ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Interior & Trunk => Topic started by: turtledriver on February 05, 2022, 11:22:17 AM
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why would the factory put 2 spare tire brackets on. 1966 convertible. The bottom bracket is a little different than the top in that it has a notch cut out of it. Almost like it was designed for holding in a jack but if that were the case it would be very common
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I'm sure some experts will speak up but it looks like the seam sealer has been replaced. My guess the hold down has been added when it was worked on.
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Agreed. There are a lot of indications that there has been work done in this area well after leaving the factory. If you want to learn more, go to the library area and look at pictures of unrestored cars of the same year. Then narrow down to the same assembly plant. If there is more than one, get as close of a match as possible to the assembly date.
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Some people say it was a mistake however there is another example of it on this site which is identical. Additionally the lower bracket is a little different than the top one in that it has a notch cut out. Its a different part number not just a duplicate. I'm pretty sure this is factory and not a mistake. So the question is why?
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why would the factory put 2 spare tire brackets on. 1966 convertible. The bottom bracket is a little different than the top in that it has a notch cut out of it. Almost like it was designed for holding in a jack but if that were the case it would be very common
First, welcome to the Forum. After 55 or so years, almost anything is possible. I made a few "modifications" to my 66 Fastback in the first couple of years I owned it so I know it's has been done. It's sort of obvious the bracket doesn't belong there. You have two choices, leave it or remove it, and that depends on what you intend to do with your Mustang.
Jim
After your second post, it seem to be more of an anomaly then a previous owner's add-on. Where did the second picture come from?
Jim
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A little about this mustang. I acquired it recently from an estate and it had been sitting in a basement garage since at least March 26th 1978. I know this because grill parts and other things were wrapped in newspapers and put in boxes. It got repainted and not very well and I suspect never put back together. I suspect it has been sitting a few years more because the tires are dated Nov 1970 and still have a good bit of tread left on them. All the sheetmetal is stamped and dated and has no signs of rust or repairs (other than an all over paint). It's the best preserved 66 convertible GT I've ever seen. The spark plugs are all autolight BRF42s and the odometer says 44K miles which may actually be correct.
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A little about this mustang. I acquired it recently from an estate and it had been sitting in a basement garage since at least March 26th 1978. I know this because grill parts and other things were wrapped in newspapers and put in boxes. It got repainted and not very well and I suspect never put back together. I suspect it has been sitting a few years more because the tires are dated Nov 1970 and still have a good bit of tread left on them. All the sheetmetal is stamped and dated and has no signs of rust or repairs (other than an all over paint). It's the best preserved 66 convertible GT I've ever seen. The spark plugs are all autolight BRF42s and the odometer says 44K miles which may actually be correct.
BRF42 sparkplugs are a much later over the counter addition to your car. They were never used on the assemblyline in this case.
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When were the BRF42 discontinued in favor of the BSF42 or BF45's? I've read the 45's came out in 1968 and replaced the 42's
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After your second post, it seem to be more of an anomaly then a previous owner's add-on. Where did the second picture come from?
Jim
Unrestored section
https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=16692.msg104398&fbclid=IwAR2_BkKE7APhrN8xEA3ym3yg8_AyLtGkMZpxSJGGuQb70h3Iu93E3fu9VzU#msg104398
Someone on Facebook suggests this was done on GT?s for the placement of the styled steel wheel hold down. Not sure how accurate that is.
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My understanding is if you had styled steel wheels you would still have a plain steel spare.. not styled wheel spare The standard jbolt is too short to work with the styled steel wheel and putting a bracket lower would only make it worse.
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"Someone on Facebook suggests this was done on GT?s for the placement of the styled steel wheel hold down. Not sure how accurate that is. "
not accurate at all. stay away from f/b. why would a GT be any different?
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When were the BRF42 discontinued in favor of the BSF42 or BF45's? I've read the 45's came out in 1968 and replaced the 42's
BF 42 was what was used on many applications. The BRF 42 came out later. The BF 42 was a common plug used up through the end of the 60's. Your owners manual shows what plugs your car used . Information is also found in the service specification book that is a companion to the shop manual. In the case of your 66 Mustang the BF 42 is what came on the 289 with the exception of the hipo which took the BF32 . 6 cylinders took the BF82.
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............. I'm pretty sure this is factory and not a mistake. So the question is why?
Would suggest to you that it can be factory done and still a mistake. There are plenty of examples. If it were intentional we would have more examples more examples all from the same production period and plant. And even then it could be a single worker that shift that was new or filling in that was the cause where he put them in the wrong spot and another worker (with a different supplier with a slightly different part) had to put another in the correct spot.
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"Someone on Facebook suggests this was done on GT?s for the placement of the styled steel wheel hold down. Not sure how accurate that is. "
not accurate at all. stay away from f/b. why would a GT be any different?
+1 ::)
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Where did the second picture come from?
Unrestored section
https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=16692.msg104398&fbclid=IwAR2_BkKE7APhrN8xEA3ym3yg8_AyLtGkMZpxSJGGuQb70h3Iu93E3fu9VzU#msg104398
Someone on Facebook suggests this was done on GT?s for the placement of the styled steel wheel hold down. Not sure how accurate that is.
