Earliest Metuchen K?

65gtfastback_old · August 4, 2008 at 10:09 PM

Hi,

Does anyone have Jim Smart's book handy? Since Metuchen only opened in Feb '65, I'm trying to find what the earliest know date is for a Metuchen K?

Thanks,

Paul

SixT5HiPo · August 5, 2008 at 12:55 AM

I'll take a shot at this one. Mustangs built at the Metuchen Assembly Plant were assigned numbers beginning in the 130000 series. The earliest Metuchen K code VIN listed in the Smart and Haskell book is 5T07K140044. Scheduled build date for this car is 11Q (March 11, 1965). However, 5T07K134663 is listed in The 289 High Performance Mustang Registry, and has a scheduled build date of 15B (February 15, 1965). This happens to be my car. Besides having two build sheets, I have the dealer invoice, which is dated March 31st, 1965. The original engine is still in place, and has never been out of the car. The assembly date stamped on the engine is 5B15, and is the same as the scheduled build date. Does any of this help answer the question, or just add more uncertainty?

The original owner told me that he ordered the car in late December of 1964 from Lee Heffner Ford, located near his home just outside of Reading, PA. But, the car wasn't delivered and invoiced until March 31st. We know Metuchen came online in February, and although the scheduled build date on this car is the 15th, the car couldn't be built until all the parts were available. Clearly, we can see that scheduled build date of a K code Mustang doesn't follow the expected pattern of normal production Mustangs.

round2K_old · August 5, 2008 at 7:11 AM

Gene,

We just had a post by Paul Bougie indicating that he has a Metuchen build date of March 30, 1965 for his GT and it has evidence of being one of the Arvinode equipped GTs. It would seem that as Metuchen was ramping up they were late in making the transition to GT duals.

Edited by - round2K on 08/05/2008 07:12:16

CharlesTurner · August 5, 2008 at 7:16 AM

Here's some VIN info. Need to check the Production Guide to see what else is in there.

5T07K134653 65A M 26 15B 23 5 5

5T07K140044 65A R 28 11Q 13 5 5

5T07K146413 65B X 66 01R 23 5 5

5T07K148428 65 06R 14 5 5

5T07K148600 65

5T07K155908 65 5

But check out the fastbacks at Metuchen, they didn't seem to start building them until a couple weeks later than the first K coupe there:

5T09K145671 63

5T09K148900 63A A D6 08R 26 5 5

5T09K149900 63

5T09K150431 63A A 25

5T09K150593 63

5T09K150613 63B A 65 08R 26 5 5

5T09K151369 63

5T09K151631 63

5T09K151831 65 5 5

5T09K153276 63 5

5T09K153277 63A M 26 19R 11 5 5

CharlesTurner · August 5, 2008 at 7:17 AM

So, which exhaust does Gene have on his car? Or, what type of hangers were on it originally?

65gtfastback_old · August 5, 2008 at 11:11 AM

Interesting info. Mine is 5T09A146116, a 63A GT fastback. According to my build sheet, my scheduled build date of March 30th.

My car has unusual exhaust related anomalies, curious to see if any of the other similarly dated Metuchen K's have the same?

Paul

PS. My engine assembly date is 5C19F or possibly E.

Edited by - 65gtfastback on 08/05/2008 12:35:26

round2K_old · August 5, 2008 at 2:40 PM

Gene - what's the scoop on yours?

SixT5HiPo · August 5, 2008 at 6:31 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

So, which exhaust does Gene have on his car? Or, what type of hangers were on it originally?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

Gene - what's the scoop on yours?

OK...here's the scoop. Rear frame rails have the Arvinode exhaust hanger location holes. When I bought the car, the exhaust had "replacement" type mufflers; one side still had a resonator on it, while the other side was missing the resonator and just had a pipe from the muffler to the original turn down.

I was lucky to get an NOS "C6ZZ" system about four years ago, and promplty installed it. An NOS H pipe and turndowns finished off the installation. The hangers and clamps I used were all NOS pieces for the later style system, and we improvised a band around the resonators to match up to the rear hanger location, which is near the center of the resonator. This worked out very well, and probably matches the way a Ford dealer would have installed the system back in the day.

CharlesTurner · August 5, 2008 at 7:30 PM

Sounds like your car had the arvinode system Gene, now get on the phone with Waldron's and order up! <img src=images/icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=images/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

BTW, if the car had the muffler replacement done by a dealer, the rear pipes with resonators would not have been changed. The original instructions for the Arvinode replacement kit instructed to cut the mufflers and just replace that area.

