PI has a nice 72 listed on Ebay now. I noticed that the serial number is #4470.
My car is #4460 and is a '73 model year.
Is this common place to have discrepencies like that?
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YES Doug, that is why 1362 is the last pushbutton car produced.
Why is that,because they were made in different factories?
Really, What i have heard is that the serial nubers were assigned to the cars and they then came out of the factory at different times. maybe one had to taken back and be repainted, or some wino Italian dropped a hood and it had to be replaced. they may have assigned the numbers with a rolodex system? Think about having 100 cars at a time being built? It would be hard to get them out in order.......you rekon'
the coaches were manufactured in Turin, the chassis numbers assigned during the manufacture, because the one on the foot box is painted over. They were then trucked down to Modena were the cars were assembled. The fastest assembly rate they ever achieved was 15 cars per day. I'm fuzzy on the number, its approximately 15, OK?
I am sure that once Ford got involved, coaches that had problems were shoved to the side for later repair, in order to keep the assembly lines running, that's the way they do things. They don't stop an assembly line to fix the problems on the spot.
These are the best chassis number figures I have:
last pushbutton (by chassis number Bill, not build date): 1382
first 1972 model: 2293
first 1973 model: 4269
first 1974 model: 5900
What I find among Pantera owners is confusion between build date & model year. American auto manufacturers PRODUCE cars based on a fiscal year. They always have. So the first 1972 Pantera would have been manufactured around July 1, 1971, and would have hit the dealer show room in September 1971. But some owners see the 1971 build date & assume they have a 1971 vehicle.
My car is a perfect example. 5900 was the first 1974 model. My car is chassis 6018, a very early 1974 model. It was built in July 1973.
The car on ebay is in the same situation. The first 1973 model was chassis #4269. The ebay car is chassis #4470, which makes it an early 1973 model, built in July or August of 1972. The owner has incorrectly interpreted the 1972 build date to mean his car is a 1972 model.
your friend on the DTBB
I am sure that once Ford got involved, coaches that had problems were shoved to the side for later repair, in order to keep the assembly lines running, that's the way they do things. They don't stop an assembly line to fix the problems on the spot.
These are the best chassis number figures I have:
last pushbutton (by chassis number Bill, not build date): 1382
first 1972 model: 2293
first 1973 model: 4269
first 1974 model: 5900
What I find among Pantera owners is confusion between build date & model year. American auto manufacturers PRODUCE cars based on a fiscal year. They always have. So the first 1972 Pantera would have been manufactured around July 1, 1971, and would have hit the dealer show room in September 1971. But some owners see the 1971 build date & assume they have a 1971 vehicle.
My car is a perfect example. 5900 was the first 1974 model. My car is chassis 6018, a very early 1974 model. It was built in July 1973.
The car on ebay is in the same situation. The first 1973 model was chassis #4269. The ebay car is chassis #4470, which makes it an early 1973 model, built in July or August of 1972. The owner has incorrectly interpreted the 1972 build date to mean his car is a 1972 model.
your friend on the DTBB
So it isn't my car that is out of sequence it is the 4470 should be a 73 and not a 72?
But that doesn't make sense either. How could a car that should have been a '73 be made 1000 cars earlier?
I presume that the assmbly date codes were added then to the unit number and not vise versa?
But that doesn't make sense either. How could a car that should have been a '73 be made 1000 cars earlier?
I presume that the assmbly date codes were added then to the unit number and not vise versa?
I own 6476 and its a 73 L model go figure.
Ron
Ron
Mine is 6872 and is a 1973 L -gts.Another go figure one.
I'm confused...maybe that was the plan?
Now I'm really confused. There is no place on the car that states what model year it is correct?
Just the month in the serial number.
So if one had a non-titled car and no other documentation?
Geeze.
Now I'm really confused. There is no place on the car that states what model year it is correct?
Just the month in the serial number.
So if one had a non-titled car and no other documentation?
Geeze.
quote:Originally posted by laboss:
Mine is 6872 and is a 1973 L -gts.Another go figure one.
Some 74 US GTS cars were retitled as 73s for the California market.
I'm not making accusations here, nor attempting to piss anyone off, but it might appear that there are cars identified as to model years incorrectly.
I suppose it no longer matters much that a '75 might be called a '73, value wise.
DT's is a '73 European GTS. DT what is your number?
I suppose it no longer matters much that a '75 might be called a '73, value wise.
DT's is a '73 European GTS. DT what is your number?
6018 is a 1974 Pantera. It was registered in California as a 1973 model. That was the norm for the early 1974 models. Ford was delinquent in getting the 351C 4V smog approved in California for the 1974 model year. Their solution was to redocument the early 1974 Panteras as 1973 models. This does not alter the fact that any Ford era Pantera built in July 1973 or later, is a 1974 model.
Technical service bulletin #14, dated 4/25/75, page 5, second column, article 113, indicates that chassis 5900 was the first 1974 model chassis.
The 1974 models differ from the 1973 models in one very distinct way, the windshield wiper shafts exit the grills on the left hand side & the wipers parked on the right. If this is the case with your Pantera, it is a 1974 model, regardless of the registration.
