Topic: Tie down plates

[68 S Code]

I believe Dudleys car is a small block so it would have the smaller plates. I've looked at his photobucket and spoken to him about his car. It very nice and he was very helpful at answering some questions I had at the time.

[ruppstang]

My SJ 68 High Country Special built 7-16-68 also had the bare rounded corner tie downs. Marty

[Bob Gaines]

I believe Dudleys car is a small block so it would have the smaller plates. I've looked at his photobucket and spoken to him about his car. It very nice and he was very helpful at answering some questions I had at the time.

The size of the plates does not have to do with big block or smallblock. It has to do with duel exhaust or single exhaust . The car in the photobucket  is a single exhaust two barrel car and it got the smaller tie down brackets because of the single exhaust. Bob

[68 S Code]

Dudley you see how knowledgable the members are on this forum. Thanks Bob for passing This info along.

[Dudley]

great answers and resolution to the question. It was a June build.  I've always favored VMF but I really like the format here which is broken down by model year, saves looking through a lot of unrelated posts when I'm interested in any particular model year. They all have value, just depends on needs at the time and time available. Thank, glad to join in. Dudley

[J_Speegle]

  I've always favored VMF but I really like the format here which is broken down by model year, saves looking through a lot of unrelated posts when I'm interested in any particular model year.............

One of the reasons we built separate sections when we moved over here.

Glad you like it.

[roddster]

  OK, and is there any photos of the San Jose plates?
  And: is there a difference between the 67 and the 68 plates....proof of that??
  Here are my doubts about this:  Could it have happened that the supplier to the San Jose assembly plant ran short , so, Fomoco shipped them in from the Dearborn supplier?  I think that could have happened.   Also, as mentioned about, is there a difference between the 67 and the 68 tie plates?
  Wasn't the dealer supposed to remove them?  And of course some did not.  Just hide them with black spray paint.  That happened too.

[Bob Gaines]

  OK, and is there any photos of the San Jose plates?
  And: is there a difference between the 67 and the 68 plates....proof of that??
  Here are my doubts about this:  Could it have happened that the supplier to the San Jose assembly plant ran short , so, Fomoco shipped them in from the Dearborn supplier?  I think that could have happened.   Also, as mentioned about, is there a difference between the 67 and the 68 tie plates?
  Wasn't the dealer supposed to remove them?  And of course some did not.  Just hide them with black spray paint.  That happened too.

SJ plates has squared off corners on the top where it bolts up to the frame rail and the Dearborn are rounded. The Dearborn style was typically bare steel where as the SJ ones were painted black. No difference between 67 to 69 from what I have seen. I hate going down the "anything is possible" road. That is why I usually differentiate by saying "Most typical " or "unusual". The rounded edge bracket was "unusual " on a SJ car  .

[J_Speegle]

  OK, and is there any photos of the San Jose plates?
  And: is there a difference between the 67 and the 68 plates....proof of that??

Guess your asking if there is a difference between 67 an d68 San Jose versions?   Easy enough to compare though can't remember any differences in the versions - will find and post

Here are my doubts about this:  Could it have happened that the supplier to the San Jose assembly plant ran short , so, Fomoco shipped them in from the Dearborn supplier? ........

Just continuing the discussion but a possibility does not make things so - especially in a world where you need at least some facts and documentation.  Look at how many people have been blamed and pointed out as the guy that shot Kennedy -  Possible that all of them did it -    but doesn't make it so. Normally these discussions start out with at least one owner with a fairly original car (or not   claiming that their car came with this or that. In that case the burden of proof is on them and their search for others from the same time and plant begins

  Wasn't the dealer supposed to remove them?  And of course some did not.  Just hide them with black spray paint.  That happened too.

Hide them with black spray paint?  The tie downs - why would the dealer do that ?   And would like to see a group of examples that you've confirmed that the dealer did.

[somethingspecial]

    Wasn't the dealer supposed to remove them?  And of course some did not.  Just hide them with black spray paint.  That happened too.

I had a chance meeting with a retired mechanic from Suburban Ford in Sacramento, Ca. who told me the dealers were supposed to remove the tie down plates and return them to the factory.  They were to give them to the "Convoy" transport drivers for return.  He told me the drivers refused to take the boxes (Several and very heavy) as they did not have room inside the cab of the truck, and finally the dealers stopped removing them.  Again, this came from someone who removed many a tie down plate during the PDI (Post Delivery Inspection) Can't see them painting them to hide them, since they were new, and most were not visible except the dual exhaust version.  JMHO

Now that was for a dealership which received most of it's deliveries from the San Jose Plant by truck, I don't know what dealers would do if the cars were shipped by rail to their area and then by truck. 

[67gtasanjose]

Since there is discussion going, if anyone has a pair of SJ long style, I am looking for them. PM me if you would. Thanks

Richard

[roddster]

   Did we miss that Marty said his 68 SJ had/has rounded corner tie plates.   So does my October 1966 built 67.   Sounds like it was a mixed application factory wise. (could be either way)    There hasn't been any 60's Mustangs in any junk yards around here in twenty years (Chicago - rust belt) to make a determination either way.
  I would like further proof. 

[J_Speegle]

   Did we miss that Marty said his 68 SJ had/has rounded corner tie plates.   So does my October 1966 built 67.   

Aren't we/you mixing years and possibly styles?  Don't recall Marty's 68 being a dual exhaust car.


Even Ford stressed in documents, the importance of removing the dual exhaust versions due to customer complaints related to rattles and related noise

[roddster]

  Jeff, you got me there.  But, would the top part where the square or rounded corners differ?  Just the same top, just longer to drop past the dualsor not.  I guess I'm saying this needs further looking into.

[ruppstang]

My SJ 68 is a C code with added duel exhaust so I removed the tie downs. I have since sold them. They had the rounded corner and were bare metal like the Dearborn style. I can not say they were original to the car but why would they have been changed?