Hello, new to this site and this is my first post. I am 2 months into a father son restoration of a 1996 Mustang Coupe. More father than son so far. I have looked into and understand how to decode a VIN, fender tags match as well as door tag, the engine and transmission also match. My question is related to the serial number in the VIN, last 6 digits, mine is 717457. I read in numerous places that in 1966 there were 607,568 mustangs manufactured and that the serial number started at 100001. In my mind that makes the maximum serial number 707569, which is 9888 below my serial number. My car was manufactured July 26^th in Dearborn which built the 1966 mustang until August 12, 1966. I have no reason to believe the tags are fake, any ideas on the serial number discrepancy? Were the GT or Hertz rental cars counted in the 607,568?

The "GT" had nothing to do with the VIN, all 66 Mustangs were VIN-coded as Mustangs. This was also true of the 66 Shelby, whether it was a GT350 or GT350H (Hertz) model. The fact that Shelby replaced the VIN with their own plate was immaterial, they all carried a Ford VIN.

IIRC the Consecutive Unit Number system correctly, you have the 617,456th car built by the Dearborn plant that model year. The plant started counting the cars with 100001.

 

22GT
Thanks for the response, but that still doesn't explain why the serial number is greater than the number of cars built or is the serial number not 100% sequential.

 

Sure it does. This plant produced cars other than the Mustang.

 

22GT
Thanks for the clarification. Knowing this makes me a lot more comfortable moving forward with this project. In the late 70's I worked, summer job, at the Metuchen NJ plant building Pintos and that's all we built, I was not aware that a plant could be tooled to manufacture more than one car at the same time.

 

For what it's worth, my 66 fastback is 741574 and it had a build date of August 9th which is just 3 days until the end of the production run.

 

In case anyone was wondering...Here is the "real deal"..:

64-66 Productions Totals


1964 1/2 Mustang
Type Total Produced
65A Coupe 92705 76,28%
76A Convertible with Standard Interior 28833 23,72%
Grand Total 121538 100,00%

1965 Mustang
Type Total Produced
63A Fastback 71303 12,75%
63B Fastback with Pony Interior 5776 1,03%
65A Coupe with Standard Interior 372123 66,52%
65B Coupe with Pony Interior 22232 3,97%
65C Coupe with Bench Seat 14905 2,66%
76A Convertible with Standard Interior 65663 11,74%
76B Convertible with Pony Interior 5338 0,95%
76C Convertible with Bench Seat 2111 0,38%
Grand Total 559451 100,00%

1965 Shelby Mustang
Type Total Produced
GT350 Fastback 515 91,64%
GT350 Street Prototype 1 0,18%
GT350 R Model 35 6,23%
GT350 R Model Prototype 2 0,36%
GT350 Drag Cars 9 1,60%
Grand Total 562 100,00%

1966 MUSTANG
Type Total Produced
63A Fastback 27809 4,58%
63B Fastback with Pony Interior 7889 1,30%
65A Coupe 422416 69,53%
65B Coupe with Pony Interior 55938 9,21%
65C Coupe with Bench Seat 21397 3,52%
76A Convertible 56409 9,28%
76B Convertible with Pony Interior 12.520 2,06%
76C Convertible with Bench Seat 319 0,05%
Grand Total 607568 100,00%

1966 Shelby Mustang
Type Total Produced
GT350 Fastback 1370 57,56%
GT350H Hertz Shelby 1000 42,02%
GT350 Convertible 6 0,25%
GT350 Drag Cars 4 0,17%
Grand Total 2380 100,00%


Tony K.

 

There are some highly suspect numbers in that list, Tony.

 

Don't like those?

Here's some from another source...

