Hello I’m trying to figure out sequential numbers for instance my car has a build date of 01C which I believe is March 1st but there is another car that has the same build date but it’s sequential number is 114 less than mine, is there any rhyme or reason to the production process,
I may have this wrong, but as I understand it our cars were not built in consecutive number. They were serialized in order(I think) but build was not due to possibly having all the parts in house, or maybe the paint or to note cause slowdowns in production. Maybe like not building 25 CJ cars in a row due to taking a little more time to install the power train. I know there are folks here that are far more knowledgeable then I am on this. I am interested in what they have to say.
I know of a car with a build date one day earlier than my 68 and a VIN sequence difference of 1252 after mine. Just an FYI.
Is there a way to know if you’re car was the 10th one or the 150th one built , I haven’t gotten a marti yet but others I’ve seen didn’t have that info on it?
No, the order your car went down the line is the rotation number, however those rolled over and did not start at one or zero each day. You also could have multiple rotation numbers assigned as the vehicle worked its way down the multiple assembly lines within the plant.
Marti Auto Works has a FAQ that explains how serial numbers were assigned and some of the criteria that was used at the plant for scheduling.
That’s to bad
This example is of 2 of my Cougars. Mote higher number was built first. Another reason that may factor in to how they are loaded on to the line may have to do with destination. The hard top(0F93) went to Everett WA and the Convertible went to Beverly Hills CA.
0F93H624398 SERIALIZED 10-31-1969 BUILT 11-12-1969
0F94M523136 SERIALIZED 10-28-1969 BUILT 11-13-1969
Note info from the Marti report for each car.
With others on this forum having not seen a front valance like i have I was how early-early was , it would be cool to know more.
As many have pointed out the only way to know is to get your Marti Report. Cars were scheduled in groups based on many factors, primarily in order of DSO number. So on a given day cars would come down the line in order of DSO. They would only be scheduled for build if all of the required parts were available.
This has nothing to do with the VIN or the scheduled build date. The VIN is assigned when the order is received. Typically the car would not be bucked until there was scheduled build date. In general cars were built typically very near or slightly before their scheduled build date. Your car being a typical part of a Hertz order meant that it has identical options to all the other Hertz XR7-G’s that were built on March 1 so my expectation is that it was right in line with all of them. But no one knows for sure until you get the Marti Report.
The rotation number does appear on Cougars if no one has painted over it or it has been removed during cleaning. It is also found on the original build sheet if you are among the few lucky enough to get one of those in your car. Here’s a picture of one.
I’ve seen those numbers on the front support but had no idea what they were mine are 607
There’s your rotation number. It’s fairly useless but now if you want you can reproduce it after everything is painted.
Marti it is- any suggestions the $46.00 deluxe one or the $275.00 elite one
The elite one doesn’t have more information. It looks really cool on the wall though.
Thanks
VINs and Rotation Numbers
VIN numbers were assigned when the orders were received by that specific assembly plant and a guess (projected) build date assigned. This is the date that ended up on the door tag. Based on the type of order (this related to how quickly the car needed to get built) and availability of parts the “computer” figured out when the car would really be built. Problems with supply of parts, and even certification of option could effect these dates.
Once a car was chosen it was placed in a production order (with the first rotation number being assigned) and the build process started. This is the number you might find under paint coats and on buck tags if the plant used buck tags.
After this first “half” pf the build was done (Body and trim) the cars were placed in a waiting area with other cars. Some cars were pulled out for specific tasks such as vinyl and convertible top installation. When all the parts needed were ready and accounted for cars in the waiting area were arranged and assigned a new rotation number (often applied to body and parts depending on the plant - more often used at San Jose than Dearborn due to practices) so that easy cars (low option - smaller motors) were intermixed with more difficult builds (AC, big blocks …) since too many of the difficult ones together slowed down the process and line. The second rotation mark/number is what we find on top of the paint layers Rotation numbers typically went from 001-999 unless your looking at 69 and 70 Dearborn when they expanded the range for some unknown reason. This number corresponds with the number in the upper left hand of the buildsheets. Rotation numbers would just roll over and over again so its not hard to understand that allot more than two cars would have the same rotation number and of course the numbers included every model of car built on that line - cars in other lines in the same plant would use the same numbering system. They restarted from 001 when ever they got to the end of the numbering system no matter when in the shift or day that was. It was only a accountability number since the VINs were useless for this purpose
We have samples (from a pile of buildsheets left in one car) that showed, in a group of approx 24 cars all in sequential order by rotation number, where the VIN’s are up to 4,000 apart and the projected build dates were up to three weeks apart. Many years ago most if not all of us believed that cars were built in order - we’ve learned allot since then.
I’m one that thought the vin was everything but now it makes it more interesting ,I know my car is one of 188 but it’ll interesting to know where it fits in the production , if the marti is going to give me that info.
^^^ Not only all of what Jeff and Royce have shared, but your car being a G had to be sent off to A.O. Smith for conversion.
Performing “auto archeology” on our Cougars is fun - especially Gs.
If you enjoy that, and if you don’t already have it, I would recommend Kevin Marti’s “The Mustang and Cougar Tagbook”.
- Phillip
No I’ve never heard of it but I’ll ask and thanks
Hertz ordered and received 200 XR7-G Cougars. Your car is one of 188 identical (except colors) S code cars built for Hertz.
Thanks again to all that’s had input,i know it’s part of a special order but I’m hoping to know if it was first -last -20th and compare it to the registry as to where it places with the known survivors, I know it probably means nothing it’s just for my own head and it may not even be possible