Topic: 64½ convertible with later type of radiator frame

[fast66]

Hi All,
a person n my facebook group just picked up his new 64½ converible in the harbour of Stockholm, Sweden. It is imported from the US.
It is a very nice convertible, built in San Jose with a planned build date of 30G and a VIN of 103xxx.
The new owner immediatey observed that the radiator frame was not the typical 64½ with the finned air vents, but the newer one.

I suggested that the car may have been in a light accident (certainly does not look lie it...) but we started to check on sheet metal dates. Fenders have  7 11 D2,  and 5 4 C3.
I read those as 11th of July 2nd shift and 4th of May 3rd shift (date a little early??)
This is where we are now - can't find the date on the radiator frame and haven't checked on hood, valances or bumper...

But another solution to the "problem" would of course be that as San Jose only built mustangs for a very short while in July, they would possibly already have received some parts that were  in the design for the -65 model year... has this been seen before and would this be a valid suggestion?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Claes

[J_Speegle]

This is a thread already posted but the car was likely built before the car your asking about

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=15697.msg98288#msg98288

Here is a picture from 5R1031xx and you can see it has the "gills"/vents. What few sheet metal dates I have from that one are in the same range but these are from welded on panels IMHO a better source for dating than bolt on panels that are easy to swap or replace.  But we would want to look at cars with higher VINs to see if we can determine when the change took place



There is another example of a car with a projected build date of 27G  5R102xxx with the vents also in my files

By the start of 65 production at San Jose  a week or so after the projected date you wrote. Non-vented radiator supports were being installed so we're cutting the transition period pretty close with this question. Cars in around 5R125000 is as close as I have to after the change over I have pictures of.


Would say that its just as possible that the early radiator supports might have been for a few cars after the change over to use up the supply most so than they ran short of them and started using the new version.  Process may have been to move all the left over early versions into the supply chain for service replacement parts  if they want to make a hard break and follow what Ford wanted done with the change over in design.  Not a big deal to send a trunk up to the depot or even back into an empty rail car fro the short trip