Have you ever wondered what your Mustang was like when it was first built? What the original color was? What options it was equipped with? 428 Cobra Jet Mustang owners no longer have to wonder because you have several sources of information available to you. I've found that you generally get what you pay for when it comes to these services, so keep that in mind when deciding how you wish to proceed. Here are the sources that I'm aware of:
Marti Auto Works: Kevin Marti's company has licensed records of original production information for 1967 - 1973 Ford vehicles directly from Ford Motor Company. For a modest fee, you can obtain a very reliable report that describes your vehicle's original options and related production trivia.
Invoice copies, take I: Lois Eminger (a former Ford employee) used to sell original #2 Ford invoice copies for many classic Fords (the #1 copy was sent to the dealer, and the #2 copy was kept by Ford to check equipment prior to shipping the vehicle). Kevin Marti recently told me that his company has purchased all of the invoices that Lois had. Among other vehicles, copies are available for these CJ-equipped Mustangs:
1969 - 1970 Dearborn (F) production
1970 Metuchen (T) production
Current cost is $45 per copy for priority mail delivery with delivery confirmation. Contact Marti Auto Works directly to find out what they need to fulfill your request. Here's their contact info:
Marti Auto Works
12007 W. Peoria Ave.
El Mirage, AZ 85335
(623) 935-2558
(623) 935-2579 FAX
Invoice copies, take II: Roger Hayman (another former Ford employee) has original #2 Ford invoice copies for many classic Fords, too. Copies are available for these CJ-equipped cars (excluding convertibles, Mach 1s, and pace cars -- see Marti Auto Works for those):
1969 - 1970 Mustangs and Cougars - Dearborn (F)
1970 Mustangs - Metuchen (T)
Current cost is $35 per copy. Roger requires a copy of your title, registration, data plate, or other proof of ownership. Here's his address:
Roger Hayman
25 Brookline Lane
Dearborn, MI 48120-1037
Free Ford Customer Assistance Center (CAC) reports: Call Ford customer assistance at (800) 392-3673 and request a "History 999" report. Given your VIN they can provide you with a list of your car's options and some basic information about your VIN and warranty plate. Note, though, that these reports are compiled by hand and they sometimes contain errors. I guess you get what you pay for!
Sadly, you're out of luck if you need a copy of your Mustang's assembly broadcast (build) sheet because no one has copies of the originals. These delicate sheets of paper were often left under carpeting or seats, wrapped around the under-dash wiring harness, or left inside a door during assembly. Consider yourself very lucky if you happen to find one (and please consider sharing a copy to help with the registry's ongoing research efforts).
© 1999 Scott A. Hollenbeck. All Rights Reserved.