1965 VIN’s

[mustang6473]

We're the 65 GT350's built in groups of sequential Ford VIN's?  Don't know if Ford sent entire sequential runs of 5R09K's ?

Thanks!

[J_Speegle]

VIN numbers were assigned when the order was received at San Jose often weeks or months prior to building the cars just like orders for other purposes. Cars were not typically assembled in sequential order and in a single day the VIN's could have a spread of 4,000 numbers (cars built next to one another) given the documentation from other examples. Looking at other years of production where we have the real build dates (we don't for 65-66 production) complete orders were not completed all the same day or even on sequential days.

[mustang6473]

Thanks.  When you see the vintage pictures with a full lot of fastbacks I thought they might have been sequential built VINs.

Thanks again.

[CharlesTurner]

The '65 SAAC registrar could probably give you an idea if that was true.

Of course, this would not necessarily correlate to the SFM number or when the cars were received/completed at SA.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks.  When you see the vintage pictures with a full lot of fastbacks I thought they might have been sequential built VINs.

Thanks again.

Believe you are likely looking at the "lot" as Shelby not San Jose

Never seen a picture identified as the finished cars awaiting transportation/shipping at the San Jose plant in 64-66

[mustang6473]

Was thinking of this picture weather the VINS from Ford were sequential?  Thanks again

[Coralsnake]

Thats the airport.

Cars were built in groups , some are sequential, some are not

[Bob Gaines]

Was thinking of this picture weather the VINS from Ford were sequential?  Thanks again

The pictures are not of the cars as the appear at San Jose assembly plant . This is the lot at Shelby American (see airport blast wall in background). The cars are in finished condition waiting shipment. It is almost a certainty that they were not all parked in sequential order. In higher resolution photos you can see cards in the windshield with the Shelby VIN . Some are even in order. The Ford VIN's were not always sequential with the Shelby VIN .

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Ford built them in groups - I would guess 25 (or some number that would fit evenly on the train car). Once they got to Shelby the were put in the lot. I doubt the minimum wage lot boy followed any method or direction when bringing a car into the shop for conversion. As cars arrived they would be parked in any empty space. I doubt there was an effort to keep them in any VIN order. Once they were in the shop I'd wager the Ford VIN was written next to the next SA# in line. I have had the holy grail ledger of serial numbers in my hands but really didn't examine it closely other than looking at my own VIN at the time.

[J_Speegle]

Don' t believe they were built in groups, one after another on the last "half" of the line, at San Jose (IMHO an urban legend from published beliefs decades ago) but do agree they were shipped/transported in groups. 

We do have pictures of them being transported and delivered on car carriers - don't recall any documentation of rail delivery to southern Calif.

Appears to be eight Mustangs max for each carrier. Examples of what would become R models and non R models intermixed on these carriers.




Company named Hadley was responsible for transporting most or all of the Mustangs southward I believe.

[texas swede]

The cars in the first row from left to right are: #290, #283, #276, #275 (my car)
Texas Swede

[Rbwiii]

Was thinking of this picture weather the VINS from Ford were sequential?  Thanks again

When were the optional wheels put on the car?

[Bob Gaines]

Was thinking of this picture weather the VINS from Ford were sequential?  Thanks again

When were the optional wheels put on the car?

Typically after they arrived at SA.

[CharlesTurner]

That photo would have been taken in late May '65.  The 4 cars identified (#290, #283, #276, #275 ) were completed 5/20-5/21, according to the registry.

Here's what's interesting though:

5S275 received 5/13 (in the same batch is what became 5S365, almost 100 units difference, but VIN probably very close to 275)

5S276/283/290 received 5/17 (in the same batch were 10 cars destined to be 5S3xx numbers and 3 with 4xx numbers, the latest being 5S477!)  477 sat on the lot for a month before work started on it.

[camp upshur]

Agreed, they were not at all sequential.
Here's a specific example:
Bo's car 5S275 is 64 VINs 'junior' to my car 5S339, however my car was delivered to SAI before his, May 9 v May 13.
There is a very good chance that 5S339 had an earlier FOMOCO VIN than 5S275.

These examples are all over the place: 5S479 was delivered before 5S259 and thus may well have a FOMOCO VIN hundreds of numbers 'older' and so on.