66 Build Date?

[David L.]

I have been doing some research into the dates on my 66 Convertible 194676S111360 and have a question. The Trim Tag shows a Body code of
S3591 indicating a St. Louis Body and a Build Code of E18 which I believe indicates a Build Date of January 18, 1966. When I look at the Production Calendar in the back of the Technical Information Manual and Judging Guide it appears that the car was built on January 18, 1966. The bill of sale shows January 26, 1966 with delivery taken on January 27, 1966 as marked in the Owner Protection Plan. The question I have is how common was it to have the body date and the build date be the same? It seems that there would be some time between body build and car build. Any opinions?

[Gary S.]

Re: 66 Build Date?

I don't think it is uncommon for a St. Louis body car. I have seen it many times and two of my personal cars have body dates the same day as their assembly line date of manufacture one Sept 28, 1966 and the other March 1, 1967.

[John H.]

Re: 66 Build Date?

I have been doing some research into the dates on my 66 Convertible 194676S111360 and have a question. The Trim Tag shows a Body code of
S3591 indicating a St. Louis Body and a Build Code of E18 which I believe indicates a Build Date of January 18, 1966. When I look at the Production Calendar in the back of the Technical Information Manual and Judging Guide it appears that the car was built on January 18, 1966. The bill of sale shows January 26, 1966 with delivery taken on January 27, 1966 as marked in the Owner Protection Plan. The question I have is how common was it to have the body date and the build date be the same? It seems that there would be some time between body build and car build. Any opinions?

David -

St. Louis-bodied cars had the trim tag created and affixed after the body left the Paint Shop, as they were loaded on the Hard Trim Line; from that point, it took about a shift and a half to reach the end of the line. With the two-shift operation, if the body hit the Trim Line in the morning, it could come off the line the same day, on second shift. If it hit the Trim Line later in the day, it would come off the line the following morning.

[Matt L.]

Re: 66 Build Date?

David -

St. Louis-bodied cars had the trim tag created and affixed after the body left the Paint Shop, as they were loaded on the Hard Trim Line; from that point, it took about a shift and a half to reach the end of the line. With the two-shift operation, if the body hit the Trim Line in the morning, it could come off the line the same day, on second shift. If it hit the Trim Line later in the day, it would come off the line the following morning.

thanks John. this makes perfect sense as my 64 trim tag says oct 28 but the ncrs shipping data says 29. were cars shipped asap as they came off the line ?

thanks,
matt

[John H.]

Re: 66 Build Date?

thanks John. this makes perfect sense as my 64 trim tag says oct 28 but the ncrs shipping data says 29. were cars shipped asap as they came off the line ?

thanks,
matt

Matt -

In most cases, yes, as they had already been through Roll Test, Water Test, Mechanical repair and Final Paint Repair before they went on the Final Trim Line to have the interior installed, at the end of which was Shipping.

[Paul J.]

Re: 66 Build Date?

The question I have is how common was it to have the body date and the build date be the same? It seems that there would be some time between body build and car build. Any opinions?

My 64 was built and shipped on Oct. 8, 1963.