Ford DSO code breakdown

Hello Roy!
Just a small fact but possibly one that few people know.Ford treated Shelby production like any other fleet order.And unless this policy has changed,a fleet is an order for 6 units all equipped the same.We know that Shelby typically ordered in groups of over 100 units,often 20 cars of each available color.As per the last club snakebite the 67 registrar is also gathering this data...I would check with him next.Please keep us posted!

 

Really not much on figuring out the "Image"

But I did find your information interesting. Noticed you posted a door tag. Is this a reconstruction or did your car come (originally) with a door tag as very very few did?


Dave should be some of some assistance. May have a copy of your group's add/delete sheet but I have heard of that one floating around

BTW all the orders I have or have heard of for 67 Shelbys from San Jose are less than 100 cars (45, 37, 29, 13 & one with just 3 cars) Don't know where the 100 comes from Patti

 

Sorry I don't have the decoder ring Only Kevin does at this point.


"I contacted Dave Mathews yesterday. He could not add much information other than to say "the 2608 is the build DSO"......"

Just terms, but the whole number ( six digits) would be the Build DSO and the four digits the order number. Again just terms

"I have a copy of a Vehicle Specification sheet from 1/7/1967 for 229 GT 500s in various colors. It was found in 01542 (or maybe 01572 or 1592; the writing is not clear)."

Have a copy of the same.

" The sheet from a car four numbers from mine (03037) was for a similar quantity...."

So (if I understand what you are stating) 3037 was from another order just prior to your build group. So maybe 982603-982607? Since 982602 was a group of thirteen cars. Group of GT500 auto w/AC cars I think.

Haven't heard or seen of one in that period. Please remember that other cars were being ordered across the country using the Transportation DSO so most of these orders were for trucks and the like.

Always fun stuff to discuss

 

Hello again folks!
this is interesting to say the least,and I really hope we can get some help from Ford directly to be able to understand the process in its various steps or stages.As you realize the mass production volume of 1967 mustangs alone,it needs a person who is involved to explain how it works.We all have a ton of questions...My next one is should we contact Ford's historical build department? or is the same/similar process still in use currently? In Kevin Marti's Book it mentions all vehicles begin on paper with an IBM punch card ... maybe we can ask him for more details?
Keep it real!

 

Please remember that the cars sequential number (from Ford) did not determine what order Shelby converted the cars. They arrived from San Jose parked in a parking lot then randomly chosen, in any order to be moved into the Shelby process. Even the cars at Ford were not built in sequential order so 37 and 40 were more likely built days or weeks apart rather than one after another. Especially from what we understand from the guys that worked at and ran the plants, big block cars were normally separated (at least in the second half of the build) due to the difficulty and extra time they and AC took

Nothing specific they are just number that would have represented special orders place through the transportation services DSO.

And nope, no idea of the #2963 that follows the date and is just prior to the DSO.

And yes the basis for the Image would have been the IBM card that Jim Smart has often referred to and was part of the process described to me in conversations with some of the people that ran Ford plant during the 60's. Received a handful of calls from some of them after a set of articles I did were published back in the 80's

Sorry still not allot of help to your original request

 

To add further to what has been said..when you look at the dates and random order cars were put through the process @ Shelby's plant,do we know who was responsible to co-ordinate the deal from S.A.I. to the selling dealer?They would be great to have as a convention guest...
I keep seeing the image of all the cars waiting for conversion,from the Wally Wise book from the past...I would really like to see more pictures,or find the source he did for the book..very few pictures show 67 production,and from what we have read,it must have been about all Shelby could handle.Any ideas on the time frame when they were taken? I mention this because you can see white documents of some sort hanging from the windshield of some cars.Hope this is not too far off topic.. sorry if it is but this is neat stuff!

 

Depends... in the case of Shelbys I don't know of any single vehicle orders but would guess there were one or two such orders. Generally they were built in groups (as shown in the add/delete sheets you have seen) and all given the same DSO's

Other orders like buyers that wanted a special exterior color (for example) on a Mustang would have been the only car in that order and for that DSO

Nothing too exciting now a days... just a regular layout of the process of the order, from receipt of order to the final roll out at a typical plant. I did a number of articles during that period for the MCA Times where I was the Head Judge for Shelbys for many years.

Patti believe all the cars were funneled through High Performance Motors to the dealerships and returns (such as the Hertz cars) were handled through them also in the early years.

As for a particular person, would guess there were a number of them that handled that sort of thing.

 

I read with interest as I am still trying to decifer all my codes also. I have an early 67'-500 by Ford & Shelby Vin and my car 's DSO starts with "84" i.e "Home Office Reserve" vice "89" "Ford Transportation". I assume thats because it was Calif emisions equipt car that was retailed out to Dealer 71262Q, Ford Motor Company, Los Angeles assembly Plant, Pico-Rivera Ca. Anybody else out there with this DSO and dealer?

 

Hello Dave!
just a quick note on your questions..Pico Rivera was used quite a bit by shelby as a holding lot,The place where finished cars sat waiting to be sent to the dealer that eventually sold them.From what you are describing,your car was sold to someone at the L.A. zone office,or was sent to be used by them as a demften this was a Shelby employee...Is it still wearing a black/yellow license plate? Do you know any other history?If you have a 1997 registry,as you read footnotes you will see what I mean about Pico Rivera..they were still useing it in the late 70's for Mustang II's.
hope this helps you solve some of the mystery!