Mustang Monthly And Mustang& Fords Auto Show SpectacularThe annual Auto Show Spectacular, featured at the Mobil 1 World Ford Challenge, will take place May 17-20, 2001, at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis. The event will be sponsored by Mustang Monthly and our sister magazine Mustang & Fords. With more than 70 classes and an expected entry topping 800 cars, it will be THE show to attend this spring. The first 300 entrants who register their show cars will receive a free commemorative, full-color, acrylic dash plaque. Come on out and show us what you've got, and catch some of the hottest Mustang and Ford-powered racing action in the country as well. For more information, contact World Race Events Inc., 11431 NW 34th St., Miami, FL 33178; (305) 436-0996; fax, (305) 436-5116; www.worldfordchallenge.com.
FAQThis section will appear in Pony Tales every month and will contain information on frequently asked questions. Some items will rotate out, while others will remain here for the foreseeable future.
Carroll Shelby Children's FoundationCarroll's Children's Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that supports organ donation and transplant research for children. The organization has a quarterly newsletter and sponsors all types of events throughout the year. For more information, or to make a donation, contact the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, 19021 S. Figueroa St., Gardena, CA 90248; (310) 327-5072; www.carrollshelby.org.
Factory InvoicesLois Eminger has only Dearborn '69, '70, '71, '72, and '73 invoices for Mustangs, and Metuchen '70 invoices. Invoices are $35, and proof of ownership is required (such as a copy of your registration or title). A rubbing from your data plate or VIN would be helpful as well. You may contact Lois at P.O. Box 220, Dearborn, MI 48121-0220.
Vin Info: Ford Customer Service NumberTo request a History 999 report for your American-made Mustang, call the American Ford Customer Assistance line at (800) 392-3673. If your Mustang was made in Canada, you will need to call the Canadian Customer Service line at (800) 565-3673 and request a Broadcast Sheet. According to Ford PR sources, information is available for only '67-'88 models for right now. You will need to provide them with only your car's VIN. They will fax or mail you a complete list of options for your car.
In Search Of MustangsThe Truth About TransitionThere has been an endless debate throughout the past 25 years about the transition from 196411/42 to 1965. We're here to give you the facts, including what we still don't know about transition. Based on the data we have compiled in our census efforts since 1979, we've come to understand that there is no exact transition date from 196411/42 to 1965. Each plant did something different-most of it in running changes during production. For the Dearborn and San Jose assembly plants, our database indicates that the last scheduled build date for '6411/42 Mustangs was July 31, 1964 (date code 31G).
First, we have to understand the difference between scheduled build dates and actual build dates. The build date code on your Mustang's warranty plate-located on the left-hand door-is the "scheduled" or "planned" build date-which may not necessarily be the actual build date. In fact, the date the car was assembled and the date on the warranty plate are rarely the same. We based this on sheetmetal stamping dates and component assembly dates on many of the Mustangs we've witnessed. For example, say we have a date code of 05C on the warranty plate (March 5), but the sheetmetal stamping date codes and component assembly date codes are after the warranty date code. This means the vehicle couldn't have possibly been assembled on the date shown. We find this to be true with most "last day" Dearborn- and San Jose-built '6411/42 Mustangs. Most have sheetmetal stamping date codes in mid-August 1964.