FoMoCo.org - Production figures

1966 Mustang Production Figures
Quantity


63A 2dr Fastback, standard
27,809


63B 2dr Fastback, luxury
7,889


65A 2dr Hardtop, standard
422,416


65B 2dr Hardtop, luxury
55,938


65C 2dr Hardtop, bench seats
21,397


76A Convertible, standard
56,409


76B Convertible, luxury
12,520


76C Convertible, bench seats
3,190


Total
607,568




1966 Shelby Production Figures
Quantity


GT350
1,368


GT350 Convertible
4


GT350H
1,001


Racing and special models
4


GT350S
11


Total
2,378


What numbers look suspect to you? All these figures were published by Ford and Shelby and have been known for decades.. The only revised number that I know was done by SAAC on the Shelby 1966 GT-350 Convertibles... Originally (6) VIN Numbers were assigned, but only (4) cars were actually built, so that number was revised from 6 to 4... Other than that... Everything else looks right..as far as I can see. The question was on 1966 cars, I included '64/65 as well just for the heck of it..

Tony K.

 

Found some more '64.5./'65 figures...

1965 ('64.5) Ford Mustang
Early Production Figures

65A 2door Hardtop Coupe
standard 92,705

76A Convertible
standard 28,833

Total Early 1965 Mustangs 121,538
Late Production Figures

63A 2door Fastback
standard 71,303

63B 2door Fastback, luxury, Pony Interior 5,776

65A 2door Hardtop Coupe
standard 372,123

65B 2door Hardtop Coupe
luxury, Pony Interior 22,232

65C 2door Hardtop Coupe
bench seats 14,905

76A Convertible
standard 65,663

76B Convertible
luxury, Pony Interior 5,338

76C Convertible
bench Seats 2,111

Total Late Model 1965 Mustangs 559,451

Total All 1965 Mustangs 680,989

Special 1965 Mustangs (included above)
K /HiPo Mustangs 7,273
GT Equipment Group Mustangs 15,079
Indianapolis 500 Pace Car 222

 

I believe the Falcon was also produced at the Dearborn plant in '66.

 

Falcons were never made at the Dearborn plant (correction Falcons were made at Dearborn in 66)

60-63 were made in Missouri, California and out of the U.S.
64 up were made in Missouri and out of the U.S.

 

welcome, post up some pics,....:thumbsup:

 

There is a pic available showing a '66 Falcon on the line behind some '66 Mustangs...but the dispute is at what plant the picture is taken...Whether it was Dearborn, or Metuchen. I am researching this as we speak!

OK...Found the pics...

They sure look like 1966 Falcons to me!...

Pic#1 (Left Side), Definitely Dearborn Plant Main Exit, Looks like a 1966 Falcon Grille and Hood behind the 1966 Mustang...It sure ain't a Fairlane..




Pic#2, Plant is in dispute, Could be Dearborn, or Metuchen, Look at Car#5 peering out of the left side...It's a Four door 1966 Falcon...No faking that one..!



If you are finding the pics are hard to see here, Download or capture them, and blow them up...You can see them much better..and see what the story is.


PS: To get a little bit more on topic... Bob Gaines has a 2640 mile 1966 Dearborn mustang, and the VIN# is VIN# 6F07C722378, Scheduled Date "22G".. (July 22, 1966)...and there are later ones...just as an example..


Tony K.

 

Don’t know if this is of any interest but Ford says 1967 Cougars were built at Dearborn in 1966 but not on the same assembly line.
<o> </o>
"In 1939, a third assembly line was added with the introduction of Mercury division. For nearly 50 years, the plant built the following Mercury brand models: Mercury (1939-1941, 1945-1950), Meteor (1962-1963), Cougar (1966-1973), Comet (1972-1973), Capri (1972-1985)."



The ad also states they built Mavericks there at least until or thru 1961. I have also never seen a 1961 Maverick,...must be pretty rare.

"From 1945 through 1961, the plant produced all Ford brand models including Deluxe Tudor, Galaxie, Fairlane, Thunderbird, Ranchero, Falcon and Maverick."

<o></o>HISTORY OF DEARBORN ASSEMBLY PLANT | Ford Motor Company Newsroom

 

"Don’t know if this is of any interest but Ford says 1967 Cougars were built at Dearborn in 1966 but not on the same assembly line. "

I don't know about Late '66 or '67, but they sure shared the line in 1968! Plant unknown...Most likely Dearborn.







