Marti Report Skeptical

I have a deluxe Marti Report on both my 71 Grabbers....

1 production VIN 43,006 made at Kansas city built on 11-24-1970

2 production VIN 42,817 made at Kansas city built on 11-27-1970

To me this makes no sense ...the car that was built earlier, has a higher production number???

 

That is a common occurrence. That number just means the car was the 43,006th Maverick scheduled for production at that plant for the '71 model year. Dosen't mean that is the order that the cars were actually built in.

 

What are the buck dates ... they should be in order ...

 

The VIN 43,006 WAS BUCKED ON 11-20-1970

VIN 42,817 WAS BUCKED ON 11-23-1970

 

I thought the VIN was assigned when the body was bucked .... that doesn't make sense .... I could understand the build date being different but not the buck ... Are they both Grabbers?

 

But as He says its just a production number to be built. I guess they didnt leave the factory in that order.

 

Dan Thats why im skeptical about it...Marti Auto is about a half a mile away from me....ill take both my reports and ask him why they are like that.

 

Maybe the just have a bucket of VIN numbers ... and pull one out of the hat when it's bucked?

 

Yes Both are 71 Grabbers.....heres somethin weird ...they were serialized on 11-13-1970 im gonna try and snap a pic.....of my report

 

There was an article Legendary Ford Magazine May/June 2006 about his.
It says:
Ford started by analyzing the order when it was received from a district office. The car first received a VIN, based on the next available consecutive unit, Cars were grouped together based on similarity of options, color, body style, availability of components, even manpower. Sometimes in the case of an extremely well-equipped car, or a car with an uncommon or special color/trim combination, the dealer would actually receive notice of the VIN assignment with the scheduled date following sometime later.
It also said that the technology to plan build dates with precision was not possible. If the plant determined that they had some "last-minute" available slots, they might move a car up, putting it on the line a week or so before the planned date.
If a car can be built early, it can be built late too, Unexpected parts shortages, assembly line down time, labor problems, even the weather could effect a cars production.
If they were St.Thomas cars, body were produced in mass quantity, painted and stored in the "Tower" until that color and body style was needed, then they were loaded on the line at that time.

There are pictures floating around, where you can see that tower filled with ever color Maverick that was ever made, they even made a scale model of it and filled it with promos for the plant Christmas party.

 

Guess that explains it ...

I know from the Mustang boards that Ford still uses the same system. If you order a new Mustang the dealer can give you the VIN and scheduled build date long before you ever receive your car ...

 

It's pretty cool how both cars were serialized on the same day. Must have been stock orders, does it say?

 

That's all very interesting. I guess I'm going to have to go ahead and contact Marti for my cars. I have 2 71 Grabbers I want to get reports on too. The consecutive unit numbers are only 5 digits apart. Check out these two vins:
1K93F183792
1K93F183797

The 1st one is my green Grabber I bought in 1975, the 2nd one is the blue one I shelbyized which was purchased over 25 years later.

I also want to get one on my Sprint. Wonder if Marti gives multi-car discounts.

 

Dave,
you know waaaaay too much about this subject...

 

Never heard of it...

...the 'tower'?

I'd like to see those pics.


Seth