Original cars, owners, documentation

Topic: Original cars, owners, documentation (Read 76458 times) previous topic - next topic

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #120 – March 24, 2013, 09:23:54 PM

Quote from: Big B;411671

My 88 TC had the tag bolted to the core support originally, before I removed it. I've had the entire interior out, as well as the the dash pulled fully out, and no build sheet to be found anywhere unfortunately, which sucks because I have factory build sheets for every other one of my cars. No marks on the header panel either, other than the standard date codes that are stamped in yellow on every panel.

Hmm that's odd. I found mine under the passenger front seat. Perhaps it just disintegrated? Maybe the worker at Ford chucked it in the trash, which sucks.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #121 – March 26, 2013, 08:57:58 AM

I'm thinking the build sheet under the seat may have been placed there by the seat vendor? Doubt line workers would have the time to place it consistently in the same place, under the seat springs?

I've heard on other Fords, build sheets that would have been used by line workers, could be found anywhere they felt like tossing them. More than likely there is some kind of pattern depending on the workers routine. One car had a pile of build sheets in it so that guy must have collected a bunch before deciding to trash them in one car! :hick:

Keep in mind, assembly line work is very boring so some of the odd things we see on the cars could be the result of a 'creative' worker. :D

It would be great to talk to someone who was actually on the line as our cars were being built. Keep your eyes open for that person and if you find them ask a lot of questions!

Nameplate

Reply #122 – March 26, 2013, 09:55:00 AM

Here's a copy of the original paperwork showing the recommended placement of the nameplate.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #123 – March 26, 2013, 10:04:49 PM

Quote from: rodsterh;411878

It would be great to talk to someone who was actually on the line as our cars were being built. Keep your eyes open for that person and if you find them ask a lot of questions!

I occasionally meet old ford assembly line workers at car shows here in Charlotte. Last one I met here did 12V STS at Wixom, 30 years ago. I probably spent over 2 hours picking that guys brain, and learned quite a bit from him. So you can bet if I ever meet any of the people who built our Birds/Cats/Marks, I will be breaking out my cam for interview time, should they be down, that is.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #124 – March 29, 2013, 01:05:15 PM

Quote from: rodsterh;411878

I'm thinking the build sheet under the seat may have been placed there by the seat vendor? Doubt line workers would have the time to place it consistently in the same place, under the seat springs?

I've heard on other Fords, build sheets that would have been used by line workers, could be found anywhere they felt like tossing them. More than likely there is some kind of pattern depending on the workers routine. One car had a pile of build sheets in it so that guy must have collected a bunch before deciding to trash them in one car! :hick:

Keep in mind, assembly line work is very boring so some of the odd things we see on the cars could be the result of a 'creative' worker. :D

It would be great to talk to someone who was actually on the line as our cars were being built. Keep your eyes open for that person and if you find them ask a lot of questions!

I've always wondered how the guy on the assembly line had time to stick the build sheet under the passenger seat springs. I know that there wasn't a build sheet ontop of the gas tank as I had it off to replace a fuel pump. Perhaps there could be a build sheet behind the quarter trim panels in the rear of one of these cars?

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #125 – March 29, 2013, 01:36:50 PM

That's what I'm thinking too. People have reported finding the build sheets here:

- Underside of the passenger seat
- Underneath the rear seat bottom
- Inside one of the rear quarter panels
- Underneath the trunk carpeting
- On top of the fuel tank (usually 2.3 turbo cars, but not always)

I don't know of many other places where a build sheet could hide...

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #126 – March 30, 2013, 09:46:17 AM

I've found them under the PS seat springs, and under the rear seat bottom of my other two 80's Fords, but nothing in the Turbo Coupe. I've also found them inside the dash of other 80's era Ford's, sitting on top of the heater/ac plenum box, or wrapped around some wiring. The build sheet for my '93 Lightning was behind the Speedo Cluster for some reason, lol. It really does seem kind of random where they placed them sometimes. Only place I haven't looked in the Turbo Coupe is on top of the fuel tank, will check there next though.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #127 – March 31, 2013, 10:34:28 AM

Or maybe there is none. ?? I haven't found one for my 83 TC built in Atlanta (although I don't remember if I looked under the PS seat and know I didn't look at the gas tank) so maybe that plant didn't stuff the build sheets in the cars?

My 83 Heritage, built in Lorain, has one crumbling away under the PS seat but never found one anywhere in the interior but I never had it apart much. I did replace the gas tank else but no signs of it there.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #128 – April 01, 2013, 05:54:27 PM

It's possible that the cars built in Atlanta just had the build sheets stuffed in the trash. I still want to know why the Lorain built cars have the build sheet under the passenger seat. It's kind of a hard place to put the thing.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #129 – April 01, 2013, 06:24:42 PM

I found 3 build sheets in my car. One under the back seat, one under my passenger seat and the other in my dash while i was putting my tripminder in.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #130 – April 01, 2013, 07:03:26 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302;412348

It's possible that the cars built in Atlanta just had the build sheets stuffed in the trash. I still want to know why the Lorain built cars have the build sheet under the passenger seat. It's kind of a hard place to put the thing.

Still wondering if the vendor that made the seats didn't put it there or possibly someone in 'receiving' at the assembly plant put it there as they were gathering the parts and staging them to be sent down the line? Someone the worked at Ford knows, we just have to find that person. I also know buildsheets under seats isn't unique to our cars, older Fords and even a 70 Chevy truck I have had one under the seat.

Quote from: FirstBird;412352

I found 3 build sheets in my car. One under the back seat, one under my passenger seat and the other in my dash while i was putting my tripminder in.

Wow, good find. What year car and what assembly plant? Did all of the build sheets match?

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #131 – June 11, 2013, 06:40:26 PM

Quote from: rodsterh;412360

Wow, good find. What year car and what assembly plant? Did all of the build sheets match?

Yeah all 3 of them matched, or looked like they did did not really want to pull the one from the passenger seat as it was real brittle.
As i was under the car a few days ago I found this tucked under the bumper and fiber support.

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #132 – June 14, 2013, 12:06:31 PM

I am an original owner of an ALL original 1986 turbo coupe

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #133 – June 14, 2013, 12:27:18 PM

This is not from a Thunderbird/Cougar but from my Mark VII. I found these "defect" sheets under the insulation below the rear seat. Has anyone found something similar on a Fox Thunderbird/Cougar?

Original cars, owners, documentation

Reply #134 – June 16, 2013, 08:49:21 PM

Quote from: Dave D;417048

I am an original owner of an ALL original 1986 turbo coupe

Would love to see some pictures of it and any info/documentation you can share about it would be great!

Quote from: thunderjet302;417049

This is not from a Thunderbird/Cougar but from my Mark VII. I found these "defect" sheets under the insulation below the rear seat. Has anyone found something similar on a Fox Thunderbird/Cougar?

I found one in my Fox Mustang. It was in the spare tire well. The areas that had defects were repaired but not very well. Not exactly Quality is Job 1... :hick:

How well were your repairs made? I would think they would give special attention to a mark VII.