Tony K.

 

"Don’t know if this is of any interest but Ford says 1967 Cougars were built at Dearborn in 1966 but not on the same assembly line. "

I don't know about Late '66 or '67, but they sure shared the line in 1968! Plant unknown...Most likely Dearborn.

Ford Motor Company clearly states 1967 Cougars were built in Dearborn starting in 1966. See proof below.

They also clearly state in the same press release from their reliable media department that they made 1961 Mavericks too. I'm still looking for one of those.

Great photos by the way. Thanks for taking the time to post them, now if you could only find a photo of that darn 61 Mav for me....



FORD POSTCARD OF 67 MUSTANG AND 67 COUGAR ON DEARBORN FINAL INSPECTION LINE .

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Mustan...Convertible-Cougar-Dearborn-Factory-Assembly-Line-Postcard-wr5429-/290882064108

 

My '66 was a Dearborn car built in July, had a vin number in the 700xxx

 

Welcome md pony !! so we have another Annapolitan on the site! my 66 Dearborne built must was april 13, and ends in 314533. We'll have to get together and check each others cars out! i'm over in cape st clair if I can help with anything let me know. Projects tend to get a little overwhelming and this site sure does help. As you can see a post can generate lots of interesting discussion and info.

 

I think that the Falcons were moved out of all the other Plants other than Missouri after 1967.. From all the info I could find. I remember clearly that 1968 thru Early 1970 Falcons were Manufactured at (K) Kansas City, Missouri, and (X) St. Thomas, Canada plants. Then (Mid 1970),they went to the last Torino Based Falcons made at Torino/Fairlane plants at the time.

Tony K.

 

Yes, I forgot about that 1967 Dearborn postcard....You can plainly see the Red 1967 Cougar following the Yellow 1967 Mustang Convertible....

Tony K.

 

geicoman58
Thanks. I am down near Bay Ridge. Nothing to look at currently, unless you like rust, brown primer and dry rotted rubber. Spent the last 2 months tearing the car down, determining how extensive the work would be and if it was a worthwhile project. Answer seems to be yes, so I have started to strip the car to metal and rebuilding the 289.

 

There is a lot of incorrect information here.

The correct info:
Dearborn for 1966 model year only produced the Mustang. Ford was running full steam to produce as many Mustangs as possible.

Ford reserved consecutive unit numbers from 500000 to 599999 exclusively for Mercury, even at DAP in 1966.

The consecutive unit number has absolutely nothing to do with build sequence. If your unit number is 300001 you do not have the 200001th Mustang built at DAP. This number was assigned when the dealer order hit the system and had nothing to do with build sequence. Orders frequently got cancelled resulting in potential vin's that were never built. Scheduling is very much a science designed to run the line the most efficiently.

I used to work in Ford's plant systems group and knew the scheduling system well. Retired now.

 

"There is a lot of incorrect information here.

The correct info:
Dearborn for 1966 model year only produced the Mustang. Ford was running full steam to produce as many Mustangs as possible."

I think that we answered this one already...


Apparently, He came in late and didn't read earlier in the thread. I think the pictures below pretty much debunk that theory...

See below:

They sure look like 1966 Falcons to me!...

Pic#1 (Left Side), Definitely Dearborn Plant Main Exit, Looks like a 1966 Falcon Grille and Hood behind the 1966 Mustang...It sure ain't a Fairlane..




Pic#2, Plant is in dispute, Could be Dearborn, or Metuchen, Look at Car#5 peering out of the left side...It's a Four door 1966 Falcon...No faking that one..!



If you are finding the pics are hard to see here, Download or capture them, and blow them up...You can see them much better..and see what the story is.

 

They don't look like Falcon's to me. They look like Mustangs.

 

You have to download and enlarge the pics with any viewer, then you can see the detail..

Tony K.