Raptor

Since ROBOT lady is out, I thought that if we make a numerical list of our VIN sequence numbers, as people get and report their "Scheduled Build Dates" others down the line can easily estimate when their cars will be built. As you provide information i will keep the list updated.

Whammer: 5161508 "Dec 31"

Raptor: 5166433 "Build Not Yet Scheduled"

Whammer

Are you sure that vin# you posted is correct? I think you're missing a #?

Raptor

Thanks Whammer!

Whammer

5161508 Build date Dec.31

Five Oh Brian

Mustangs are not built in VIN order. VIN's are sequential to when the order is pulled and serialized, but the actual production timing of the car has nothing to do with the serial number, FYI.

Raptor

I was told not exact order but normally close.

Five Oh Brian

You may have been told that, but I'm here to tell you otherwise. I've been ordering new Fords for 8+ years, and watch our orders progress through the process, and they are not built in order of VIN. Sometimes, you'll see VIN's that hundreds or even thousands of numbers apart on the line at the same time. Or you'll see sequential VIN's that arrive at the dealership weeks apart.

Whammer

So Brian...how does VIN assignment work? Doesn't being assigned a VIN mean the car is scheduled for build?

Raptor

Sounds like you have the facts. Are their any other relationships we can track to give us a clue? Since all Bullitts are GT Premiums with the same package any few options; it seems their should be fewer veriables to cloud the picture when they are built. Once the orders are in and VINs are assigned what sets the build priority. Could a Bullitt ordered and assigned a VIN a month after mine be built before mine? If so what is the driver?

Thanks for your help

wally05

I was told that being scheduled and built is based the size of dealership.

Five Oh Brian

wally05 is kinda right, but it's not really the size of the dealership, but the allocation of certain model lines based on historical sales data. I'll never pretend to understand to full scope of Ford's allocation and production schedule, because there are so many variables that it would drive the average guy crazy trying to sort it all out.

Keep in mind that Ford can build almost 500 Mustangs per day. Let's say that a Bullitt from a Los Angeles dealer and a dealership from a NYC dealer get pulled magically in sequence. It's possible that one may be schedule on a Monday, while the other is scheduled on a Thursday, depending on commodities & paint colors and such. With 3 days between building these sequential cars, you could have 1500 other Mustangs built (V6, GT, GT/CS, Shelby, etc.). Conversely, you could have Bullitts assigned VIN's several days and thousands of digits apart, but because they both had the same paint and options, they may get grouped together on the assembly line somehow. Like Raptor, said above, there aren't too many variables with specific color/equipment, but there are still a handful of options that could delay or expedite an order.

Raptor, the other driver of a later VIN being built before your own order would be dealership allocation for that specific model. Bullitts are 17% of Mustang production currently, so a dealership has to order 6 Mustangs to ensure 1 is a Bullitt. What if your order is pulled, but not scheduled and your dealership is not allocated/ordering enough other Mustangs to balance getting your Bullitt scheduled? Maybe it will get bumped a week, two, three, etc. before your dealer has had enough other orders to offset the Bullitt.

wally05

Oh brian, I have heard that before and that does make sense. I think that is what my salesguy was explaining to me. They deal in a lot of mustangs, but I've yet to receive any date for build. He has been working with the Ford rep about it and we're hoping for this week. He said it was a combination of factors, but my date will get out soon. I was getting discouraged that all these ppl had dates and I didn't.

Five Oh Brian

Korey, as you have a VIN, your car should be scheduled soon. However, with the holiday plant closure, there could also be some scheduling that doesn't happen for a couple weeks which means some cars with VINs won't be scheduled until after the plant reopens in January. Don't get discouraged, your car will show up eventually.

As we often have to tell customers who order limited production cars: "Your car will get here when it gets here, and not a moment sooner."