My 66 GT Fastback K Deluxe Interior came with ALL five Style Steel Wheels, was built about 10 days after the referenced convertible and does not have the extra bracket.
The spark plugs are all autolight BRF42s and the odometer says 44K miles which may actually be correct.
The "BRF" Autolite plug series were supposed to be of a low static type to improve radio reception. They were in addition to low static plug wires. (My 66 GT Fastback "K" currently has around 79,000 miles.)
BF 42 was what was used on many applications. The BRF 42 came out later. The BF 42 was a common plug used up through the end of the 60's. Your owners manual shows what plugs your car used . Information is also found in the service specification book that is a companion to the shop manual. In the case of your 66 Mustang the BF 42 is what came on the 289 with the exception of the hipo which took the BF32 . 6 cylinders took the BF82.
All true.
When were the BRF42 discontinued in favor of the BSF42 or BF45's? I've read the 45's came out in 1968 and replaced the 42's
The "45" was the Ford Motorcraft equivalent of the BF42.
"Someone on Facebook suggests this was done on GT?s for the placement of the styled steel wheel hold down. Not sure how accurate that is. "
not accurate at all. stay away from f/b.
"Stay away from Facebook" is the best advice presented for the day, except it's Saturday, so have a beer.
Jim
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Here's another view of the brackets. The one on the bottom has a notch in it when it was formed, making it a different part number from the top one which we all know well. If it was simply a duplicate of the top one put in the wrong location why is it not the same bracket?
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It keeps the beer cooler in your trunk from sliding when you hook a strap to it.
Jim
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Looks like it is made so the J - hook can be installed vertically in either one. Interesting.
Here's another view of the brackets. The one on the bottom has a notch in it when it was formed, making it a different part number from the top one which we all know well. If it was simply a duplicate of the top one put in the wrong location why is it not the same bracket?
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Additionally the lower bracket is a little different than the top one in that it has a notch cut out. Its a different part number not just a duplicate.
Hos did you come to that conclusion since the parts are not marked with an identification engineering number? And extra details would not automatically make it a different part number- tons of examples of that during the 60's
Here's another view of the brackets. The one on the bottom has a notch in it when it was formed, making it a different part number from the top one which we all know well. If it was simply a duplicate of the top one put in the wrong location why is it not the same bracket?
As mentioned in reply #12 if the first one was a mistake installed during the bucking process or early station in the build and the other the correct or repair at a later station by a different worker then both stations could have bins with parts from different stamping plants or from a different form/machine and the reason for slightly different designs
Based on all the examples so far the issue was discovered and corrected prior to paint during the first "half" of the build and not addressed midway when the cars were waiting to be finished unlike some other mistakes and corrections we've seen over the years
Pretty simple if you understand the process
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And another example of the mistake made by some San Jose worker during 65 production. Only one from there that year I can remember seeing
(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/16/6-050222214636-1692445.jpeg)
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A mistake like that would not need to be corrected. It would be left alone because it would not cause a problem. When noticed during the assembly process another one would be installed in the proper location and sent on.
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Let?s assume the brackets are the same part number and different stamping plants had slightly different designs. If that were the case these brackets would be mixed up and we would see notched versions on the top side. Have you ever seen a notched version on the top? The convertible documented in reply #8 also shows the notch on the lower but not on the top same as mine. This car was made in San Jose on Oct 7 1965. Mine was made in Dearborn on oct 13 1965. So we have two different workers, in two different plants on two different days making the exact same mistake in the exact same way with the exact combination of random brackets oriented in the exactly same manner in the exact same place. It?s like either hitting the mistake lottery or something told them to do it like this. When you see a ?mistake? repeated over and over at two different plants at two different times with two different sets of workers does it not make you question was it really a mistake?
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+1 ::)
It was Tony Kovar who suggested that. He seems to say it?s been covered before when I asked him to give his opinion on here
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Would it be plausible that another model (Falcon? Comet?) had the bracket there and the assembly line worker just had a brain fart thinking he was working on a different model?
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Let?s assume the brackets are the same part number and different stamping plants had slightly different designs. If that were the case these brackets would be mixed up and we would see notched versions on the top side. Have you ever seen a notched version on the top?
Honestly have not looked for a spare tire bracket with a "notch in the edge" Looks like a that may have been designed for a different application, possibly made to be in the reverse so that the hook stays centered and the bracket mounted on its side as attached in the examples. If this is the case then this suggests a different non-Mustang application, another mistake, as PraireBronze posted. If so then it would have a different part number. All you need do now is to look at other models built on the same line or another in the building to see where someone screwed up.
............... When you see a ?mistake? repeated over and over at two different plants at two different times with two different sets of workers does it not make you question was it really a mistake?
Yes when you see tens of thousands or more without the same mistake. If its not a mistake why were not all the cars built with two retainers?
Can offer many other mistakes that were repeated at different plants by different workers so this is not the first or last one. In everyday life we see different people making the same mistake every day in the news. Same thing.
Not sure that the discussion is going anywhere at this point
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Not sure that the discussion is going anywhere at this point
That is true... I appreciate everyone's help. Just very curious. I'm leaving it in place for sure. I like my restorations to be factory correct. These cars are like time machines and the closer they are to when they were new the better the time machine, mistakes and all. Maybe someone in the future will know for sure why its the way it is.