I can understand the confusion. Just remember, US automakers assemble cars based on the fiscal year. Nobody has any problem understanding & accepting that a 1973 Mustang is still a 1973 model, even though it was assembled in July 1972.
your friend on the DTBB
Technical service bulletin #14, dated 4/25/75, page 5, second column, article 113, indicates that chassis 5900 was the first 1974 model chassis.
The 1974 models differ from the 1973 models in one very distinct way, the windshield wiper shafts exit the grills on the left hand side & the wipers parked on the right. If this is the case with your Pantera, it is a 1974 model, regardless of the registration.
I can understand the confusion. Just remember, US automakers assemble cars based on the fiscal year. Nobody has any problem understanding & accepting that a 1973 Mustang is still a 1973 model, even though it was assembled in July 1972.
your friend on the DTBB
So be it , it has always been a little confusing to me also that 6476 was a 73,
George your right the wipers exit on the left and wipers on the right. Thanks again for the info. I would say that it is after 5900 ... 6476 so its a 74 model year but registered as a 73 ??? Lets just say its a 73 since thats what its reg as. I'm not confused.
I had a 69 Shelby ... it was a Ford Executive Fleet car .. a real girly car .. a/c auto all opitioned out ... it had a 427 side oiler block ... casting #'s were right .. but underbored to a 428. This was stock it was one of the first for model year 69 SHelbys.
Lets just say its not unusual for there to be a discrepency with the automakers. Would you agree.
Its maybe an Italian thing .. LOL
Not many things are consistantly exact.
It was like making Gravy for Pasta .. LOL
Sometimes you have meatballs and sometimes sausage, who is counting how many of each go in the Gravy and sometimes what ever was left over from the days before. What ever fits in the pot goes in the gravy.
Like the Pantera... what ever was sitting nearby thats what went on the car.... if it was Siesta Time ... so we finish the car tomorrow ... then a year went by ... so they were a little late to respond to Calif Emission Laws. Whats a year here and there.
LOL
George your right the wipers exit on the left and wipers on the right. Thanks again for the info. I would say that it is after 5900 ... 6476 so its a 74 model year but registered as a 73 ??? Lets just say its a 73 since thats what its reg as. I'm not confused.
I had a 69 Shelby ... it was a Ford Executive Fleet car .. a real girly car .. a/c auto all opitioned out ... it had a 427 side oiler block ... casting #'s were right .. but underbored to a 428. This was stock it was one of the first for model year 69 SHelbys.
Lets just say its not unusual for there to be a discrepency with the automakers. Would you agree.
Its maybe an Italian thing .. LOL
Not many things are consistantly exact.
It was like making Gravy for Pasta .. LOL
Sometimes you have meatballs and sometimes sausage, who is counting how many of each go in the Gravy and sometimes what ever was left over from the days before. What ever fits in the pot goes in the gravy.
Like the Pantera... what ever was sitting nearby thats what went on the car.... if it was Siesta Time ... so we finish the car tomorrow ... then a year went by ... so they were a little late to respond to Calif Emission Laws. Whats a year here and there.
LOL
Ron, You must be Italian!quote:Originally posted by accobra:
Its maybe an Italian thing .. LOL
Not many things are consistantly exact.
It was like making Gravy for Pasta .. LOL
Sometimes you have meatballs and sometimes sausage, who is counting how many of each go in the Gravy and sometimes what ever was left over from the days before. What ever fits in the pot goes in the gravy.
Like the Pantera... what ever was sitting nearby thats what went on the car.... if it was Siesta Time ... so we finish the car tomorrow ... then a year went by ... so they were a little late to respond to Calif Emission Laws. Whats a year here and there.
LOL
LOL ok what gave it away ??? LOL
George I think its the opposite of the 73 Mustang. It was built in 72 and sold in 73.
Pantera was built in 74 or 75 like Doug says and sold as a 73 ??? Am I understanding that correctly ???
Ron
George I think its the opposite of the 73 Mustang. It was built in 72 and sold in 73.
Pantera was built in 74 or 75 like Doug says and sold as a 73 ??? Am I understanding that correctly ???
Ron
quote:Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
I'm not making accusations here, nor attempting to piss anyone off, but it might appear that there are cars identified as to model years incorrectly.
I suppose it no longer matters much that a '75 might be called a '73, value wise.
DT's is a '73 European GTS. DT what is your number?
Dear Doug, my car is titled a a 73. It is build number 4903 and according to the VIN it was built in November of 1972.
mine is 6476 which is titled a 73 and probably should be a 75 ???
Any body that puts sasuage and meatballs in the same sauce must be Italian.. Always a dead giveaway. LOLquote:Originally posted by accobra:
LOL ok what gave it away ??? LOL
Ron
quote:Originally posted by accobra:
mine is 6476 which is titled a 73 and probably should be a 75 ???
It's a '74 model, by July of '74, the chassis numbers were running in the 7000+ range.
You seem confused Ron. Like any other US manufactured automobile (there are exceptions) Panteras for the '74 model year were assembled between July 1973 and June 1974. There are some Panteras assembled in July 1974 that we call '74 models, but technically, from Ford's perspective, they would have been 1975 models, if Ford hadn't been in the process of closing down the assembly line.
The fiscal year stuff only applies to the Panteras built during the Ford era. Afterwards, the whole concept of a "model year" isn't as important in other parts of the world, or with smaller businesses. Or with our friends in Italy.
your friend on the DTBB