Edited by - caspian65 on 08/05/2008 19:32:09

SixT5HiPo · August 5, 2008 at 11:23 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

Sounds like your car had the arvinode system Gene, now get on the phone with Waldron's and order up! <img src=images/icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=images/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

It's a tempting idea, but I think having a genuine FoMoCo exhaust system trumps having an Arvinode repop. However, I may buy one just to have it for the future. I talked to Joe at Waldron's Exhaust about this "predicament", and he agrees that what I have on my car is quite rare, and he wouldn't think about making a change if it was his car.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

BTW, if the car had the muffler replacement done by a dealer, the rear pipes with resonators would not have been changed. The original instructions for the Arvinode replacement kit instructed to cut the mufflers and just replace that area.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

That's true, and that retrofit is documented on the Ford TSB #16, Article 315, and TSB #17, Article 328.

I was actually thinking of a fictional situation where a 1965 HiPo Mustang pulls into the Ford dealer years after the TSB issue expired. The original Arvinode system is still on the car, but is rusted out and needs to be replaced. At that point, I'm assuming the dealer would install a "C6ZZ" exhaust system and HiPo H pipe similar to what I did on my car...

65gtfastback_old · August 5, 2008 at 11:55 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

I was actually thinking of a fictional situation where a 1965 HiPo Mustang pulls into the Ford dealer years after the TSB issue expired. The original Arvinode system is still on the car, but is rusted out and needs to be replaced. At that point, I'm assuming the dealer would install a "C6ZZ" exhaust system and HiPo H pipe similar to what I did on my car...

If he had left the Arvinode system on the car for that long, he probably liked it right? When one of my Arvinode type replacement mufflers developed an internal rattle, I replaced the entire system with a Motive oval muffler repop setup. Way to quiet compared to the previous Arvinode style... <img src=images/icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Paul

Edited by - 65gtfastback on 08/06/2008 10:08:04

SixT5HiPo · August 6, 2008 at 12:44 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

If he had left the Arvinode system on the car for that long, he probably liked it right? When one of my Arvinode type replacement mufflers developed an internal rattle, I replaced the entire system with a Modine oval muffler repop setup. Way to quiet compared to the previous Arvinode style... <img src=images/icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Paul

Quite right, Paul. There's nothing like the sound of the Arvinode system.

The original owner is now deceased, but his daughter still remembers the sound of her father's HiPo Mustang. One time when I went to visit her, she commented about the sound of the car as it approached from a distance. She said she could hear me coming when I was quite a ways down the road. It reminded her of the days when her father used to visit, and she could hear the engine well in advance. Even her dogs reacted to the sound just like they used to when her dad would visit her.

CharlesTurner · August 6, 2008 at 6:31 AM

Considering that the Arvinode is reproduced faithfully, according to the original drawings, I would not disregard it as simply a "repop" system. The Ford system you have on the car now, while nice to have, is not correct for your car. If I was you, I'd jump on the opportunity to install the right system and sell the service replacement system to offset the purchase cost of the Arvinode.

The way I see it, it's kinda like putting an NOS '66 grille on a '65. You can make it fit and it looks ok, but it's just not the right piece and looks out of place.

dunc289_old · August 6, 2008 at 8:43 AM

And just think of the sounds, WOW!!!

SixT5HiPo · August 6, 2008 at 10:03 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

And just think of the sounds, WOW!!!

You'd be surprised at the sound of the "tamer" FoMoCo system. It's got it's own merits, as well. <img src=images/icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

SixT5HiPo · August 6, 2008 at 10:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

The way I see it, it's kinda like putting an NOS '66 grille on a '65. You can make it fit and it looks ok, but it's just not the right piece and looks out of place.

That's one way to look at it, although the exhaust system isn't normally seen until you crawl underneath the car to have a look. I guess I should remove the FoMoCo system and sell it to a '66 $helby GT 350 guy for ALL the traffic will bear, huh? <img src=images/icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

289kford · August 6, 2008 at 10:24 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

And just think of the sounds, WOW!!!

You'd be surprised at the sound of the "tamer" FoMoCo system. It's got it's own merits, as well. <img src=images/icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

if you mean the stock 'GT' style, here is a short clip of mine, still has the FOMOCO system on it.

my car would have had the Arvinode system when built but I think has the TSB replacement mufflers. They are 'Ford' stamped, 1 piece inlet pipe/muffler.

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65gtfastback_old · August 6, 2008 at 11:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

my car would have had the Arvinode system when built but I think has the TSB replacement mufflers.

If you suspect yours was Arvinode, is it also a Metuchen car? If it is, the scheduled date and VIN could be helpful to me.

Thanks,

Paul

289kford · August 6, 2008 at 11:32 AM

mine is a Dearborn kar 5F09K399***.

I think Jan. 65

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