply the car plants given the period of time that past between when the strike was and when you specific car was built.

BTW anyone remember the dates of when the strike at the car plants started and ended?  Would be interesting to see if we could find some hood stamping dates during that time period. Have record of a hood being made and dated (or at least the inner structure) on Nov 11th

Not sure what your using to identify 67 from 68 hoods. Both "flat" and turn indicator styles appear to have been available through out both years of production.


Here are examples (most from unrestored cars - pretty easy to tell) from the later part of production for 68 at NJ 8T19600-8T212xxx

But will start with the flat version of the 67 - late NJ example  7T2225xx



Late 67 production turn indicator style 7T227



And the 68's

8T196xxx


8T199xxx


8T206xxx



8T2098


8T212xxx Hard to see but flat hood with the inner liner/structure shared with the turn light hood



In addition have allot of spring and early summer 68 hoods with the turn indicator feature.

And also checked 68 NJ Marti reports that show there were at least some with the louvered hood option built 3 months before your car was built so if they were making them then they would have been available months later since we also have examples at the other plants

[Coralsnake]

Strike was Sep 7 67 to Nov 11 67

[J_Speegle]

Strike was Sep 7 67 to Nov 11 67

Thanks

[J_Speegle]

Looked through my files and pictures hoping to discover what, if any, parts were being made during the strike at the car plants. First looked at sheet metal but soon remembered that since those stampings do not include the year moved on to other parts.

Found a passenger side exhaust manifold that was cast after the strike started so it looks like not everyone was on strike and Ford was still making parts for cars in preparation for the restart.  At least that is the conclusion I due from this finding

Strike started (based on Pete's info) Sep 7 67/7J67 to Nov 11 67/11L27

Exhaust manual below used on an engine that ended up in a 8T02S1295xx a 68 Shelby. Casting date Aug 30 67/7K30 Which indicates that it was cast over a month into the strike at the car plants.




Car did, when inspected, have a couple of panels that were stamped also during the strike period, one being a section of the front frame rail, dated Nov 6th but as mentioned we can't be certain if that was stamped for a 68 or a 67 car and the car did have some panel replacement so not leaning on that finding very hard though with the exhaust manifold date it does raise some interest

[Coralsnake]

I dont want get to deep into the woods on this, but Ive seen a photo of the cars on the line. Basically they just paused production for 60 plus days.

I am not entirely sure casting and stamping plants were effected. If they were I also found a reference that said starting in October, they had already begun resupplying lines. Believe it or not, the US government was involved, because of Fords contracts to supply parts for the Vietnam war.

I also see it may have ended October 22nd, so more checking

[ruppstang]

I restored a 68 fastback years ago that was on the line during the strike. The original owner told me that a disgruntled worker had thrown a bag of bolts through the back glass. It had been replaced when it arrived at the dealer ship but there was still broken glass inside. After he started driving it, he got several speeding tickets. Everyone was not surprised; he swore that he was not speeding. It also was driving strangely so he took it back to the dealership telling them of his problems. They discovered that the rear axle housing was not welded correctly, the idler arm was upside down and it had the wrong speedometer drive gear. So, he really was not speeding. The dealership refunded him $300 for the trouble if he would keep the car and he did.

[J_Speegle]

I am not entirely sure casting and stamping plants were effected. If they were I also found a reference that said starting in October, they had already begun resupplying lines. Believe it or not, the US government was involved, because of Fords contracts to supply parts for the Vietnam war.

I also see it may have ended October 22nd, so more checking

Thanks. Just based on that one dated finding its IMHO shows that not all suppliers and other Ford plants participated in the strike. Even if it ended some other locations in October the manifold date falls before that. sure we could find additional dates from inside the "strike period" if we spent the time.

As far as things workers did or can do during strikes I recall a MCA member that purchased a new Ford truck to tow his show Mustang with. He reported that under the car and in "hidden corners" of the car there were never ending things written by workers on this car. Four letter words, comments about the managements sexual orientation and so on.  Also anything that could be installed upside down was. or reversed. Seat belts, marker lights and so on were mentioned. Ford quickly bought the car back once these things were discovered and brought to their attention

This was likely in the 90's